AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Quebec government has announced plans to introduce legislation banning prayer in public spaces, a move officials say responds to a rise in street prayers across the province.
Jean-François Roberge, Quebec’s minister for secularism, described public prayer as a “serious and sensitive issue,” citing recent gatherings in Montreal. The decision followed a demonstration by pro-Palestinian protesters who held Friday prayers outside the Notre-Dame Basilica, an event that officials said underscored the need for restrictions.
Premier François Legault has previously argued that prayers should be confined to mosques or churches, calling street and park gatherings “undesirable.”
However, critics note that freedom of religion in Canada is not limited to houses of worship and extends to the expression of faith individually or collectively in public spaces. They warn that the proposed law, like Quebec’s earlier ban on religious symbols for teachers, disproportionately targets Islam, while Christian ceremonies have long been permitted in public venues.
Legal experts have also raised concerns that the measure could conflict with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as Quebec’s Charter of Human Rights, potentially depriving citizens of constitutionally protected freedoms.
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