Quebecers split on whether secular charter will create social cohesion

Quebec anglophones and francophones are divided on whether the Parti Qubcois's proposed secular charter will help or hurt social cohesion, a CBC-Ekos poll suggests.

Only one in five anglophones surveyed - 18 per cent - said they believe the secular charter will achieve its purpose of creating social cohesion, compared to 43 per cent of francophones and 40 per cent of allophones.

[The charter] divides the population, it divides families and friends and even couples- ChristellePar

The secular 'values' charter, also known as Bill 60,would see public sector employees such as teachers and doctors banned from wearing overtly religious symbols.

Bill 60 has sparked debate and prompted discussion across the province, where according to theCBC-Ekospoll, 66per cent of respondents said they are at least somewhat familiar with the charter.

Divisions over the controversial legislation arent limited to language groups; in some cases, friends and families are finding themselves at odds.

Husband and wife Alain Mainguy and Christelle Par say Bill 60 is all but taboo in their Rosemonthome.

I think its the first time that ... we just cant find any common ground, Par says.

The couple says discussions on the charter have become so heated theyve started to avoid talking about it altogether.

If we are watching TV, like the daily news, and at one point they talk about the charter, Alain will say something and I will answer to thatand right there I will [stop the discussion] because I know that were not going to agree, Par says.

Mainguy, who identifies as an anglophone, says he sees himself asa moderate when it comes to secularism.

Even though hedoesnt agree with all aspects of Bill 60, Mainguy says he thinks its better than nothing.

Its not that Im pro-charter I think that there are certain things that are maybe a little bit too hardcore. But for me, not having a charter at all is probably worse than having one that is maybe a little bit too restrictive.

As a pro-charter anglophone, Mainguyrepresents a minority according to a CBC-Ekos poll.

Of those polled, francophones are significantly more likely to feel it is important to have a secular society in Quebec than anglophones (70% versus 42%, respectively).Allophones(61%) are more closely aligned with francophones. His wife, Par, who identififes as francophone, disagrees.

Bring me something that would bring people together. The charter is doing exactly the opposite: it divides the population, it divides families and friends and even couples, Par says.

Bill 60 divides women's rights groups

The secular charter has polarizedQuebec's women's rights groups as well, creating a fissure in the feminist movement.

According to feminist criticand principal of the SimonedeBeauvoir Institute atConcordiaUniversity, Genevieve Rail, the secular charter goes against basic feminist ideals.

Ithink one of the fundamental principles of feminism is women's right to control their body and women's freedom to decide."

She's joined by theQuebec womens federation, which opposes the charter andaccusesit of attempting to promote a form of Catholic secularism.

Meanwhile, the Quebec Council on the Status of Women is sitting on the fence. The councilsays it's in favour of the major principles of Bill 60, except for the ban on religious symbols. The council proposes a less extensive ban, limited to primary and secondary school staff, courtroom personnel and job sectors referred to in theBouchard-Taylorreport.

Then there's prominent author, radio and TV personality Janette Bertrand, who created thevocal pro-charter group LesJanettes,"last fall.

I think it's the best way to be able to live together peacefully," says LeilaBensalem, who is a Muslim woman in favour of the charter.

Bensalemsays problems between communities are often created by religion and the secular charter wouldhelp eliminate them.

About the survey

A total of2,020 Quebec residents were interviewed by phone betweenFeb.10 and18, 2014,as part of this CBC-commissionedEkosstudy.The margin of error for a sample of 2,020 is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Those surveyed included782 anglophones(with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points95 per centof the time), 1,009 francophones(with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1percentage points95 per cent of the time) and223 allophones(with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.5 percentage points 95 per cent of the time).

Anglophones are respondents who identified their mother tongue as English; francophonesare people who identified their mother tongue as French; and allophonesidentified their mother tongue as "other."

Percentages for total respondents have been weighted to reflect linguistic population make-up of Quebec.