Quebec Moves to Expand Secularism Law, Limiting Public Religious Practices
Quebec is expanding its secularism laws with a new bill, “secularism 2.0,” which builds upon the existing 2019 law restricting religious symbols in public sector jobs. The new legislation proposes to extend the ban on religious symbols to subsidized daycares and restrict “collective religious practices” in public spaces without municipal authorization. This move follows recent protests and aims to address concerns about religious displays in public areas. The bill has already faced criticism from opposition parties and Muslim organizations, who accuse the government of creating division and engaging in identity politics.