Screencap from a supposedly serious assembly, via.Quebec’s notorious Charter of Values just finished up its third week in the wrestling ring of the National Assembly, where public hearings have been turning heads from MTL to Val d’Or. While some people were able to argue their pro-charter case with class and style, most of the attention has been focused on the more ridiculous witnesses that have passed by to champion the cause. For example, watch this absurd woman defend the charter by way of her terrifying run-in during Paris’ zombie parade where she felt deeply shaken by a bunch of undead-aficionados in horror make-up. Then there’s the couple who testified on January 16 about their experiences travelling in the predominantly Muslim countries of Turkey and Morocco. According to them, their horror at the prayer habits of Muslims is somehow relevant to the Charter of Values—so they took the opportunity to air their views before a host of lawmakers and many offended citizens.With an incredulity that has to be seen to be believed, Genevieve Caron describes her dismay at seeing, “men praying on all fours on little carpets. I remain marked by this [experience]” she said. While it’s debatable if she actually meant “scarred” rather than “marked”, what’s clear was that the people she met had different ways of praying, and that frightened the bejeesus out of her. So much so that she had to bring it to the National Assembly, under the benevolent gaze of the crucifix.But Mme. Caron is far from the only one with outrageous testimony. Here’s a collection of five pro-Charter activists that took our concern about some of Quebec’s xenophobia to new levels of WTF.
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- “We ban advertising aimed at children because, supposedly, they are susceptible,” said Michelle Blanc, “and yet there are some who would be ready to leave veiled women with our children all day long. Before you know it, the children will be asking if they too can wear a veil. Is that what we want for Quebec? I’m far from certain of that.”
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- “I’ll give you an example of the effect conspicuous symbols can have. Personally, I went to Staples four years ago, and there was a woman with a veil at the cash, and I changed cashiers because I felt ill at ease. I did not want to know her religion.”
- “So I picked up my daughter at [the daycare]. I was talking to the teacher, and I heard a cry, a child’s cry and it was really intriguing. I asked, ‘what’s happening?’ She said, ‘it’s an application with the call to prayer that I just installed on my computer…’ I found it appalling. So you see, I’ve experienced situations which are very, very disagreeable.”
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- “[Here is] an example, a gay Muslim boy who has been shunned from his community because of his sexual orientation, and that is faced with a veiled nurse or psychologist who is bearing the same sign as the religious community that rejected him and he feels thereby rejected… Can you understand that the religious symbol can sometimes be a message of rejection for those who see it?”
- “…getting your prostate examined by rectal examination is a little disorienting at the beginning or, at least, the first time. This could only be worse if, in addition, you had to deal with a veiled doctor with burqa or the niqab, this obviously would not do.”