The Muslim community in Quebec is reeling after the provincial government unveiled yet another sweeping secularism bill—one that many say deepens an already painful climate of exclusion and hostility.
On Thursday, Quebec’s minister for secularism, Jean-François Roberge, introduced Bill 9, a proposal that extends the reach of Bill 21 and dramatically expands restrictions on religious symbols, face coverings, and even public prayer.
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For many Muslims, it felt like a deliberate tightening of the noose, Montreal Gazette reported.
The National Council of Canadian Muslim NCCM CEO Stephen Brown did not mince words. “Let’s not kid ourselves: this bill targets Muslims,” he said, calling the legislation “what we feared it would be … a crass example of electoral wedge politics.”
His frustration echoed throughout the community, where many feel their faith and identity are being turned into political bait.
Brown accused the government of using Muslims as a distraction from real crises.
“We have real issues in this province. Health care is a real issue. Lack of teachers is a real issue. Cost of living is a real issue. Economic precarity is a real problem. The government doesn’t want to talk about this.”
By invoking the notwithstanding clause once again—even as Bill 21 sits before the Supreme Court—the government has signaled a hardline stance.
For many Muslims, it feels like the state is willing to override fundamental rights simply to control how they dress, pray, or access public services.
Legal Options
NCCM says it is exploring its legal options. Brown warned that the government’s recent moves—such as restricting prayer in public parks—are eroding core democratic principles.
“When you use quasi-emergency powers to tell people that they’re not allowed to pray in parks, you’re undermining a key, core concept of Quebec society, which is live and let live.”
But Brown also appealed for unity over division. “Let’s get back to dealing with real problems. Not stigmatizing each other.”
Faith leaders outside the Muslim community are also expressing alarm. Anglican bishops in Montreal and Quebec called the bill “heavy-handed solutions to non-existent problems,” saying it “seeks to erase all signs of religion from the public square.”
Their statement underscores a growing sense that this is not just a Muslim issue, but a warning to all religious communities.
Unions say the bill effectively shuts hijab-wearing women out of early childhood education roles, robbing them of livelihoods and dignity.
“Let’s be frank, it’s veiled women who are targeted by this bill,” said Sylvie Nelson of the Syndicat québécois des employées et employés de service.
“These women aren’t proselytizing with children aged 6 months to 5 years; they’re educating them and offering an educational program. They do it well and are appreciated by parents.”
The bill’s provisions go even further—banning religious symbols in daycares, restricting face coverings in childcare settings, cutting subsidies to religious private schools, and ordering hospitals to stop providing exclusively halal or kosher menus.
When asked about the Montreal Jewish General Hospital, Roberge insisted they may keep kosher meals “but they will have to serve some other food, too.”
While the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) welcomed certain measures—particularly the ban on “street-blocking prayers”—many Muslims felt this endorsement deepened the sting, reinforcing a narrative that casts ordinary Islamic practice as inherently suspect.
For countless Muslim families in Quebec, Bill 9 is not just another law. It feels like a message: that their faith, their identity, and even their presence are unwelcome in the very province they call home.