THE CHARTER OF QUEBEC VALUES
doesn’t demonstrate much cultural sophistication
Every time the subject of the Charter of Quebec Values comes up, only the most prominent religious symbols seem to get mentioned — such as the crucifix, kippah, turban or hijab.
It got me thinking. These are only a few of a great number of religious symbols in the world. Many of these aren’t very well known. What would Quebec, in the name of gender equality, do with these?
Just to name a few, Christianity has long had the symbol of the fish. The symbol of yin and yang is illustrative of Taoism. The crescent moon is a symbol of Islam. Two crescent moons, with one on either side of a full moon, which is the so-called Triple Goddess symbol, is associated with the Wiccan religion. The lotus flower is a symbol of Buddhism.
This brings me to wondering: What would we do if this values charter passes, and we catch someone sporting one of these uncommon religious symbols rather conspicuously? And how would we even know if any of these many symbols are religious in nature?
To prevent a public outbreak of stealth symbols of religious conviction, would the government need to issue new pamphlets and pictograms? And would we need to have religion police in government offices and courtrooms and daycare centres with guidebooks and measuring tapes?
How about religious tattoos? It’s not like we can wash those off. Would we need public subsidies for tattoo removals — and if so, would the subsidies only be available for a certain transition period?
On a more serious note, the Marois government hasn’t been showing much cultural sophistication with its proposed values charter. As leaders of Quebec, one would think that the premier and her party should be setting a good example for society at large and showing themselves to be open to cultural and religious diversity.
Shouldn’t they be trying to accommodate differences in a reasonable fashion, to the best of their abilities, and doing what they can to preserve and promote civility and mutual understanding?
We all live together, in this city, in this province, in this country and in this world. Manufacturing divisions can only generate animosity, and prevent us from learning how to respect each other and our differences.
If the premier has difficulty appreciating why certain people feel they need to wear certain religious symbols or clothing, she should educate herself more on the subject. Understanding other perspectives is a necessary precondition for effective communication; it gives us more of an open mind and greater awareness of the world we live in.