Bill 21: Should police officers be able to wear religious symbols?
“There is no proof that Quebec’s prohibition on officers wearing religious symbols provides any true public benefit,” said Michael Mostyn, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada.
B’nai Brith says it surveyed police forces across the country and found accommodations for officers who wear religious garments is common across jurisdictions.
Leaders of the group called Quebec an "anomaly" in Canada, due to its controversial secularism law, also known as Bill 21, which barres people holding positions of authority, such as teachers and police officers, from wearing religious garments.
The group, which has long been opposed to the law, renewed calls for change after the U.S. state of Connecticut passed a new law requiring police forces to accommodate religious headwear.
"Following Connecticut's example will permit Canadian police departments to benefit from a larger, more diverse pool of talented candidates," said Marvin Rotrand, B'nai Brith Canada's national director of its League for Human Rights.
He says changing the law, at least with regard to police, could help to mitigate Montreal’s challenges with retaining staff.
Two weeks ago, Montreal police lost 10 officers, including seven due to reasons other than retirement.
"The departments we surveyed [elsewhere in Canada] said the minor uniform changes were supported by the public, and officers who wear religious symbols are as professional and effective as those who don't," said Rotrand.
"The RCMP [has] agreed to allow officers to wear their own kippahs until such time as an approved version is available in the force's stores," B'nai Brith notes of the head covering worn by Jewish men.
He also said officers wearing religious symbols are granted “an ‘in’ to various communities,” adding visual indicators of faith build “public trust.”
“It builds dialogue,” he said.
‘AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT FOR US’: LEGAULT
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) party, led by Premier François Legault, drove the bill to pass in 2019.
Bill 21 has been challenged in court and sparked some backlash from the public, both in and outside of Quebec. On Wednesday, the incumbent premier defended the law once again.
“It's an important subject for us. We think that someone in a position of authority should not wear a religious symbol and shouldn’t send a religious message,” said Legault, adding that such laws also exist in other countries.
B’nai Brith challenged the premier’s position the following day.
“[We ask Legault] to release any evidence that his practice is beneficial to public security or society,” said Mostyn.
“We suspect he will not be able to offer any real proof other than he himself believes it to be true,” he added.
“We see the province’s claim of state neutrality as simply excluding talented individuals who are from religious minorities.”
-- with files from CTV News' Rachel Lau and Luca Caruso-Moro.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.