Muslim group – Brandon Sun

MONTREAL — A national Muslim advocacy group says Montreal would send the wrong message if it removes a welcome sign in the City Hall lobby that sparked controversy because of its inclusion of a woman wearing a headscarf.

Stephen Brown, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said in a statement Wednesday that his organization was surprised and disappointed by the city’s decision.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said on a television talk show Sunday that the artwork depicting a woman wearing a headscarf would be removed in the name of secularism, which made some people uncomfortable.

The charcoal sketch-style photo shows a woman standing between two men (one a young man wearing a baseball cap, the other an older man with crossed hands) chanting “Welcome to Montreal City Hall!” He shows it with his words. French above them.

“This poster represents Montrealers, not a religious or secular person,” Brown said, adding that the city should tell anyone who is uncomfortable walking around the city.

“In Canada in the 21st century, we do not separate people from society because of their appearance,” Brown said. “The poster wasn’t a picture of a veiled woman; the poster represented Montrealers, and anyone who goes out and walks around Montreal for half an hour will see all kinds of different people.”

Speaking to Radio Canada’s “Tout le monde en parle” on Sunday night, Plante acknowledged that the image caused “discomfort” and that institutions should strive to be secular. He said the city needs to find ways to promote diversity while also supporting secularism.

Since City Hall reopened following renovations in the spring, the new sign has drawn criticism from secular and women’s rights groups, who say the image insults women and promotes religion in public.

But Brown disputed the rationale for secularism and said it set a “dangerous precedent” for the city.

“Secularism is the idea that the state should not interfere in religious matters, and religious matters should not interfere in the administration of the state,” Brown said. “This is not the same as policing what people look like.”

Brown said it was unacceptable to send a message that it was okay to “make people invisible” because of their appearance.

“We’ve come to a point in society where we’ve said that if you don’t like the way someone looks, it’s not about that person hiding themselves or changing who they are, it’s about getting over your own anxieties.”

Plante told reporters Wednesday that she doesn’t want anyone to feel erased because “everyone has their place” in Montreal.

He also expanded on his comments on the talk show, explaining that the sign was part of a rotating display and would eventually be replaced with something new. “For me to say this is going to change is something we’re going to do anyway,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2024.