After year of fractious debate, anniversary of mosque shooting recalls a united Quebec

On the night following the Quebec City mosque shooting, several thousand people huddled in the cold, clutched candles and delivered messages of support to the province's Muslim community.

That moment of unity was invoked, again and again, at events Wednesday marking the third anniversary of the attack, which left six people dead and several more injured.

Premier François Legault, in a short speech at a community supper, called the candlelight vigil in 2017 "the real face of Quebec."

Speaking at the same event Wednesday night, Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume recalled the sense of pride he felt seeing his city come together after such a violent expression of hate.

And Boufeldja Benabdallah, the head of the mosque where the shooting occurred, said the sight of so many Quebecers, of all different beliefs, brought him a moment of "tranquillity" amid the trauma.

"We can't forget that extraordinary beautiful moment," Benabdallah said at a news conference earlier Wednesday.

But that sense of unity is no longer felt by many in the Muslim community, especially since Legault's government passed a law last year that bans some civil servants from wearing religious symbols at work.

The law was passed over the fervent opposition of nearly every Muslim group in the province, who said it unfairly targets Muslim women who wear the hijab, prohibiting them working as teachers, government lawyers and police officers. 

"That hurt us," Benabdallah said of the law, earlier this week.

Legault has sought to downplay the unease the legislation, also known as Bill 21, has caused.

"I think the [social] climate is good," he said while speaking with reporters at the National Assembly.

"I think the majority of Quebecers are happy about this moderate law and I think Quebecers have also been a welcoming people.

"I think right now it's a way to make sure that we live all together and that there's tolerance and a balance between integration and respect."

As the premier spoke at Wednesday's event, many women wearing hijabs looked away and did not applaud when he finished.

Benabdallah, in contrast, was given a standing ovation as he took the podium. "The road ahead is long if we are to re-establish the harmony within the Quebec people," he said.

"I dream of a tomorrow where I, someone who has lived in the province of Quebec for 51 years, will no longer be called 'You, immigrant."

Addressing the diverse crowd in a suburban Quebec City church, he said: "Enough with this 'You, immigrants.' You are Quebec citizens. End of story."

More political event than in years past

There was no mistaking the political tone of this year's anniversary, which was more pronounced than in the two previous years, when attention was focused on the victims and the survivors.

The organizers said they wanted to stress the Islamophobic nature of the attack and its ongoing presence in Quebec society.

"The attack was part of a larger phenomena: Islamophobia," said Sébastien Bouchard, a member of the citizens' committee that organized the 2017 vigil and the annual commemoration events.

"That doesn't mean all Quebecers are Islamophobic. But it exists; it has to be named, recognized and denounced."

The emphasis on Islamophobia appeared to be a reply to controversial remarks Legault made around this time last year, when he said there is "no Islamophobia in Quebec."

Bouchard was among several people involved in Wednesday's commemoration events who criticized tabloid columnists and shock-jock radio hosts for stoking divisive rhetoric.

At the community supper, local hip-hop artist Webster asked the audience: "Are we going to let hateful columnists dictate who we are?"

That line was met with a loud round of applause, which only grew louder when he continued, saying "Are we going to let the government tell women what they can and cannot wear?"

By then, though, Legault had already left the building.