(MENAFN) The Quebec provincial government has introduced a new bill that would ban prayer and full face coverings in public institutions, drawing concern from religious and civil rights organizations across Canada, according to reports.

Proposed by the ruling Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) party, the legislation would prohibit prayer in public spaces including universities, colleges, roads, and parks. Groups violating the law could face fines of 1,125 Canadian dollars (approximately $820), though brief public events would be allowed if authorized in advance.

The bill also seeks to expand the 2019 ban on religious symbols to include daycare centers, private schools, and higher education institutions, while also prohibiting full face coverings for all individuals within these facilities, including students.

Quebec’s secularism minister, Jean-Francois Roberge, defended the measures, saying that public institutions “are not temples or churches.” He cited recent prayer gatherings in public spaces, such as a protest organized by Montreal4Palestine outside Notre-Dame Basilica, as a reason for the new rules. “It’s shocking to see people blocking traffic, taking possession of the public space without a permit, without warning,” Roberge said.

The bill would also limit the provision of kosher and halal meals in public institutions, though Roberge rejected claims that the legislation targets minorities, asserting, “We have the same rules applying to everyone.”

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