The Canadian Jewish Congress will file a brief asking the Quebec province to respect the rights of minority immigrants.
The brief on the controversial topic of “reasonable accommodation of minorities” will be presented Thursday before the Bouchard Taylor Commission, which is holding town hearings on the subject following a series of incidents in which immigrants had their rights challenged.
The heated national debate boiled over in the 1,300-resident municipality of Herouxville, northeast of Montreal, which last January enacted laws referred to as a “code of life” outlining what was expected of immigrants wishing to live there. The municipal rules were perceived as racist by a broad spectrum of Canadians; Herouxville residents have been called Nazis and worse.
The delegation from CJC’s Quebec Region will be led by the organization’s Quebec president, Dr. Victor Goldbloom.
The roving commission, which eventually will visit 17 towns and cities across Quebec, is hearing the public’s views regarding how much government should adapt to accommodate immigrants and vice versa.
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