EDITORIAL – Prejudice targets public prayer

It appears peace and religious harmony doesn’t stand a chance in Quebec after their premier voiced his discontent with public prayer.

Francois Legault made his comments at a Quebec City press conference on Dec. 6, telling reporters he was bothered by prayer in public spaces, saying he doesn’t want to see people praying “in public parks or public streets”.

It’s a strange attitude to grasp, until one realizes what he is really saying.

He’s not talking about public prayer for any religion. It’s his Islamophobia coming through loud and clear.

“Seeing people on their knees in the streets, praying, I think we have to ask ourselves the question. I don’t think it’s something we should see,” he said.

The seemingly fragile political leader who apparently suffers terribly from seeing things he doesn’t understand didn’t explain how seeing someone of any faith praying could actually have a negative effect.

He doesn’t explain if his distaste for demonstrations of faith also extends to other religions.

But Legault is not alone.

Images of Muslims praying in Montreal have sparked controversy in recent months, including when a group gathered in a city park to celebrate Eid al-Adha last June. That prompted the borough mayor to muse about banning religious events in public parks.

Here in Steinbach, we often have religious events in public parks.

Any group can rent a picnic shelter or reserve a stage, providing nothing illegal is going on.

But there are other rules, perhaps some unspoken, that all seem to observe.

They don’t impede anyone’s access to a public amenity, nor do they control what else goes on in the area.

Freedom of religion does not just exist in the privacy of one’s home, but in public spaces as well.

That of course does not mean we should have a specific religion represented in public meeting spaces such as schools, school board or municipal meetings.

We have to be careful in those spaces because they need to be inclusive of all citizens, and not just those who are part of the dominant faith.

Prayer is also restricted in some physical locations such as outside abortion clinics. But that’s not really a ban on prayer at all, but an extension of the ban on protests within a buffer zone surrounding what is by law a facility that offers health services.

Those who want to pray within that zone are really there to protest, and the prayer is their version of signs and slogans.

So why is Quebec considering this controversial move?

It could be that they are following the example of Saudi Arabia which does not allow any public prayer by non-Muslims at all.

More likely they are inspired by France, who in 2011 banned praying on streets after thousands of Muslim worshippers in northern Paris were forced to do that because of a lack of mosques.

It also came seven months before a presidential election, which many saw as an attempt to rally far-right sympathizers to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s center-right camp.

While it seems strange indeed to be imitating the Saudi regime or the prejudice of the French, Quebec does not exactly have a track record of tolerance.

They passed the secularism law, preventing public sector workers including police and teachers from wearing religious symbols on the job, rather than just insisting that religion doesn’t shape the actions of those professionals.

Their language law, Bill 96, that was amended in 2022, makes French mandatory or preferable in most situations. It’s the famous law that includes rules such as French must be the larger language on a sign.

Neither of those laws are constitutional and it’s no surprise that banning prayer in public is also not constitutional.

Quebec never seems to think that’s a very big deal, as they’ll simply use the notwithstanding clause to protect the law.

The consequences are chilling.

Imagine that attitude, extending to Manitoba and our area.

There would be no worship services offered as an option at local festivals and fairs and no outdoor gospel concerts.

Families gathered in the park for reunions or at a restaurant for supper would have to look over their shoulder for a bylaw enforcement officer before lowering their heads to give thanks.

This disgusting display of prejudice could catch on while people continue to think it is only meant to address a religion that they don’t understand or support.

But as they say, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and the new laws would apply to everyone.

This attitude, this prejudice, this ignorance has no place in any part of Canada and should be condemned.