‘It’s time to speak up’: Brampton mayor mounts charge against Bill 21

It’s a story that has made national headlines in recent weeks: a Quebec teacher, removed from her classroom for wearing a hijab. That action has promoted the mayor of one of Canada’s largest multicultural cities to support a legal challenge of Quebec’s controversial Bill 21.

“We are proud of religious freedom, it’s in our DNA as Canadians,” said Brampton mayor Patrick Brown.

“If we allow religious freedom to be infringed in Quebec, where you cannot wear a hijab and be a schoolteacher or wear a turban and be a police officer, if we allow that type of religious freedom to be cancelled in Quebec, we set a dangerous precedent.”

In an open letter to 100 Canadian mayors, Brown is asking cities to consider donating to a legal fund that would help fight Bill 21. The controversial Quebec law effectively bans public employees from wearing religious symbols in the workplace, including turbans, hijabs and crosses.

“We can’t allow the defence of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the defence of religious freedom, to lie on the backs of racialized communities,” said Brown. “It’s not a fair fight when you have racialized communities struggling to defend the Canadian charter against a provincial government with unlimited legal resources. That’s not a level playing field.”

Brampton city councillors are considering a motion to provide financial support to legal fund. Two years ago, Brampton became the first municipality to pass a resolution opposing Bill 21. Many other cities and regions would soon follow.

Brown’s open letter includes the following call to action:

“Jewish women who wear wigs, Sikh men who wear turbans, Christians who wear a cross are all at risk of being victims of this unCanadian legislation. I am writing to you with an urgent request to help defend the rights of all Canadians. Together, we can make history by showing solidarity with faith communities living in Quebec, who are being subjected to the injurious nature of Bill 21.”

A rally was held in Chelsea, Quebec on Tuesday after a grade three teacher was pulled from her classroom for wearing a hijab.

Quebec Premier François Legault further stoked the fire earlier this month, claiming that the teacher should have never been hired in the first place.

In a wide-ranging interview with CityNews, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the law “just wrong”, adding that the federal government has not ruled out intervening against the Quebec bill.

“To have to see that in a country like Canada that prides itself on its freedom, on its openness, to be told, no because of your religion you don’t get to do the job you want is just wrong. That shouldn’t happen in Canada,” said Trudeau.

“But a provincial government passed a law and, the important thing for me, is that Quebecers themselves are fighting that law in court. As it moves forward there may be a moment for the federal government to intervene and that’s fine.”

With files from John Marchesan