When atheist billboards and Muslim veils are both under threat, we need secularism
Justin Trottier and Kevin Smith
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Dec. 13 2013, 11:41 AM EST
Last updated Friday, Dec. 13 2013, 11:45 AM EST
Secularism: A word that conveys fear and oppression to some, but serves as a banner of hope and equality to others. At the heart of this paradox is the confusion and ambiguity behind the concept of separation between religion and state.
The proposed Quebec Charter has become a flashpoint for two competing interpretations of secularism. Its original, informal title, “The Quebec Charter of Values,” suggested secularism as a value that government would push aggressively on its citizens – an interpretation greeted with concern by many. The bill’s new wording, “Charter affirming the values of State secularism and religious neutrality…” seems designed to address such worries. It focuses instead on the concept of neutrality, in which government merely levels the playing field so the citizenry may put forward a variety of values, with the state guaranteeing them the ability to compete on an equal footing.
But under the cloak of this more benign title, the bill continues to take aim at precisely the wrong target: people, rather than public institutions. Neutrality is indeed the appropriate goal. But instead of focusing on the religious expression of its employees, government should work to remove the institutional religious favouritism which is the real culprit that biases the public square away from neutrality.
It is hypocritical to target religious symbols worn by teachers, while continuing to offer public subsidies to faith schools. It makes no sense to ask workers to remove their crosses, kippahs, turbans, or hijabs, while the crucifix stays up on the wall of the National Assembly, Christian prayers continue to open city council meetings, and religious buildings continue to enjoy special property tax exemptions.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/when-atheist-billboards-and-muslim-veils-are-both-under-threat-we-need-secularism/article15947757/