Acclaimed Quebec philosopher changes mind on secularism after mosque shooting
MONTREAL — After Quebec’s mosque shooting, an internationally acclaimed philosopher who heavily influenced the province’s debate on secularism said Tuesday he no longer thinks it’s a good idea to ban people from wearing hijabs on the job.
Charles Taylor, the award-winning McGill University professor emeritus, wrote a letter in Montreal La Presse stating the province shouldn’t take any more steps that could further “stigmatize minorities.”
“The time when the majority in our society can act without regard for marginalized minorities is over,” he wrote.
Taylor’s voice looms large in the province’s secularism debate.