Veiled teacher fired: Quebec sends ball back to elected federal officials

The veiled teacher in Outta faced discriminatory charges following his dismissal, Minister Benoit Charett confirms that Bill 21 is part of a long process of secularizing Quebec and refers to federal elected officials in the Canadian record on racism.

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“Some people want to judge others, which allows them to forget or set aside their own record in this area, so I do not stand by the sentiments of others,” the minister in charge of the fight against racism commented on Friday.

Although Bill 21 was passed two years ago, the teacher of an English-speaking elementary school in Chelsea was the first to be fired in connection with a ban on religious symbols for school staff. ‘Government in power.

Several Liberal elected officials in Ottawa condemned the situation. “This kind of discrimination does not reflect the Quebec community I want to live in,” said Mark Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.

“It is time for politicians to stand up for what is right. We must oppose Bill 21. In court, in the House of Commons, on the streets, ”said Conservative MP Kyle Seebeck.

After all, Benoit Charett said he was convinced that “the Quebec community is a very tolerant community.” “I’m not saying there’s a problem with racism. The struggle against racism presented the day before.

• Listen to Richard Martino’s explanation on Benoit Tudricz’s microphone on QUB Radio:

Was hired in violation of the law

On the sidelines of the session’s final statement, Prime Minister Franois Legald argued that the law should be respected. “So the school board should not have hired that person,” he says. So, as France has done, as other countries have done, I live well in the choice we have made: secular choice, to say that there is a division, when people are in power, they cannot wear religious symbols. ”

Its Education Minister Jean-François Roberge made a similar speech. “It’s hard for me to understand why the school board hired someone in violation of the law, but it was formalized,” he said succinctly.

Like the Catholic clergy

According to Benoit Charrett, Bill 21 was part of the historical process of secularism in Quebec.

“There are a lot of people who fail to look at the history of Quebec. He says the secularism of the Quebec community did not begin with Bill 21. If we go back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, restrictions were imposed on the attendance of clergy or their dress code … Decades later, the secularism of school boards. ”

“So this is not a new process,” he added. And this is definitely not a process that targets any particular religion. When I talk to you about the 1960s, mainly Catholic clergy were targeted. ”

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