Watched by an item of cultural heritage MOST people would agree that the crucifix that hangs prominently in Quebec’s provincial legislature is a Roman Catholic symbol. As such it should be banned under proposals Quebec’s government released on September 10th aimed at enshrining secularism in provincial law. But in the French-speaking province of 8.1m, where the majority still identify themselves as Catholics even if they no longer bother with church, removing the crucifix would be a step too far. So in its proposed ban on the display of “conspicuous” religious symbols in public buildings or by public employees, the ruling Parti Québécois made an exception for “items of cultural heritage”. Not surprisingly, these turn out to be Catholic.As in France, which banned headscarves in classrooms in 2004 and veils in public places in 2010, the real target of the proposals is the tiny minority of non-Catholic Quebeckers who wear headscarves or turbans. As in France it has fuelled a divisive debate, in this case pitting Montreal, with most of Quebec’s 1m immigrants, against the rest of Quebec; Catholics against non-Catholics; and...
via The Economist: The Americas http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21586338-when-it-object-electoral-calculation-when-crucifix-not-religious?fsrc=rss%7Came
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