Quebec solidaire denounces hateful comments directed at newly-elected MNA

Quebec solidaire (QS) is condemning hateful comments circulating on Twitter that single out the party’s newly-elected candidate in the riding of Maurice Richard, Haroun Bouazzi.

The tweets in question, posted by different accounts suggest in some way or another that Bouazzi makes comments that are pro-Islam radical," or that he has defended Sharia law.

One tweet also denigrates immigrants and suggests Bouazzi has become "the Islamist lobby in Quebec solidaire."

Tuesday morning, Manon Masse, co-spokesperson for the QS, took to Twitter to respond to the toxic remarks.

In French, she wrote "the formidable Haroun Bouazzi has earned his place in the National Assembly. Hatred and Islamophobia have no place in Quebec."

"I invite us collectively as elected officials and citizens to denounce this toxic climate and warmly welcome our new colleague," she added.

Benoit Charette, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) MNA who was the outgoing Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism, also denounced the hateful comments on Twitter, calling them "very deplorable."

Bouazzi’s win in Maurice Richard was a breakthrough for the party, which won the seat after 10,633 votes (34 per cent of the vote). A computer engineer by training, Bouazzi has been working at BDC, a partly public financial institution serving small and medium-sized businesses, according to his bio on Quebec solidaire’s website.

Also an environment and social justice activist, Bouazzi co-founded the Association of Muslims and Arabs for Secularism in Quebec (AMAL).