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submitted 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

The Quebec government says it will ban religious symbols in the province's daycare centres.

Secularism Minister Jean-François Roberge says there is a "broad consensus" that Quebecers want secularism to be strengthened.

The announcement follows a recommendation made this summer by a committee tasked with advising the province on how to enhance secularism. The committee had called for the ban to be extended to daycares.

Quebec has already banned public sector workers in positions of authority, such as teachers and judges, from wearing religious symbols on the job.

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[-] Danquebec@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 hours ago

Québécois here. I'm surprised by the positive reception here.

First because normally, anything about Québec policies on reddit (unless it's on a Quebec-related sub) is received very negatively, and harshly so, while I may support, be neutral, or against but with understanding where it's coming from. But that may be a Reddit-Lemmy difference. And that's welcome. I don't expect people to agree with everything Quebec does, but I do value reason.

Second, because this time, I'm very much against. I'm an atheist, antitheist even. But what would banning headscarves in daycare centers even achieve? Do you think children growing up will be convinced to become Muslim because their educators were veiled? And for the negative impacts:

  • From what I see as a parent in Montreal, nearly half educators in anything daycare in the city are veiled. If they decide to stop working, it will have terrible economic effects.
  • Veiled women being made to feel unwelcome, antognized and ostracized.
[-] carotte 7 points 8 hours ago

our education system is in ruins, our healthcare system is even worse, people can’t pay for housing and groceries, and despite tons of budget cuts everywhere the provincial debt has never been worse.

…but thankfully, the CAQ is here to fight the real issues: those darn Muslims doing childcare!!!

[-] SlartyBartFast@sh.itjust.works 22 points 11 hours ago

Good for them

[-] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Goodbye Zero... It was nice knowing you.

[-] the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world 20 points 12 hours ago

Good, do schools next.

[-] Credibly_Human@lemmy.world 46 points 14 hours ago

Seems reasonable

Meanwhile in Ontario, right beside them, public funds still go to Catholic schools

[-] carotte 14 points 8 hours ago

lmao catholic private schools receive public funds in quebec too

why do actual secularism when you could just attack Muslim people 🙃

[-] Credibly_Human@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Ugh.

That is fucking absurd.

How the fuck even.

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[-] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 14 points 12 hours ago

So basically, no Muslims or Jews or Sikhs allowed? Doesn't seem that great to me.

[-] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 23 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

To the downvotes: this specifically bans religious dress. Don't you think it's a little too convenient that the majority religion is one that doesn't incorporate any type of religious dress? This law is designed to have an outsized effect on people who wear a keffiyeh, yarmulke, hijab, or turban.

For anyone unfamiliar, this is just extending an already contentious, anti-religion law.

Statement from a Muslim civil rights group

Statement from a Jewish civil rights group

Statement from a Sikh civil rights group

[-] Jhex@lemmy.world 7 points 9 hours ago

Exactly right... this is like a ban on braziers but pretending it applies to all: male, female and everything in between... well, I am sure you can see a group would be more affected than other, right?

[-] Credibly_Human@lemmy.world 6 points 9 hours ago

Why is no one with this information making a top comment about it?

All the top comments seem totally unreasonable at first glance.

[-] Grimy@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Because it's basically saying 3/4 of religions should be exempt from separation from church and state.

Symbols and garbs are the same thing, if you can't separate yourself from your religion to the point where you can't take off the silly hat for a shift, then you shouldn't be working for the state. You aren't working for your God, the government isn't paying you to advertise whatever flavor you belong to.

It's all a club so they can treat each other better, it's tribalism and it has no place in our society anymore. Nice to see someone taking a firm stance.

[-] tempest@lemmy.ca 3 points 9 hours ago

I think you are correct they are definitely able to pass this without issue because of the reasons you state.

On the other hand all religion is a cancer so ...

[-] abrake@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

Yeah, this sort of thing has been going on in Quebec for years with the same intent: Act respecting the laicity of the State

[-] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 14 points 13 hours ago

I was with them until this:

The government has already tabled legislation to extend the religious symbols ban to all public school staff, and Roberge has also promised to ban prayer in public places.

I hope I’m interpreting this too cynically, but that sounds like something that’s not really possible (nailing down what is and isn’t a prayer just for this comment is giving me a headache, like does “damn it!” count?). What they could do is ban the use of prayer mats, but that would only really hit one religion. Hopefully that’s neither their intent nor the course they’d take.

[-] carotte 11 points 8 hours ago

oh no the public prayer ban thing is 100%, wholly just Islamophobia. the people who want the ban have already said they’re fine with catholic public praying.

i’ll note that Muslims doing prayers in public in quebec started pretty recently, and most of it is grieving during pro-Palestine protests.

that’s what quebec wants to ban: people grieving for Palestine. it’s sickening

[-] HikingVet@lemmy.ca 8 points 13 hours ago

You are being way to strict with your interpretation. Also the way you bring up prayer mats raises an eyebrow.

[-] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 11 points 13 hours ago

As I said, I hope I am wrong about my interpretation. What’s eyebrow raising about prayer mats?

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[-] mrdown@lemmy.world 6 points 12 hours ago

How to create more separation for a problem that never existed. Should the leader of the partie Québecois also remove the word st aka saint for his name since it's a religious term?

Why none of the canadian leaders condemned the sale of occupied west bank land in synaguoges isn't that the real issues or insure that there is some problematic statements in place of worship?

[-] Grimy@lemmy.world 6 points 10 hours ago

"A problem that never existed" right as America falls into christo-fascism. Religion is a cancer, good on them.

Consider yourself lucky that your priest taught you only to lick his boot and not something else.

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this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2025
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