Demonstrations

As protesters gather outside, sold-out crowd greets Linda Sarsour with cheers, laughter Palestinian-American activist says Brian Bowman is 1st elected official to try to silence her

(CBC) Inside a packed room at the Ukrainian Labour Temple in Winnipeg’s North End Friday night, Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour began by addressing the controversy surrounding her appearance there. “It is I — I am the drama that you heard about before you got here. This is it,” […]

Government & Politics

Setting the bar for barring a speaker: Controversy follows Linda Sarsour to Winnipeg The Palestinian-American has a pattern of disrespecting other left-wing activists. But is she an anti-Semite?

(CBC) In an era when demagogues flourish on social media, reason gives way to rhetoric and opinion masquerades as fact, it’s easy to understand how ordinary, decent people have grown weary and wary of all sorts of political and cultural debates. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict […]

Academics & Education

Quebec’s largest school board condemns religious symbols ban CSDM hopes government will be open to compromise during consultations, which start next week

(CBC) Quebec’s largest school board has come out against the province’s plan to ban teachers from wearing religious symbols in the classroom, saying it runs contrary to the school board’s mission and would be difficult to enforce. The Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) outlined […]

Clerics & Preachers

Ahead of federal election, imams at 69 Canadian mosques deliver message that every vote counts 'If we don't vote, we don't have any right to complain,' says man who attended Friday's coordinated sermon

(CBC) When Canadians go to the polls in October, a non-partisan group hopes Muslim voter turnout will be higher than ever — and seized one of the year’s most-attended days of prayer to mobilize the community with a single message: every ballot […]

Clothing

Montreal mayor target of physical threats after coming out against secularism bill Valérie Plante says latest wave of threats was prompted by 'fake news' circulating online

(CBC) Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has been the target of an escalating series of violent threats, apparently sparked by her staunch opposition to the provincial government’s secularism bill. Plante spoke publicly last month about receiving hateful comments after she first criticized Bill […]

Clothing

‘It is our duty to speak up’: Montreal city council passes unanimous declaration against Bill 21 'Bill 21 does not reflect the daily reality of Montreal society which is rich and unique,' declaration says

(CBC) Montreal city councillors have unanimously adopted a declaration against the Quebec government’s secularism bill, put forward by the mayor and leader of the opposition. The bipartisan declaration, signed by Mayor Valérie Plante and Ensemble Montréal interim leader Lionel Perez, presents a […]

Clothing

Montrealers take to the streets to protest Quebec’s proposed religious symbols ban Bill 21 would ban some public employees from wearing symbols of their faith

(CBC) Thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Montreal on Sunday afternoon to protest the Quebec government’s Bill 21 — proposed legislation that would ban some public employees from wearing symbols of their faith. “Quebec is not France, long live the difference!” protesters chanted […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

NDP candidate apologizes for posting jihad, crusaders meme Joe Pimlott says he wasn't aware of 'Islamophobic and anti-Semitic connotations' of image

(CBC) A Calgary NDP candidate has apologized for posting a meme about jihadists and crusaders several years ago. Joe Pimlott, who is running in Calgary-Peigan, posted on Twitter that he made a social media post that had “Islamophobic and anti-Semitic connotations” of which […]

Clothing

Opposition to Quebec’s Bill 21 intensifies as minister pleads for calm Hampstead mayor likens proposed ban on religious symbols to 'ethnic cleansing'

(CBC) A week after tabling the legislation, opposition to the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s plan to ban certain public workers from wearing religious symbols is growing more organized — and more vitriolic. Politicians in Montreal’s west end at the federal, provincial and municipal level came […]

Clothing

Civil liberties groups explore ‘creative’ ways to challenge Quebec’s charter-proof secular bill 'We are studying the law, and we are studying what possible recourses we might bring': lawyer

(CBC) The mayor of Montreal calls it “very concerning.” Religious groups say it’s discriminatory. And civil liberties groups have vowed to fight. But what legal options do these groups have in the face of the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s secularism bill, and what […]

Clothing

Religious and civil rights groups plan to challenge Quebec’s secularism bill Public school teachers and principals to be banned from wearing religious symbols

(CBC) Civil rights activists in the National Capital Region say they will challenge Quebec’s secularism bill introduced Thursday by the Coalition Avenir Québec government. The legislation bans public workers from wearing religious symbols such as the kippa or hijab. This includes judges, crown prosecutors, teachers and principals, although the bill […]

Clothing

Quebec government’s proposed secularism law would ban public workers from wearing religious symbols Bill invokes notwithstanding clause to block any potential charter challenges

(CBC) The Coalition Avenir Québec government is proposing a new law that would prohibit public workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols such as a hijab, kippa or turban. The stated aim of the bill, titled, “An act respecting the laicity of […]

Clothing

Notwithstanding clause could stop debate over Quebec’s secularism bill before it starts Province poised to ban teachers and judges, among others, from wearing signs of their faith

(CBC) As the Quebec government prepares to table its secularism bill, constitutional experts are raising concerns about Premier François Legault’s reported plans to pre-emptively invoke the notwithstanding clause to ensure public workers in positions of authority are banned from wearing religious symbols. Robert Leckey, dean of McGill […]

Academics & Education

Public school teachers, principals to be banned from wearing religious symbols Sources have told Radio-Canada the CAQ's secularism bill will go further than initially expected

(CBC) Quebec public schools teachers and school principals will be prohibited from wearing religious symbols such as the hijab or kippa, under a bill likely to be tabled later this week in the provincial legislature. The long-awaited legislation from the Coaltion Avenir […]

Apostasy

MRU cancels speech by ex-Muslim-turned-atheist in light of New Zealand terror attack Armin Navabi says Calgary school is overreacting and calls its decision disappointing

(CBC) An ex-Muslim who is now an atheist and secular activist says Mount Royal University is overreacting by canceling his talk that was planned on campus for Thursday. Armin Navabi, who lives in British Columbia, was being brought in by the Atheist Society of Calgary to share […]

Government & Politics

Conservative MP cancels Baroness Cox event in wake of New Zealand attack Cox's critics accuse her of lending legitimacy to the dictatorship with her visits to Syria

(CBC) A Conservative MP has cancelled an event with a keynote speaker accused of sympathizing with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the wake of mosque shootings in New Zealand which left at least 49 people dead. As CTV first reported, Conservative MPs Garnett Genuis and Kelly Block […]