Quebec moves to ban public prayer across province

Quebec’s Coalition Avenir government seeks to ban public prayer provincially via new legislation in a bid to reinforce the official policy of state-backed secularism.

Quebec’s Coalition Avenir government seeks to ban public prayer provincially via new legislation in a bid to reinforce the official policy of state-backed secularism.

“The proliferation of street prayers is a serious and sensitive issue in Quebec,” said Secularism Minister Jean-François Roberg in a statement on Thursday.

“Last December, our government expressed its discomfort with this increasingly prevalent phenomenon, particularly in Montreal.”

The announcement follows Quebec’s passing of Bill 84 in May, which mandates that newcomers adhere to the province’s values, presenting it as an alternative to Canada’s multiculturalism model.

In June, the province passed Bill 84, which mandates that newcomers adhere to the province’s values. It presents the bill as an alternative to Canada’s multiculturalism model. Among the values listed in the legislation are the protection of the French language, gender equality and secularism.

“The Premier of Quebec has given me the mandate to strengthen secularism, and I am firmly committed to fulfilling this mandate diligently. Thanks to the reflections conducted in caucus and the committee’s report, our deliberations on several aspects of secularism are well advanced,” said Roberge.

“This fall, we will therefore introduce a bill to strengthen secularism in Quebec, in particular by banning street prayers.”

Roberge did not provide details on how the government would legislate against public prayer, but Quebec Premier François Legault confirmed his government would not rule out using the notwithstanding clause.

“Seeing people praying in the streets, in public parks, is not something we want in Quebec,” the premier said in December.

“When we want to pray, we go to a church, we go to a mosque, but not in public places. And yes, we will look at the means where we can act legally or otherwise.”

News of the public prayer ban comes after Quebec’s secularism advisory committee published a report Monday following a five-month review on how to regulate religious events throughout the province.

The report recommended the government expand its secularism law, Bill 21, which first passed in 2019.

The committee suggested the law be expanded to include barring early childhood educators in the province’s subsidized daycare network from wearing religious symbols.

However, the report did not call for a ban on public prayer, saying municipalities already have the “necessary competences” to regulate collective street prayer under Bill 21.

“The committee is concerned about these issues, just as it is concerned about respect for individual freedoms,” reads the report. “Our position is one of moderation, striking a balance between the risks of abuses that run counter to Quebec’s collective values and the preservation of religious practices that do not unduly interfere with public order and respect the purpose of public spaces, which must be accessible to the entire population.”

The National Council of Canadian Muslims, however, denounced the report as biased and discriminatory toward religious minorities, citing “very real and serious problems.”

“When you’re dealing with recommendations that would remove rights from religious people, you’d think they would be asked directly,” said council CEO Stephen Brown.

“One of the authors is a lawyer currently defending Bill 21 in court. Nobody should be surprised that the report takes a positive view of the law,” he said.