Prayer ban to be appealed by Quebec mayor

The mayor of Saguenay, Que.,says he will appeal a decision by the province's human rights tribunal that bans prayer at city council.

Last Friday, the tribunal orderedthe council to stop reciting a prayer before meetings andremove a crucifix and Sacred Heart statue from meeting rooms.

Council was also ordered to pay $30,000 in damages tothe local resident who complained about the religious symbols.

Thetribunal was ruling on a dispute that began four years agoaftera complaint from resident Alain Simoneau, Tremblay said.

In his decision, Judge Michele Pauz ruled that reading the prayer infringed on Simoneaus liberty of conscience.

"We're not happy [with] that and we willgo andappeal," Mayor Jean Tremblay said Wednesday.

The mayor said he never asked that anyone adopt his religious beliefs,but he noted that 90 per cent of his constituents are Catholic. He saidhe feels they should be allowed to express their faith before council.

No one complains whenleaders of other religions perform prayers at public ceremonies,he said,adding he thinks "reasonable accommodation" doesn't seem to extend to Catholics.

Tremblay said religious symbols have been displayed in the council chamber for a long time.

"It's our tradition and it's our culture to do that,"he said. "We have faith. It's not bad to have faith. It's good for us.

"We must renew with our roots."

Marie-Michele Poisson, head of the Quebec Secular Movement, praised the tribunal's ruling, saying she believes prayers have no place in a public assembly.

The group, which supported Simoneau, said it would have accepted swapping out the prayer for a quiet moment of reflection.

Tremblay said the prayer the council does is a "universal prayer" and fits all religions.

The mayorsaidhe's confident the ruling will be overturned on appeal butmounting legal fees are a problem. He said the city is setting up a website and a phone line to ask for donations for legal fees.

Saguenay is not the first Quebec city to deal with concerns about prayers at city hall, In 2006, the provincial tribunal ruled thatthe City of Laval had to abandon prayers before council meetings.