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Letter to Akal Takht: Former minorities’ panel chairman raises issue of turban ban in Canada’s Quebec
Quebec national assembly to become a secular state had passed a new law in 2019 and “banned wearing of all religious symbols such as hijab, turban and kippah on all public servants.”
Former MP and ex-chairman of the national commission of minorities Tarlochan Singh on Saturday wrote a letter to Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh raising the ban on wearing a turban in Quebec state of Canada.
In the letter, Tarlochan said: “I have come to know that in the state of Quebec in Canada a law was promulgated by which the turban is banned for all public servants including teachers, police officers and judges. Quebec is a French-speaking province in Canada which looks up to France as a motherland. The Catholic Church has a strong hold on the people”.
Tarlochan said the Quebec national assembly passed a new law in 2019 to become a secular state and “banned wearing of all religious symbols such as hijab, turban and kippah on all public servants.”
Adopted in June 2019, the controversial law – known as Bill 21 -- prevents judges, police officers, teachers, and public servants in position of authority from wearing symbols such as the kippah, turban, or hijab while at work in Quebec province. In February 2024, the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the province’s controversial secularism law in a ruling on challenges to the law’s constitutionality.
Tarlochan further said that this is more serious than the law in France where the wearing of a turban is banned for Sikh students in government schools. “I fail to understand that the Sikh members of parliament in Canada have not yet taken this as a major discrimination against the Sikhs”.
The former MP added that SGPC is perhaps not aware of this law in Canada.
“I appeal to all of you to take up this issue and request the chief minister of Quebec to reopen this case and amend the law. The catholic hierarchy may be approached for help. In the UK, the Sikhs with their consistent efforts got similar laws amended to protect Sikh symbols”, he added.
