TORONTO — Harini Sivalingam, Lawyer and Director of the Equality Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) made the following statement following Quebec’s recent Ministry of Education Directive on prayer spaces in schools:
We have carefully read the Directive issued by the Minister of Education in Quebec. Our interpretation of this policy as written, is that this Directive cannot be read as a lawful blanket prohibition on individuals praying in schools.
We encourage schools to continue to provide students with reasonable accommodations to pray, if they so choose, while accessing their right to an education. We stand in solidarity with minority religious communities, such as the Muslim community, who may be disproportionately impacted by any misinterpretations of this Directive. If you encounter cases where the ability to pray has been restricted at school, please contact us to report the incident.
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About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
Media Contact:
media@ccla.org
Alex Nanoff – 613.709.6318
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
For the Media
For further comments, please contact us at media@ccla.org.
