Non-Muslims reading the article from the link below (“Quebec Town Sets a Double Standard”) should pay particular attention to the suggestion in the article that sentiments “might have merit” which oppose freedom for any and “all religions that exclude others based on faith”
This comment is an unusually frank admission of the authoritarian thinking which manifests in some who oppose religion generally.
To put it another way, to avoid authoritarianism we need to treat others the way we would like them to treat us. Any loss of freedom imposed on a person or group because of their religion will inevitably be imposed on others who wish the freedom to choose their own beliefs.
The article also incorrectly asserts that freedom of religion is merely “a Charter right,” when in fact freedom of religion has been a feature of our law for centuries. The myth that Canadians owe their long-held freedoms to a Charter is a dangerous one.
I hope it won’t muddy the waters if I add the personal observation that it is difficult for me to imagine that the faith of those who are in the ground should in any way trouble the living.
STEPHEN WOODWORTH
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/7428764-quebec-town-sets-a-double-standard-on-cemeteries/