Quebec passes law requiring Muslim women to remove niqab while using public services

Oct 18 2017, 10:19 pm

Quebec has officially passed Bill 62, a law that requires individuals in the province who give or receive any public service to uncover their faces. This applies specifically to Muslim women who wear the wear a burka or niqab.

The law was passed in the National Assembly today, in a vote of 66 to 51.

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.”

The law will apply to all provincial ministries, universities, school boards, transit authorities, public health care facilities, and daycare centres subsidized by the government.

The ban on face coverings is expected to go into effect immediately.

Aside from face coverings, the bill sets guidelines on time off requests for religious holidays.

Other sections of the bill that deal with religious accommodation will have a more detailed guideline that will come out later next year.

More on this story as it develops… 

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