“Of course Christmas isn’t racist,” he replied Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet. Previously, Quebec’s National Assembly denounced “statements by the Canadian Human Rights Commission” that “holidays associated with Christianity, including Christmas and Easter,” constituted a “blatant example” of “systemic religious discrimination.”
The motion, adopted unanimously at Salon Bleu, refers to the discussion paper published by the Commission on religious intolerance. She points out that “discrimination against religious minorities in Canada is rooted in the history of colonialism” and “manifests itself today in systemic religious discrimination.” “An obvious example is the holidays in Canada,” she says, because “non-Christians may need to request special accommodations to celebrate their religious holidays.”
Mr. Blanchet responded to the document by reiterating in Ottawa that “according to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the simple celebration of Christmas – the tree, the family, the music and the presents – is systemic racism.” He went on to question whether this party was “racist” towards Mr. Trudeau. The latter denied this and emphasized that Canada is a “rich” country due to its diversity.
The Canadian organization that promotes respect for human rights contacted by Le Devoir claimed it “never said that Christmas and Easter were discriminatory.”
“The discussion paper notes that under current Canadian law, granting a holiday for one religion and failing to make reasonable accommodations for holidays of other religions may be considered discriminatory,” wrote interim communications director Véronique Robitaille. “As a country, we are committed to equity and inclusion,” she continues, noting that Christmas is an “important and established” tradition in Canada.
Violent reactions in the National Assembly
After the motion was approved at Salon Bleu, Quebec minister responsible for the fight against racism, Christopher Skeete, claimed that the Canadian organization was trying to tell the population that “Christmas is racist.” “I don’t believe that and I believe that Quebecers are on my side,” he stressed.
For his part, the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, stated that this festival will continue to be celebrated here. “We will not apologize for this […]”We are a welcoming country and I think it is important to say that it is part of Quebec’s culture and to invite everyone to celebrate Christmas if they want,” he added.
The motion also opposes “any attempt at polarization to standardize events that have been part of Quebec’s heritage for several generations.” The Salon Bleu deputies therefore call on the population to “stand together in this approaching Christmas season”.
With Alexandre Robillard