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CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS SEEKING LEAVE AT THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA FOR THE URGENT SUSPENSION OF BILL 21
1-20-2020
(Montreal – January 17, 2020)
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), and the plaintiff Ichrak Nourel Hak have now applied for leave at the Supreme Court.
The Act respecting the laicity of the State (known as Bill 21) bans people who wear religious symbols from becoming teachers, police officers and prosecutors, among other public sector positions. The law most seriously curtails the freedoms of Muslim women who wear the hijab, Jews who wear the kippa, and Sikhs who wear turbans.
“In these times of tragedy and heartbreak, as in times of joy, people in this country should come together and hold each other up. Today, more than ever, we stand in solidarity with Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, and all other religious minorities – and we stand firm against Bill 21 – the religious symbols ban,” said Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, Equality Program Director at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
“Bill 21 has no place in a progressive and inclusive society,” said NCCM executive director Mustafa Farooq. “There is no doubt that Bill 21 represents devastating harm to every young person in Quebec who had the audacity to wear a kippah, a turban, or a hijab, and decided that they wanted to be in the public service. We pledged to our fellow Quebecers that we were going to stand up for their right to practice the profession that they want regardless of what they are wearing, and we will stand by our word.”
The NCCM is an independent, non-partisan and non-profit organization that is a leading voice for civic engagement and the promotion of human rights.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is a national non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to protect the rights and freedoms of all people in Canada.
CONTACTS:
English:
Mustafa Farooq, NCCM Executive Director, mfarooq@nccm.ca or 613-406-2525
Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, CCLA Equality Program Director, mendelsohnaviv@ccla.org, 647-780-980
French:
Sarah Abou-Bakr, NCCM Quebec Advocacy Coordinator, saboubakr@nccm.ca or +1-613-254-9704 Ext 236
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