Poll: Should Quebec should mark January 29th as a day against Islamophobia?
Earlier this month, the National Council of Canadian Muslims asked the government of Quebec and the federal government to mark January 29th as a day against Islamophobia. The date marks the anniversary of the Quebec mosque shooting that killed 6 and wounded 19 as they were ending their evening prayers.
The council said the creation of such a day would help educate the public on the dangers of not anti-Muslim prejudice, but bigotry and intolerance. However, the designation was opposed by the ruling Quebec Liberals, along with the two largest opposition parties, the Parti Quebecois and Coalition Avenir Quebec. A PQ spokesperson insisted that Quebecers were not Islamophobic. Only the Quebec Solidaire, which holds just three seats, supported the call.
The discussions around racism and bigotry in Quebec take place in a different context than the rest of Canada. There’s still an inclination to cultural protectionism due to the minority status of Canadian Francophones who fear their culture will be subsumed by the English-speaking majority. An inquiry into racism headed by the provincial government had its priorities changed after the Liberals suffered a byelection defeat. The overwhelming sentiment was that Quebec society was being put on trial, making it difficult for any candid discussions about societal prejudice to take place.
In light of that, do you think Quebec should mark January 29th as a day against Islamophobia?
