AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Years after Quebec’s Bill 21 came into effect, Muslim women who wear the hijab continue to face its lasting consequences. The legislation, which restricts the wearing of religious symbols in public-sector jobs, has been widely criticized for violating individual freedoms and forcing Muslim women to choose between their faith and their careers.
According to a report by Le Journal de Québec, the education sector has been hit particularly hard. In one school board alone, five women were denied employment because of their hijab, and eight teachers resigned following the law’s passage in 2019. In the months that followed, the number of teachers affected grew so rapidly that no updated statistics were released.
The impact has extended beyond the workplace to the younger generation. Sarah Khalifi, a third-year early childhood education student at Concordia University, said she has dreamed of becoming a teacher since childhood, but under Bill 21, she cannot teach in public schools while wearing her hijab.
Experts say the law not only limits career opportunities for Muslim women, but also fuels feelings of discrimination, Islamophobia, and social mistrust across Quebec.
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