In November, teacher Fatemeh Anvari was reassigned from her third-grade classroom in Chelsea, Quebec for wearing a hijab to her workplace.
She was removed from her teaching position and instead given the role of an assistant working with students on literacy and diversity.
This is caused by Quebec's Bill-21, which bans the display of religious symbols by public servants in the workplace, this includes police officers and teachers.
The Bill was passed in June of 2019 in an effort to maintain secularism within the Quebec government and was passed without the intent of targeting one specific religion.
The Bill is particularly concerning for religious minorities in Quebec such as those who are Jewish, Sikh, and Muslim. This has been especially problematic for Muslim women who wear hijab.
Teachers and public servants who held positions prior to Bill-21's passing have been able to keep the positions they have but are not allowed to be promoted to higher positions within their institutions.
Lawsuits have already been previously filed against the bill, yet litigation is still underway in the province.
Prior to the incident in Chelsea, Quebec, there were mainly report of recent graduates not being able to work in their field of study due to their worn religious symbols.
In a statement given by Trudeau about the incident, he says that although he opposed Bill-21, he will not be stepping in to avoid a fight over jurisdiction between the governments. (SOURCE)
There have been numerous demonstrations throughout the province in support of Fatemeh Anvari and against Bill-21, as well as a petition with over 32,000 signatures calling for the Federal Government to intervene on the matter.
Commentaires