Naqvi-Mohamed: Quebec's prayer-room ban in colleges hits near residence

Article content material

Generally when issues fail to make sense, it may be useful to stroll down reminiscence lane and see if historical past has something to show us.

Article content material

Such was the case for me throughout the previous couple of days of Ramadan — Islam’s holiest month when Muslim Canadians had been peacefully praying and giving charity in cities throughout the nation.

Article content material

Many, like me, had been shocked to listen to that Bernard Drainville, Quebec’s training minister, had picked this explicit second to go forward with his directive to ban spiritual practices like open prayer in public colleges.

Regardless of the cautious wording to not counsel the directive is supposed to focus on any explicit spiritual group, nobody is fooled: Muslims are the goal, as soon as once more.

The truth is, it was the revelation that some public colleges had — horrors! — put aside empty rooms the place Muslims may pray that despatched the Coalition Avenir Québec authorities scrambling to take motion within the title of state secularism, as soon as once more.

Article content material

Article content material

By no means thoughts that within the CAQ’s model of a secular state, it’s completely OK for public colleges to hold the title of Catholic saints, identical to the general public streets and neighbourhoods and boroughs the place these public colleges may be discovered. The contradictions are as clear as the large cross on Mount Royal. However I digress.

Again to Ramadan, and particularly Eid-ul-Fitr, when Muslims had been centered on finishing the month of fasting, a spiritually uplifting expertise for many who participated. How unhappy that on this special occasion of celebration a lot of the discuss among the many group was about this newest concentrating on of Muslims by the CAQ authorities, and about feeling othered in a province the place lots of them had been born.

And that’s when reminiscence lane jogged my memory that Drainville, as a Parti Québécois cupboard minister in 2013, was liable for drafting the notorious Constitution of Values, which referred to as for a complete ban of spiritual symbols within the public sector. Quick ahead and at this time now we have Invoice 21 as a substitute, plus now a ban on prayer rooms in colleges. What’s the saying about placing lipstick on a pig?

Article content material

In my view, I used to be born, raised and educated in Quebec. In (public) highschool, CEGEP and college, I might take outing to hope. Sure, in rooms designated for that goal. Shocked? Possibly that’s as a result of the follow is totally unobtrusive, and you wouldn’t even comprehend it was occurring. Prayer is profoundly private and personal. College students who pray at college usually achieve this throughout their lunchtime. It by no means impacts different college students, lecturers or people. For myself, I derived a way of peace, serenity and luxury from having the ability to fulfill one of many tenets of my religion.

In different phrases, my emotions about this newest directive about prayer rooms is similar as my emotions about Invoice 21 — it’s yet one more answer to an issue that doesn’t exist, pushed by means of below the thinly-veiled (pun supposed) guise of secularism. Its impact is to immediately and primarily impede Muslims from practising their lifestyle.

Article content material

At what level does this finish? We have now already misplaced lecturers to Invoice 21. Can we wish to begin shedding college students, too? Do we would like extra households to determine sufficient is sufficient and go away Quebec for good?

I like this province; it’s my residence and the place I’ve chosen to boost my kids, the place I’ve household and buddies. I like the range in Montreal, the joie de vivre, how individuals of all backgrounds and walks of life stay, work and play peacefully facet by facet regardless of their religion, tradition or language. What I don’t love is laws and directives that focus on the freedoms of spiritual minorities, that pander to prejudices and whose impact is to divide somewhat than unite.

And please, sufficient with the secularism pretext; nobody is fooled.

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed is the founder and editor in chief of CanadianMomEh.com, a life-style weblog.

FarihaNaqviMohamed.com

twitter.com/canadianmomeh