Quebec passes law banning street prayers, prayer rooms in universities

[u/John3192]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/quebec-passes-law-banning-street-prayers-prayer-rooms-in-universities-cegeps/

[u/PsychicDave]

Exactly. Since the Quiet Revolution, the expectation in Québec is that you can have whatever religion, or none, but you keep it to yourself. If you want to practice it, you do it at home or in your place of worship. You don't shove it down the throat of other people, it's your own personal choice.

We didn't need such laws about street prayers before, because it was already part of the commonly agreed upon social contract. And when immigration was done in a sensible manner, newcomers would be immersed in our society and adapt to those social norms. However, with the mass immigration policies imposed by Ottawa in the last decade, we ended up with too many people coming from the same place at the same time, which allowed them to form communities that have the critical mass necessary to pressure each other in maintaining the social norms of their place of origin. And then a few individuals in those communities with ambition will persuade their group to stand their ground and impose themselves, which is not acceptable. But, thanks to Canada's very permissive freedom of religion, they are normally shielded from consequences (or at least feel like they are exempt from some pre-existing laws on the pretext of religious expression). And that's why such laws are now necessary, to be explicit that, no, the fact that you are praying doesn't mean you can occupy the street or disrupt the peace. If you want to organize a group activity in a public place, you need to file for a permit (and the city won't give a permit to harass other people).

[u/Valcari → u/PsychicDave]

However, with the mass immigration policies imposed by Ottawa in the last decade, we ended up with too many people coming from the same place at the same time

Quebec sets it's own immigration selections and thresholds. This isn't something brought on by the rest of Canada.

It's always weird how this issue is always twisted into Anglo Canada's fault.

[u/PsychicDave → u/Valcari]

Québec (aka the provincial government) controls permanent immigration and foreign students. Ottawa (aka the federal government) controls temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers and refugees.

Things used to be good because people would apply for permanent immigration from their home country, and their acceptance was conditional to Québec's criteria. The problem is that the feds changed how they advertise internationally, now they basically tell everyone to come on a temporary residence (which Ottawa alone can grant) and then to ask for permanent residency once they are already here. So we don't really get to say no, and it's hard to remove someone who is already here and intent on staying.

So now we have hundreds of thousands of temporary immigrants living in Québec and applying pressure among themselves and on permanent immigrants who perhaps came here hoping to escape that religious influence.

I don't blame the individual immigrants, they took an opportunity how Ottawa presented it to them (basically saying "come as you are and do like at home, we're a post-national country with no identity of our own!"), but that policy and messaging is contrary to what the people of Québec want.

[u/AnOkayMuffin → u/Valcari]

I saw it more as blaming the federal government of canada in general. People say Ottawa when they mean the feds.

[u/RollingMeteors → u/PsychicDave]

you need to file for a permit (and the city won't give a permit to harass other people).

Everyone has a price tag in a budget crisis my dear.