MONTREAL — Both Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and B’nai Brith Canada have welcomed the Quebec government’s new policy of requiring prospective immigrants to sign a declaration of values said to be common to all Quebecers.

CJC Quebec region president Victor Goldbloom’s only reservation is that the contract will be little more than symbolic, and likely could not be enforced legally if signatories don’t respect these values, short of breaking the law.

Among the key points of the declaration are that Quebec is a democratic and pluralistic society, that men and women have equal rights, and that political and religious institutions are separate. It also states that the province is governed by the Charter of the French Language, and that French is not only the official language, it’s also the common language of work, teaching, communication and business.

Goldbloom said he believes it’s important that people who choose to live in Quebec be aware of the province’s particular traditions and culture, and that it’s reasonable that they be expected to commit themselves formally to sharing in its fundamental values.

The declaration will be an important educational tool in making clear to immigrants what is required to be part of this society, he said.

“On the other hand, very few people are going to say no [to signing] and thereby give up the opportunity to become a Canadian citizen.” There is no way of judging how sincere the signatories are.

Goldbloom said he doesn’t think that forcing people to sign on to concepts that aren’t part of their culture, such as the equality of men and women, infringes in any way on their freedom of thought.

“Certain religious groups, including my own, are not perfect on the issue of gender equality. I recognize that, and this is not a problem as long as members of that group do not feel abused by it. But our laws are clear, and if a woman from such a group objects to being in a secondary position, she must have access to the human rights bodies or the courts to contest that.”

Last year, in a presentation to the parliamentary committee planning the province’s immigration policy, CJC and Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (JIAS), in fact, recommended that immigrants be obliged to sign a “moral contract” that they will abide by the province’s “common values.” Goldbloom was then also the Montreal president of JIAS.

The organizations said in their brief that such a requirement would send a signal that “the foundations of our society are not negotiable.”

Similarly, B’nai Brith praised the declaration’s educational value in integrating immigrants.

“Newcomers should understand that Quebec has a rich heritage that welcomes people of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds whose responsibility it must be to respect and uphold the province’s democratic values and human rights,” Allan Adel, national chair of the organization’s League for Human Rights, said in a statement.

“B’nai Brith has long called for a vigorous educational program for new immigrants who often import their hatreds and prejudices into Canada, especially when coming from countries with no entrenched democratic traditions.”