Unpublished letter submitted to the Toronto Star
Re: Nuance aside, ban is wrong, Editorial, April 1, 2019.
The Star’s editorial takes the status quo position on Quebec’s progressive secularism banning of religious symbols in public. Their position misses the finer points of the argument that are important as well. They correctly defend the rights of minorities to equality under the law but they extend that equality to religion which is a problem. Although our constitution has a time honoured tradition of defending the rights of people to practice their religion, this has created massive problems for people throughout the ages. It is never that simple.
People’s religious beliefs deeply influence their behaviour whether in government, society or gender relationships. Religion is a pacifier for the once illiterate masses. The modern reality is that people’s religious beliefs dee[y influence their political beliefs whether they are majority or minority, Christian or non-Christian. This is one of the reasons that belief in religion is waning. Many of these beliefs are highly patriarchal, ancient and repressive not traditions to be preserved. The wearing of the niqab, the hijab and the burka are clear signs of the oppression of women in Islamic cultures. The opposition of the Christian right to abortion is another. Restrictions against homosexuality and adultery are others. By enshrining the right to practice religion openly we are enshrining the abusive oppression of religion contained within it. Most religions, Christian or non-Christian have subordinating demands on women but not on men.
Saying that the church and state are separate is ludicrous. The reason that we are in this position today is because of imperialist wars in the past that were fought on the basis of religious values. Our laws and democracy are framed in this context. The democratic state has long tried to separate religion from politics but without success.
Religion is so ingrained in the mentality of everyone that it cannot be ignored. Religious symbols in public are a constant source of psychological friction and unhealthy societal segmentation in a democratic society. The free practice fo religion, rather than being a unifier in society has been and unequivocal divider.
People are welcome to practice their religious beliefs in private as long as they don’t try to impose their religion on others. As history has shown us this is virtually impossible. This ban would apply to all religions – including the Catholic Church one of the largest socializers in the world.
Thus the reason for Quebec’s ban. It is for this reason that Quebec’s law is just – perhaps unknowingly – just the beginning of a long process of liberating people from the oppression of religious belief. If we truly are a modern, progressive society we should not support ancient mysticism and is various accoutrements but a belief in humanity and its power to govern our morality. If we did this, our world would be vastly improved.