Two days ago, the Canadian Muslim Forum (CMF) issued a statement expressing its “deep concern and strong condemnation of the Islamophobic remarks attributed to a mayoral candidate in Montreal on the party list of Ensemble Montréal, Thierry Daraize,” which included describing Muslims as “bearded extremists,” in addition to attacking Amira Elghawaby, the federal government’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, accusing her of being “a dangerous woman.” Daraize had also previously published a sarcastic post about the Gaza Strip that was considered a belittling of the suffering of civilians there. The Forum described these statements as “insulting and unacceptable; they fuel a climate of hatred and hostility—particularly against Muslim women—and they threaten Montreal’s values of respect, equality, and pluralism.”

There was contact between some community leaders and the party leader, asking her to take a clear position on these statements.

In its statement, The Canadian Muslim Forum (CMF) “expresses its deep concern and firm condemnation of the Islamophobic comments attributed to Mr. Thierry Daraize, a candidate for mayor in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough, as reported by The Rover .

“The remarks, which include targeting Muslims as “bearded radicals” and labeling Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia, Amira Elghawaby, as “dangerous,” are both offensive and unacceptable. They contribute to a climate of hostility that endangers Montrealers ,particularly Muslim women, and undermine the city’s core values of respect, inclusion, and equality.

“The FMC-CMF notes with additional concern that these posts follow earlier comments by the same candidate making light of the suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza. Such repeated insensitivity reveals a troubling disregard for human dignity and empathy.

“Public figures, especially those seeking elected office, have a moral and civic duty to uphold respect, fairness, and truth,” affirmed the Canadian Muslim Forum. “Islamophobic rhetoric has no place in our society and must be unequivocally condemned.”
The Canadian Muslim Forum calls on:
“Mr. Daraize to illuminate and to publicly retract his statements and issue a sincere apology;
Ensemble Montréal to take immediate action and clarify its position on Islamophobia within its ranks;
Municipal authorities to reinforce their commitment to combating hate speech and ensuring safe, inclusive communities for all residents.

“Montreal is a city defined by its diversity and solidarity. The FM_CMF reaffirms its commitment to working with partners, civic leaders, and communities to strengthen mutual understanding, protect the dignity of all Montrealers, and stand firmly against hate and discrimination in all its forms.

Two statements below expectations and unfair

While everyone was awaiting a fair position commensurate with the gravity of the offensive remarks, the two statements issued by Ms. Martinez Ferrada in response to the CMF and to the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) fell short of expectations, raising many questions about the standards Ms. Martinez Ferrada applies in dealing with such offenses.

It is worth recalling that, a few days earlier, Ms. Martinez Ferrada announced that her party had dropped a candidate who had insulted elected officials in profanity-laden social media posts—after spending days defending the decision to keep him on her team.

Ms. Martinez Ferrada asked Alexandre Giasson, her party’s candidate in Hochelaga in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, to end his campaign after “new information concerning other behaviors” came to light.

She wrote in a post on X: “Given the nature of these allegations, I have removed Alexandre Giasson from the team and asked him to end his campaign immediately.”

But how has Ms. Martinez Ferrada dealt so far with the serious offense against the Muslim community?

In a brief statement responding to the CMF, the leader of Ensemble Montréal said: “Ensemble Montréal has taken note of the statement from the Canadian Muslim Forum regarding remarks made by a mayoral candidate, Thierry Daraize. We fully share the concerns expressed and reaffirm that Islamophobia has no place in Montreal’s public life.

“Our movement advocates inclusion, dialogue, and mutual respect. We will continue to collaborate with all communities, including Muslim Montrealers, in order to promote understanding, safety, and unity in our city”.

In a more detailed letter addressed to the National Council of Canadian Muslims, Ms. Martinez Ferrada said:

“To the National Council of Canadian Muslims,

Recent events and the rise of exclusionary discourse remind us to what extent our living-together remains fragile. Islamophobia, in all its forms, harms not only those who are directly its victims, but also the entire social fabric.

I wish to express my deep solidarity with the Muslim men and women of Montreal. Too often, you have been the target of insults, prejudices, and a political instrumentalization that only fuels mistrust and division. This has no place in our metropolis.

But beyond solidarity, I firmly believe that Muslim citizens and organizations must be fully involved in the search for solutions. Montrealers of the Muslim faith contribute every day to the vitality of our city in schools, businesses, community organizations, and public institutions. Their experience, expertise, and sense of solidarity must be drawn upon to build a fairer and more inclusive society.

The society we wish to build is based on mutual understanding and co-responsibility. As a mayoral candidate, I believe it is up to elected officials to work with the communities concerned—and not simply for them—in order to find lasting answers to hatred and fear of the other. Our role cannot be symbolic: it must be concrete, courageous, and unifying.

Montreal is a city of welcome, of peace, and of freedom. It is this city that welcomed my family when we fled the Chilean dictatorship, when I was eight years old. We chose Montreal because here, each person can live according to their convictions, in safety and with respect for others. This promise must be kept and renewed.

On the eve of November 2, you are legitimately questioning the commitment of your municipal candidates and their real intentions regarding the climate in which we live. Thus, as a mayoral candidate, I commit, should I be elected, to:

● Strengthen the fight against hate crimes, by allocating more resources to police and community services, and by ensuring better support for victims in partnership with Muslim organizations;
● Create permanent consultation spaces between the City and religious and cultural communities, in order to jointly design concrete initiatives to strengthen social cohesion;
● Work hand in hand with Muslim leaders, in order to develop education and awareness programs that promote mutual understanding and the prevention of prejudice;
● Carry Montreal’s voice to the other levels of government so that our metropolis remains a model of inclusion and respect;
● Foster a culture of dialogue, civic education, and mutual respect in all spheres of municipal life.

I am convinced that it is together—elected officials, citizens, and faith communities—that we will be able to preserve what makes Montreal beautiful: its diversity, its openness, and its capacity to bring people together.

Please receive, on behalf of the entire Ensemble Montréal team, the assurance of my commitment to protect every community, to listen to the Muslim voices of Montreal, and to defend everyone’s right to live free from fear and discrimination”.

A noteworthy stance

A prominent community figure—who preferred not to be named—“welcomed Ensemble Montréal’s affirmation of values of inclusion and respect, a party for which we hold respect for many of its candidates, with whom we have strong relations, including candidates from within our own community.” However, the figure considered that “the continued candidacy of Mr. Thierry Daraize—despite posts and statements targeting Muslims—contradicts the measures taken against another candidate for different reasons, which are less serious than what the Muslim community suffered from the municipal party’s candidate.” He added: “For the sake of credibility, we call for a public apology directed to the Muslim community and for action similar to that taken against another candidate who insulted elected officials.” The figure found “this double standard puzzling—between insulting several elected figures and insulting an entire community that herself has acknowledged and rejected the offense against it.” He doubted “whether Ms. Martinez Ferrada would act the same way if other religious communities—or, for example, transgender groups—had been subjected to what the Muslim community faced.”

The figure stressed that “respecting the dignity of Muslims in Montreal is an integral part of respecting the city’s values and the principle of equality before party standards,” adding, “We are ready to cooperate to ensure an electoral environment that upholds dignity and coexistence.” As for the stance on voting for the party in the upcoming elections, he said, “We are awaiting a position that was communicated but not followed through on, and we will act accordingly.”

He concluded: “We look with hope for Ms. Ferrada to move quickly to remedy matters in the forthcoming engagement with the community, which we hope will lead to positive results.”

Daraize’s positions

Daraize mocked the genocide in Gaza in an earlier Facebook post in which he referred to Donald Trump’s proposal to turn the Gaza Strip into a resort, saying: “I booked my all-inclusive vacation in Gaza for 2032.”

The post issued by the candidate in February was not the only controversial one. His attacks on Muslims were repeated, as posts were found in which Daraize used expressions such as “bearded extremists,” and he criticized the hiring of Muslim professors at Canadian universities, in addition to “liking” a post that mocked a French leftist party by describing it as “Islamic France.”

In a 2024 post on Threads, Daraize described Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, as “a dangerous woman.”