Quebec premier shrugs off charge new religious symbols law makes Muslim women more vulnerable to racism François Legault skeptical of Muslims who say Islamophobia's on the rise in Quebec

(CBC) Quebec Premier François Legault says he doesn’t “really” believe Muslim women in the province who say they’ve been the target of Islamophobic incidents since the government passed a law making it illegal for some civil servants to wear religious symbols.

Several Muslim women who wear either the hijab or niqab have told CBC News that since the legislation was tabled in March, they’ve been harassed, made the target of hateful comments, even spat on.

A women’s advocacy group, Justice Femme, recorded more than 40 Islamophobic incidents around Montreal between late March and early May.

Muslim community leaders have shared stories on social media that suggest the incidents of harassment have not died down in the two weeks since the law came into effect.

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