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Farooq says if allowed to appeal, the groups plan to highlight areas where they believe Yergeau erred in his ruling.

“We disagree that the harm to people in Quebec is hypothetical — rather, it’s actual, inevitable and irreparable,” Farooq said. “We believe that there is urgency in halting this law — that people are affected by Bill 21 now.”

At its core, Farooq said, the law divides and forces people to give up their identities, and if they refuse, they’re deemed unwelcome in segments of society.

The provincial law, which came into effect in June, bans some public sector workers, including teachers and police officers, from wearing religious symbols on the job.

And the law is having immediate impact. Amrit Kaur, a representative of the World Sikh Organization in Quebec and a recent teaching graduate said she has had to look elsewhere for employment.

“I’m actually being forced to look outside the province — in particular in B.C. — because of this bill,” Kaur said. “To say that there are no immediate effects is a complete lie, because there are people like myself who have to choose between their faith and their careers, and they cannot put their faith aside so they have to leave their homes.”

No date has been set before the province’s high court.

There are people like myself who have to choose between their faith and their careers

Bill 21 invokes the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Constitution, which prevents citizens from challenging the law for violating fundamental rights and liberties protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.