What is Bill 21?
In an earlier post, Bambi wrote the following:
“Bill 21 is about Québec’s secularism as a government. It states that public servants representing the state (in position of authorities) will not be wearing any religious symbol. For example, Crown Prosecutors in action BUT not the other lawyers (e.g., defense, etc.).
Bill 21 came after 10 years of public debate in Québec about reasonable accommodations.
Bill 21 is moderate, compared to other bills in secular countries in Europe.
Bill 21 is mainly about public servants in positions of authority, including all the following:
| “the President and Vice-Presidents of the National Assembly, administrative justices of the peace, special clerks, clerks, deputy clerks, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, clerks and deputy clerks respecting municipal courts, and bankruptcy registrars, members or commissioners who exercise their functions within the Comité de déontologie policière, the Commission d’accès à l’information, the Commission de la fonction publique, the Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec, the Commission des transports du Québec, the Commission municipale du Québec, the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles, the Régie de l’énergie, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, the Régie des marchés agricoles et alimentaires du Québec, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, the Régie du logement, the Financial Markets Administrative Tribunal, the Administrative Tribunal of Québec or the Administrative Labour Tribunal, as well as disciplinary council chairs who exercise their functions within the Bureau des présidents des conseils de discipline, commissioners appointed by the Government under the Act respecting public inquiry commissions, and lawyers or notaries acting for such a commission, arbitrators appointed by the Minister of Labour whose name appears on a list drawn up by that minister in accordance with the Labour Code, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, and persons who exercise the function of lawyer, notary or criminal and penal prosecuting attorney and who are under the authority of a government department, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, the National Assembly, a person appointed or designated by the National Assembly to an office under its authority (or a body referred to in paragraph 3 of the bill), persons who exercise the function of lawyer and are employed by a prosecutor (Code of Penal Procedure), unless the prosecutor are persons acting in criminal or penal matters for such a prosecutor before the courts or with third persons, lawyers or notaries acting before the courts or with third persons in accordance with a legal services contract entered into with a minister, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, the National Assembly, a person appointed or designated by the National Assembly to exercise a function under its authority (or a body referred to in paragraph 3 of the bill), or lawyers acting in criminal or penal matters before the courts or with third persons in accordance with a legal services contract entered into with a prosecutor, peace officers who exercise their functions mainly in Québec; and principals, vice principals and teachers of educational institutions under the jurisdiction of a school board established under the Education Act or of the Commission scolaire du Littoral established by the Act respecting the Commission scolaire du Littoral.” |
Bill 21 includes a “grandfather” clause, which allows existing public servants to keep serving.
Bill 21 also has a section on the necessity to have one’s face uncovered whilst receiving public services for safety concerns.”
Is Bill 21 meant for Manitoba?
Bill 21 is not ideal, but Bill 21 is made by Québec for Québec ONLY.
No, it is not for neither Manitoba, nor the rest of Canada.
Can we dislike Bill 21?
Of course! As Québeckers and/or Canadians, we may dislike Bill 21. For instance, we may think it is a useless or a silly law. We may consider its potential effect as being (systematically) discriminatory toward a particular group (i.e., Muslim observant/veiled female teachers), despite any good intention. Like Bambi, we may also see the contradiction of Québec. On one hand, it came up with this bill. On the other hand, it keeps funding, to a large extent, private religious schools.
How is the CBC lying about Bill 21?
This is what the CBC, Manitoba is saying about Bill 21 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-islamic-association-islamophobia-survey-1.6116144):
| “In light of the national summit, Vali says the federal government must take a stronger stance against oppression and systemic racism, including condemning Quebec’s Bill 21, which bans the wearing of religious symbols in certain places.” |
Clearly, this is a false statement/fact. At this stage, it would be appropriate to talk about propaganda even. The latter is defined as the dissemination of misleading information (e.g., lies, half-truth, rumours) in order to influence public opinion. Another possible definition of propaganda would be techniques of persuasion, including repetitive information, used to promote a doctrine or opinion to achieve a certain political objective. If you do not believe Bambi that the above false statement is not an innocent or unprofessional journalistic mistake, she invites you to search all her archived posts on the characterization of Bill 21 in the media of the rest of Canada. You will see a similar pattern.
For Bambi, such lies are clearly no longer in the range of incompetent journalism. These are mere lies about Québec that are comparable to what citizens used to read in state newspapers under the Soviet Union era or currently in countries like Iran or maybe Syria.
What is Bambi’s conclusion?
Shame on our CBC, which is funded by OUR tax money. Mind you, other mainstream newspapers have been bailed out by our federal government. They all seem to fall in the trap of intellectual mediocrity. Don’t we deserve better journalism, as citizens?
Labreche did a show where he read the entire news in a burka with full face covering.
Labreche had a show where he interviewed Howard Galganov and asked disrespectful questions about Jews and Rabbis.
Doubtless many people find it funny. (:-
The Quebec culture is full of that stuff, like Vero Cloutier and Julie Snyder also. The annual Bye-Bye show on New Year’s Eve is a festival of ethnolinguistic slander.
I’m surprised Bambi hasn’t noticed.
Bambi is sure Mr. Labreche was very funny in all these characters :). You also have to remember the context of his jokes (perhaps certain bills, etc.). Plus, what he does is called parody. By definition, the latter imitates and makes fun of everyone and everything, including nuns, journalists like those from the “La Joute” (e.g., our talented Dr. Mathieu Bock-Côté and the competent journalist Ms. Emanuelle Traverse, himself, and… even Québec PM! The latter is known to have a sense of humour and to encourage culture in his province. Bambi is sure he must have laughed watching this one: https://youtu.be/y3n20igf6gc ).
By the way , for over 31 years now, Bambi has not missed one single “By-Bye”. If she happens to be out of the country, she watches later on the internet. It is a very funny tradition from Québec, ending the year with parodies about the past’s years politico-social issues. It is hilarious (even if some edition, or particular comedy sketches, may not be as successful as all the rest). Bambi thinks you are wrong in calling the Bye-Bye show slander. This is humour, Fred, and God knows how much you are talented in this yourself. Bambi just wonders why you seem to have turned your sense of humour (and compassion) off every time the topic is about Québec’s historic majority of French-Canadians? Just be open-minded, relax, and enjoy :).
Bambi is sure Mr. Labreche was very funny in all these characters :). You also have to remember the context of his jokes (perhaps certain bills, etc.). Plus, what he does is called parody. By definition, the latter imitates and makes fun of everyone and everything, including nuns, journalists like those from the Joute (including our talented Dr. Mathieu Bock-Côté and the competent journalist Ms. Emanuelle Traverse, himself, and… even Québec PM! The latter is known to have a sense of humour and to encourage culture in his province. Bambi is sure he must have laughed watching this one: https://youtu.be/y3n20igf6gc
By the way , for over 31 years now, Bambi has not missed one single “By-Bye”. If she happens to be out of the country, she watches it later on the internet. It is a very funny tradition from Québec, ending the year with parodies about the past’s years politico-social issues. It is hilarious (even if some editions, or particular comedy sketches, may not be as funny as the rest). Bambi thinks you are wrong in calling the Bye-Bye show slander. This is humour, Fred, and God knows how much you are talented in this yourself. Bambi just wonders why you seem to have turned your sense of humour (and compassion) off every time the topic is about Québec’s historic majority of French-Canadians? Just be open-minded, relax, and enjoy :).
Perhaps Kebekistan’s Ambassador can host a cultural event for all the farm animals to sample a flavour previously unknown. For my part, I’m certain I appointed the best Ambassador possible. Absolutely positive!
Bambi told you you are too funny :)!
It can get even funnier when Bambi drafts her short list of Chargé d’Affaires for cultural events. You’d need somebody who won’t offend the pigs by eating pork, won’t offend the cows by eating too much cheese and naturally, someone who speaks French like a truck driver.
Locked in my mindset? My family has been in Quebec for 100 years. I know what I’m talking about. Where’s the respect for English Canadians in Quebec? Does Bambi or her francophone friends have the experience of asking in English and being repeatedly refused for services that are routinely granted to others in Quebec? I do and it seems my great crime is to not be francophone and everything it entails.
The two articles are by the same authors, seemingly anti-Islamic Muslims who are likely ‘former Muslims’. I have a friend like that also from Lahore, Pakistan. It’s their business to critique Islam; I don’t wish to get into a whole thing about that. Bill 21 is hostile to all religions except secular humanism while its supporters in Quebec society use words they do not understand (neutral, secular) when they truly intend other important words they never heard of like ‘ecumenical’ .
To conclude, the nasty experience of being confronted by a Bill 101 face is well known. They are the ones who are not nice to us. I can identify the typical male personality as being like the RBO satire of Serge Turgeon (the pompous ass). Am still thinking about the female prototype.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MA95qf6tuY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SciVp3AE1ak (Serge Turgeon has an appearance here)
As for ungrateful anti-Canadians who moved to Canada while turning their backs on it and actively working for Canada’s destruction in politics, what do want me to say about them? Traitors like Maria Mourani, Maka Kotto, Joseph Facal et al should have never have been admitted if their anti-Canadianism was known in advance. Why can’t they be more like Vic Toews, a conservative cabinet minister under Harper whose family was from Paraguay? While immigrants are changing Quebec, they will never become French-Canadian since membership is closed since 1760.
Funny because when Bambi used to open her mouth in French, she would be answered in English. That was in the 1990s. Well, in Québec city, a few years ago, she opened her mouth in stores and public places and she was replied to in Spanish :). Perhaps they thought she was a tourist from South America or something. The funniest part is that when her spouse spoke in French with his very French Canadian accent, they replied to him in English :)! Odd, no?
Seriously, thanks for sharing the story of your family and your experiences.
You are wrong, the articles shared are not by anti-Muslims. These are by Québeckers who happen to be Muslims. So, they know very well the potential danger of political Islam. Mind you, Bambi is of the opinion that Islamists have the right to exist in public life for sure, but she is against their vision, which is into mixing religion with politics. Bambi says the same about ALL other religions, not just Islam.
Finally, once again, your last point illustrates the endless divides of Canada.
This being said, Bambi would like to thank you for your reply and for all your contributions to her blog, including to this post!
I don’t see your point at all. The CBC article attributes statements to Tasneem Vali, who made no error. The attribution is a form of quote, thus the CBC made no extra statement about Bill 21, just what everyone already knows about it, including Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister who called Bill 21 ”grotesque”. By ”places” Tasneem Vali doubtless meant schools, the National Assembly, the courts — these are all ‘places’ that are referred to in the list Bambi provided.
The Bill 21 is also racist because it does not require Quebeckers to cover their French Catholic faces in public despite the fact their faces are the result of inbreeding in a narrow minded and restricted French Catholic colony where no Jews, blacks nor Protestants were allowed to settle.
Let’s assume you are right in your first statement. It remains a possibility. However, had the CBC wanted to present the bill as it, it would have put the link to it where it introduced it, instead of putting an article biased against it. Plus, this is a trend (not just in this particular article). Now, can you tell me how is Ms. Tasneem Vali, living in Manitoba, affected by Bill 21 :)? She is absolutely right about pointing to unkind gestures or truly Islamophobia and making sure this is addressed properly. Bambi is against discrimination to anyone, including obviously to Muslims or people of Muslim culture or faith or Arabs, etc. However, to throw Bill 21, in the middle of all this. Well, check the comment by Bambi and you can understand perhaps where it may come from? Our politicians need not to be too naive, even if they indulge in using divisive identity-politics to score political points or gain a few more votes.
Now, this being said, Bambi will comment now on your unkind comment about Québeckers. Are you serious Fred in saying “French Catholic faces”? Did you write this fast or slowly thinking of its meaning? In either case, it is unkind and sorry to say silly too. Why do you keep referring to and attacking French colony? What about the English one you love so much? Not a colony? And you forgot that this province has a history of being either mistreated, or afraid of disappearing as it is a minority, by the surrounding English-speaking majority (often hostile to it and you are a living example). Québec is currently being disrespected in its choices and language to the point that it is making many of Bambi’s friends who are allophones and EVEN anglophones contemplate sovereignty. Plus, when you talk about inter-marriage. Isn’t this the same for other groups like observant Muslims or Jews (i.e., hassidics) or any other groups in the past. Now we see more and more mixed marriages. In addition, did you forget that French-Canadians have a history of partnerships and marriages with Indigenous people. Bambi does not have to think far. Her own family (and the family of your childhood friend :)) has this type of mixed origins in addition to the English-French, the Jewish faith/catholic faith, etc. She is not even talking about her own generation yet. She is talking about the earlier generations. This is the Québec she knows and loves. A Québec of open-mindedness. A welcoming Québec. A loving Québec. To say otherwise would be betrayal of truth.
1. If Bill 21 is so wonderful, how come so many Canadians dislike it so much? And why did the provincial government sheath it in the Notwithstanding Clause written into it? Were they anticipating a lengthy court battle?
2. New France was a French colony created by France. Their King limited settlement to white homogenous Catholic French-speakers from France, especially regions of northern and northwestern France. New France ceased around the year 1760 and it’s now called Quebec since then. These are established facts. The descendants of those French settlers constitute a homogenous group today called French-Canadians (who are not limited to Quebec.)
3. Bambi mixes up together in a big salad ideas of race and belonging with language, politics and society. For example, intermarriage with indigenous people led to the birth of the Metis people. Mixed marriages with other Catholics non-French is a separate topic as is intermarriage with Jews or Muslims.
4. There was never any monolithic or homogenous English colony limited to Quebec. English Canadians are not symmetrical to French Canadians in identity or demographics. English Canadians, for example, loosened their definition to include all English-speaking Canadians starting, say at Confederation in 1867 and progressively since. Thus, Canadians with names like Mahovlich, Gretzky, Suzuki et al are English speakers. French-Canadians have started loosening their inclusiveness a bit since 1960 and especially 1977 but only to force people into their group. That does not guarantee acceptance or equality, etc.
5. I never made any attack against Quebec, just observing the facts of life there and some of the popular lies. Support for Quebec sovereignty among non-francophones is notoriously weak and runs at about 3% among Anglos.
Thanks Fred for your reply. Let Bambi start from # 5 to # 1 :).
First (# 5), the popular lies you are talking about were not official statistics, just observations of Bambi among her friends who expressed this support. However, she would no be surprised of more support because people in Québec are fed up of ideological non-sense and of centralized federalism. Now, you may have not made attacks against Québec, but you were not the kindest neither, no :)? Mind you, you have all the right to dislike Québec and to even bash it, if you wish. Bambi has defended Dr. Amir Attaran’s right to freedom of expression. She will surely defend her friend’s Fred right too :)!
Second (# 4): What you are describing for English-Canadians also applies to French-Canadians who welcomed waves of immigrants and refugees, who opened their houses for refugees from all over the word, who had famous politicians born in Latin America (Dr. Facal is one of them) or from Beirut even (do you recall the Bloc Québécois’ Maria Mourani?), etc. Funny the language you chose for English- versus French-Canadians. For the former, you use words like “loosened”. For the latter, you use “force people into their group”. It never occurred to you that Francophones and Francophiles chose Québec? Why do you think most of the over 300,000 Canadians of Lebanese ancestry live in Québec mostly? The rest of Canada (heritage of Mr. Trudeau-father) has multiculturalism. Québec has more of a model of interculturalism. What’s wrong with being a bit more protective of one’s culture/language? Not one is forcing anyone to stay in Québec, you know? Those who cannot stand it can move elsewhere in our large beautiful country or even decide to live abroad. At least Québec has nice programs of integration of immigrants, helping with the language and in finding jobs and adjusting to their new life, etc. This is something good that Québec does or did (if it stopped doing it). No place is perfect in life, including Québec for sure. So, on this one, we are on the same page.
Third (# 3), Fred seems to be so well integrated into his English-Canada that he seems a bit blinded by his apparent fixed ideas and even hostility toward Québec :). Bambi says so and she knows that deep inside, he loves the French-Canadian culture, etc. Indeed, you are fluent in French! She just had to remind you of how open-minded Québeckers are, using her own family as an example.
Fourth (# 2), do you think the language of “white” used to be used by New France King :)? Yes, you are right about the historic facts concerning French-Canadians. In Québec, it is the majority and there are French-Canadians across the country too (e.g., Acadians, Franco-Ontarians, in Manitoba, in BC, and all over Canada, but to a lesser extent, etc.).
Fifth (# 1), you ask how come so many Canadians dislike Bill 21? Perhaps Canadians listen to the CBC too much, like you 🙂 :)? Seriously, it is because each entity usually understands the world from its own perspective, through its own lens. Canadians live in multiculturalism. Québeckers live in a interculturalism. This means there is this historic majority, you acknowledged and explained, and there are newcomers or minorities. There is a primacy of the francophone culture and everyone fits in it. In the rest of Canada, and especially as conceptualized by Mr. Trudeau, Canada is a a post-national country, without a spirit, more like a large hotel of several tribes residing one next to each other. In Bambi’s mind, multiculturalism is/can be interesting/enriching. It works for sure BUT up to a certain point. At one point, we need to see what brings us together (unity; common values, etc.). In Bambi’s mind, Québec model is healthy or appears healthier (pride of being the civilization it is, etc.). However, she agrees with you, it has to learn to be flexible and not fall into rigidity. Different approaches, both interesting. Both with good potential and both imperfect and at risk of excesses in different ways. So, Bambi and you do agree more than you think and she can see your point of view. She just hopes you/other readers who may not know Québec well will take the time to read, listen, and be open-minded toward Québec. Just get to know it and ideally have a minimum of tolerance (and even ideally tenderness) toward it. You/they will discover all the richness of this human capital that Bambi took the time to discover, adjust to, and love. Last but not least, to answer your question, the actual Government of Québec is being smart. It is not interested in sovereignty in the sense of separation from the rest of Canada. However, it acting in the best interests of Québeckers in terms of ensuring its choices are being respected (a majority government after all and Bill 21 also endorsed by the Liberal party of Québec, let’s not forget). The Notwithstanding clause you are talking about is a courageous political gesture from the point of view of Québec. It is meant to protect this bill from the incredible attack against it (the legal battle as well as the vicious continuous media attacks, etc.). If you see Mr. Trudeau quiet or diplomatic about Bill 21 now, it is because of the forthcoming elections. He is trying to charm (or deceive?) voters in Québec. Wait after the elections and check what will happen. It would be interesting to follow.
Thanks again and good night. Sleep well :)!
The “French Catholic faces” are what we usually call ”Bill 101 face” in daily life when we are refused service on racist grounds i.e. for being English Canadians or Jews or Cashews, etc. Having or not having the experience influences one’s perspective.
What you are saying seems misleading and does not make any sense to Bambi Fred (especially past midnight :)). Bill 101 is about the French language in Québec. Perhaps Mr. Gagné is right after all. You may wish to check his comment. After much thought, even if she wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, Bambi is starting to doubt that you may be locked in your mindset about Québec. Could it be? If so, how sad for you.
Bambi would like to thank her friend/reader who kindly sent her the two following thoughtful articles, as a follow-up to this post. The first article was published on Sunday in French (La Presse) and the other is its (surprising yet interesting) translation into English (CTV Montreal). In her turn, she is sharing them with you here, as they are food for thought for all of us:
https://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/383856b8-8279-4f36-868a-e5b60398abc2__7C___0.html?utm_content=ulink&utm_source=lpp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=internal+share
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/opinion-islamophobia-or-nourishing-the-breeding-ground-of-political-islam-1.5523357
Dear Fred Klein
If you keep your mindset after reading the last texte shared by Bambi, espacially the long list of signatories, well, you’re locked.
I have no lessons to take from a society whose view of English Canadians is well parodied here by RBO :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlfkgG-wkjk
Bambi will post your reply to Mr. Gagné Fred with a little clarification that your shared link from 2009 is about RDI (= CBC) in Alberta. What does Québec have to do wit this?
Perhaps your views Fred (and Mr. Gagné as well as Bambi’s replies) illustrate the endless divides in Canada.
What can I say? I wasted my youth watching Quebec-made shows like ‘Rock et Belles Oreilles’ and ‘Les Bougons.’
Les Bougons are a cute family :)!
Cute is a dysfunctional kind of way? 🙂
I tried telling people in Ontario about Les Bougons — it didn’t go over well.
:). Sometimes Bambi’s friends and relatives, living abroad, share that they feel homesick for Québec culture and TV shows, including Les Bougons, La Petite Vie, and talented broadcasters/comedians like the funny Mr. Marc Labrèche.
When I felt homesick abroad I got some music CDs from Archambault: Kashtin, Danielle Lanois, and a box set of Beau Dommage. The staff there were quick point out Lanois was partly assimilated and half-way to being an Anglo. I enjoyed him anyway. I also had with me a compilation of best songs 1970-2000. I can’t watch “La Petite Vie” bcz it’s in Joual and Marc Labreche is part of the problem as he is openly hostile toward Muslims and Jews. Labreche has a very French Catholic face. 🙂
Really Mr. Labreche is openly hostile against Muslim and Jews? Since when :)? Bambi had no clue. If it is in a comedy, this is called humour Fred and it is supposed to be funny in life, especially that he makes fun of everyone, including hismself :). As for your “French Catholic face comment”, Bambi considers it as humour and, no, it is not because of your beautiful smiling Emoji 🙂 :).