For Immediate Release
MONTREAL, September 24, 1996... Three minority rights, organizations are calling upon Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard to bring in legislation to outlaw public incitement to hatred, contempt or discrimination directed at minority groups in Quebec as recommended by the Quebec Human Rights Comrnission in 1994
As a response to Raymond Villeneuve's public threat of violent action against members of the Jewish community, the B'nai Brith League for Human Rights, the Black Coalition of Quebec, and the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) ask the Quebec government to publicly condemn such threat and to act firmly to ensure that such incitement to hatred and violence shall not be tolerated.
One concrete action which the government can take is to amend the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms to prohibit and make punishable by law any act of public incitement to hatred, contempt, ridicule or discrimination against a group or class of persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ethnic or national origin, among others. Similar provisions already exist in human rights statutes in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and at the federal level. In 1994, the Quebec Human Rights Commission has suggested such amendment to the government to enable it to fight incitement to hatred and discrimination more effectively.
To the organizations, the government and other sectors of Quebec society need to go beyond words. Concrete and rapid legislative action Is required to send a strong message to Quebecers of all origins and political convictions - and to the rest of the world - that there is no place for anti-Semitism and racist violence in Quebec Further, the government needs to reassure members of the Jewish community and other ethnocultural groups that there is a place for these citizens in this pluralistic, democratic society that historically has deep traditions of respect towards minorities. particularly where Ouebecers of Jewish background are concerned.
As Quebec celebrates in December the 10th anniversary of the Declaration of the Government of Quebec on Race and Inter-ethnic Relations, the time is right for the government to adopt legislation advocated by the three organizations.
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