Quebec minister calls on new anti-Islamophobia representative to step down over Bill 21 comments
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
Roberge took issue with Elghawaby's comments on Bill 21 in a 2019 column in the Ottawa Citizen she co-authored with Bernie Farber. The column takes issue with Quebec's secularism law, which prohibits certain public-sector workers from wearing religious symbols at work.
Bill 21, commonly referred to as Quebec's religious symbols ban, invokes the notwithstanding clause to shield it from constitutional challenges. The clause allows provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the charter.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently criticized Quebec's use of the clause in Bill 21 -- legislation which Elghawaby's column called "exactly what the Charter of Rights is supposed to protect us against."
"Unfortunately, the majority of Quebecers appear to be swayed not by the rule of law, but by anti-Muslim sentiment," the article continues, citing a Leger poll offered exclusively to The Montreal Gazette and Le Devoir.
The newspaper reported that the poll found just "28 per cent of people had a positive view of Islam, ... 37 per cent had a positive view of Muslims," and that "among those who have negative feelings about Islam, 88 per cent support a ban on religious symbols for public school teachers."
Elghawaby took to social media on Friday to clarify her comments in The Ottawa Citizen, writing "I don't believe that Quebecers are Islamophobic. My past comments were in reference to a poll on Bill 21. I will work with partners from all provinces and regions to make sure we address racism head-on."
"On behalf of the government, I asked her to withdraw her comments and apologize. All she did was try to justify her abhorrent comments. That doesn't fly," wrote Roberge in a written statement obtained by The Canadian Press Monday. "She must resign and if she doesn't, the government must remove her immediately."
PAN-PARTISAN CONDEMNATION
Quebec Solidaire (QS) and the Parti Quebecois (PQ) have also criticized Elghawaby's language around Bill 21.
"Putting all Quebecers in the same basket, as Madame (Elghawaby) did, is not acceptable," said QS spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. "These are hurtful comments for Quebecers. It is necessary to be able to fight against Islamophobia in a unifying way, and it is what I expect from the people named by the various levels of government."
Unlike, Roberge, Nadeau-Dubois is not calling for Elghawaby's resignation. Nor did the Quebec Liberals, whose interim leader, Marc Tanguay, said in a tweet that she must apologize for her "unacceptable and insulting comments."
The Liberals said the party stands is against all forms of hate, including Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism. "In this regard, the CAQ must play a leading role."
The political reaction comes on the sidelines of a commemoration of the sixth anniversary of the 2017 shooting at the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre.
On Jan. 29, 2017, a gunman killed six Muslim men and injured 17 others after opening fire shortly after evening prayer. A judge said the shooter had a "visceral hatred for immigrants who are Muslims."
READ MORE: 'The sorrow doesn't go away:' Commemoration for victims of Quebec City mosque shooting
PQ member Joel Arseneau turned his criticism to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"Did he do his due diligence, to find out what inflammatory statements she had made?" asked Arseneau.
He said the column indicated Elghawaby held "deeply-rooted" prejudice against Quebec.
NUANCE NEEDED: SURVEY ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, which conducted the survey Elghawaby cited, is not calling for her resignation. However, he told CTV he believes she should provide more nuance on what the data really says.
One thing data does suggest, according to Jedwab, is that ardent supporters of Bill 21 "do disproportionately harbour anti-Muslim sentiment."
"There is an aspect of the legislation that does seem to draw out those people," he said, clarifying that the survey gauged cross-country support, and was not limited to respondents in Quebec.
"Now, there are a lot of softer supporters of Bill 21 in that survey who don’t harbour anti-muslim sentiment to a significant extent, so the nuance is important," he said.
"My hope is that she's already proceeding to provide that nuance."
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Cyclist issued fine for striking four-year-old girl crossing the street
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Joe Biden wants to remind 2024 voters of a record and an agenda. Often it's Donald Trump's
Biden wants the 2024 election to be a referendum on Trump's record and plans, but he also wants voters to look favourably on his own policies and actions