Canadian Muslims Take to Streets in Anger After Quebec Pushes Forward With Ban on Public Prayer
Image of Muslims praying in the street by Grok AI
The Canadian province of Quebec is planning to ban all public prayer as part of a bold push to strengthen secularism.
Quebec’s secularism minister, Jean-François Roberge, said the new laws are intended to accelerate the province’s ongoing efforts to separate religion from public life.
According to The Guardian:
Quebec is set to intensify restrictions on public religious displays with a sweeping new law critics say intrudes into private spaces and disproportionately affects Muslims.
Bill 9, introduced Thursday by the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), would prohibit prayer in public institutions, including colleges and universities. The bill also bans communal prayer on public roads and in parks, with fines of up to C$1,125 for groups that violate the rules. Short public events with prior approval would be exempt.
🚨 🇨🇦 MAJOR BREAKING ..QUEBEC GOES ALL-IN 🚨
Quebec is moving to BAN halal & kosher menus, prayer rooms, and face coverings in all public institutions.
It also expands the ban on public prayers.
Love it or hate it — Quebec is doing what no other province will: drawing a hard… pic.twitter.com/dzSaZDZxhj
— wealthmoose (@wealthmoose) November 26, 2025
NOW: Montréal4Palestine has once again blocked the street near Joliette metro for an Islamic prayer.
Some are trying to block recordings.
Police stood by, even as Quebec’s government says it wants to ban these highly controversial gatherings. pic.twitter.com/c8MxHnvdnX
— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) August 31, 2025
The CAQ has made secularism a central legislative priority. In 2019, it passed the controversial Bill 21, which bars some public sector employees from wearing religious symbols. The party now plans to extend these restrictions to employees in daycares, colleges, universities, and private schools. Full face coverings would also be prohibited in these institutions, including for students.
Roberge defended the measures, saying, “It’s shocking to see people blocking traffic, taking possession of the public space without a permit, without warning, and then turning our streets, our parks, our public squares into places of worship.” He added, “Schools are not temples or churches or those kinds of places.”
Quebeckers are standing up to protect their churches.
And they’re growing in numbers. Fast.
The Quebec government is also preparing to ban street prayer.
The rest of Canada and the world…
YOUR TURN. pic.twitter.com/9aSE3QzTd2
— dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) August 28, 2025
The legislation has sparked significant backlash, particularly from Muslim activists, who recently organized protests outside Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica.
While the Canadian constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, Quebec has consistently emphasized a secular public sphere. According to the 2021 census, Christians make up 53.3 percent of the population, while Muslims represent just under five percent.
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