By EWA SUDYK.A Quebec teacher was fired for wearing a hijab, now the mayor of Calgary wants to use $100,000 of taxpayers’ money to fight for her..Passed in 2019, Quebecs’ Bill 21 prohibits some state employees from wearing any religious symbols when carrying out their civic duties..A teacher was fired earlier this month in Quebec for wearing a hijab in class..Now Jyoti Gondek is teaming up with Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and others to have a say on the issue..“Bill 21 needs to be challenged, what Quebec is doing is completely unconscionable,” Gondek told reporters on Wednesday..Gondek announced a $100,000 proposal is in the works asking for municipalities to join in collaboration on a legal challenge of bill 21..Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra will bring a motion to council on Monday to go ahead with the taxpayer-backed proposal..The purpose of the law is to affirm the laicity of the state, which creates the separation of the state from religion; this creates the need for Quebec’s civil servants to remain neutral and unbiased by any religious means..Religious symbols or clothing are not allowed to be worn in positions such as prosecutors, police officers, and teachers..These symbols include crosses, hijabs, scarfs, turbans, and kippahs, censoring any belief system..Though it bans all symbols, it directly mentions face coverings, targeting Muslim women..Fatemeh Anvari was working as a substitute teacher, but did not land a permanent job until October, making her susceptible to punishment under this new law. She was fired earlier this year..“This is not about my article of clothing. This is a bigger issue … I don’t want this to be a personal thing because that won’t do any good to anyone,” said Anvari..“I want this to be something in which we all think about how big decisions affect other lives.”.While Conservative leader Erin O’Toole said he disagrees with the law, he told reporters he respects provincial jurisdiction and believes Bill 21 is “an issue that is best left for Quebecers to decide.”.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wasn’t going to get involved.
