In an interview with Montreal newspaper, Le Devoir, released on September 6, Quebec premier and Parti Quebecois (PQ) leader Pauline Marois stirred controversy when blaming multiculturalism in Britain for the social unrest and bombings that occur in the country.
“In England, they get into fights and throw bombs at one another because of multiculturalism and people get lost in that type of a society,” Marois said.
Many critics, including Quebec Liberal leader Philippe Couillard, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, and the Montreal City Council, were appalled at the comments, which insinuated that terrorist attacks in the UK were homegrown.
“I find it unacceptable to make a link between multiculturalism and violence among cultural communities, especially for the leader of a government. We are facing choices as a society in a peaceful manner, and such statements are not helpful,” Couillard said.
Not new to controversy, Ms. Marois has since apologized and said that the comments were not meant to offend, adding that it was not her intention to interfere with British policies. However, the comments were in defense for the Charter of Quebec Values, whose broad objectives are to be released on September 9.
According to details concerning the charter that have been recently leaked to the media, the charter would ban public service workers from wearing religious symbols such as the Muslim hijab or the Jewish kippa in places such as daycares, school, hospitals, and other provincial government workplaces.
As I was reading articles about the subject, I became outraged, as what I was reading was in stark contrast to the values I had always identified Canada with: integration and respect.
It seemed to me that these were not a part of the “Quebec Values” that the PQ government is trying to propose. So, what is a “Quebec Value” then?
What kind of values is the government specifically trying to inculcate?
Discrimination? Polarization? Isolation?
Unlike what Marois implied, Quebec, or more broadly, Canada, is not the United Kingdom.
Multiculturalism in England was combined with no social infrastructure and a lack of integration policies that lead to an increase in distrust between minority communities and the government and ultimately David Cameron declaring multiculturalism in England as a failure.
Such is not the case in Canada. The policy of multiculturalism first took heed in the 1970s and 1980s and eventually the creation of the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms cemented this idea, with Section 27 stating that the Charter “shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of Canadians.”
The Charter helped to uphold integration and provided finding and immediate settlement assistance to newcomers. No system is perfect, but it is recognized by many that Canada has done some of the best work among Western nations as far as fostering respect and diversity for all people living within its borders.
One of the PQ’s main goals is the preservation of the French-Canadian culture and French language in the province of Quebec. As long as this is done in a healthy and non-discriminatory manner, there is nothing wrong with that. But a ban on religious freedom and expression is the exact definition of discrimination, not to mention that it is in direct contradiction with Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Political considerations aside, the PQ should consider how these proposed “Quebec values” would affect the already-suffering provincial economy. During the past two decades, Montreal has seen a decline in their corporate economy and potentiality as a hub for corporate headquarters due to their harsh anti-business policies and language laws. One can only imagine how their reputation would suffer even more with this kind of discriminatory behavior riding over potential economic prospects.
Despite the harsh backlash towards the proposed charter, Marois, the PQ government, and the majority of Quebecers (57 percent, to be exact, according to a Leger Marketing poll) stand by it, claiming that it would bring people together and make for a more secular and equal society.
But their attempts are misguided and downright discriminatory. This assault on a person’s religious identity is an attack on their personal identity. It promotes a sense of rejection and refusal, sentiments that collide with the policy of multiculturalism that Canada has adopted since the 1970s and 1980s.
Quebec needs to rethink their strategy as far as promoting their values so not to further alienate their own citizens.
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