My letter in The New York Times about Quebec’s ban on religious symbols in the workplace

The following is a letter to the editor that I wrote regarding Quebec’s decision to ban public employees from wearing religious symbols at work, which appeared in The New York Times:

Quebec Errs on Freedom of Religion

June 19, 2019

To the Editor:

Re “Critics Vow to Fight Quebec Ruling Banning Religious Symbols at Work” (news article, June 18):

Quebec’s disturbing decision to prohibit certain public-sector employees from wearing religious symbols while at work is a major infringement of its citizens’ religious rights and a stinging repudiation of the ethnic diversity that exists in the Canadian province.

Rather than celebrating its pluralism, Quebec’s government unjustly singled out Catholics who wear crosses, Jews who wear head coverings, Muslims who wear head scarves and Sikhs who wear turbans, subjecting them to ostracism and racism.

While working to safeguard the separation of religion and state is a lofty goal, using that laudable tenet to needlessly and shamelessly trample on multiculturalism and suppress civil liberties is an indefensible assault on religious tolerance.

At a time when xenophobia and religious-based hate crimes are on the rise, adding fuel to the fire by means of bigotry masquerading as legislation is wholly imprudent and improper.

N. Aaron Troodler

Bala Cynwyd, Pa.