The provincial minister tasked with reaching out to the English community says he knew the Charter of Values would create a firestorm of controversy.
Jean-Francois Lisée, who has been overseas since the Charter's proposals were confirmed by the Parti Quebecois government, said an emotional debate is normal.
However he is confident that eventually all Quebecers will agree that his party's brand of secularism is good for the province.
"This is part of Quebec history, this is another chapter in Quebec's willingness to have a more neutral state," said Lisée.
“I'm calling on all Quebecers to have a respectful debate about this and to be particularly concerned and sensitive to our citizens who are wearing religious symbols, as is their right,” he said.
The Parti Quebecois is also comparing this debate to what happened when the party introduced Bill 101 in 1977, and it has even released a website comparing headlines from that era to what is happening now.
Lisée said that, much like the Charter of the French Language, he expects Quebecers will eventually agree that the Charter is good for the province, but pointed out the Parti Quebecois is willing to make changes to improve it.
Some have pointed out that the PQ MNA is in a tough position.
“He is a member of a caucus that is going to be looking at this proposal and perhaps tabling it before the National Assembly which means that it's going to have to defend it as well,” said political analyst Antonia Maioni.
Aspects of the Charter of the French Language, specifically amendments made via Bill 104, were last challenged in court in 2009.
More victims coming forward
Meanwhile since the middle of August, many Muslims are coming forward saying they are the target of bigoted attacks.
On Tuesday a video was released of a man berating a woman wearing a hijab on a bus.
In this incident which reportedly took place on a bus traveling on Gouin Blvd. in Montreal in August, a man started yelling at a woman, saying that if she did not remove her religious headgear then "Marois" would force her to take it off.
Badia Senouci, a hijab-wearing woman in Quebec City, says she was in a mall two weeks ago when a woman harassed her and spat on her son.
Senouci told reporters the woman yelled "change your religion."
When Senouci replied that the government guaranteed freedom of religion, the woman then said the government was removing that right and would force her to remove her hijab. Senouci's son then asked the woman to leave, and she spat in his face.
Two weeks ago a mosque in Saguenay was vandalized, and a letter sent to newspapers saying the building had been splattered with pig's blood.
A small group opposing the bill protested outside the National Assembly Tuesday.
“Being told that your attire is bothering us and you should change your dress and you should change who you are, it says to you like you're not really wanted for who you are,” said Universite de Montreal lecturer Genevieve Lepage.
