First, why is a $21,000-funded Calgary-based task force in Alberta pretending that Bill 21 in Québec “has impacted religious minorities across Canada since it came into law in 2019”?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/bill21-alberta-calgary-anti-racism-task-force-1.5814987
Second, and perhaps more alarmingly, why is the CBC mischaracterizing Bill 21 once again?
The CBC article falsely informs us that “the secularism law bans religious symbols, like hijabs and turbans, prohibiting public teachers, lawyers, police officers and civil servants from wearing religious symbols at work, effectively preventing them from working in their chosen fields”.
Indeed, here is the truth about Bill 21 (this blog has many posts on the topic):
It is about the representatives of authority ONLY. Not all employees.
Bill 21 has a “grandfather” clause meant to allow existing public servants in position of authority to keep serving (protecting their jobs).
Whether we like this bill or not, it is made in Québec, by Québec, and for Québec. It came after 10 years of a public debate on reasonable and unreasonable accommodations.
When are we going to finally respect the specificity of Québec?
By the way, this CBC article is no longer about journalism. This is mere propaganda.
If we truly want to address racism in our country, let’s start by respecting Québec’s democratic choices, including this bill.
As for Mr. Legault’s government, Bambi applauds his courage in wisely refusing the political trap of endorsing an absurd label of “systemic racism” and bravo for continuing to work to address racism against first nations (https://ipolitics.ca/2020/11/27/quebec-promises-to-end-racism-against-first-nations-while-denying-its-systemic/).
To those who do not know Québec well, it is one of the most welcoming places in the world!
Québec is far from being perfect. Indeed, no place is perfect. Same for any system or society.
Like anywhere else, there is racism in Québec (e.g., Bambi keeps thinking of Ms. Joyce Echaquan’s widower and their children. She lost her life in a cruel way ironically at a hospital ☹).
However, to say that Québec makes its citizens suffer from systemic racism, just because it has a majority that still openly respects itself (in our collective insane times), would be unfair.
It would be even racist to once again (“systemically”?) refuse to accept others’ culture.
Residents of Québec who may be too triggered by Bill 21 are free to move to Calgary.
Who knows? They may wish to even become Dr. Zaidi’s patients, if they wish (he has a family practice: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/zaidi-shandro-safety-1.5515564).
Those who are vocal about Bill 21 whilst living miles away from Québec are respectfully invited to educate themselves about this bill and about Québec’s history.
By the way, the advice above is meant for both Dr. Zaidi and the Town Council of Calgary (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-quebec-bill-21-1.5303676).
