Anti-Islam Facebook post forces PQ candidate to drop out
Parti Québécois's Jean Carrière says image was meant to be pro-feminist
A Parti Québécois candidate who posted an anti-Islam photo on his Facebook page has dropped out of the race.
Leader Pauline Marois confirmed this morning that Jean Carrière was no longer running in his LaFontaine riding.
The candidate came under fire for an image he shared on his personal Facebook page.
The image, dated Jan. 26, shows a women holding up her middle finger, with a caption: "F--k Islam."
Carrière's personal Facebook page was deactivated on Wednesday night, and his Twitter account is no longer available.
His profile on the PQ's website was also pulled down, showing a 404 "Page not available" error message on Thursday morning.
Carrière told Radio-Canada that he remembered sharing the photo on his Facebook page. He defended his post, saying it was meant as a pro-feminist image.
The LaFontaine riding, in Montreal's north-east, went to the Liberals in the 2012 provincial election. Marc Tanguay won with 59 per cent of the vote.