Trudeau sought to calm Quebec uproar over past comments on the province’s controversial secularism law by his special representative on combatting Islamophobia Amira Elghawab
and his special representative on combatting Islamophobia sought to calm an uproar in Quebec in the wake of criticism that a 2019 opinion piece that she co-authored on the province’s controversial secularism law contained anti-Quebec bias.
At a news conference before his meeting with Ms. Elghawaby, Mr. Blanchet said Liberal MPs in Quebec and those in the rest of Canada have been saying different things with respect to Ms. Elghawaby’s appointment. Asked if he thinks the position Ms. Elghawaby is filling is necessary, Mr. Blanchet said that “Islamophobia has to be better defined, but fought.”
At the root of the uproar was a sentence in the opinion piece that referred to a majority of Quebeckers appearing to be swayed, in regards to Bill 21, by “anti-Muslim sentiment.” Ms. Elghawabythat the line in question was not her opinion, but rather, a summary of a specific poll, and last week, she clarified that she does not believe Quebeckers are Islamophobic.
Alia Hogben, former executive director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, said in an interview that Mr. Trudeau should have been entirely prepared to stand behind his appointee – and not seem surprised by any positions that she has taken.
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