Quebec municipal party's comments about Islam prompt hate speech complaint

A Quebec City resident has filed a complaint to Elections Québec denouncing hate speech in a fringe municipal party's platform. 

Radio-Canada obtained an email sent to the Quebec City returning officer, in which the plaintiff says Alliance Citoyenne de Québec (ACQ) made hateful remarks aimed at Quebec's Muslim community on its website.

The plaintiff called the comments problematic and asked the returning officer to take appropriate action against the party.

The party makes several disparaging remarks against Islam on its website, and the party platform refers to countering any spread of the religion in the city.

Alain Giasson, ACQ leader and candidate for mayor of Quebec City, says he takes ownership for the platform and the website's content that prompted the complaint.

Giasson says he added the material after learning that the co-founder of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec, Boufeldja Benabdallah, announced his candidacy for municipal council. 

The centre was the target of an attack in 2017, where six Muslim men were killed by a gunman. 

Benabdallah says he's open to explaining his religion to Giasson, but he wants him to apologize publicly. 

Elections Québec says it can't intervene despite the complaint.

"The content of party platforms or the comments made by them are not governed by the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities and it is with regard to this law that Elections Québec has jurisdiction to intervene at the municipal level," a spokesperson said by email. 

Quebec will hold municipal elections on Nov. 7. In 2017, 13 candidates ran under the ACQ banner, whereas only five will do so this year.

Giasson's party is running candidates in four districts: Saint-Roch–Saint-Sauveur, Maizerets-Lairet, Saint-Louis–Sillery and Val-Bélair.