Canadian Jewish group: Religious symbols ban meant to drum up support for Quebecois secession

[rug]

Quebec’s Jewish General Hospital indicates that it plans on ignoring the “prejudicial bill.”

By SAM SOKOL
11/24/2013, 20:13

A controversial bill curtailing religious freedoms that has Canadian Jews up in arms is only meant to drum up support for Quebec independence, the Canadian Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

The government backers of a bill that would ban the wearing of “conspicuous religious symbols” by public sector workers in Quebec “do not wish to have the legislation adopted in this legislative session,” David Ouellette, the Jewish umbrella group’s director for Public Affairs in Quebec wrote in an email exchange with the Post.

Ouellette stated that he believes that the “minority government’s calculus is to use the proposed legislation in the next elections as a wedge issue, hoping it can rekindle nationalist sentiment and move into majority territory.”

The ban, which is part of a proposed Charter of Quebec Values being pushed by the separatist Parti Québécois, would essentially redefine the meaning of state secularism and has alienated local religious minorities, including Muslims Sikhs and Jews. The party has called for a revision of the province’s charter of rights and freedoms.

http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Canadian-Jewish-group-Religious-symbols-ban-meant-to-drum-up-support-for-Quebecois-secession-332870

[cbayer]

1. Interesting take and wouldn't surprise me in the least.

As they say, the only place more french than France is Quebec.

And they are very territorial, in my experience.

[MisterP]

2. if the Saguenais can't eradicate the "ethnic vote," they can at least eliminate their symbols

in the name of that sort of liberalism where everyone is exactly the same

[EvilAL]

3. They blamed the ethnic vote

last time they lost their referendum to try to separate. I don't think trying to get all the non french/catholic people out of Quebec would help them one bit. If Quebec would separate from Canada I'd be gone back to New Brunswick in a heart beat. A lot of industry would leave, doctors, professionals. Canada would cut them off and let them wither and die. It would look like it did 250 years ago when the British came and took over New France and Acadie.

Edit: also, the MicMac and Mohawk First Nations would claim all their land that's in dispute and would end up owning most of Quebec, would cut their power grid and stop anything or anyone from crossing their land.

[cbayer]

4. Wow! In light of all that, what in the world are they thinking??

[EvilAL]

5. The seperatists I have had

the chances to try to speak to in a civil manner about it see it as a utopia, where they can make their own rules and be all the french they can be. You can't change their minds. They believe the crap, some are brought up to be bitter towards English speaking people like myself, regardless of the fact that I am pretty much 100% French, I have a dash of MicMac from several generations ago, a lot of them do too. They want to be free to run themselves and make their own rules, but they want to use Canadian money, gov services, army.. whatever else we Canadian tax payers pay for, but don't want to be able to be told what to do.. It's crazy.. seems like every 10 years or so they get all riled up..

Edit again for First Nations: They seem to think that the natives will fall in line, when in fact they will separate from Quebec.. They said this last time as well. They are Federally funded and the land they have is federal.. Take the Federal out, and they are going to fuck Quebec up big time... Becuase they stand together.. If the French want to fight them again, it won't be pretty.

[cbayer]

6. I drove across Canada about 8 years ago and was really taken aback by how

I was treated in Quebec, particularly in the north.

I thought the French were tough on Americans, but they don't hold a candle to the Quebecois. I know a little french but it wasn't nearly enough.

Too bad, because it's a beautiful place.

Really interesting information on the native peoples. Thanks for this.

[EvilAL]

7. Yeah, they can be real rude

to foreigners or anglophones. Won't help much if they separate either.. Tourism will plummet.. They'll have French only laws and stuff.. This isn't all Quebecers, but certain areas are flooded with them.. I see them all the time in the summer when they come down the Gaspe coast on vacation.. Just the looks you get for speaking english in their precious Quebec is scarey. Most of them are cowards, I've gotten into it with a few of them. One lady stopped at the takeout and started going on in french about how she was insulted that the guy at the gas station, (which is on a MicMac reservation and they speak english), couldn't speak french to her.. IN QUEBEC!! IN QUEBEC!! she said it louder everytime. I asked her in french if she could speak English and she said no.. then got quite insulted when I told her that she had better enjoy Quebec or save up for a trip to France or Haiti because good luck trying to pull your shit anywhere else in Canada or the US. You are stuck here due to your own ignorance. Then her husband got off his Harley, typical midlife crisis biker gang, and said something to me I didn't understand.. I told him to fuck off and then the guy working the cash came out and settled me down... I grabbed my Large Poutine and left smiling..

[cbayer]

8. One question I had was whether the Quebecois can speak english but refuse to

or whether they can't.

I thought that all Canadians received instruction in french if they were primarily english speaking and vice versa, but it didn't seem like that was the case when I was there.

I'm in Mexico right now and it's really great to see how people communicate with each other. English speakers seem to try and speak some spanish and the spanish speaker try to speak some english. It usually ends in giggles, but it gets the job done.

I'm a fan of integration, not separation.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. It's wierd, because all the Western Canadian folks I know are like: GET OUT ALREADY

[rug]

10. Would you say western Canada is more politically conservative?

[AtheistCrusader]

11. I honestly don't know.

I never talk politics when visiting friends/relatives.

It always ends in tears, eventually.