Quebec to ban street prayer due to nuisance caused by Muslims
Church, Muslim associations and left-wing parties denounce the measure as discriminatory and a violation of fundamental rights. The Prime Minister says that the place to pray is mosques and churches.
Muslims praying on a street in Quebec
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Recently, the Quebec government announced that it will propose a law to ban public prayer (or “street prayer”) in public spaces such as streets or squares. The Minister of Secularism described the “proliferation of street prayer” as a problem. This practice has been associated with large Islamist rallies, especially after pro-Hamas and pro-Palestine mobilizations.
In this sense, the minister pointed out that prayer in the street has ceased to be a sign of silent devotion. to become a practice with a political dimension, often massive, that blocks roads, hinders access and interferes with civic life to the point of becoming a nuisance.
«"If you want to pray, go to the mosque"»
The Premier of Quebec was very clear in statements collected by Fox News: "When you want to pray, you go to a church or a mosque, not to a public space." The government and those who support the idea are clear that praying in the street is a manifestation of power and has nothing to do with a spiritual act.
There are people in the Muslim community who support the ban. One of them is Muslim journalist Rahell Raza who fights against Islamic extremism. She explained that opposes the introduction of religious practices into the civic sphere, whether in the form of gender-segregated prayers in schools, Islamist influence in politics, or prayer in the streets. Their argument is simple: faith is personal, not a tool of public coercion.
The Church, Muslim associations and the left against it
The Archbishop of Montreal, Christian Lépine, has expressed strong opposition to the proposal to ban prayer in public spaces, saying that such a measure would be “a bit like banning the thought mateix”. In a pastoral letter, Lépine warned that this prohibition would compromise fundamental freedoms, including theto freedom of religion, expression and assembly, recognized by both the Canadian Charter of Rights and the Quebec Charter. The Bishop of Quebec, Bruce Myers, also stated that the law as proposed could violate human rights and affect deep-rooted Christian practices such as processions and public religious celebrations.
As was more predictable, Muslim associations have denounced the measure as unfair and stigmatizing. For example, the Canadian Muslim Forum warned that a blanket ban on public prayer “would stigmatize communities, foster exclusion and undermine social cohesion”". Stephen Brown, of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, has called the proposal "absurd", remembering that public prayers are neither a new nor inherently dangerous phenomenon, and that other groups also meet in public without similar restrictions
From the side of the political left, leaders such as Tom Mulcair have stressed that this initiative responds to a need for the CAQ government to regain electoral support, exploiting the discomfort that some people feel towards public Islamic religious demonstrations.
The final decision on the ban on prayer in public spaces is scheduled for October, when the project will be debated and voted on. However, everything indicates that the measure will go ahead, as the social climate seems to favor it. As discussed last week on a popular radio program, Most Quebecers support the ban, citing the concern that Islamic prayers in public generate, the provocative intention of these demonstrations and their ability to disrupt daily life.
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