The former NDP candidate Samira Laouni pleaded in committee Wednesday for a more positive representation of Muslims in the Quebec news media. An idea supported by the Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil.
The media too often make use of “sensationalism” when they address issues related to Islam, came to tell the President of the COR (Communication, openness and intercultural understanding) before the parliamentary committee to investigate the immigration reform of Quebec.
Samira Laouni wants Quebec to provide the means to “influence collectively” journalists to disseminate “objective information avoiding sensationalism” about Muslims.
The idea seemed to please the Minister Weil, who praised the regional media reports on successful immigrants settled in the area. “It touches me when I see these stories and I see much more of it in regional coverage […] it is not the national media who do it,” she said.
The minister also highlighted the lack of cultural diversity in the entertainment media, including television. “It is often said that Quebec lags behind in this respect from the rest of Canada, she said. We do not see the face of diversity; we do not hear the voices of diversity. “
When it comes to immigration or religion, the media coverage of some media is “completely negative,” said Samira Laouni. “I think the media should play their role of information and training,” she added, saying that they have a public educational role.
For example, the media should not have insisted on the religion of Martin ‘Ahmad’ Roll, which killed two soldiers with his car in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. “What I regret is how they emphasized it,” she said. Samira Laouni notes that a combination of factors, including his mental health, have motivated his actions. “This is a guy who was lost,” she said.
The COR president proposes to add a component to journalism classes to introduce students to intercultural realities.
She also suggests that the government establishes an awareness campaign similar to those on mental illness broadcasted at the moment. “It wouldn’t be before a long time,” she said, in order to sustainably change attitudes.
In 2008, Samira Laouni was the first veiled candidate in Quebec. Ever since, websites such as “Point de Bascule” and “Poste de veille” accused her of having links with Islamist organizations. These links, however, have never been proven.
Minimum quotas for visible minorities
In the morning, the Commission on Human Rights and Youth Rights suggested to force private companies to adopt a program of access to equality in employment to encourage minorities most likely to be victims of racism.
The state should therefore legally force enterprises to adopt a mechanism to counter all forms of racism and discrimination in recruiting employees, the agency argues in its brief.
The government should start by setting an example and grant special status to members of “racialized” (think blacks and Asians) when there is hiring in the public service, argued the president of the ‘advocacy organization, Jacques Frémont.
With Huffington Post
