Stop scapegoating immigrants for votes. Shortly before Québec

Centre
communautaire des
femmes
sud-asiatiques
South Asian
Women’s
Community
Centre
1035 rue Rachel Est
3ème étage
Montréal, Qc. H2J 2J5
Téléphone: 514-528-8812
Télécopier:514-528-0896
e-mail: [email protected]
4th December
For immediate release [français au-dessous]
Stop scapegoating immigrants for votes.
Shortly before Québec premier Jean Charest called the provincial election, Yolande
James, his Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities, astounded us with the
announcement that immigrants to Quebec would have to respect Québec’s “common
values”. She said that immigrants to Québec must respect the fact that Québec is a
secular society where men and women have equal rights, and would have to sign a
declaration to this effect. Not to be sidelined, and in a pathetic attempt to prop up
sagging support, ADQ head, Mario Dumont raised the ‘Quebec identity’ bogey, saying
the new course in Quebec schools on ethics, religion and culture in Quebec schools was
“a negation of Québécois values.” While Dumont has been roundly pilloried for this,
James’s announcement has not received the same kind of attention. And if we look back
in recent history, we cannot forget former PQ leader Parizeau’s “money and the ethnic
vote” comment.
James and Dumont show that time has changed little. That no matter the political stripe,
when it comes to minority rights, politicians play politics, and are ready to sacrifice them.
They pander to what they believe are the sentiments of majority voters. They scapegoat
immigrants and they are deliberately blind to history. The first inhabitants of Québec
(and lest we forget, ‘Québec’ is an indigenous name) are the aboriginal people. Yet there
are no sensibilities to their language, culture or values, (which include higher levels of
gender equality than that of the settler colonialists).
Last year, in response to Dumont’s challenges, Premier Charest established the
Reasonable Accommodation commission. It was heartening to see that the xenophobic
elements were in the minority. That the majority of Quebecers were not caught up with
narrow definitions of identity. Unfortunately, completely negating the findings of their
own commission, the Liberals have, a year later, issued the James ‘requirement’. And
Dumont tried to stir up a hornet’s nest again. We said it then and we say it now – playing
identity politics is a red herring and a dangerous game. It should be trashed once and for
all!
Instead of having new immigrants to Quebec sign a declaration, the Quebec government
should issue a promise to all in Quebec -- new arrivals, as well as those who have been
here longer, and the indigenous people -- that all rights will be protected, there will be no
racial profiling, that equivalences for education and professional experience will be
processed without delay, that housing is available to all irrespective of race and income,
that minority youth will not be discriminated in employment in public and private sectors,
that there will be no distinctions based on race, gender, ethnicity and religion, and
government will work affirmatively in this direction. In essence, that Quebec will be a
society based on justice and equity. Some examples of these affirmations would be the
provision of more free French classes, reduced waiting periods for newcomers to access
healthcare in the same way as other Quebecers.
We at the South Asian Women’s Community Centre, providing support, services and
advocacy for South Asian women and their families in the Greater Montreal area for the past 27
years, would like to warn all parties about the irresponsible and dangerous game they play
when one group in a population is targeted. History is full of examples of the
consequences. Once the monster it out of the bottle it’s hard to push it back in.
Info: [email protected]; 514-528-8812 x 103
Sommaire du Communiqué de presse
‘Arrêtez d’utiliser la question des immigrants pour gagner des votes’
Les partis politiques continuent d’utiliser la question des immigrants pour influencer les
votes. Les libéraux du premier ministre Charest ont annoncé, peu avant le
déclenchement de la campagne électorale, que les immigrants au Québec auront à
signer une déclaration reconnaissant les valeurs du peuple Québécois. Mario Dumont,
le chef de l’opposition l’ADQ, dénonce le nouveau cour dans les écoles traitant de
l’éthique, la religion et de la culture québécoise comme une négation des valeurs
québécoises. Et, il est impossible d’oublier la fameuse phrase de Jacques Parizeau ‘
nous avons été battus par l’argent et les votes ethniques’.
N’importe le parti politique, ils sont prêts à sacrifier les droits des minorités pour céder
aux sentiments de la majorité des électeurs. Pourtant, la contribution à la destruction de
la richesse des langues, des cultures et valeurs des autochtones restent toujours un oubli.
L’établissement de la Commission de consultation sur les pratiques d’accommodement
reliées aux différences culturelle, le 8 février 2007, a démontré que la majorité de la
population ne percevait pas l’identité québécoise d’une manière étroite et rigide.
Malheureusement, les recommandations de la commission n’ont pas figuré dans les
initiatives du gouvernement Charest.
En lieu de faire signer une déclaration par les immigrants, le gouvernement du Québec a
besoin de promettre aux nouveaux immigrants, aux immigrants qui sont établis depuis
longtemps et aux premières nations de protéger leurs droits humains, de ne pas faire du
profilage ethnique, d’améliorer le processus pour obtenir des équivalences pour les
études et l’expérience professionnelle, l’accès aux logements, que les jeunes des
communautés culturelles puissent accéder à l’emploi dans le secteur privé et public sans
discrimination et d’offrir plus de cours de français et de réduire le temps d’attente pour
l’accès aux services de santé.
Le centre communautaire des femmes sud-asiatiques qui existe depuis plus de 27 ans
offre des services d’aide et de soutien aux nouveaux immigrants et réfugiées. Nous
soulignons que c’est irresponsable et dangereux à tous les partis politiques d’utiliser la
question des immigrants pour gagner des votes. Les conséquences sont désastreuses.
Info: [email protected]; 514-528-8812 x 103