The controversial remarks that Luis Miranda, the mayor of Anjou, made to 15-year-old Hocine Ouendi last October continue to haunt him. The young man’s father, Smail Ouendi, filed a complaint against Mr. Miranda with the Commission for Human Rights and Youth (CDPDJ) on Tuesday afternoon.
“Luis Miranda acts as if the file was closed, but he never offered a concrete response to the situation, maintains Mr. Ouendi. The least we could do is call us, invite us to his office, and address his shocking comments and the way my son was treated.”
This is the second official complaint to be filed by the young man’s family. On October 31, Hocine Ouendi’s mother filed a complaint with the Commission municipale du Québec (CMQ), suggesting that he had violated four articles of the Code of Ethics and Conduct for Elected Officials.
Mr. Ouendi says he filed his complaint on Tuesday for his son to receive an apology in person from the mayor and for the latter to review his management of sports grounds in Anjou. Recall that Hocine Ouendi had been rebuffed by Mr. Miranda because he had presented himself to the borough council to denounce the ban on free soccer on synthetic fields.
“Using an aggressive tone and language, the mayor referred to ‘incivility’ committed by ‘gangs’ as if associating it [M. Ouendi] to this problem. He also blamed the youngster for having “confronted” him with his question,” said Fo Niemi, director general of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), which supports the family in its efforts, through communicated.
Ageism and racial profiling
Contacted by The duty, Mr. Niemi clarified that this last complaint of the Ouendi family is based on both denunciations of ageism and racial profiling. “There is a consensus in Montreal that the mayor’s remarks are completely discriminatory,” he added.
Mr. Niemi was referring in particular to the motion of reprimand adopted by the Montreal City Council on October 24, acknowledging the “discriminatory” scope of Mr. Miranda’s remarks. The mayor of Anjou apologized the same evening. “Yes, I apologize for my reaction. […] I will do what I have to do in due time,” he said.
The director of CRARR also says he is rather “optimistic” about the chances that the CDPDJ will receive the complaint from the Ouendi family “because the Commission has already sent a letter to Mr. Miranda, denouncing his remarks directly”.
“To listen to the child, to inform him, to consult him, to involve him, to respect his dignity and to protect him, these are the rights, among others, which are guaranteed to him and which the Commission, defender of the rights of children and young people in Quebec, is committed to ensuring compliance, ”wrote the president of the Commission, Philippe-André Tessier.
If the Ouendi family’s complaint is received by the Commission, they may notably have to meet Mr. Miranda in mediation. “We are doing it for the future, for the children of the neighborhood”, breathes Mr. Ouendi.
Contacted by The dutyLuis Miranda’s office said he would not give an interview.