A challenge to Quebec’s secularism law, Bill 21, will not be heard. The law bars some public sector employees from wearing religious symbols in the workplace. Most prominently featured in the media and religious rights and freedoms debate has unsurprisingly been Muslim women’s right to wear their veils.
Last year, Quebec Premier François Legault “shrugged off” complaints that the anti-religious symbols law encouraged “Islamophobia.”
“The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) expressed disappointment at the denial but said they plan to continue fighting the law in court.” The NCCM is CAIR-CAN renamed.
Should the court eventually declare Bill 21 a violation of constitutional rights and freedoms, then specifically niqabs and burqas should be banned on security grounds, as they should have in the first place, not all religious symbols. In addition, full female coverings are a violation of the principle of equal rights and freedoms under the law, since under the Sharia, women have inferior status. They are commanded to wear full coverings, or be abused (Quran 24:31, 33:59).
“Supreme Court of Canada won’t hear bid to suspend Quebec’s secularism law,” by Kalimantan Leframboise, Global News, April 9, 2020:
A challenge by Canadian civil rights groups and a university student to suspend parts of Quebec’s religious neutrality law will not be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada.
The law, known as Bill 21, bars some public-sector employees — including teachers, police officers and judges — from wearing religious symbols in the workplace. It was adopted in the provincial legislature in June 2019.
The decision comes after the groups sought leave at the Supreme Court after Quebec’s highest court rejected their challenge in December.
At the time, the Quebec Court of Appeal handed down a 2-1 ruling on their application for a stay of the secularism law until a full legal challenge could be heard in Quebec Superior Court.
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ notwithstanding clause allows governments to shield legislation against court challenges concerning the violation of fundamental rights and freedoms.
The Supreme Court’s rejection to hear the challenge was announced on Thursday. Following its usual practice, the court gave no reason for it decision.
In a statement, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) expressed disappointment at the denial but said they plan to continue fighting the law in court.
“We promised to defend Canadian civil liberties and we will continue to keep that promise,” said Mustafa Farooq, executive director of the NCCM.
“This decision, while not the one we were hoping for, is not the end of the battle.”……