Quebec Premier Francois Legault criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over his comments concerning the beheading of Samuel Paty, a French schoolteacher who showed his students Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, the Journale de Montreal reports.
“We cannot accuse people who have made cartoons of justifying violence in this way. I really totally disagree with Mr. Trudeau, we have to protect freedom of expression,” the Premier said in a Monday press conference.
Legault further stated that he agrees more with French President Emmanuel Macron, who has staunchly defended freedom of expression following the brutal murder of Paty.
When asked about the beheading in France, Trudeau responded that "freedom of expression is not without limits." He further compared drawing Muhammad to yelling "fire in a crowded movie theater," referencing a now-overturned US Supreme Court ruling which allowed the US government to imprison political dissidents who spoke against the military draft.
“In a pluralistic, diverse and respectful society like ours, we must be aware of the impact of our words, of our actions on others, particularly these communities and populations who still experience enormous discrimination."
The comments were also criticized by Opposition Leader Erin O'Toole, who said it was "very disturbing" that the Prime Minister refused to stand up for freedom of expression, describing it as "one of the pillars of our democracy."
C’est très inquiétant quand le premier ministre envoie le signal qu’il ne protège pas la liberté d’expression. C’est l’un des piliers de notre démocratie, et sans elle, nous glissons vers l’ignorance.https://t.co/CX2MA1zINE
— Erin O'Toole (@erinotoole) October 31, 2020
Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also chimed in, tweeting that the Prime Minister "must correct himself" alongside an article describing Trudeau's remarks as "soft" and "ambiguous." The article also said that Trudeau's comments signal to the world that Canada is an "ideal marina for Islamists."
Mot juste de @Maka_Kotto sur la différence entre islamisme radical et respect de la vie enseigné dans le livre saint des Musulmans, le “croc-en-jambe” de @JustinTrudeau à @EmmanuelMacron et le refuge canadien pour extrémistes.
— Yves-F. Blanchet ??? (@yfblanchet) November 2, 2020
Il faut que le PM se corrige.https://t.co/7QpzJ93FGS
Muhammad cartoons are considered highly offensive to many Muslims, who believe that drawing the prophet is equivalent to blasphemy.
Despite Trudeau's comment implying that blasphemy against Islam is not covered by freedom of expression, it was in fact his government which repealed the remaining blasphemy laws in Canada in 2018. The law, however, had already gone unenforced for decades.
Join and support independent free thinkers!
We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.
Remind me next month
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy
