La Muslim Community of Quebec agit comme représentante de la Canadian Islamic Trust Foundation au Québec

Adresse originale : http://www.registreentreprises.gouv.qc.ca/fr/default.aspx

Date : 9 juillet 2010

Pour avoir accès à l’information, il faut entrer le nom de la Canadian Islamic Trust Foundation ou son NEQ (1160819653).

The Muslim Community of Quebec acts as the Canadian Islamic Trust Foundation’s representative in Quebec

In order to have access to the information, the Canadian Islamic Trust Foundation’s name or its NEQ (1160819653) must be entered in the Search Box.

Hussein Hamdani travelled to Pakistan with Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan and CSIS head Jim Judd in September 2005

Author: Omar El Akkad
Source: The Globe and Mail, June 9, 2006, p. A1

Original title: Alienation at home, criticism from abroad

Suspects' families suddenly become pariahs within the Muslim community

The families of many of those arrested in an RCMP sweep last Friday have become ostracized from the Muslim community, members of that community have told The Globe and Mail.

A former student at Mississauga's Meadowvale Secondary School, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said those close to the families have avoided calling them for fear of also coming under suspicion.

"I don't know. Do you think if we called them, it would be okay?" the former student asked a reporter, after saying that his family and other families have decided not to approach the suspects' relatives.

But even the few community members who have tried to contact the families, he added, have been largely unsuccessful -- either no one answers or they hang up.

One man who frequents the Al-Rahman Islamic Centre said his wife chastised him for going to the home of one of the accused to show support for his family. A television camera caught the man on film, he said, and when the footage aired that night, his wife told him to think of their children.

On the surface, ostracism would seem the inevitable fate of the families of anyone accused of a high-profile crime. But within the Muslim community, avoiding any of the suspects' friends, families and hangouts is often seen as a method of survival: If you're caught talking to a suspect, the thinking goes, you're also a suspect.

A recent example of this phenomenon is the case of the notorious Khadr family. The Khadrs have earned an unenviable place in the history of Canadian terrorism suspects. Ahmed Said Khadr was killed in battle in Pakistan; one of his sons, Omar, is in a U.S. detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, facing charges related to the killing of an American soldier in Afghanistan. Another son, Abdullah, is accused of supplying weapons to al-Qaeda, and is currently fighting extradition to the United States. "People have this picture of us as these very arrogant, selfish, scary people who did not care for anyone," Zaynab Khadr, Abdullah's sister, told the website cageprisoners.com , which draws attention to the cases of detained Muslims, late last year. "It's a very difficult situation, when you are living in a place where you know you are not wanted and people are actually fighting to get you out of the country."

While many may argue such abandonment is justified, given the crimes of which the suspects are accused, a perception of guilt by association is a serious problem not only for the Muslim community, but also for the people charged with hunting down alleged terrorists. The more a community feels besieged, the less likely members of that community are to help police.

Hussein Hamdani, a lawyer and member of the government's cross-cultural roundtable on security, remembers an incident that took place in September of last year, when he was travelling with then-deputy prime minister Anne McLellan and CSIS head Jim Judd to Pakistan to discuss security matters.

While in Pakistan, Mr. Hamdani heard news that a report had come out condemning the spy agency for declaring Bhupinder S. Liddar, a Sikh Canadian public servant, a security risk. CSIS deemed Mr. Liddar untrustworthy partly because he had previously worked with MPs who were sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

"I took Jim Judd aside and said, 'What the hell are you doing?' " Mr. Hamdani recalls. "If you flag everyone who supports Palestine, that's 98 per cent of the Muslim population. I support Palestine -- am I a security threat?"

Since Muslim communities in Canada tend to be very tight-knit -- bound not just by their status as a religious minority, but often by ethnic ties, as well -- a large number of Muslims in Toronto share at least one thing in common with one or more of the terrorism suspects.

Yaseen Poonah, a leading member of Young Muslims Canada, grew up in Mississauga. He attended the Al-Rahman mosque twice, but never met any of the accused.

The 27-year-old said the arrests have been harder on youths than their parents.

"We're the young people. We're the ones who are targeted," he said. "It's different for us than for our parents, because we were born and raised in Canada."

But after years of community work, in an effort to build up goodwill toward the Muslim community following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Poonah now believes his group is back where it started.

"All that we've done in the community is now thrown out the window," he said.

Credit: With reports from Joe Friesen and Greg McArthur

NDP fundraising dinner for IRFAN at the London Muslim Mosque

Original address: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/Western-New-Democrats/iI2_H4Ag-tw

Date: March 24, 2007

Original title: Al-Asqa (sic) Dinner

The local riding associations and the NDP Middle-East Committee have organized an evening to examine and promote freedom of religion and respect in Canada and abroad.  The Al-Asqa dinner will feature Alexa McDonough (NDP Peace and Foreign Affairs Critic), Sandra Ruch (Women's Coalition for Peace in Isreal), Irene Mathyssen (MP for London-Fanshawe) and other guest speakers.  It will be held this Saturday March 24th in the London Muslim Mosque (151 Oxford St. W.) at 5:45 pm.   Tickets are $10 and will be available in the UCC Atrium at the Minimum Wage petition table, at the club exec. meeting this wednesday or you can call Rob Hepburn to reserve a ticket at 519-639-0974.  All ticket proceeds go to benefit Palestinian orphans through IRFAN Canada.

http://www.pointdebasculecanada.ca/images/data/images/Conference/irfan%20ndp%20lmm%202007.jpg

Adresse originale : http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-quebecoise/201311/13/01-4710184-le-statut-de-la-mosquee-assuna-inquiete-drainville.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_vous_suggere_4710017_article_POS1

Auteur : Fabrice de Pierrebourg
Référence : La Presse, 13 novembre 2013 (édition internet)

Titre original : Le statut de la mosquée Assuna inquiète Drainville

Le ministre Bernard Drainville juge «très préoccupantes» les informations dévoilées ce matin par La Presse sur la controversée mosquée montréalaise Assuna.

«C'est évident que Revenu Canada doit se poser de sérieuses questions sur le statut d'organisme de bienfaisance de cette mosquée-là, a-t-il déclaré ce matin. Lorsque l'on dit que c'est le FBI, le SCRS, il faut se poser de sérieuses questions et c'est inquiétant. L'intégrisme nous inquiète». 

Le ministre péquiste des institutions démocratiques réagissait ainsi à un reportage de La Presse qui démontrait que la mosquée Assuna, fichée notamment par le FBI comme un des neuf lieux au monde où«des membres d'Al-Qaïda ont été recrutés, aidés ou formés», était considérée comme un organisme de bienfaisance par Ottawa depuis 1999. Un statut octroyé qu'à certaines conditions édictées par la Loi sur l'Impôt.

Cette mosquée a été à plusieurs reprises depuis cette date pointée du doigt dans divers dossiers liés au terrorisme, que ce soit au Canada, États-Unis et en Europe.

De plus, un texte qui apparaissait encore récemment sur son site internet (fermé depuis) expliquait qu'il «incombe à la femme musulmane de rester dans son foyer et de n'en sortir qu'en cas de besoin pressant» et alors dans ce cas selon des conditions strictes.

Selon le ministre Bernard Drainville, le projet de Loi 60, surnommé Projet de charte des valeurs, envoie quand même un «message aux intégristes».

Mais il a réitéré que «l'objectif premier» de la charte n'est pas de lutter contre ces «intégristes», mais plutôt d'«encadrer les demandes d'accommodements, faire de l'égalité hommes-femmes une valeur non négociable, et assurer la neutralité religieuse de l'état».

Rappelons qu'en 2004, le président actuel de la mosquée Assuna Salam Elmenyawi avait fait des pressions sur l'ex-ministre de la Sécurité publique Jacques Dupuis afin d'implanter la charia au Québec  en matière familiale. Un projet tué dans l'oeuf à la suite de l'adoption à l'unanimité en chambre d'une motion présentée par la députée libérale Fatima Houda-Pépin. 

Selon le ministre, le fait d'installer la neutralité de l'état,  c'est une «façon de dire au courant intégriste que l'on est en désaccord avec la fusion état-religion.»

Adresse originale : http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/201311/12/01-4710017-une-mosquee-fichee-par-le-fbi-est-un-organisme-de-bienfaisance-ici.php

Auteur : Fabrice de Pierrebourg
Référence : La Presse, 13 novembre 2013 (édition internet)

Titre original : Quelques «clients» de la mosquée Assuna de Montréal

FAKER BOUSSORA
Citoyen canadien. Le département d'État américain offre 5 millions pour la capture de celui qui est connu aussi sous le pseudonyme de Abu Yusif al-Tunisi.

RAOUF HANNACHI
Citoyen canadien. Appelait les fidèles à la prière à la mosquée. Aurait recruté Ressam et organisé son séjour dans un camp d'Al-Qaïda en Afghanistan. A quitté le Québec alors qu'il était dans la ligne de mire du SCRS.

ABDERRAOUF JDEY
Citoyen canadien. Considéré comme «étroitement lié à Al-Qaïda» par le département d'État américain qui offre 5 millions pour sa capture.

MOHAMED OULD SLAHI
Beau-frère d'un des lieutenants d'Oussama ben Laden. A officié comme imam à Assuna. Il est détenu à Guantánamo depuis 2002. Interrogé sous la torture, il aurait mis la CIA sur la piste du refuge de ben Laden au Pakistan.

ABDELLAH OUZGHAR
Condamné en avril 2009 à quatre ans de prison à Paris pour «association de malfaiteurs en relation avec une entreprise terroriste et de complicité de détention de faux documents administratifs (passeports)».

AHMED RESSAM
Condamné à 37 ans de prison à Seattle en octobre 2012. Projetait un attentat à l'aéroport de Los Angeles lors du passage à l'an 2000.

Programme de rapprochement du SPVM avec les islamistes de la mosquée Assuna

Adresse originale : http://www.spvm.qc.ca/upload/documentations/HJ_2006_04_28.pdf

Auteurs : Serge Boulerice et Marie Bourque
Référence : SPVM, L’heure juste, 28 avril 2006, p. 3

Titre original : Rapprochement avec les communautés: un incontournable au Poste de quartier 33

Parc-Extension est le quartier le plus densément peuplé de l’île. C’est aussi celui où on retrouve le plus grand nombre d’ethnies différentes et d’immigrants fraîchement arrivés. Les us et coutumes sont fort différents et la multitude de langues parlées n’aide pas nécessairement la communication. Les policiers du Poste de quartier 33 ont donc décidé d’apprivoiser les différences et de s’imprégner des habitudes du quartier.

Depuis l’automne, les policiers du groupe 2 ont tenu des journées d’activités avec des membres des communautés indienne, pakistanaise et srilankaise. Des séances d’information sur la langue et la culture ont été offertes aux policiers. Ils y ont notamment acquis quelques notions de tamoul et de punjabi qui leur sont fort utiles dans leur travail quotidien. Les membres de ces communautés ont également collaboré à l’élaboration d’un lexique sommaire, présenté sous forme de carton de poche, qui aide les policiers à établir un premier contact avec les personnes qui ne parlent que ces langues. En février, des certificats de reconnaissance ont été remis à ces précieux collaborateurs.

Pour leur part, les policiers du groupe 5 ont eu la chance de visiter la mosquée Assuna Annawabiyah, rue Hutchison, et ont échangé avec des représentants pour parfaire leurs connaissances sur l’Islam et les musulmans. Les deux parties ont aussi pu donner leur point de vue sur les problèmes rencontrés lors d’interventions auprès de cette communauté.

De semblables activités sont quasi incontournables dans un quartier aussi multiculturel. Toutefois, nos policiers y ont pris goût et désirent poursuivre dans cette voie.

Description de la photo

De gauche à droite, les agents Christian Simard et Anie Parmentier, monsieur Ali Ben Fakha, responsable de la bibliothèque, l’agent sénior Louis Nguyen, les agents Yvel Jérôme et Saït Karasayili, monsieur Jason, l’agent Benoît Guay et madame Artemise.

List of Radical Middle Way’s partners

Original address: http://www.radicalmiddleway.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=65 (dead link)

Web Archive (June 11, 2007): http://web.archive.org/web/20070611102350/http://www.radicalmiddleway.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=65

Original title: Partners

The Federation of Student Islamic Societies is an umbrella organisation, representing Muslim students in further and higher education. We cater for students across the UK and Ireland by serving their welfare needs, providing resources and training and taking decisive stances on the key issues of the day.

Mahabba Unlimited organises cultural, intellectual, spiritual and social events and programmes that appreciate, share and develop the message of peace, love and tolerance inherent in the Islamic faith. Our work supports, facilitates and encourages the emergence of a unique British Muslim cultural identity. A key aspect of our work is institutionalising the mawlid - the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad - as a major cross-cultural and inter-faith event in Britain which people of all creeds and racial and ethnic backgrounds can celebrate.

Q-News is Britain's leading Muslim magazine, providing independent analysis, critique and review of politics, culture and ideas. We are read by second and third generation British Muslims, parliamentarians, policy makers and educators. A third of our readership are not Muslim giving us unique place in the market as a publication which communicates the rich Muslim experience to a diverse audience. The philosophy of Q-News is a combination of style, appeal and relevance to the Muslim community living in the west and around the world. Over the years, Q-News has repeatedly set the agenda, rather than react to it. Our chief interest lies in the development of a unique and relevant Western Muslim discourse.

Established in 1978, the Young Muslims Organisation UK is a dynamic youth orientet organisation dedicated to develop, maintain and preserve the identity of Muslim youth by organising and engaging in grassroots activism, community development and broader social justice. YMO UK also organises courses, conferences, Tarbiyyah programs and has an active sister's wing.

http://www.pointdebasculecanada.ca/images/data/images/Lobby_Organisations/rmw%20partners.jpg

Conservative Senator Salma Ataullahjan and Conservative MP John Carmichael attended the RIS 2011 convention

In December 2011, MP John Carmichael transmitted Prime Minister Harper’s greetings to RIS participants. This portion of Carmichael’s speech was used by RIS organizers to advertise their convention the following year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkz8eiYptLA

Abdul-Rehman Malik’s own profile

Original address: http://about.me/abdulrehmanmalik

Author: Abdul-Rehman Malik
Date (Google Cache): October 17, 2013

Original title: Abdul-Rehman Malik

Abdul-Rehman Malik is a London-based journalist, educator and organiser. Formerly a contributing editor at Q-News, a pioneering Muslim current affairs magazine, he is currently programmes manager for the Radical Middle Way, an organisation that gives young Muslims the inspiration and tools to enable positive social change, promote social justice and combat exclusion and violence. A Canadian by birth, Abdul-Rehman was a columnist on religious affairs for The Toronto Star, from 1998 to 2003. An experienced educator and activist teaching history and dramatic arts, he began working as a freelance journalist attached to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 2001 and his radio documentary entitled “Ramadan at Ground Zero” - a look at New York’s Muslim community in the aftermath of 9/11 - was nominated for a prestigious Peabody Award. He holds a BA Hons in Political Theory and Middle East and Islamic history and B.Ed in Teaching History and Politics from the University of Toronto. Abdul-Rehman came to London in 2003 completing his MSc at the London School of Economics in Social Policy where his research looked at the role of Muslim Voluntary Sector organisations in the British social policy process. He has contributed writing and analysis to the BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Sky News, RTE, The Observer, The Times of London, openDemocracy.net, Eurozine, Lettre Internationale, Kulturaustauch, Index on Censorship, The Guardian’s Comment is Free and Green Futures. Abdul-Rehman was the associate producer on “A War Within” a feature CNN documentary on Britain’s Muslim communities which was broadcast in early 2007. Abdul-Rehman is a regular panelist on the BBC World Service's “Weekend World Today” show. His “Pause for Thought” radio column airs regularly on BBC Radio2’s weekday morning programme. Abdul-Rehman continues to work with young people in exploring Muslim identity through drama and theatre with the London-based An Nisa Society. He is also a speaker on faith issues at the progressive Greenbelt Festival, the UK’s largest independent Christian festival. He is married to journalist Fareena Alam and is father to Abdul-Rahman Ali Zayn al-Abidin Malik (their son).

http://www.pointdebasculecanada.ca/images/data/images/Personalites/malik%20ar%20about%20me.jpg

Hussein Hamdani encourages leaders of Muslim institutions to apply for security grants from Public Safety Canada

Original address: http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=34509

Author: Hussein Hamdani
Date: 2009

Original title: Federal Funding for Mosques and Schools

Asalaamu alaikum brothers and sisters, Recently, the Federal government announced another round of funding available to religious organizations (including mosques and schools) and community centres (including immigration settlement centres).

Unfortunately, there is a very short and looming deadline to get the application in: June 17, 2009. The first time around, approximately 98% of the funding went to Jewish organizations, while Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and others shared the remaining crumbs.

In my trips to Ottawa as a member of the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security, I have been very vocal in my criticism for the lack of funding to non-Jewish organizations. I invited the Minister to either change the name of the program to "Securing Synagogues" so that we are at least clear that this was meant for Jews only, or the funding be reflective of the diverse communities of Canada. After some denying that the funding was meant for Jews only (even though 98% went to one community), he agreed that the department would do a better job informing others of the program.

Please see the brief below as well as the link about the program. Basically, it allows religious organizations and community centres an opportunity to upgrade their security infrastructure by receiving a grant. The organization has to match the grant in dollars or in in-kind donations.

The application is long, so please get started right away.

Would you please forward this email to Presidents of the local Mosque, or principals of schools so that they can try to seek such funding.

Our community needs this program more then any other community. The levels of Islamophobic behaviour has been on a steady rise since 2001.

Masjid An Noor in St. Catharines was successful in receiving some grant money previously. I am not sure if they can help you or not, but if you have some questions, I have cc'ed the mosque to this correspondence.

Shukran,

Hussein A. Hamdani
North American Spiritual Revival
www.TheNASR.com

http://www.pointdebasculecanada.ca/images/data/images/Gouv_Canada/hamdani%20h%20federal%20funding%20security.jpg

The Hamdani Islamic Foundation of St. Catharines was founded by Hussein Abdulla Hamdani [1922-2008] “to fund the building of mosques and propagation of the faith”

Note (PdeB): Hussein Abdulla Hamdani [1922-2008] is the namesake and the grandfather of the Southern Ontario lawyer involved in numerous Islamist organizations who was appointed to the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security in 2005.

Source: The Spectator / Hamilton, February 10, 2005, p. A3

Original title: Lawyer says rights being sacrificed to security

Lawyer Hussein Hamdani will protest Canada's security crackdown on Muslims when he meets with federal Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan this year.

The Burlington resident has been appointed to the 15-member Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security formed by Ottawa to discuss the effect of national security measures on different groups and talk about where policies should go in the future.

Hamdani, a Muslim, says he intends to speak out about civil liberties he believes are being violated by post-9/11 security measures. He said immigrants, particularly people of his faith, are being targeted by authorities at border crossings.

"I've been in the randomly selected every time," said the corporate, commercial and real estate lawyer with Simpson Wigle in Hamilton and Burlington. "On the way back to Canada, we get way more questions than others on the flight.

"We're always getting stopped and at customs rooms, if you look around, it's all Muslims waiting to be questioned."

He said many are questioned by the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, who then try to recruit the individuals to work for them.

Hamdani, 32, is concerned about security certificates issued under the Immigration Act which have allowed Canada to detain six people without charges. They haven't been told why they're considered a threat to national security.

"They don't have the opportunity to defend themselves. It's shockingly unfair and against natural justice ... charge them or let them go."

He said through his involvement in the Muslim community and as a board member of the Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO) in Hamilton, he hears many stories of mistreatment in the name of national security.

He hopes to contribute ideas on how best to secure Canada while still maintaining rights, "to make sure security and civil liberties both flourish."

Hamdani came to Canada as a Ugandan refugee when he was six. He has a master's degree in international relations from the University of Toronto, teaches a business law course at Niagara College and co- ordinated the Toronto Muslim Summit in 2004.

He is the Halton Islamic Association's public relations officer, an adviser to the Muslim Youth of North America Organization and a founding member of the Ihya Foundation, which is committed to building bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims.

He is also on the board of the Hamdani Foundation of St. Catharines, a family charity founded by his grandfather to fund the building of mosques and "propagation of the faith" in Canada.

Illustration

Photo: Hussein Hamdani

Abdallah bin Bayyah: Zakat (Muslim charity) may be spent to “buy weapons” for those who wage jihad “for Allah’s Cause”

Original address: http://binbayyah.net/english/2012/01/19/using-zakah-in-building-institutes-of-al-azhar/

Web Archive (July 24, 2012): http://web.archive.org/web/20120724011934/http://binbayyah.net/english/2012/01/19/using-zakah-in-building-institutes-of-al-azhar/

Note (Point de Bascule): Zakat and Zakah are two English transcriptions of the Arabic word for Muslim charity, although the first one is more common.

Author: Abdallah bib Bayyah
Source: BinBayyah.net

Original title: Using Zakah in Building Institutes of Al-Azhar

Is it permissible to spend Zakah money to build Azhari institutes? Bear in mind that students in our country are in a dire need of this type of education, which is not financially supported by the state. Please answer us, may Allah reward you!

Scholars differ as to this point. Some believe that the category of “for Allah’s Cause” – mentioned in the Qur’an as one of the eight categories on which Zakah may be spent – may cover building Azhari institutes. It also covers paying for tuition, paving roads and building hospitals. All of these things are “for Allah’s Cause”, as they believe. Yet, the majority of scholars believe that the category of “for Allah’s Cause” covers only those going to Jihad or to Hajj.

So there are two groups of scholars. One group thinks that the category of “for Allah’s Cause” may include any act done for Allah’s Sake. This opinion is held by the Shafi`i Imam Al-Qaffal and Sheikh Muhammad Abdu and his student Muhammad Rashid Rida, in addition to some contemporary scholars. Thus, it is permissible to build Azhari institutes from Zakah money, according to their view. However, the widely known opinion is that of the majority of scholar which prefers giving Zakah to the poor or fighters in the cause of Allah, or according to Malik, to buy weapons. Scholars of this opinion further believe that this category does not include such things in question. So, Azhari institutes should be built with money from charity or endowments. And Allah knows best.

http://www.pointdebasculecanada.ca/images/data/images/Personalites/zakat%20bin%20bayyah.jpg

Lysiane Gagnon déclare qu’évoquer une menace islamiste au Canada relève de la paranoïa

Adresse originale : http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/chroniques/lysiane-gagnon/201311/15/01-4711263-fatima-et-djemila.php

Web Archive (18 novembre 2013) : http://web.archive.org/save/http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/chroniques/lysiane-gagnon/201311/15/01-4711263-fatima-et-djemila.php

Auteure : Lysiane Gagnon
Référence : La Presse, 16 novembre 2013 (version internet)

Titre original : Fatima et Djemila

Je le dis sincèrement, j'ai beaucoup d'admiration pour Djemila Benhabib et pour Fatima Houda-Pepin.

La première est une écrivaine dont les convictions fortes et le parcours singulier impressionnent: il fallait beaucoup de détermination pour aller porter les couleurs du PQ dans Trois-Rivières, l'une des régions les plus conservatrices du Québec, et encore davantage pour décider, après un premier échec, de s'y enraciner avec mari et enfant.

La seconde est depuis longtemps une députée sérieuse et estimée. On lui doit notamment d'avoir participé à la résistance aux tentatives de certains groupes pour implanter en Ontario des tribunaux familiaux islamiques basés sur la charia. Que les Hérouxvillois se calment, il ne s'agissait pas de légaliser la lapidation mais d'introduire un autre droit pour les questions familiales (mariage, divorce, héritage, etc).

C'était quand même un projet indéfendable, basé sur une discrimination systémique envers les femmes et, bien sûr, rigoureusement inacceptable dans une démocratie laïque (ce que le Québec était, incidemment, bien avant cette charte inutile qui ne sert qu'à exacerber les préjugés).

Cela dit, M^mes Benhabib et Houda-Pepin auraient tort de croire que le fait d'avoir grandi dans des sociétés musulmanes leur donne une expertise incontournable sur l'islam politique tel qu'il peut se manifester à Montréal. Il y a beaucoup d'exégètes de l'islam à travers le monde, et ils ne s'entendent pas tous. Quant aux Québécoises musulmanes, elles ont sur la charte des opinions très divergentes.

A la place de M^mes Benhabib et Houda-Pepin, je serais révoltée, comme elles, contre tous les imams de la terre, et une fois à Montréal, je verrais peut-être poindre à chaque coin de rue le spectre de l'islam politique, mais cela ne signifie pas que leurs arguments soient inattaquables, ni qu'elles soient particulièrement qualifiées pour définir la façon dont une société démocratique doit agir envers ses minorités.

En matière de droits fondamentaux, l'expérience personnelle et les anciens traumatismes ne forment pas une base solide pour la discussion.

M^mes Benhabib et Houda-Pepin peuvent se présenter en spéclialistes auto-proclamées de l'intégrisme islamiste, elles n'ont pas plus d'autorité morale que vous, moi et la voisine en ce qui concerne le coeur du débat, c'est à dire dans quelle sorte de société nous voulons vivre, ici, au Québec.

Nous ne sommes pas en Afghanistan ni en Algérie. Contrairement aux sociétés musulmanes, le Québec actuel est le produit de plusieurs siècles de démocratie libérale. Ce sont ces valeurs-là - en particulier le droit à la pratique religieuse - que défendent les adversaires des aspects coercitifs de la charte.

Le Québec n'est pas une société musulmane. Il n'a pas hérité, contrairement par exemple à l'Algérie, d'un lourd contentieux islamiste dont il faudrait se protéger au quotidien. La prudence nécessaire ailleurs devient, ici, de la paranoïa.

Le débat sur la charte n'a rien à voir avec les dangers (bien réels) de l'intégrisme musulman. Le Canada compte d'innombrables garde-fous à ce chapitre (SCRS, GRC, lois spéciales contre le terrorisme, échanges avec la NSA, le FBI, la CIA et les organismes de surveillance européens...). Ce n'est pas un projet de loi de l'Assemblée nationale qui ajoutera quelque chose à l'arsenal anti-djihadiste.

Le reste est affaire de liberté de conscience: que cela plaise ou non aux absolutistes qui voudraient voir une pensée d'État succéder à la religion d'État, dans une démocratie, les intégristes - musulmans, catholiques ou autres - ont le droit d'exister.

La seule responsabilité de l'État est de protéger le mieux possible les victimes potentielles de l'intégrisme - ainsi, les enfants à qui des Témoins de Jéhovah refuseraient une transfusion ou les filles dont la vie ou l'intégrité seraient menacées par des familles répressives et violentes.