{"id":858279,"date":"2026-09-23T22:48:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T22:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/858279\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T22:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T22:48:14","slug":"with-secularism-sidelined-in-quebec-election-campaign-heres-where-the-parties-stand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/858279\/","title":{"rendered":"With secularism sidelined in Quebec election campaign, here’s where the parties stand"},"content":{"rendered":"

After losing her job<\/a> over Quebec’s controversial religious symbols ban, teacher Fatemeh Anvari says secularism is her top campaign issue in the province’s election. <\/p>\n

\u201cSomething that has to do with my personal freedoms, my rights and the rights of so many \u2013 it would be at the forefront,\u201d Anvari said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lost my teaching job only because I was wearing a hijab and the law didn\u2019t allow that.”<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same story for Bouchera Chelbi, a Montreal teacher who under Bill 21<\/a> was allowed to keep her current job<\/a> because of an acquired rights clause, but cannot move jobs or get a promotion.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of this bill, I’m denied many advantages that anybody can have, at least anybody who’s not wearing a religious symbol,\u201d Chelbi said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not because I’m not competent enough. This is not because I’m not qualified enough. It is because of the way I choose to dress.”<\/p>\n

Ahead of Quebec’s general election on Oct. 5, Chelbi says she’d like all five main political party leaders to take into consideration “that there are real human beings impacted by these bills.”<\/p>\n

WATCH | Secularism hasn\u2019t been a big election issue. Some want that to change:\"\"<\/p>\n

Secularism hasn\u2019t come up much this election. We asked the 5 main parties where they stand<\/p>\n

Voters both for and against the province\u2019s secularism laws say party leaders haven\u2019t talked much about where they stand on the issue during the campaign. They want to hear what the parties have to say before they cast their ballot.Supreme Court decision looming<\/p>\n

The previous Coalition Avenir Qu\u00e9bec (CAQ) government passed various laws during its eight year mandate \u2013 bills 21, 94 and 9 \u2013 that banned police, prosecutors, judges, teachers, other school employees<\/a>, and publicly-funded daycare workers<\/a> from wearing religious symbols at work.<\/p>\n

The ban even extends to parent volunteers<\/a> at schools.<\/p>\n

The CAQ also banned prayer rooms<\/a> in schools and universities, barred public institutions from serving exclusively kosher or halal menus<\/a>, and put restrictions on group prayers<\/a> in public.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons secularism hasn\u2019t come up much in this campaign may be because everyone\u2019s waiting for a Supreme Court decision<\/a> that will ultimately decide its fate in the province.<\/p>\n

Quebec\u2019s secularism laws are \u2013 in theory \u2013 protected from legal challenges because the CAQ pre-emptively invoked the constitutional notwithstanding clause when it passed them.<\/p>\n

Protestors gathered in Chelsea, Que., in 2021 after teacher Fatehem Anvari lost her job for refusing to remove her hijab. Anvari says secularism is the top issue for her in this election campaign. (Alexandre Behne\/CBC)<\/p>\n

The Supreme Court is currently weighing whether the clause can actually be used that way<\/a>, and a decision is likely in the next few months.<\/p>\n

That decision will directly affect how the next government deals with secularism laws.<\/p>\n

Some groups want more secularism measures<\/p>\n

People such as Anvari and Chelbi, who\u2019ve experienced major consequences of secularism laws, don\u2019t want the next government to wait for the Supreme Court\u00a0decision to act. They’re calling for the laws to be repealed as soon as possible. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, some groups that support the province’s secularism laws want to know they’ll be protected. <\/p>\n

\u201cEvidently, we\u2019re not talking enough about it. It\u2019s Quebec’s autonomy that\u2019s at stake,\u201d said Daniel Baril, president of the group Mouvement la\u00efque qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois,\u00a0a provincial secularism group. <\/p>\n

He wants the ban on wearing religious symbols at school expanded to include not just teachers and staff but students as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a method used to engage in religious proselytism in schools, and it creates tensions and conflicts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nadia El-Mabrouk, president of another pro-secularism group,\u00a0the Rassemblement pour la la\u00efcit\u00e9, told CBC the group wrote to all the political parties at the start of the campaign proposing more secularism measures, but has yet to hear back.<\/p>\n

Her group is pushing for a national secularism day, stricter enforcement of existing laws, and an end to religious tax breaks and livestock slaughter exemptions. <\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, we are seeing a backlash, so we need political parties that stand firm,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

CBC reached out to all the parties and asked whether they would strengthen secularism laws, weaken them, or maintain the status quo.\u00a0Here’s what they said: <\/p>\n

CAQ would further measures if ‘necessary’<\/p>\n

The CAQ, which passed the existing secularism laws, is promising to maintain them, and to continue to use the notwithstanding clause to protect them from legal challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are all necessary laws to affirm and preserve the secular nature of the state, which is so dear to Quebecers,\u201d the party said in an email.<\/p>\n

\"AThe CAQ under leader Christine Fr\u00e9chette says it may introduce further unspecified measures tightening secularism laws ‘if necessary.’ (Sylvain Roy Roussel\/CBC)<\/p>\n

The CAQ was also the only party that hinted at strengthening the laws.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no intention of backing down from our commitment to secularism, and should further measures prove necessary, we will not hesitate to implement them,\u201d the party said.<\/p>\n

PQ, Conservatives would maintain and protect laws<\/p>\n

The PQ and the Conservative Party of Quebec also both promised to maintain current secularism laws and to use the notwithstanding clause to protect them, although neither party mentioned any further measures.<\/p>\n

\"man\"The Parti Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois under leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says it would use the notwithsanding clause to protect secularism laws and any other laws it deems necessary as long as Quebec remains within Canada. (Radio-Canada)<\/p>\n

Still, both suggested the notwithstanding clause would be a big part of their plans even beyond secularism laws.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as Quebec remains part of Canada, the Parti Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois reserves the right to invoke the notwithstanding clause for any law it deems legitimate,\u201d the PQ said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The Conservatives went further.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will systematically invoke the notwithstanding clause in every law we pass in order to protect the choices of the National Assembly,\u201d the party said.<\/p>\n

\"ALike the CAQ and the PQ, the Conservative Party of Quebec under leader \u00c9ric Duhaime would maintain Quebec’s current secularism laws. The party says it would also systematically invoke the notwithstanding clause for every law it passes. (Sylvain Roy Roussel\/Radio-Canada)Liberals would maintain, but not protect laws<\/p>\n

Somewhere in the middle is the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ). <\/p>\n

\u201cThe PLQ is in favour of state secularism, but does not plan to adopt new measures regarding current prohibitions,\u201d the party said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\"AThe Quebec Liberal Party under leader Charles Milliard says it wouldn’t introduce any new secularism measures or repeal the existing laws, but it would not renew the notwithstanding clause protecting those laws from legal challenges. The clause protecting Bill 21 is set to expire in 2029. (Sylvain Roy Roussel\/Radio-Canada)<\/p>\n

The party says it favours a milder version of state secularism first proposed by the Bouchard-Taylor commission in 2008<\/a>, which would limit the ban on wearing religious symbols at work to people in positions of authority \u2013 judges, prosecutors and police \u2013 but not teachers or any other civil servants.<\/p>\n

The party didn’t commit to changing or repealing any of the secularism laws, but it did say it would not renew the notwithstanding clause protecting Bill 21 when it expires in 2029, which would leave the law open to being struck down in a court challenge.<\/p>\n

Qu\u00e9bec Solidaire would repeal\u00a0laws<\/p>\n

The party with the strongest stance against secularism laws is Qu\u00e9bec Solidaire.<\/p>\n

\u201cQu\u00e9bec Solidaire believes that the freedom-curbing measures of bills 21, 94 and 9 do not strengthen the secular nature of the state in any way, and that is why we are committed to repealing them,\u201d the party said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\"ThreeQu\u00e9bec Solidaire under co-leaders Ruba Ghazal, centre, and Sol Zanetti, right, pictured with candidate \u00c9tienne Grandmont, would repeal Quebec’s current secularism laws, arguing they curb freedom and do nothing to reinforce state secularism. (Sylvain Roy Roussel\/Radio-Canada)<\/p>\n

It also said it would regulate the use of the notwithstanding clause to protect rights and freedoms of Quebecers.<\/p>\n

Qu\u00e9bec Solidaire said there are better ways to strengthen state secularism, such as ending public funding for religious schools.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After losing her job over Quebec’s controversial religious symbols ban, teacher Fatemeh Anvari says secularism is her top…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":858280,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[192,79],"class_list":["post-858279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858279\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}