On the Values Charter

by gobiday

At the time of writing, the PQ tabled its charter of values (I refuse to refer to it by the propaganda name they prefer) in the Quebec National Assembly about an hour ago.  So I thought I’d quickly share my thoughts.

To begin with, cards out, I oppose the charter.  But to argue against its imposition requires an exploration of the rationale behind it.  So let’s begin.

It comes down to religious neutrality of the state, which sounds all right in the abstract, except that, much like in the case of negative and positive rights, religious neutrality can constitute anything from impartiality toward any one mode of religious expression to active suppression of all modes thereof.  The charter in question takes the latter route–which is harmful, destructive, and, if I weren’t worried about sounding fanatical, fascistic.

Any form of religious suppression (because let’s call this what it is) leads to alienation and resentment on the part of those whose religious rights are being curtailed, thus exacerbating any pre-existing tensions.  And for what, exactly?  To stop people having to be reminded that they live in a multicultural society?  Furthermore, any public official who would actually let their religious views affect their public service would not be stopped by this charter–one could even argue the opposite.

In the end, however, to look for a rationale behind the charter that’s grounded in political philosophy is futile.  The whole situation is best understood through the lens of sociology and as a function of both the nationalism that’s long been pervasive in Quebec and the secular reactionary sentiments that have only recently taken hold.

I’m impressed that the Liberals, despite being the great brokerage party, actually oppose the charter (if you believe the polls, it’s pretty popular among the Quebecois).  Hopefully it’s enough to derail the thing entirely.