THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

QUEBEC CITY, Tuesday, September 20, 2022
(18)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights met this day at 9:12 a.m. ET, in the Palais room, 1st floor, Hilton Quebec, the chair, the Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Ataullahjan, Gerba, Jaffer and Oh (4).

Participating in the meeting: Mireille Aubé, Procedural Clerk, and Lyne Héroux, Logistics Officer, Committees Directorate; Robert Mason and Brendan Naef, analysts, Library of Parliament; Amely Coulombe, Senate Events Coordinator, Communications Directorate.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, March 3, 2022, the committee continued its study of such issues as may arise from time to time relating to human rights generally. (Topic: Islamophobia in Canada)

WITNESSES:

Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City:

Mohamed Labidi, President;

Boufeldja Benabdallah, Co-founder and Spokesperson;

Laïla Aitoumasste, Coordinator.

Canadian Muslim Forum:

Samer Majzoub, President.

Collective for the fight and action against racism:

Nadège Rosine Toguem, Spokesperson;

Nabila Yasmine Saidji.

Ligue des droits et libertés:

Maxim Fortin, Quebec City Chapter Coordinator.

Muslim Students’ Association of the University of Montreal:

Yasser Lahlou.

Muslim Students’ Association of Laval University:

Arroun Arafat Mfochivé Badiane, President.

Quebec Women’s Federation:

Thérèse Sagna, Board Member.

As individuals:

Mohamad El Hafid;

Saïd Akjour;

Nabila Daoudi;

Rachad Antonius, Adjunct Professor, Department of Sociology, Université du Québec à Montréal;

Louis-Philippe Lampron, Full Professor in Rights and Freedoms, Researcher for the CRIDAQ and Co-spokesperson for GEDEL, Faculty of Law, Laval University.

The chair informed the committee of the funerals of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the committee observed a minute of silence.

Laïla Aitoumasste, Mohamed Labidi, Mohamad El Hafid, Saïd Akjour, Nabila Daoudi and Boufeldja Benabdallah each made a statement and answered questions.

At 10:17 a.m., the committee suspended.

At 10:30 a.m., the committee resumed.

Samer Majzoub, Rachad Antonius and Louis-Philippe Lampron each made a statement and answered questions.

At 11:19 a.m., the committee suspended.

At 11:21 a.m., the committee resumed.

Nadège Rosine Toguem, Nabila Yasmine Saidji and Maxim Fortin each made a statement and answered questions.

At 12:12 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 1:16 p.m., the committee resumed.

Yasser Lahlou, Arroun Arafat Mfochivé Badiane and Thérèse Sagna each made a statement and answered questions.

At 2:09 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Sébastien Payet

Clerk of the Committee