Employment
Ramadan guidelines issued to UK employers for staff with religious obligations (LINK ONLY)
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Employment
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Quebec’s adoption of Bill 21 singled out in report from Amnesty International The annual report is also critical of Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people, citing the case of Joyce Echaquan, and the country’s pandemic response.
(Montreal Gazette) Amnesty International is condemning Canada’s record on its treatment of First Nations peoples and minority rights and has singled out Quebec for the adoption of Bill 21. The human rights organization’s criticisms were contained in its annual report made public […]
Discrimination & “Islamophobia”
Muslim nuclear plant engineer wins religious discrimination claim after bosses called police (LINK ONLY)
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Discrimination & “Islamophobia”
Call for ‘Scottish exceptionalism’ to be tackled after Westminster’s race report (LINK ONLY)
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Discrimination & “Islamophobia”
Workplace habits may make Muslim colleagues uncomfortable, says report (LINK ONLY)
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Clothing
EU companies can ban workers from wearing headscarves, magistrate says The court adviser found that small-scale religious displays can be allowed at work, but it’s up to national courts to determine what falls in that category.
(Courthouse News) In a consolidated case involving a drug store clerk and a day care center employee, a magistrate for the European Union’s high court held that employers can ban Islamic headscarves on neutrality grounds. In a nonbinding legal opinion for the […]
Discrimination & “Islamophobia”
Security company wrote ‘Allahu Akbar’ on fake bomb in Heathrow exercise (LINK ONLY)
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Crime
Denmark to classify immigrants from Muslim countries separately in crime statistics
(Local) Denmark’s government is to separately classify people from or with heritage in primarily Muslim countries and regions in official statistics related to topics such as crime and employment. Immigration and integration minister Mattias Tesfaye has signalled his support for the statistical […]
Academics & Education
Quebec government lawyers tell court Bill 21 is not a violation of freedoms
(Canadian Press) The Quebec government does not believe its secularism law violates freedom of religion, but rather it serves to frame it, one of its lawyers told a court Wednesday. As those defending the law began final arguments in the court challenge, […]
Academics & Education
Bill 21 violates right of English Quebecers to manage their education system: lawyer
(Canadian Press) When the Quebec government tells English schools they cannot hire women wearing the hijab, it violates the rights of the English-speaking minority to manage its educational institutions, a lawyer argued Tuesday in a case challenging the province’s secularism law. The […]
Discrimination & “Islamophobia”
Congress pays $850,000 to Muslim aides targeted in inquiry stoked by Trump The House resolved wrongful termination claims by five Pakistani-American technology workers whose case was twisted into a right-wing conspiracy theory pushed by President Trump.
(NY Times) The House of Representatives quietly paid $850,000 this year to settle wrongful termination claims by five Pakistani-American technology specialists, after a set of routine workplace allegations against them morphed into fodder for right-wing conspiracy theories amplified by President Trump. Together, […]
Clothing
Calgary task force finds Quebec’s Bill 21 has far-reaching impacts for religious minorities Focus groups say concerns include psychological trauma and potential for copycat laws
(CBC) A task force comprised of faith groups, think-tanks and community organizations in Calgary says Quebec’s Bill 21 has impacted religious minorities across Canada since it came into law in 2019. The secularism law bans religious symbols, like hijabs and turbans, prohibiting public teachers, lawyers, police […]
Academics & Education
Uphold religious symbol ban to spare children from being influenced by hijab, Quebec parents plead Court case against Quebec's Bill 21 hears from supporters of the law for the first time
(CBC) Several parents pleaded with a Quebec Superior Court judge on Monday to uphold the province’s religious symbols ban in order to shield their children from being exposed to the hijab, which they believe conveys a “pernicious” sexist message. The parents, all […]
Academics & Education
Hijab a symbol of empowerment, not oppression, plaintiffs argue at trial of Quebec secularism law Sociologist testifies that most Muslim women aren't forced to wear the headscarf
(CBC) Plaintiffs challenging Quebec’s ban on religious symbols sought to dismantle, on Tuesday, one of the main arguments made by supporters of the law — that the hijab is a symbol of female oppression and undermines gender equality. The Laicity Act, which was passed […]
Academics & Education
Quebec’s religious symbols ban dashed dreams and sparked hate, witnesses testify on 1st day of Bill 21 trial Groups argue secularism law unfairly bars Muslim women from public sector jobs, such as teaching and law
(CBC) A test of the constitutionality of Quebec’s secularism law began Monday amid tearful testimony from Muslim and Sikh teachers who said the law derailed their careers and made them targets of bigotry. The law, which was passed last year despite protests from civil […]
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Historic case in the making as Quebec’s religious symbols ban heads to court Constitutional challenges to Bill 21 begin on Monday in Quebec Superior Court
(CBC) Around 9:30 on Monday morning, on the 17th floor of a drab, black and grey building in Montreal, some of the most basic principles of Canadian democracy will go on trial. That’s when lawyers from several civil society groups will begin […]
Academics & Education
Macron unveils plan to fight radical Islam in France
(AFP) President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a plan Friday to defend France’s secular values against radical Islam, announcing stricter oversight of schooling and better control over foreign funding of mosques. Describing Islam as a religion “in crisis” worldwide, Macron insisted that “no concessions” […]
Alcohol & Drugs
Muslim man wins UK tribunal case over cognac raffle switch (LINK ONLY)
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Tory leader says won’t touch Quebec secularism law, supports Bill 101 expansion
(Canadian Press) Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said following a meeting Monday with Quebec Premier Francois Legault that he supports the province’s right to pass legislation banning religious symbols and he wouldn’t challenge it in court. Canada is facing a national unity crisis, O’Toole told reporters after his first in-person meeting […]
Academics & Education
Human rights court rejects religion teacher’s freedom of expression case
(Brussels Times) A teacher of Islamic religion who was transferred from his school in Anderlecht in Brussels after publishing controversial remarks about the attack on the magazine Charlie Hebdo has no case for a breach of his freedom of expression, the European […]
Academics & Education
Berlin teacher headscarf ban is illegal, rules top court The ruling is the latest in a long-running legal battle brought by a Muslim woman who was banned from teaching in the city. Some lawmakers are now calling for Berlin's controversial neutrality act to be changed.
(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Federal Labor Court on Thursday ruled that a blanket ban on teachers wearing headscarves in schools in the capital city Berlin was unconstitutional. The court decision was the latest in a case brought by a Muslim woman who was unable to […]
Converting to Islam
Utah man says he was fired from Cedar City car dealership ‘because I am a Muslim’
(Salt Lake Tribune) A Utah man has filed a federal employment complaint against a Cedar City car dealership, alleging that his supervisors and colleagues harassed and discriminated against him after he converted to Islam. When Allan Goodson was hired as a mechanic […]
Clothing
Muslim woman accuses McDonald’s franchisee of discrimination
(AP) A Muslim woman who worked for a McDonald’s franchisee in Maryland claims managers and co-workers sexually harassed her and subjected her to religious discrimination after she converted to Islam. Diamond Powell, 28, of Baltimore, sued her former employer, Susdewitt Management LLC […]
Clothing
Barred from wearing hijabs, former youth detention center workers sue Delaware
(WHYY) Three Muslim women who formerly worked at a juvenile detention center in New Castle County filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the state of Delaware Thursday because officials barred them from wearing hijabs on the job. Madinah Brown, Shakeya Thomas and […]
Employment
COVID-19 pandemic derails Germany’s push for migrant integration
(Reuters) Nigerian Iyke Anakua had been working for 14 months as a welder, a job he got through a recruitment agency in Berlin, when he received news in mid-March that he would be made redundant. “I waited so long for a job […]
Clothing
Protesters gather to oppose religious symbols ban, one year after Bill 21 became law Law bans wearing of religious symbols such as a hijab or kippah by public servants in positions of authority
(CBC) Dozens of people gathered outside Quebec Premier François Legault’s Montreal office on Sunday to stage a sit-in, in opposition to the province’s ban on religious symbols that became law one year ago. The most controversial section of the law, known as […]
Employment
Fifth Circuit throws out challenge to Texas ban on boycotting Israel
(Courthouse News) In litigation challenging a Texas law blocking state agencies from hiring companies boycotting Israel, the Fifth Circuit ordered dismissal of the case Monday but declined to decide if the law is constitutional. Bahia Amawi, a Palestinian U.S. citizen, had worked […]
Clothing
Supreme Court won’t hear bid to suspend Quebec’s secularism law But legal challenge against province's Bill 21 far from over, with cases still before the courts
(CBC) Canada’s top court has refused to look at whether Quebec’s controversial ban on religious symbols should be suspended until the case is heard on its merits. Civil rights groups had filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in January after Quebec’s Court of […]
Beards
CAIR Michigan advises Muslim health workers to shave, citing mask guidance The Centers for Disease Control says healthcare workers should wear masks when in contact with potentially infectious patients. But the directive puts Muslim men with beards in a tricky position.
(WDET) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Michigan chapter is advising Muslim medical professionals to shave off their beards. CAIR says it has received calls from Muslim medical professionals who’ve been asked by hospital staff to shave their beards in order to properly wear […]
Employment
More US firms are boosting faith-based support for employees
(AP) It has become standard practice for U.S. corporations to assure employees of support regardless of their race, gender or sexual orientation. There’s now an intensifying push to ensure that companies are similarly supportive and inclusive when it comes to employees’ religious […]
Academics & Education
EMSB says it won’t accept federally backed funding to fight pair of Quebec laws Even though the Court Challenges Program is independent, Quebec's premier called on Ottawa to intervene
(CBC) The English Montreal School Board says it will not take the $250,000 it was offered by the federally backed Court Challenges Program to fight two Quebec laws that the board contends go against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In […]
Academics & Education
Legault government up in arms after EMSB awarded federal funds to fight pair of Quebec laws Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says funding is allocated by program independent of federal government
(CBC) The Quebec government says Ottawa has some explaining to do after it was revealed that the English Montreal School Board is funding two separate legal challenges of provincial laws with federal tax dollars. “We need an explanation from the federal government,” […]
Clothing
Civil rights groups challenging Quebec’s religious symbols ban file appeal to Canada’s top court Request for appeal was filed in a 27-page brief Friday
(CBC) Civil rights groups challenging Quebec’s controversial ban on religious symbols have filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Last month, Quebec’s Court of Appeal rejected a request to suspend portions of the law, known as Bill 21, pending a ruling on its constitutionality. […]
Clothing
Columbus police may reconsider hijab ban
(Columbus Dispatch) Columbus police Chief Thomas Quinlan said this week that he is open to taking another look at the division’s ban on head coverings for religious reasons. The ban made headlines in 2015 after a female police recruit left the Columbus […]
Clothing
Muslim fast food worker says boss sent her home for turning up to work in hijab (LINK ONLY)
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Male boss forced Muslim prison guard to remove her hijab: suit
(NY Post) A female corrections officer says she was forced to defy her Muslim beliefs when a lone male supervisor demanded she remove her hijab, a new $8 million lawsuit charges. Maureen Billings, a corrections officer at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility […]
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Civil rights groups want to challenge Quebec religious symbols ban in Supreme Court Appeals Court last week rejected request for injunction on sections of Bill 21
(CBC) Civil rights groups challenging Quebec’s controversial ban on religious symbols want to take their case to Canada’s top court. Quebec’s Court of Appeal last week rejected a request to suspend portions of the law, known as Bill 21, pending a ruling on its constitutionality. […]
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‘We will keep on fighting’: Muslim women devastated by Appeal Court decision to uphold Bill 21 Amal Sassi, who came to Quebec to pursue a teaching career, had hoped for a ruling allowing her to continue
(CBC) Amal Sassi was counting on Quebec’s highest court to suspend the province’s controversial secularism law, so she kept her head buried in her books Thursday and focused on studying for her final exams. When she stepped out and heard the news that […]
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Quebec’s top court won’t suspend province’s religious symbols ban, but judges say rights being violated Province’s controversial Bill 21 passes major legal test; opponents vow to continue fight
(CBC) Quebec’s Court of Appeal has refused to suspend the province’s controversial ban on religious symbols, even while acknowledging it causes “irreparable harm” to those affected. The province’s top court was ruling on a request to stay sections of the Laicity Act, or Bill 21, […]
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François Legault’s high-stakes game with the courts and Quebec’s secularism law Premier faces a test as supporters of the controversial Bill 21 question Quebec's chief justice
(CBC) The stakes around Quebec’s secularism law have always been high, but somehow they’ve managed to become even higher in recent days. The law (Bill 21) has already altered the career choices of dozens, maybe hundreds, of aspiring public school teachers, prosecutors and police officers by […]
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Legault says he understands ‘preoccupation’ with Bill 21 judge’s alleged bias Interim Liberal leader says premier should not 'intervene directly' in complaint
(CBC) Quebec Premier François Legault offered a brief shout-out on Tuesday to Quebecers “preoccupied” with the alleged bias of a judge involved in a case related to the province’s secularism law. During a media scrum at the National Assembly, Legault was asked […]
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Dawson College professor accuses Quebec’s top judge of bias against Bill 21 Frédéric Bastien has filed formal complaint against Nicole Duval Hesler, chief justice of the Court of Appeal
(CBC) A Quebec historian has launched a formal complaint against the chief justice of the province’s Court of Appeal over comments she made about the province’s religious symbols law. Frédéric Bastien, who teaches history at Dawson College, said taken together, Justice Nicole Duval […]
Academics & Education
Amid political gamesmanship, some Quebec Muslim women enticed by offer to move to Manitoba 'Why wouldn't I go somewhere where I feel welcome?' asks one law student who wears a hijab
(CBC) As a political spat plays out between Manitoba and Quebec over Bill 21, some Muslim women affected by the province’s ban on religious symbols say they are tempted by the offer to move to the Prairie province. Seeba Chaachouh, a third-year law […]
Academics & Education
Pamphlets inform Muslim women of their rights in wake of Quebec’s secularism law Documents include information on how to face and report harassment and how to deal with discrimination
(CBC) An advocacy group is launching a campaign to inform Muslim women of their rights as it tries to deal with increasing reports of harassment and discrimination since Quebec’s secularism law was introduced. Justice Femme, the group behind the campaign, will begin distributing […]
Academics & Education
Opponents argue Bill 21 affects women more than men and is unconstitutional
(Canadian Press) Opponents of Quebec’s secularism law introduced a new legal argument in Appeal Court Tuesday, saying that Bill 21 disproportionately affects women and therefore violates the Constitution. Lawyer Olga Redko argued Bill 21 violates the sexual equality guarantees in the Canadian […]
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Civil rights groups seek again to freeze Quebec secularism law Appeal Court hears arguments after Superior Court judge refused to grant an injunction against Bill 21
(CBC) The two civil liberties groups that mounted an early legal challenge to Quebec’s secularism law were at the Quebec Court of Appeal today making a second attempt to have parts of the law suspended while their challenge is considered. When the National Council […]
Academics & Education
Teacher union to sue Quebec on religious symbols ban
(AP) A union federation representing 45,000 teachers in Quebec is suing the Canadian province over its ban on the wearing of religious symbols by many public employees. The lawsuit by the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement challenges a state secularism law passed this […]
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Ontario MPPs pass Coteau’s motion affirming religious freedoms in response to Quebec’s Bill 21 Michael Coteau placed motion before Legislature on Thursday afternoon
(CBC) The Ontario Legislature on Thursday passed a motion from Michael Coteau, Liberal MPP for Don Valley East, affirming the province’s support of religious diversity in response to Quebec’s Bill 21. Coteau placed the motion before the province’s elected representatives on Thursday afternoon, asking […]
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Toronto councillors pass motion condemning Quebec’s secularism bill
(Canadian Press) Quebec Premier Francois Legault defended the province’s controversial secularism bill on Thursday after yet another municipal council passed a motion this week condemning the legislation. Toronto city councillors passed the motion at their meeting on Wednesday, making the Ontario capital the largest […]
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Protesters against Quebec’s secularism law say they’re not giving up
(Canadian Press) Protesters against Quebec’s secularism law said Sunday that they aren’t giving up the fight to overturn Bill 21, with or without politicians on their side. As a cold rain fell, dozens gathered in Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighbourhood on Sunday to march against […]