Montrealers Rally in Support of Quebec Teacher Fired for Wearing a Hijab

Quebec's Secular Law 21 results in the firing of a school teacher. In December, school teacher Fatemeh Anvari was removed from her job due to wearing a hijab, illegal under law 21.

However, some Montrealers are still mobilizing to fight this law, including activist and founder of 'Non à la loi 21' Ehab Lotayef. Local 514 speaks with Lotayef about what those concerned can do to push for change.

Since Bill 21 became a law in the summer of 2019 – lawyers, teachers, bus drivers, and any public servants wearing a religious symbol, including but not limited to the hijab, niqab, kippa, and turban are barred from working in a government job.

Law 21 infringes on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, however, the Quebec government is using the Notwithstanding Clause as a loophole to impose Law 21.

Many have been fighting against the law since it was released, and the fight continues. Most recently, multiple plaintiffs contesting this law in the Quebec court, citing it to be unconstitutional, lost with a decision in favour of the Quebec government stating that Law 21 was constitutional. However, the plaintiff has contested this decision, as the parties involved in taking the government to court have said they will continue to oppose this law within the courts until it reaches the Superior Court of Canada. 

So how long has the legal battle against law 21 occurred for? Following the adoption of the law in 2019, there was a court hearing that summer to invite public opinion on Law 21 to be presented in front of the court. In November 2020, the trial on Law 21 started, lasting seven weeks. The result of this trial decided that the law was constitutional.