In the video below, the Premier of Manitoba, Mr. Pallister, criticized Québec for its bill 21 on secularism:
Mr. Pallister invited Canadians to express themselves, whether they are against or even for Bill 21, to use his own words.
Well, as a Canadian deer, Bambi listened. She would like to express herself again on this topic. She is for Bill 21. Of course, it would have been ideal if we did not have to resort to such bills in life. However, this is not the reality of our world.
Just to clarify, Bambi is not for this bill for the sake of being (blindly) for it. Once again, it took her time to digest and endorse all the facets of the bill (i.e., the part related to the public education sector).
Bill 21 is made by Québec for Québec. Why can’t people or politicians understand and respect this?
Clearly in her mind, Bambi is for Québec’s own sovereignty, as a Canadian province; not any one as it is one of the founders of our great and beloved Canada!
Québec had the courage of having a 10-year-old debate about “reasonable accommodations” (including unreasonable ones)”. Even it has been partly controversial in Montreal, Québeckers made the choice of secularism, as a society, and they elected the current government, with a majority of seats.
It is insulting not to respect the will of a nation, which is perhaps one of the rare contemporary ones to sill have a healthy national pride.
Why can’t some people understand that there are cultural differences in the conceptualization of secularism? Why do they understand, or at least pretend to understand, all the other cultural differences—but this particular one?
Mr. Pallister states that he is worried about the human rights of minorities? What about his own minority groups (French-speaking Manitobans, First nations, etc.)?
Well, last time Bambi checked, “nearly 5,500 homes on Manitoba First Nations houses either needed major renovations or needed to be replaced”, according to data provided by “Indigenous Services Canada” and reported by the CBC on February 6, 2019 (http://tiny.cc/d712hz). Maybe Mr. Pallister’s energy should be focused locally instead of minding Québec’s internal affairs?
Of note, if we go back in recent Canadian history, we learn that Québec has never consented to the 1982’s Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-15.html), which has been invoked by Mr. Pallister and many opponents of Bill 21. Despite this, Ottawa imposed it on “La Belle Province” (French reference: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2017/04/18/la-charte-oubliee) . And now, ironically, the opponents of Bill 21 want to use it as a legal weapon against Québec.
Is this fair?
As a conclusion to this post, and as an indirect, more articulate reply to Mr. Pallister, Bambi would like to share a translation of an article by Mr. Mathieu Bock-Côté (Journal de Montréal; https://tinyurl.com/tpetkp8):
“2019, year of Québec pride
It is never easy to write the history of a nation in real time. What seems to be of critical importance to us today may be considered trivial tomorrow. Conversely, events that seem insignificant today may later be considered as being essential.
We are never fully aware of the historic moment we are experiencing.
However, sometimes, deep inside, we are convinced that something has just happened and that we have just taken a step further.
This is what happened in Quebec in 2019. After nearly 25 years of post-referendum lethargy, Québec nationalism has returned to the heart of our political life. Its recomposition had been visible for a long time, however.
Secularism
Since the crisis of reasonable accommodation, Québec has been engaged in a major reflection on the refoundation of its collective identity. The media were generally unfavorable. Those who did not repeat the song of the happy diversity, like parrots, were considered as having a mean, retrograde mindset.
Over the years, it is the idea of secularism that has imposed itself. Through it, Québeckers expressed a fundamental value. They also found a way to finally extricate themselves from the Canadian multiculturalism by laying the foundations of their own integration model, remembering that one could not really integrate into Québec without integrating into the historic French-speaking majority.
For more than a decade, Québeckers have debated this issue, but have never been able to achieve anything politically. It must be said that the Liberal government [Mr. Bock-Côté is likely referring to the provincial Liberal party] turned against its own people, which it despised.
The government of François Legault’s Bill 21, brought by Simon Jolin-Barette, represents, from this point of view, more than a bill on secularism. It is a symbol of national affirmation. Québeckers said it once again: Masters in our own house!
Make no mistake: if the government is still on a honeymoon with Québeckers, it is less so for its management than because it has been able to fulfill a fundamental identity aspiration. By giving us our first great collective victory in 25 years, it has been able to revive the pride of a nation wounded by history. He should now let us know what will follow.
But this saga is not over. In some English-Canadian newspapers, columnists who openly cultivate a form of anti-Québec racism, if you allow me this expression, accuses us of ethnic supremacism. The judges are openly wondering how to bring down Bill 21. In English Canada, there is a defamation campaign against Québec.
Pride
Québeckers are rediscovering the following: it is sufficient for our people to assert themselves to be hated. Anti-Québec hatred is alive.
Sooner or later, it is necessary to know it, the Legault government will have to defend Bill 21. It will have to do it firmly, without false moderation. I am inclined to believe that it will be up to the task.
This will confirm that 2019 was not just a good year in our political life, but it was also the start of a national renaissance that could take us far.”
End of Mr. Bock-Côté’s article.
For Bambi’s earlier posts on Bill 21, you may wish to read:
http://bambisafkar.ca/index.php/2019/12/01/test-yourself-with-bill-21-multiple-choice-questions/
Regardless of what the future will bring with regard to this bill, may 2020 be a beautiful year for Canada and ALL its provinces and territories, that is including both Manitoba and Québec!
