Quebec’s proposed secularist Charter of Values has not proven to be popular with pundits — but a surprising number of National Post readers like it. That became evident as readers answered this week’s Letters-page question: “Do you support Quebec’s proposed ban on religious symbols in the workplace?”
A full page of responses will fill Monday’s Letters page, with the notes falling into three main groups. The largest is from readers who feel religion has no place in a public workspace. Here are a few examples:
“God or Allah or Jehovah or Vishnu are supreme, all-knowing deities,” wrote J. Bakker. “They know what is in your heart and soul. It is a true faith that will get you to the wonderful afterlife, not what you wear. Religious symbols should be worn in the home or in a place of worship only.”
“Premier Pauline Marois at least has the intestinal fortitude to express her feelings publicly,” added Don Forbes. “I believe the majority of Canadians have similar feelings, but are reluctant to say so. The rest of Canada should extend the ban to all places outside of the home and places of worship, especially in schools.”
The second-largest group of responses came from people who felt the question — and the Quebec government’s charter — did not address the specific problem: garments that cover the face.
“The issue is the invasion of North America by a patriarchal culture that keeps its women in sacks in public,” wrote Howard Eddy. “The proposed legislation is a misdirected and unconstitutional solution to a simple problem. It is masks [as opposed to other forms of religious garb] that have no place in public. That is not a religious issue; it is a public order issue.”
“The only ban I support is on clothing that covers your face, in the workplace or in public,” added Hana Sten. “I like to know who and what I am looking at.”
The third group of letter writers — and by far the smallest —opposed the Quebec charter.
“Taking away symbols of a religious person is like stripping off fruit from a noble tree without reason,” wrote Zeeshan Ahmad. “What harm does a righteous person bring to society? Zero, because religion only gives one a positive path to follow. True religious persons will never harm the working world.
“This ban contradicts the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” added Michael Holota. “If a worker is denied their right to express their religion, then they are also being denied their right to free speech.”
– Readers sometimes send in suggestions for the Letters page question of the week — those ideas are appreciated.
This letter writer sent in a suggestion, and some additional comments.
“Your questions have been hitting some very interesting topics,” wrote Ward Jones. “I [suggest] a question about death with dignity … Letters to the editor are a small but valuable means for the voice of individuals to be heard, thanks to the great influence that print media has.”
National Post
prussell@nationalpost.com