(Quebec) The Legault government is dissatisfied with the explanations provided by the new federal representative for the fight against Islamophobia, Amira Elghawaby, who has already said that the “majority of Quebecers” seemed “influenced by anti-Muslim sentiment”.
The minister responsible for secularism, Jean-François Roberge, said on Monday that Mr.me Elghawaby “has only tried to justify his hateful comments” over the past few days.
“On behalf of the government [du Québec], I asked him to withdraw his remarks and apologize. However, she only tried to justify her odious remarks. It does not go through. She must resign and if she does not, the government [Trudeau] must dismiss it without delay, ”said the CAQ minister in a written statement sent to the media.
In a column published in July 2019 in the daily ottawa citizen, Amira Elghawaby wrote that “the majority of Quebecers seem to be influenced not by the rule of law, but by anti-Muslim sentiment”. The article, which was co-authored by the president of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and former director of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Bernie Farber, denounced the State Secularism Act (Law 21). This law, adopted under gag order by the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) during its first mandate, prohibits the wearing of religious symbols by state employees in positions of authority, including teachers. It is being challenged in court.
In an interview with The Presslast week, Mr.me Elghawaby had defended that his column had been misunderstood.
“I want to be very clear. I do not believe that the vast majority of Quebecers are Islamophobic,” she said. The federal representative against Islamophobia then explained that she had relied in her column on a Léger poll which stated that 88% of Quebeckers who supported Bill 21 had a negative perception of Islam.
The controversy surrounding the appointment of Amira Elghawaby caused a stir last week on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, where work resumes Monday in the House of Commons. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Liberal Pablo Rodriguez, asked Ms.me Elghawaby to withdraw his remarks. “As a Quebecer, I am deeply hurt,” he said.
With Mylène Crest