Concordia's Student Union takes stand against Bill 62

Oct 31 2017, 11:16 pm

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) has taken a tough stand against Bill 62, saying it will take “all “necessary and proper” action to defend the constitutional rights of all students who are adversely affected” by the controversial face covering law.

According to the National Assembly of Quebec, Bill 62 aims to “foster adherence to State and religious neutrality, and in particular, to provide a framework for religious accommodation requests in certain bodies.” This applies specifically to Muslim women who wear the wear a burka or niqab.

The CSU adopted a resolution condemning the law as being “a legislated barrier and deterrent for Muslim women’s right to education, services and employment both at Concordia University and elsewhere.”

“[Certain] provisions of Bill 62 target and disproportionately affect Muslim women in Quebec, who are Concordia students and CSU members, and that overall Bill 62, in its application, could produce exclusionary consequences for those that lead to further discrimination, Islamophobia, penalization and marginalization of these women,” says the Resolution.

The CSU, which is made up of more than 35,000 undergraduate students, says it will call on other student unions and community organizations to oppose Bill 62 through all legal, political and social means available.

“In its view, Bill 62 will effectively promote Islamophobia, because in reality, it is not only about the burka or the niqab, but ultimately, about Muslim women and their families who will pay the price of state-sanctioned prohibition and discrimination,” said the CSU.

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