Trudeau says Quebecers are ‘not racists’ amid Amira Elghawaby backlash

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continued to defend his choice of Amira Elghawaby as Canada’s first-ever special representative on combating Islamophobia, saying Quebecers are “not racists.” The comments came as Elghawaby faced criticism and questions over an opinion piece she co-wrote in 2019, in which she pointed to a poll done at the time and suggesting “the majority of Quebecers appear to be swayed not by the rule of law, but by anti-Muslim sentiment.” Elghawaby’s opinion piece was criticizing Bill 21, which bans certain public-facing employees in the province from wearing religious symbols on the job. Trudeau did, however, say Wednesday he was not aware of all her past remarks when he made the appointment.