It was Toronto’s trial last Tuesday in a case related to Bill 21. Louis Labrecque, one of its citizens, is contesting his city’s decision to pay $100,000 to three groups who are contesting this law here. Justice pour le Québec, an organization that I chair, supports Mr. Labrecque in his approach.
Including Toronto, ten English-Canadian cities donated a total of $419,500 to the National Council of Canadian Muslims (CNMC), the World Sikh Organization and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Added to this is Calgary which, as part of its anti-racism policy, has set up a website so that its citizens can finance the legal battle against the infamous law. All this without counting a dozen other cities which have condemned Quebec secularism without, however, paying any money.
Our law is clear. A municipality that funds activities outside of its areas of jurisdiction violates the law, in my opinion. It was therefore necessary to hear the reasons invoked in court by the Queen City to justify itself.
Toronto, a global inspiration!
The latter’s lawyer first cited the city’s motto, “diversity is our strength”. This slogan, coupled with the fact that Toronto is the largest municipality in the country, would make it its responsibility to fight Bill 21, and this, in the name of the tolerance it embodies. The city would also be “a source of inspiration for the whole world”. The implication here is very clear. Toronto embodies light and Quebec embodies darkness and intolerance.
This conviction of being morally superior to Quebecers is that of many Anglophones. The whole thing is nothing but xenophobia disguised as a virtue. This feeling is based on the Canadian charter. Quebec, which was imposed in 1982, has the nerve to violate this document as sacred as the 10 commandments in English Canada.
The city’s attorney quoted the CNMC on this subject, according to which the defense of the charter is an imperative. Let us recall here that the Council of Muslims is in favor of the implementation of sharia in family law. For Toronto therefore, Bill 21 is terrible, but the Islamization of our laws does not seem to be a problem.
Hitler
It should be added that the Ontario capital also works with another Islamist organization, the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), which accuses Quebec of Islamophobia. This Ottawa-funded group openly claims to be the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan Al-Banna. He was a supporter of Hitler and wanted to found a religious theocracy in Egypt, like Iran and Afghanistan. This hasn’t stopped former Mayor John Tory from saying that MAC is helping to make Toronto an “inclusive” city!
And while the Islamists would help spread tolerance and inclusion, Bill 21 would have the opposite effect. In its brief presented to the court, Toronto asserts that it marginalizes religious minorities. It polarizes and undermines the cohesion of Canada.
In reality, the English-Canadian majority has shown remarkable cohesion since the adoption of the law on the secularism of the state. Strong in her sense of moral superiority, she once again formed a united front to denigrate Quebec.