Photo: Jacques Boissinot Archives La Presse canadienne Haroun Bouazzi, MP for Maurice-Richard, did not give in to the multiple demands for an apology issued the day before by the entire political class regarding his comments on racism.
François Carabin
Published at 11:28 Updated at 11:45
- Québec
Solidarity MP Haroun Bouazzi agrees that his positions on the emergence of racism in the National Assembly may have caused discomfort “on the form”, but refuses to back down on the substance.
In a long interview given to Radio-Canada radio on Friday morning, the MP for Maurice-Richard did not give in to the multiple demands for apologies issued the day before by the entire political class.
Even though he admits that “in terms of form, there may have been some discomfort”, the elected representative of Québec solidaire (QS) persists and insists: the central idea of his speech given at the beginning of the month in front of the members of an organization representing the Maghreb community still holds, he maintained on Friday. “There are mechanisms that create the Other as someone dangerous and […] I see that on a daily basis,” he said.
In an excerpt from this speech that was first noted in a column in the Journal de Québec, MP Bouazzi suggests that the debates in the National Assembly “every day” foster the emergence of racist and discriminatory discourse toward ethnic and religious minorities.
“We unfortunately see – and God knows I see this in the National Assembly every day – the construction of this Other. “Of this Other, who is North African, who is Muslim, who is black, who is indigenous, and of his culture which, by definition, would be dangerous or inferior,” we can hear him say during this event of the Club Avenir Foundation.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000“Polarizing” speech
On Thursday, several members of the political class had publicly denounced Mr. Bouazzi's remarks, arguing for example that they cast “immense discredit” on the National Assembly (Marwah Rizqy, Quebec Liberal Party), that they constituted a “false trial” (Pascal Bérubé, Quebec Party) or that they “exceeded the limits” (Lionel Carmant, Coalition avenir Quebec).
In interview with Le Devoir, Thursday, the co-spokesperson for Solidaire Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois criticized his MP for his “polarizing” speech on racism and discrimination.
“I have often said in recent years that, in debates on immigration and inclusion, we must stay away from any polarization. This is a call that applies to our opponents, but it also applies to our team, to the Solidaires,” he said. According to the MP and future co-spokesperson for QS Ruba Ghazal, Haroun Bouazzi made “clumsy” and exaggerated allusions.
On the eve of a Québec solidaire members’ convention, Haroun Bouazzi said Friday that he “respected” the opinion of his fellow Solidaire MPs. “Basically, we agree on all sorts of points,” he said.
According to him, however, the demonstration of racism in political discourse is no longer to be done. Just in the last few days, he pointed out, the Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant, attributed part of the problem in youth protection to the increase in immigration. “Mr. Dubé is questioned about the waiting lists that continue to grow […] and he says: it's the fault of the immigrants,” he added.
“And I'm not talking to you about the former Minister of Immigration [Jean Boulet] — who is still in the Council of Ministers today — who [had] told us that 80% of immigrants do not work, do not speak French,” he said. “That contributes to creating the Other as a danger. »
QS “must act”, says Jolin-Barrette
According to the Minister of Justice and parliamentary leader of the government in the National Assembly, Simon Jolin-Barrette, Québec solidaire “cannot endorse this type of remarks within its caucus.” “By insulting the elected members of the National Assembly, it is all Quebecers that he is insulting. [Ruba Ghazal and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois] must act,” he wrote on the social network X.
On Facebook, Thursday evening, the former spokesperson for Québec solidaire Amir Khadir expressed his support for Mr. Bouazzi. “Haroun is right,” he wrote in a comment left under the video of the speech. “If this shocks some people, it is because, unfortunately, it is true.” »
On the eve of the QS congress, Ruba Ghazal wanted to dot the i's, in an interview in the offices of Devoir.
“I’ve also been critical of the way the discourse on immigration is held for a long time. Sometimes it’s negative, sometimes we have the impression that we’re saying that everything is the fault of immigrants, these are things that have already been said many times,” she said. “After that, what’s important is that [our] discourse is not held by dividing, but by trying to unite.”
The Québec solidaire convention officially takes off Friday evening.