Face-covering ban will embolden racists

Re: Quebec lawmakers pass controversial law obliging citizens to uncover their faces — Oct. 19

It is estimated that only 100 to 150 women in Quebec wear the niqab or burka. With Quebec’s Bill 62, which will ban face coverings for people receiving or giving a public service, has a government in Canada ever moved so quickly to introduce legislation of any kind, let alone legislation which is so hateful and then against so few? Are Quebecers so insecure or racist that how these 150 women dress needs to be legislated? Many people, including myself, don’t like the niqab or burka and its representative oppressiveness of women, but that does not mean I will jump on a legislative bandwagon that negates its not so latent racist element by adding scarves, bandanas and sunglasses to make it sound inclusive. Does a blind person now have to prove they’re blind in order to be able to wear their sunglasses on a bus?

Bill 62 is supposed to grant accommodation requests based on religious beliefs, but Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard should know full well that with or without that accommodation this legislation only serves to bring out the racists who will now think they have permission to publicly denigrate Muslims in general. If legislation that dealt with such issues as poverty, inequality, the opioid crisis, homelessness, pay equity, abuse etc. was moved on as quickly, that would be laudatory and would be an indication of a progressive society. What was Premier Couillard thinking? Is he, like Donald Trump, playing to his base? If this is what he thinks is necessary to appease some Quebecers so that he is re-elected, then shame on him and those Canadian Quebecers who back this bill. Jokelee Vanderkop Palmerston