Montreal – Sada Online

The Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF) has expressed “deep concern” over a number of statements made by Fatima Aboubakr, the Parti Québécois candidate in Laval-des-Rapides, regarding Muslims in Quebec and broader questions surrounding faith, secularism and public life. The organization is calling on the party to clarify its position on political discourse concerning Muslim Quebecers.

The Forum’s position was outlined in a statement issued Friday, September 25, referring to an interview Aboubakr gave to Gabe Masson on YouTube, which premiered on October 22, 2025.

The Parti Québécois’ official website confirms that Aboubakr is its candidate in Laval-des-Rapides and presents her as an advocate of Quebec’s secularism model. The party officially announced her candidacy last June.

“Islamism” Should Not Become a Catch-All Label for Muslims

The Forum said it fully recognizes Aboubakr’s right to express her views and participate in democratic debate. However, it stressed that public debate also carries a responsibility to avoid broad characterizations that could associate entire segments of Quebec society with predetermined ideologies or political movements.

The statement focused particularly on what the Forum described as the increasingly broad use of the term “Islamism.”

According to FMC-CMF, the term should not become a catch-all label applied to Quebecers simply because they visibly practise their faith, express their religious beliefs, advocate for their rights and freedoms, participate in community organizations, or support an inclusive understanding of secularism.

The Forum emphasized that Muslim Quebecers, like all Quebecers, have the right to practise their faith, peacefully express their views, participate in community life and take a full part in democratic and civic life.

Warning Against Allegations of Foreign Affiliations

The statement also addressed what the Forum described as allegations or insinuations concerning the affiliation of Muslim Quebecers or community organizations with foreign groups or interests.

FMC-CMF said allegations involving “foreign affiliation, influence or infiltration” are serious matters and should therefore be supported by “specific, clear and verifiable evidence.”

It argued that such allegations should not be used to discredit individuals or organizations simply because they are Muslim, active in community advocacy, or hold different views on secularism.

What About Health Care, Housing and the Cost of Living?

The Forum also criticized what it viewed as a strong emphasis in the interview on faith, secularism and the identity of Muslim Quebecers, while other issues affecting the province as a whole received little or no attention.

It pointed to affordability and the cost of living, health care, education, housing, employment and the economy as issues that deserve significant attention in any political discussion about Quebec’s future.

The statement stressed that Muslim Quebecers are not a separate category outside these concerns. They are “workers, entrepreneurs, students, parents, health care professionals, educators and seniors” who share the same concerns about affordability, public services and economic opportunities as their fellow Quebecers.

Muslim Women and Girls

FMC-CMF also expressed concern when Muslim women and girls are invoked as “political or ideological symbols” in broader debates about faith, secularism and gender equality.

The Forum acknowledged that there is a legitimate place for debate about gender equality and Quebec’s secular model, but argued that Muslim women and girls should not be reduced to symbols.

Their individual circumstances, voices, choices and dignity, it said, must remain at the centre of any discussion concerning their rights and lives.

This aspect of the statement comes against the backdrop of Aboubakr’s previous public positions on religious symbols. In May, the Journal de Québec reported that she supported extending the ban on religious symbols to elementary school students, arguing that children are too young to make such choices themselves.

Call on the PQ to Clarify Its Position

With Aboubakr seeking elected office under the Parti Québécois banner, the Forum said her position as a candidate warrants, in its view, “greater clarity and responsibility” when discussing the hundreds of thousands of Muslim Quebecers who practise their faith in diverse ways.

FMC-CMF therefore called on the Parti Québécois to clarify its expectations regarding public discourse, equal citizenship, freedom of expression and the treatment of Muslim Quebecers in political debate.

The Forum stressed that Quebecers should be able to openly and vigorously debate both local and international issues. At the same time, it said, “ordinary citizens should not be treated as suspects because of their faith,” and serious allegations should not be made without clear evidence.

FMC-CMF concluded by saying it would continue to defend the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Quebec’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, including freedom of faith, freedom of expression, freedom of association and the right to participate fully in democratic life.

It called for political debate based on “facts, evidence, individual rights, democratic principles and respect for the equal citizenship and dignity of all Quebecers.”