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Gatineau mayor slams city councillor’s statements on Islamophobia
GATINEAU, Que. — The mayor of Gatineau, Que., said he plans to request that a city councillor be stripped of some of her duties after she reportedly said the word “Islamophobia” doesn’t exist for her.
Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said in a statement late Friday that he’s distancing himself from Nathalie Lemieux and will ask city council to replace her as deputy mayor.
“The role of the city is to bring together communities to promote a better understanding of one another, (and) we won’t succeed with words that polarize this much and that harm the city in its role in as discussion partner for all the communities,” he wrote.
“Not only do I completely dissociate and denounce the councillor’s words, but I also believe she can no longer speak in my name.”