Quebec's Dilemma

Quebec continues to perplex many people. With its laissez-faire attitude, La Belle Province has often been considered as one of Canada’s most liberal thinking provinces. It is now being scorned for its proposed Charter of Values which some people consider as going against existing freedoms. The reality though is that beneath Quebec’s allegedly carefree outward veneer is a large part of the population that remains quite intolerant. “Les maudits anglais” is a sentiment that still permeates some sectors of society and the province has been less than accommodating when it comes to accepting ethnic diversity.

In their pursuit of protecting the French language and Quebec’s historical connection to the Catholic Church, the Parti Quebecois government seems to have gone out of its way to discourage anything that does not fit the perceived Quebecois mold. This latest attempt at framing their values is fraught with legitimate concerns.

From my perspective, the driving force behind this PQ push is less about crucifixes, kippas, turbans and headscarves/hijabs and more about burqas. I believe the growing presence of burqas is the underlying reason for all of this. Many people find burqas intimidating. People want to see who they are talking to. Try going into a bank with your face covered and see how long it takes for the police to respond to a suspected armed robbery?

If Quebec would have simply proposed a law that prohibited anyone from covering their faces when in public, as they did in France, there would be a lot less negative reaction.