Clothing

François Legault defends decision to quash debate over immigration, religious symbols bills Despite widespread criticism, Quebec premier says it's time to 'turn the page'

(CBC) Quebec Premier François Legault says there’s a risk of upsetting “social cohesion” in the province if the debate over religious symbols is allowed to linger any longer. Legault will invoke closure to pass his government’s controversial secularism and immigration bills, putting an end […]

Clothing

Quebec government to sit through weekend to ram through immigration, religious symbols bills Premier Legault will invoke closure to ensure its flagship legislation, Bills 9 and 21, pass before summer

(CBC) The Coalition Avenir Québec government will invoke closure this weekend to force passage of two controversial pieces of legislation — one that reforms the province’s immigration system and another that bars civil servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols. The centre-right party […]

Clothing

Quebec government aims to define religious symbols in amendment to secularism bill Move is seen as a concession to ensure bill will pass on Friday

(CBC) The Quebec government is offering a first concession to critics of its proposed law restricting religious symbols worn by some civil servants. Tuesday afternoon, Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette tabled the amendment which would define what a religious symbol is. The amendment seeks to define a religious symbol […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

What Michael Cooper got right and why

(Toronto Sun) We tend to place individuals and ideologies in neat, homogeneous compartments, when shades of grey better convey the reality. This seems to have happened in the controversy surrounding the tiff between Faisal Khan Suri, president of the Alberta Muslim Public […]

Crime

Islamophobic attacks in Germany sharply decline A parliamentary inquiry has found that anti-Muslim attacks have been dropping steadily since 2017. However, a Left party lawmaker warned that hatred is still being spread widely online and inside communities.

(Deutsche Welle) A new report published on Wednesday found that Islamophobic attacks in Germany were down significantly in 2019 compared to the previous two years. The information was published in the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung following a parliamentary inquiry from the Left party. In […]

Government & Politics

Massachusetts pro-Israel groups condemn state Democratic lawmakers for joint CAIR event 'We believe that our commonwealth is stronger when faith communities and elected leaders come together and stand with each other in public civic space.'

(JNS) A number of Massachusetts Jewish and pro-Israel groups are condemning several Democratic state lawmakers for participating in an Eid al-Fitr event at the Massachusetts State House being co-hosted by the Massachusetts branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has […]

Government & Politics

PM rebukes Omar, Tlaib after they request help for BDS activist Netanyahu says radical anti-Israel congresswomen are 'antithesis to the strong support for Israel' in Washington. The two were among the signatories of letter asking Israeli government to renew visa for Human Rights Watch Israel director Omar Shakir.

(Israel Hayom) In a letter sent to U.S. lawmakers on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a strong rebuke of Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), saying the two were “the antithesis to the strong support for Israel” on Capitol […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Justice committee votes to scrub Conservative MP’s ‘hurtful’ remarks to Muslim witness from official record Michael Cooper had read sections from manifesto of Christchurch, New Zealand, mass killer

(CBC) The House of Commons justice committee in Ottawa has voted to strike controversial remarks from Conservative MP Michael Cooper from the record. Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault put forward the motion on Tuesday morning, calling Cooper’s comments “discriminatory, hurtful and disrespectful.” Over […]