J Richards sanctioned by Canada
The article below has been unequivocally sanctioned by the Canadian press
Apr 2026
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John Richards
Draft 2.1, 20260422
Bio John Richards is an emeritus professor
Bill 21 bans dressing religious symbols when exercising authority in a public institution. The majority of francophone Québécois favour Bill 21. In a 2025 survey, the majority ranges from 54% to 58%, the percent varying with wording of the question. The majority of Quebec anglophones and those in other provinces clearly oppose Bill 21. The most affected by Bill 21 are professional Muslim women, banned from wearing a hijab while at work. Probably, those living outside Quebec consider Bill 21 as either trivial, or Quebec’s National Assembly has legislated an unjustified islamophobic restriction of Muslims.
The French law of 1905 obviously influenced the CAQ government’s decision to legislate Bill 21. The French law bans wearing “ostentatious” religious symbols in schools among students and teachers. In early 20th century, the intent of the law was to reduce conflicts between Catholic and secular families, a debate prominent since 1789 and throughout the 19th century. One dimension of the French revolution is the critique – among many – that the Catholic priesthood exercised too much political power. Over the 20th century, the Catholic/secular debate has subsided. In early 21st century, the Muslim/secular debate has catalyzed a new debate. On one side are Muslims who accept the Quran’s literal instructions promoted by imams; on the other side are “kafirs” (those who reject the Quran) and moderate Muslims who reject many instructions of the Quran.
As in France, Muslim immigrants from the Maghreb and west African ex-French colonies have become an important religious minority in Quebec. In the 2021 census, there were 373,000 Muslims in Montreal. They now comprise 13% of the city’s metropolitan population. Québécois support of Bill 21 is not racism; it is fear that, over time, the Muslim community will not integrate with the secular culture of most Québécois. Muslim teachers are welcome to teach in the French school system, provided they support Bill 21. However, several cases of Muslim teachers organizing prayers in their schools have generated considerable negative publicity. In the 1960s, an important dimension of the “quiet revolution” was the National Assembly’s exercise of authority, as opposed to the Catholic hierarchy. Some imams have broached the equivalent of pre-1960s’ Catholic control of schools.
In Europe and Quebec some imams in this century advance “Shariah law” – the obligation of believing Muslims to honour instructions in surah of the Quran and hadith. A prominent example advises believing women to exercise modesty – surah 24-31 "... And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands”. This surah and many hadith imply that Muslim women should wear clothing that does not attract attention from men, other than their husband. These surahs and hadith accept male authority. On the one hand, Bill 21 violates freedom of religion, as prescribed in section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter. On the other hand, succumbing to the Quran’s instructions may be interpreted as violating equal rights of men and women in section 29(b). Not all Muslim women follow the Quran’s surah. There are vocal secular Muslim women who have integrated in Quebec. They support the school revolution in the 1960s; they support Bill 21, and insist on the equality of women and men.
In conclusion, why are imams in Quebec advising Muslim women to emigrate to another province due to the banning of “ostentatious” symbols for professional symbols at work? Why are imams not recommending that Muslims integrate in the Québécois culture, which values laïcité? Bill 21 does not ban the hiring of Muslim women; it requires Muslims in a professional capacity to take off their hijab while at work.
Some devout Muslim women have emigrated from Quebec due to Bill 21. Farhat, a Muslim lawyer, wrote a public letter: “Either I remove my hijab and accept this flagrant violation of my rights under the Canadian and Quebec charters of rights and freedoms or I find another line of work.” Is Bill 21 a flagrant violation of rights? Should all Muslim women follow all instruction of the Quran, which itself arguably conflicts with the intent of other sections of the Canadian Charter?
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