Quebec Premier Calls on Police to Intervene

Quebec Premier François Legault asked the police to investigate a Montreal imam who allegedly made calls to to incite violence and hatred.

According to a translation obtained by The Canadian Press, Imam Adil Charkaoui, who has been under investigation by police for nine years, reportedly expressed himself during a public prayer gathering that “God, take care of the aggressor Zionists. Make sure you don’t leave one.”

In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Legault said, “I’m counting on the police to do their job well. They have to do their job. It’s not up to me to tell them how to do their job, but inciting violence, that’s not allowed.”

Similarly, Parti Québécois (PQ) Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon points out that the Criminal Code penalizes public incitement to hatred.

“Never, in Quebec, should we accept that someone can publicly incite hatred towards other people,” he said. “I’m asking the authorities to follow up on this, as article 319 of the Criminal Code seems pretty clear to me.

Interim Liberal Leader Marc Tanguay maintains that Charkaoui’s statement was “totally unacceptable,” noting that he would leave it to the authorities “to see if there are grounds for legal action.”