As Quebec tables religious symbol ban, the rest of Canada should stay zen GlobeDebate
The most popular movie in France this year is a comedy about a Roman Catholic couple with four daughters, each of whom marries a member of a religious or racial minority. When the daughters announce they and their husbands are leaving France – for Algeria, Israel, China and India – their parents wonder if they are being punished by God., roughly means: What did we do to deserve this? It is the top-grossing film of 2019 in France, drawing twice as many moviegoers as any Hollywood movie.
Yet, I have spent enough time in France to know that plenty of its leading thinkers, few of whom could be accused of racism, support such bans in the name of state secularism. No one, much less any foreigner, is going to persuade them otherwise. Even French President Emmanuel Macron, who is undeniably progressive on most issues involving immigration and multiculturalism, would not dream of repealing these measures.
So, while many commentators in English Canada depict Quebec’s seemingly endless debate over religious accommodation as the work of opportunistic politicians seeking to exploit the cultural insecurities of some francophone Quebeckers, such characterizations fail to capture the complexity of the debate and only contribute to a polarization of opinions on the matter.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Catholic dioceses in Quebec appoint retired judge to look into sex abuse allegationsChurch dioceses in Quebec have appointed a retired judge to assess the number of people alleging they were sexually abused as minors by Catholic clergy over almost seven decades.
Read more »
Catholic dioceses in Quebec commission retired judge to look into sex abuse allegationsThe Archdiocese of the Catholic Church of Montreal said five dioceses have commissioned an external audit of their archives.
Read more »
14-year-old's drowning death linked to sugary alcoholic drinks: Quebec coronerA Quebec coroner has found that alcohol played a role in the death of a 14-year-old girl who was found dead in a stream behind her school in Laval, Que., last year.
Read more »
Teenage girl’s drowning death linked to sugary alcoholic drinks, Quebec coroner saysMartin Larocque concludes that Athena Gervais died of drowning and possible hypothermia in the context of excessive consumption of a sweetened alcoholic beverage
Read more »
Tobacco company gets creditor protection in $15B Quebec lawsuitRothmans, Benson & Hedges has become the third tobacco company to receive a temporary reprieve from compensating 100,000 Quebec smokers after securing creditor protection in an Ontario court on Friday.
Read more »
Quebec Couple's Death In Florida Being Treated As A Homicide: PoliceThe couple were from Saint-Come-Liniere, Que.
Read more »
Rothmans, Benson & Hedges granted creditor protection following $15-billion Quebec tobacco class actionSome observers criticized the creditor protection calling it an attempt to avoid making payments
Read more »
Quebec taxi drivers clog streets to protest government's industry overhaulQuebec's transport minister is defending his plan to overhaul the province's taxi industry as drivers across the province strike in protest.
Read more »
Quebec taxi drivers denounce industry overhaul they say will force them into bankruptcyTransport Minister Francois Bonnardel tabled Bill 17 last week in an attempt to modernize the province’s taxi industry, which like many across the world, has been upended by competitors such as Uber
Read more »
Former Amaya CEO sues Quebec securities regulator for $2-millionDavid Baazov alleges in a case filed last week in Quebec Superior Court that L’Autorite des marches financiers was ‘abusive’ and ‘malicious’ in filing accusations against him in 2016
Read more »