Quebec Bans Wearing Burqas While Using Public Services

Quebec’s National Assembly on Wednesday passed a new law prohibiting Muslim women from wearing niqabs or burqas while using public services, CBC News reported. The religious neutrality legislation bans public workers and those receiving government services from wearing a religious face covering. The bill also provides for the possibility of some religious accommodation. Earlier this week, Quebec’s Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée said that the law is necessary for “communication reasons, identification reasons and security reasons.” “This is a bill about le vivre ensemble [living together in harmony], it's a bill about guidelines and clearly establishes neutrality of the state,” she said.