Secular Quebec 'perfect example' for Lebanon

Beirut -- BEIRUT: If Canada's mostly French-speaking province of Quebec could show Lebanon one thing, it would be to demonstrate how a secular government functions Sherbrooke University professor Sami Aoun told a press conference at Hotel Le Gabriel in Achrafieh on Friday to mark Quebec City's 400th anniversary.

Canadian Ambassador Louis de Lorimier was the first to give a speech in front of a crowd of journalists and Lebanese-Canadian representatives. The spiritual leader of the Lebanese Shiite community in Montreal, Sheikh Nabil Abbas, also spoke in praise of Canada's diversity and Quebec's efforts to preserve its status of as a French-speaking province.

In his speech, Olivier Garro, director of the Middle Eastern bureau of the Francophone University Agency (AUF), told the audience that in the 17th century, a young man, native to the Ottoman Empire, and more specifically born in Mount Lebanon, was the first on board the first boat that berthed in Quebec to yell - "in French, of course" - that land was near. Garro's speech not only questioned all the Quebecois history books, but also informed the audience that special bonds between Canada and Lebanon have existed for a very long time.

The former secretary general of Francophone Intergovernmental Agency, Jean-Louis Roy, spoke about Quebec's situation in the Americas, defining the province as a "community in a world of communities."

Roy detailed all the problems encountered by Quebec starting with the demographic decline and the aging population, which made the presence of immigrants essential to Quebec's existence. He pointed out that a large number of Quebec's influential people were of diverse origins, naming people such as famous Lebanese playwright Wajdi Mouawad.

Roy emphasized the importance of Quebec preserving its privileged status of a Francophone province in a mostly Anglophone country. He also touched on the issue of social cohesion, and continuing racism, adding that Quebec was actually at a "turning point and that this issue will appear prominently in the next five to 10 years."

Aoun concentrated his speech on the latest social projects adopted by Canada. According to him, Quebec could influence Lebanon as it sets an example of constructive dialogue and positive secularism in a country that shelters diverse nationalities.

Aoun said Quebec was an almost perfect example of minorities coexisting peacefully, saying Lebanon could only get out of its "religious wars by resorting to a secular government."

"Religious communities took all of the [Lebanese] state's energy," which, Aoun said, weakened the state. The only way to remedy this problem was to introduce the Lebanese people to the idea of citizenship.

According to Aoun, although "the people of Quebec bad-mouthed their English-speaking neighbors all the time; they all admitted that Anglophone Canadians followed a very democratic system," which was very helpful to Canada.

However, he added that "Lebanon did not have the same chance with both its neighboring countries [Israel and Syria] which made it difficult to find some sort of political, social or economic stability."