Amid the controversy surrounding Amira Elwaghaby’s appointment, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a point of making a lengthy clarification to defend his government’s choice while offering his perspective on the “Quebec bashing” and the “extremely defensive response to the part.” of the Quebeckers” who he says “get it”.

• Also read: Trudeau “100% supports” Amira Elghawaby but unease lingers

“There are several facts we need to remember,” Mr. Trudeau began, before indulging in a reading of Quebec history ahead of his Wednesday morning caucus.

“Quebecians are among the most ardent defenders of individual rights and freedoms, and this comes from a place in recent history where, prior to the Quiet Revolution, Quebec was subject to a religion that failed to respect the rights and freedoms of the individual.”

This explains why there is “distrust” of religion in Quebec more than anywhere else in Canada, which is often confused “with this idea of ​​intolerance of others,” he said.

“But it’s not at all,” Justin Trudeau said. “Quebecians just want everyone to be liberated and totally free.”

“So people need to understand a little bit that there are two different visions of what a secular society is, what a secular society is, and that will be resolved when sensible people have a real and deep conversation.”

All these “controversies” and even this “confrontation” between “English Canada” and Quebec stem from these disagreements that depend on different historical paths.

“It’s easy to go to the barricades and point fingers at each other,” he continued. But it takes people to explain the perspectives, to explain how believers, whatever their religion, can be tormented by this perspective and this reality of Quebec culture.

In response to a question that remains unclear to this day, the prime minister said he knew “some of what he said” but not “some of the others that are coming out now”.