A long-awaited trial in Quebec, Canada, is set to begin this week. Civil rights groups say laws banning religious clothing for government officials violate the country’s constitution.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and a Muslim woman named Ishraq Naurel Haque sued Bill 21. The trial is set to begin on Monday (November 2nd) in Quebec’s Supreme Court.
The law was passed in 2019. So that the wearing of religious dress is prohibited for teachers, lawyers, police officers, and other government officials. The list of prohibitions includes the hijab for Muslim women, the kippa for Jewish men, and the turban worn by Sikhs.
According to the plaintiffs against the law, this law of the government is discriminatory. The law would make minorities second-class citizens in Canada.
NCCM chief executive Mustafa Farooq said ordinary people had lost their jobs just because of their religious dress and beliefs.
“People have to leave the province. They need to change their identity. It is never acceptable. That is why we will never stop fighting against Bill 21,” he said
