Valérie Plante calls for solidarity in wake of inaccurate mosque report
'Erroneous statements hurt communities ... and that undermines our city,' she says in statement
Mayor Valérie Plante is calling for solidarity and vigilance in the wake of a news report about a Côte-des-Neiges mosque that stirred controversy across the province but turned out to be wrong.
In a statement posted to her Facebook page Sunday, Plante warned against reacting too hastily to rumours, especially when specific communities are involved.
"Erroneous statements hurt communities; in this case, the Muslim community, and that undermines our city," she said.
She was referring to a report, published by TVA last Tuesday, claiming mosque officials had demanded female workers be kept off a construction site on their property on Fridays, the Muslim day of prayer.
The story struck a nerve, 10 years removed from the Bouchard-Taylor commission that asked just how far Quebec society should go in accommodating different cultural and religious practices.
The story was found to be baseless following an investigation by the CCQ, Quebec's construction commission, and the network apologized.
Plante's Facebook post was the first time she'd remarked on the subject since the story was published.