Political institutions must be neutral, the Centre said, but while the institutions must be secular, that does not apply to those who work inside them. Laicity should favour the equality of all, it said. It would be “deplorable” if it is used to discriminate against people and stigmatize them based on their appearance and religious convictions or exclude them from certain sectors of employment.

The Centre for Justice and Faith warned debate over the controversial charter is off to a bad start, saying the charter could violate the very equality of men and women it supposedly protects by forcing Muslim women to choose whether to follow their religion or remain in public employment.

The Centre said the previous Liberal government should have followed the recommendations of the Bouchard-Taylor Commission for the reasonable accommodation of religious minorities. The Centre said the Parti Quebecois is using the proposed charter for electoral advantage.

B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish human rights organization with a presence in Montreal since 1881, warned it will challenge the legislation in the courts if it remains as announced, while Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney told journalists Sept. 10 Canada’s justice department would examine the Quebec charter to determine whether it violates rights to religious freedom.

“We will vigourously defend the constitutional rights of Canadians and if that means taking a legal approach, we would do so vigourously,” said Kenney.