The Charter's not a Buffet

Trudeau spoke to parents concerned with their right to decide what their children are taught in schools. The group of Muslim parents were very worried about the "gender ideology" being forced on their children. The reporter called his answer evasive. Listen for yourself; here's what he said in full,

"I've heard this concern many, many times, and I know that it is a very real issue. First of all, there is an awful lot of misinformation and disinformation out there are people on social media, particularly fueled by the American right-wing, who are spreading a lot of untruths about what's actually in the provincial curriculums. The federal government doesn't control what's taught in the schools. That's the provincial government that controls what's taught in schools. That's not something that is directly on the federal government. But at the same time, the federal government is unequivocal about standing for everybody's rights and freedoms. And the highest expression of parental rights is, of course, the safety and well-being of the child. Your concern with the community is, broadly, safety, the well-being and strengthening the protection for your children. I entirely understand that. 

The one thing that is really, really important in Canada, is, we're a place that stands up for everybody's rights, and certainly when it comes to the Muslim community. We were the government that pushed back against the conservatives that, you know, made a political campaign against the niqab, that brought in a snitch line against Muslims. You know, the Islamophobia pushed by the previous conservative government, in a whole bunch of different ways, was something that we all have stood against. Now, this government has and will always be the strongest ally to all minority communities, including particularly Muslims who have faced terrible violence. And when you look at the black Muslim women in Edmonton who were attacked, that is the Islamophobia that we absolutely have to stand against. 

The issue though, is that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that protects your religion gives you the freedom of religion, allows you to fully participate in the society that gives you all the protections, protects all minorities as well. And it's not a buffet. You can't get the protections you want out of the charter and leave aside others. Standing up for people's rights means standing up for everybody's rights. 

Now, if you look at the various curriculums, you'll see that there is not what is being said out there about aggressive teaching or conversion of kids to being LGBT. That is something that is being weaponized by people who are not doing it because of their interest in supporting the Muslim community. These are people in the far right who have consistently stood against Muslim rights and the Muslim community, but they are weaponizing the issue of LGBT, which is something that, yes, Islam has strong opinions on, the same way that the religious right in Canada, the Christian right, has strong opinions against as well. They're using those fears to drive a wedge between the government that will always stand up for all your rights, just like I will always stand up for the rights of LGBT kids, including if they're LGBT Muslim kids. 

And standing up for everyone's rights is what you get with a Liberal government. We're going to defend your rights even when you disagree with us defending other people's rights, and how we work to get along in this country, and listen to each other and prevent people from activating baseless fears around lies and around, as you said, scaring your parents into what's actually being taught. That is hurting the fabric of respect and openness that allows Canada to be one of the places where we support and defend the Muslim community more than just about any other Western country in the world." 

The interviewer said they appreciate that, but asked about an Edmonton teacher who told children they should leave Canada because they didn't participate at Pride. Trudeau asked, "And what happened to that teacher?" The interview said, "She just vanished; nobody knows what happened to her." Trudeau explained, "That teacher got serious consequences because that is not something that is acceptable." The interviewer wanted the government to make it clear they don't support that. Trudeau responded, 

"The federal government doesn't control what happens to teachers in the school system, but it does not represent my position or the federal government's position that people need to be chastised for their religious beliefs. People are free to have their religious beliefs. In fact, within all of that, we have to make sure we are standing up and defending everyone's rights within a community, that includes the right to be who you are, and to love who you love, and that I know your parents' generation might have a little more uncertainty about that, and that's where this generation and your kids' generation can show that have the    thoughts and what comes from the responsibility that comes with being in a free country that stands up for everyone's rights is that we will stand up for everyone's rights including people from the LGBT community who are facing increasing levels of violence and hatred at the same time as the Muslim community is facing increasing levels of violence and hatred at the same time as the Asian community is facing... Like, the world is going in the wrong direction. One thing we don't need right now is for communities that are facing hatred to start turning on each other rather than figure out how to support each other, how to listen, how to understand each other, and work together. 

That's what Canada is. And it's not easy. And it causes clashes in cultures. But when it comes right down to it, the ability to stand up for everyone's rights is what makes Canada the freest and the most successful country in the world."