“Of course Christmas is not racist,” replied Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet. Earlier, the National Assembly of Quebec denounced the “remarks of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, according to which “public holidays linked to Christianity, including Christmas and Easter”, represent an “obvious example” of a “ systemic religious discrimination.”
The motion adopted at the Salon bleu refers to Discussion paper on religious intolerance. The commission indicates that “discrimination against religious minorities in Canada is rooted in the history of colonialism” which “manifests itself today in systemic religious discrimination.” “An obvious example is public holidays in Canada,” she says, because “non-Christians may need to request special accommodations to celebrate their religious holidays.”
Mr. Blanchet reacted to the document by affirming in Ottawa that “according to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the simple celebration of Christmas, the tree, the family, the music and the gifts, is systemic racism.” He went on to ask if this party was “racist” to Mr. Trudeau. The latter responded in the negative, emphasizing that Canada is a “rich” country because of its diversity.
Contacted by The duty, the Canadian organization which ensures respect for human rights maintained that it had “never said that Christmas and Easter are discriminatory”.
“The discussion paper indicates that under current Canadian law, granting a holiday for one religion and failing to provide reasonable accommodation for holidays of other religions may be considered discriminatory », Wrote Véronique Robitaille, interim director of communications.
“As a country, we have made a commitment to equity and inclusion,” she continues, noting that Christmas is an “important and well-established” tradition in Canada.
Strong reactions in the National Assembly
After the adoption of the motion at the Salon Bleu, the Quebec minister responsible for the Fight against racism, Christopher Skeete, maintained that the Canadian organization was trying to tell the population that “Christmas is racist”. “I don’t think so and I believe that Quebecers are with me,” he stressed.
The Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, for his part declared that this festival will continue to be celebrated here. “We will not apologize for it […]we are a welcoming land and I think it is important to say that it is part of Quebec culture and to invite everyone to celebrate Christmas if they wish,” he added.
The motion also opposes “any attempt at polarization towards unifying events which have been part of Quebec’s heritage for several generations.” The deputies at the Salon Bleu therefore urge the population “to unite during this approaching Christmas period”.
With Alexandre Robillard