MONTREAL: As the hearings of the Consultation Commission on Accommodation Practices Related to Cultural Differences approach their final stage, the group ‘Rejetons l’intolérance au Québec’ (RIQ) calls on the Bouchard-Taylor Commission and Quebec society to tackle the causes of the current, biased ‘reasonable accommodation’ debate and to challenge its foundations in political opportunism.

RIQ demands that the Commission send a strong message opposing all forms of racism, islamophobia, and xenophobia and embrace the efforts of marginalized communities to be treated with respect and fairness.

“Reasonable accommodation should begin with the rights of workers. Accommodating reasonably implies the protection of basic rights, decent wages, rapid recognition of credentials, and terminating ‘guest worker’ programs that deny rights,” said Anna Purna Malla.

“This is a constructed debate. It is of particular concern that few appear to have clean hands; have any of the major political parties in Québec shown themselves to be above manipulating ‘reasonable accommodation’ for their own interests? It seems that excluding particular groups to gain or retain power has a long tradition in Quebec, especially where language and religion are concerned. This might be a classic strategy, but it will never be a winning formula. We need to develop ways of living together in mutual respect and equality, and to challenge the intolerance that is preventing these relations from being developed,” said Carmen Chouinard.

“Much of the mainstream media focuses on the inflammatory, racist and ignorant comments of politicians and groups that use false arguments of secularism and feminism to advance exclusionary agendas, while giving little air time to those who challenge the basic assumptions of the debate,” according to Nazila Bettache. “For example, in all of this debate, it is forgotten that, in relation to indigenous people, everyone else is an immigrant,” she noted.

“The debates over wearing hijab, turban, or kippa and religious displays in public spaces too often cloud a latent racism and patriarchy in our society. These are important issues that all Quebecers should be tackling. Instead, a valuable opportunity for meaningful public debate is being squandered,” said May Haydar.

RIQ is a network to coordinate initiatives of a broad spectrum of groups, organizations, and individuals in the Montreal area opposed to the racist assumptions, the political manipulation, and the media sensationalization of the ‘reasonable accommodation’ debate.. The RIQ network is inclusive of diverse perspectives and strategies; members of RIQ respect each other’s democratic right to express our shared opposition to racism in different ways.

Rejettons l’intolérance au Québec/Refusing Intolerance in Québec (RIQ) is a network to coordinate the diverse initiatives of community groups, organizations, and individuals opposed to the racist and neo-colonialist assumptions that are at the base of the ‘reasonable accommodation’ debate. RIQ stands to challenge politicians, members of the media and the general public to reject the racist social assumptions that resulted in the ‘reasonable accommodation’ debate.

Al-Hawraa Zeinab Foundation
Al-Hidaya Association
Al-Karbalaiya
Al-Khoei Foundation
Al-Rissala Libano-Canadien Association
Al-Zahraa Foundation
Association des Jeunes Libanais Musulman
Canadian Islamic Congress
Centre Communautaire Musulman de Montreal
Centre Islamic Libanais
Group of Five
Imam Hussain Foundation
Immigrant Worker Center
Muslim Youth of Montreal
No One Is Illegat
Tadamon!
The Truth Bulletin

Endorsed by:

Canadian Arab Federation
Muslim Council of Montreal