Prayer rooms in colleges, universities, and some workplaces will be closed starting Tuesday. Provisions of Quebec’s Act to strengthen secularism now require them to remove the religious materials they made available to users.
Ezekiel Montoya Desjardins, vice-president of external affairs for the Dawson Student Association, was sitting near the carpets that once adorned his college’s prayer room when Le Devoir called him. The student association at this English-language CEGEP in Montreal had managed the room before being forced to close it off.
“The law will always be stronger than us,” the young man says, defeated. He and his colleagues recently took it upon themselves to announce to the college’s religious student groups that the hall was closing due to Quebec’s Act to Strengthen Secularism. “We could see on their faces that they were looking at us, hoping we would find a solution,” he recounts. “But, honestly, the only solution we have right now is to make sure the government understands the consequences this has for the students.”
The closure of the prayer room forces some of them to “choose between their education and their identity,” he points out. “I find that unfortunate, because a person should never be limited by their religion.”
As for Vanier College, whose prayer room was managed by the institution, the closure of the space was announced in a post on the college’s website. “Several places of worship are within walking distance of campus and are accessible to students and staff,” the post states. Vanier College also reminds everyone that “anyone receiving services from the college […] must have their face uncovered.”
“While the college is required to comply with the law, its approach will be respectful and will aim to help those concerned understand and comply with the requirements, rather than adopting a punitive approach,” the institution states on its website. Regarding “accommodations and absences for religious reasons,” which are also covered by the law, college students must currently complete a one-page form specifying the circumstances.
In the same statement, Vanier College also emphasizes that “images depicting religious symbols, including individuals wearing religious symbols (although wearing religious symbols remains permitted), cannot be used in the college’s promotional communications, particularly on its social media.” “In practice, this could mean that the images of students and staff members used in our promotional materials are less diverse,” the statement continues.
Dawson and Vanier colleges were the subject of an investigation last year into the “toxic climate” that Quebec described as prevailing there . In their report, investigators recommended, among other things, the adoption of legislation to regulate freedom of teaching, expression, and research within the college system. The Act to Strengthen Secularism in Quebec, adopted last spring, had provoked a strong backlash from teachers at these two colleges .
In work environments
In addition to CEGEPs and universities, the provisions of the Act to strengthen secularism in Quebec also apply to certain workplaces, particularly in the public and parapublic sectors. One example is the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
In recent years, the STM had provided its employees with four “rejuvenation rooms” that “could be used for various silent activities, including prayer, but also meditation, relaxation, and yoga.” Religious practice will no longer be permitted in these rooms, as well as in all of the transit authority’s facilities and on its grounds, the STM explained in a statement sent to Le Devoir . “For employees, this means that prayer can no longer be practiced [in the workplace].”
These “rejuvenation rooms” will remain open to employees, but the prohibition against praying there will be “clearly posted at the entrance and inside the premises,” it was stated.
“The decision to keep the resource rooms open is part of a desire to create and promote a work environment that benefits the well-being of all,” says STM corporate advisor Kevin Bilodeau.
Note: Google Translate used.
h/t KP
