The Trudeau government’s appointment of former National Council of Canadian Muslims activist Amira Elghawaby as an advisor and expert in the fight against Islamophobia in Canada has so far highlighted her fierce opposition to Bill 21 and its deep contempt for Quebecers.
But this important appointment does not fall from the sky and one can think without too much of a mistake that it emanates from the report Act against systemic racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobiawhich was presented in February 2018, in the House of Commons, by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, for which it had been mandated in March 2017, during the adoption of motion M-103 condemning Islamophobia.
This report contains a total of 30 recommendations to implement a national action plan to address systemic racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia, at the federal level. It is to date the largest and most ambitious project ever presented to a government, a project with multiple ramifications where religion is used to impose multiculturalism.
Intentions
Five years after its deposit, one can think that the entry into office of Amira Elghawaby marks the beginning of its implementation, that the means, the associations and the individuals chosen for the concretization of this national plan are already planned and committed. , waiting to take action only for the green light from the special adviser and her boss, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez.
Beyond her hateful tweets, we would be very interested in questioning Ms. Elghawaby on her intentions concerning the development of policies, the programs envisaged and their specific objectives, the nature and the lines of force of her possible legislative proposals, the people and the organizations it intends to surround itself with to carry out this project, the social circles targeted for the application of the planned measures and the way in which it wishes to intervene in each of them to fight against Islamophobia, without forgetting, of course , the budget at its disposal, knowing that it will be drawn from public funds.
The report
The first recommendation proposes to extend racism to religious discrimination, thus allowing religions to benefit from the programs and measures proposed to combat racism.
The second proposed by the National Council of Canadian Muslims for which Amira Elghabawy has campaigned would be to create a direction for the realization of this plan within the Department of Canadian Heritage. In short, to install religions at the heart of central government. And since this is about Islamophobia, I’ll let you guess which religion…
With respect to government policies, it is proposed to design an anti-racism evaluation framework to anticipate and eliminate unconscious bias in proposed policies, programs and decisions. In the present case, this means that under the cover of the fight against Islamophobia, it is proposed to purify federal policies in order to influence them in the direction of an openness to Islam.
Implement an ambitious educational program with specific targets. We therefore recommend a series of measures, such as developing a public awareness campaign and promoting media literacy so that journalists present us with a more positive view of Muslims and Islam.
In collaboration with the provinces, develop educational materials for young people on various religious and cultural practices. In short, an ECR course to the power of a thousand, in every school, from coast to coast.
Institute cultural competency training for a number of professions, including social workers, teachers, legislators, police, civil servants, lawyers, judges and health professionals.
Provide grants to academics to support the creation of research projects on Islamophobia, racism and religious discrimination.
A significant advance of political Islam in Canada
No counselor for Christianophobia, no counselor for blacks or for aboriginals either, but a counselor to fight against Islamophobia. Strange isn’t it? As if Islam had won exclusivity in matters of discrimination.
This appointment is an incredible step forward for political Islam in the most sensitive sectors of Canadian society. One might think that after campaigning for the most powerful politico-religious lobby in Canada, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (CNMC), which systematically fights before the courts any attempt to legislate on secularism, Councilor Elghawaby did not denied the values of this radically anti-secular organization, that his loyalty to this organization remains intact and that his new mandate should perhaps be considered as an extension of this activism.
Suffice to say that with this appointment, the CNMC has just fallen into the candy dish. Wrapped candies, of course.
Evangelicals
You remember how much was made of evangelicals when the Harper government was in office in Ottawa. The journalists denounced loud and clear and with good reason, the lobbying of evangelical groups having their way into Parliament, of activists having privileged access to certain deputies to advance their agenda with the aim of influencing bills in the direction of their values. Do you remember that? So why would it be any different today with Muslims?
Tell me, what does religion do in the heart of the state? What is Islam doing at the heart of the state? Whether Christianity or Islam, no religion should be found in the political sphere. This is contrary to secularism which supposes a clear separation between religions and politics.
Justin Trudeau understood the importance of religious diversity for the advancement of multiculturalism. He understood the importance of courting religious minorities in his desire to realize a post-national state. And if the father gave us a charter and a law on multiculturalism, the son aims to make his mark by going further in its application, even if it means taking all the risks, including that of opening a incredible boulevard with the worst religious fundamentalisms.
Photo courtesy, Lorraine Carpentier
Louise Mailloux, Philosopher