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Press release
The Canadian Muslim Women Committee CFMC / CMF
The refusal to allow Muslim arbitration is
discriminatory,
propagandistic and Islamophobic
June 9, 2005
Montreal: The Canadian Muslim Women Committee
denounces the
discriminatory spirit and propagandist Islamophobic
elements of the
law introduced by the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) and
recently passed
by the National Assembly which refused the presence of
a platform of
Muslim arbitration to regulate matrimonial conflicts.
According to the CFMC, this law goes against the
pluralistic values
within Quebec society and undermines the Charter of
the Rights and
Freedoms of Canada and Quebec. Other religious
communities currently
have the right to resort to religious courts in cases
of disputes.
Mrs. Houda-Pépin, who proposed the motion in the
national assembly,
assumes that such a court would hinder access of
Muslims from Canadian
and Quebec laws. However, the characteristics of the
proposed platform
were definetly not explained at the time of the
acceptance of the
motion. In fact, this court would only solve cases of
family
conflicts. The agreement of the two sides to attend
the arbitration
would be necessary, the decision of the referee could
always be over
turned higher court of Quebec and any decision taken
by the referee
would have to conform to the Québécois and Canadian
laws.
The Canadian Muslim Women Committee denounces the
discriminatory and
the Islamophobic spirit of this motion and claims the
right of fair
and equitable treatment as any other religious
community in Quebec.
Media Contact:
Kathy Malas (514) 221-5926
kathy_malas33@hotmail.com
www.cfmc-fmc.org
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