By Canadian Press

Trudeau says Quebecers are not racist as he stands by Elghawaby appointment

Feb 1, 2023 | 10:09 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada’s new special representative on combating Islamophobia is the perfect person to help Canadians grapple with difficult conversations about religion.

Quebec politicians including Premier François Legault want Trudeau to rescind the appointment of Amira Elghawaby to the role because of comments she made in a 2019 column.

The column cited polling data to say that “a majority of Quebecers” who supported Bill 21 also held anti-Muslim views.

Quebec’s Bill 21 has been heavily criticized — including by Trudeau — for discriminating against religious minorities by banning them from wearing religious symbols at work.

Trudeau said this morning that Quebec has a complicated history with religion, citing the oppression of the Catholic Church in the province before the Quiet Revolution largely removed the church from government services including health care and education.

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He said that history means there is a cultural emphasis on secularism in Quebec that is sometimes at odds with people whose religion is important to them, both privately and publicly, and Elghawaby is the right person to try and bridge that divide.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2023.

The Canadian Press