Quebec set to pass law banning face coverings for anyone receiving public service even a bus ride

Muslim women in Quebec who wear a burkaor niqab could soon be required to uncover their faces to ride a city busunder a proposed provincial law.

TheCouillardgovernment's Bill 62 on religious neutrality couldbe put to a vote as early asTuesday, two years after it wastabled.

The controversial legislation would effectively ban public workers including doctors, nurses, teachers and daycare workers as well as those receiving aservice from the government, from wearing the niqab, burka orany other face covering.

Amendments introduced in August extended the proposed rules to services offered by municipalities, including public transit.

"As long as the service is being rendered, the face should be uncovered," Quebec Justice MinisterStphanieVallesaid Monday inan interview withDaybreakhost MikeFinnerty.

"This is a bill about levivre ensemble [living together in harmony], it'sa bill about guidelines and clearly establishes neutrality of the state."

The legislation, she said,is necessary for "communication reasons, identification reasons andsecurity reasons."

Once the bill is passed, the province will work with municipalities, schools and publicdaycaresto "establish clear guidelines," she said.

Valle said the lawwould be the first of its kind in North America.

The bill has been subject to criticism from those who contend it unfairly targets Muslim women, while the two main opposition parties, the Parti Qubcois and CoalitionAvenirQubec,have argued it doesn't go far enough.

The Liberals hold a majority of seats atQuebec's National Assembly.

Exemptions possible?

There remains confusion abouthow exactly the proposed law would work.

Under the legislation, an exemption is possibleif there is a"serious"request for accommodation onreligious grounds.

However, Lucie Lamarche of Quebec'sLigue des droits et liberts said it's unclearhow the term"serious" will be defined by the province and how such an exemption would work.

• Noniqabson public buses? Confusion reigns after surprise amendments to Quebec bill

The law, she said, would put the burden on someone askingfor an exemptionwhen, for instance, getting a driver's licence or a bus ticket.

"The management of the [law]is a bit hard to figure out," said Lamarche, a lawprofessor at the University of Quebec in Montreal,adding that the guidelines will inevitablybe open to interpretation.

Those guidelinesmay not be in place until next June.

"The thing with guidelines is that they are read and applied by many people in many different contexts in many different regions," she said.

"As we know, there are many different opinions about the role of the state and the principle of state neutrality in Quebec. So it's hard to believe that those guidelines by themselves won't produce discrimination."

Not a ban on religious symbols, Vallesays

The bill, Vallesaid,is unlike the PQ's failed values charterin that it doesn'ttarget religious symbols. The law would also apply, for instance, to masked protesters.

• ANALYSIS | Quebec's charter of values, revisited

"We're talking about having the face uncovered. It's not what is covering the face," she said.

Shaheen Ashraf, a board member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women in Montreal, disputed that assertion.

Ashraf said the bill clearly targets Muslim women and will lead to their further marginalization in Quebec society.

"For me, neutrality would be everyone believes what they want to," she said.

"Forcing someone to uncover, or forcing someone to cover:for me that's not neutrality."

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderrepreviously raised concerns about the bill, accusing the provincial government of overstepping its jurisdiction and ignoring the city's multicultural character.