City hall crucifix should stay where it is

Presence of religious symbols has no bearing on how we govern our society

Montreal has announced it will be permanently removing the crucifix from the city hall council chamber once the building undergoes renovations. While some are applauding this decision, I could not be less pleased.

As a member of a visible religious minority and fiercely proud Quebecer, I find the move very concerning. Montreal is a city steeped in a deeply religious past. We do not need to strip away our religious identities for us all to get along; we should not be offended by each other’s religious symbols. Our identities, religious symbols and diversity add to our city’s richness.

As a person who visibly practises her faith, I took some comfort in the fact that there was such an overt symbol of faith hanging in our city’s democratic chamber. I do not need to be Christian to appreciate the presence of a cross or crucifix. I honour and respect those who are.

Many have flocked to social media and shared posts of support for the decision to take down the crucifix and place it in a museum as a religious artifact. Some feel that in supporting the decision, they are supporting the rights of religious minorities, but I do not think it needs to be this exclusionary.

Also, if I do not want to have my rights and freedoms to practise my faith stripped, why then would I support having a religious symbol of another faith removed?

The proposal to strip religious minorities of their ability to practise their faith overtly is coming (this time around) from the Coalition Avenir Québec. Premier François Legault seems to believe that wearing religious symbols affects individuals’ abilities to perform their civic duties, but there is no proof that is so. Such beliefs are simplistic.

Similarly, the presence of these symbols does not have any bearing on how we govern our society. Having the crucifix hanging in city hall does not dictate that the decisions taken there will be governed by Roman Catholic beliefs, just as wearing a kippah, turban or hijab does not indicate any lack of ability to think and act autonomously, fairly and without prejudice. These outward articles of faith do not detract from individuals’ ability to govern themselves according to the laws of society, which are by and large secular.

To remove the crucifix from Montreal city hall and, potentially, from the National Assembly, is to deny Quebec its reality. And what, then, about the fact that the Quebec flag bears a cross as well as multiple fleurs de lis, a symbol of the trinity? What about the fact that a large number of our street names contain either the word Saint or reference a historic religious figure? Our provincial Fête nationale has its origins in Saint Jean Baptiste Day. How many of these things are we going to continue to campaign to eradicate in the name of state neutrality? Why is our government infatuated with articles of faith that only represent the surface of what may be in a person’s heart?

Greater Montreal is vibrant, pluralistic and multicultural. Let’s embrace this reality, which is a growing international phenomenon, and encourage a harmonious inclusion of diversity at all levels of societal involvement, cultural acceptance and respect. Banning things and dividing people in the name of a pseudo-secularism is regressive. Denying people their constitutionally protected rights has never worked out well; it has only caused further division and has resulted in apologies decades later.

Let’s learn from our past. I, for one, am not for this misguided move in the name of secularism. If the crucifix in city hall is not safe, what will that eventually mean for our freedoms and rights to practise our religions?

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed is the founder and editorin-chief of CanadianMomEh.com, a lifestyle blog. twitter.com/canadianmomeh

While some are applauding this decision, I could not be less pleased.