The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is preparing to advance a bill aimed at enhancing secularism in the province. This legislation, which expands upon Bill 21, seeks to prohibit mass prayer in public spaces and mandates that immigrants adopt the "shared values" of Quebec society.

Premier François Legault announced his intention to address the issue of mass prayer during a press conference last December. He stated, "I want to convey a very clear message to the Islamists. The fundamental values we have in Quebec, like secularism, like equality between men and women, we will fight for them, and we will never, ever accept people disrespecting those fundamental values."

Legault's comments came shortly after a mass Islamic prayer took place in front of Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, a significant symbol of Quebec’s cultural heritage. Mass Islamic prayers have been common in various urban areas across Canada, similar to trends seen in Europe and Britain. While some politicians outside Quebec have refrained from addressing the issue for fear of being labeled Islamophobic, Legault has taken a firm stance against what he perceives as a cultural threat.

Critics of the proposed ban, including some religious leaders, argue that it infringes on the rights of individuals to express their faith publicly. Bishop Martin Laliberté, president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec, expressed concern about the potential exclusion of religious communities from public life. He stated, "We are worried about the erasure of people and believing communities from Quebec’s public space."

Montreal’s Archbishop Christian Lépine also defended public prayer, asserting, "At its core, to forbid public prayer would be somewhat like forbidding thought itself."

The debate over public prayer rights has drawn comparisons to other religious expressions. For instance, in 2023, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in Birmingham, U.K., for silently praying outside an abortion clinic, raising questions about the limits of religious expression in public spaces.

In response to Legault’s announcement, former Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller criticized the move, suggesting that it unfairly targets Muslims. He questioned whether similar restrictions would apply to Christians, referencing the practice of Christians climbing the stairs to Montreal’s St. Joseph Oratory on their knees.

However, supporters of the ban argue that the context of mass Islamic prayers in front of significant Christian sites presents a different scenario. Goldie Ghamari, a former Member of Provincial Parliament, shared her perspective, stating that mass street prayer can symbolize conquest and power. She remarked, "It is a sign of conquest… a sign of power, and an abuse of the freedoms and the Charter within Canada."

Ruth Wasserman Lande, a Research Fellow at Israel’s Misgav Institute for National Security, echoed Ghamari’s sentiments, emphasizing that such prayers can represent a territorial claim in urban spaces. She noted, "It’s not just about prayer; it’s a territorial statement…‘We are here, and we are taking over these spaces.’"

As the CAQ moves forward with the proposed legislation, the discussion surrounding public prayer and secularism in Quebec continues to evoke strong opinions from various sides.