manny_ramirez
11.03.05, 13:34
Keep Islamic law out of Canada, Quebec politicians urge
Minister suggests province reject; Muslim immigrants who favour system
MIKE DE SOUZA
The Gazette
March 11, 2005
Islamic law has no place in Quebec or the rest of Canada, a provincial
cabinet minister and several MNAs said yesterday.
With the Ontario government expected to decide shortly on whether to allow
the Islamic legal code, known as sharia, to be applied to settle family
disputes among Muslims, Liberal and Parti Quebecois MNAs warned yesterday
that using sharia would lead to blatant violations of women's rights.
"I think all political parties in Quebec must say loud and clear that not
only do we not want it in Quebec, we don't want it in Ontario and we don't
want it in Canada," International Relations Minister Monique Gagnon-Tremblay
said at a conference.
The former immigration minister said Quebec should refuse immigrants who
believe the Islamic system should be applied.
"We must rework the social contract (for immigrants) so that the people -
Muslims who want to come to Quebec and who do not respect women's rights or
who do not respect whatever rights may be in our Civil Code - stay in their
country and not come to Quebec, because that's unacceptable."
"On the other hand, if people want to come to Quebec and accept our way of
doing things and our rights, in that instance they will be welcome and we
will help them integrate."
Sharia is canonical law based on the teachings of the Koran.
Ontario's attorney-general is studying a report, made public in December,
that recommends sharia be allowed to settle family disputes.
But in an hour-long presentation, Liberal MNA Fatima Houda-Pepin argued
Islamic law would infringe on women's rights and open the door to polygamy.
"We've seen sharia at work in Iran. We've seen it at work in Afghanistan,
with the odious Taliban regime. We've seen it in Sudan, where the hands of
hundreds of innocent people were cut off. We've seen it in Nigeria with
attempts at stoning," she said.
Salam Elmenyawi, chairperson of the Muslim Council of Montreal, was outraged
when told about the comments made at the conference.
"When you talk like that, you are attacking me and my faith," he said in a
phone interview. "This is total ignorance. Bigotry and ignorance have no
limits."
But Houda-Pepin, who was raised a Muslim, also warned that the public should
make an effort to get to know those in the community who are lobbying for
application of sharia.
"One of the strengths of Islamists is that they know you very well. They know
our history, they know our culture, they know our justice system, the Charter
of Rights," she said.
She said those lobbyists are trying to impose a political agenda, not
necessarily a religious one.
"Their objective is not to integrate into Canada, it is to integrate Canada
to their values," she said, acknowledging sharia is interpreted in a more
liberal fashion in such countries as Morocco as opposed to Saudi Arabia, for
example.
Elmenyawi suggested Houda-Pepin was posing as a representative of the Muslim
community when she does not speak for it.
He said the Islamic community in Montreal is looking at creating family
tribunals, independent of the courts, to settle religious issues and to
protect the rights of both women and men. It is an internal debate that has
nothing to do with Quebec's Civil Code, he said.
Parti Quebecois MNAs who attended the conference showed support for Houda-
Pepin and suggested a joint motion in the National Assembly urging Ontario
and other jurisdictions in North America not to apply sharia.
But provincial Justice Minister Yvon Marcoux said any decision made by
Ontario to allow sharia would have no impact on what the Quebec government
already has decided to do.
"Certainly not in Quebec. The door is closed, and it will remain closed," he
said in an interview.
The Action democratique du Quebec, which was unable to send a representative
to the conference, did not want to commit to supporting any motion.
"We certainly are against application of sharia in Quebec, but we can't
necessarily start telling other provinces what to do," ADQ spokesperson Jean-
Nicolas Gagne said.
mdesouza@thegazette.canwest.com
Online Extra: Learn more about Islamic law at our Web site:
www.montrealgazette.com