Understanding the rise of Islamic extremism in Canada

Jérôme Blanchet-Gravel, editor-in-chief of Libre Media, holds a master’s degree in religious studies. He has closely observed Islamic movements in Canada, particularly in Quebec.

It’s been a year now that we have seen massive pro-Hamas protests taking place in our streets. Antisemitic rhetoric, along with vandalism, harassment and disturbances of public peace, are common behaviours exhibited by some extremist groups.

In this interview, he explains how Islam operates not only as a religion but also as a political and legal system.

Jérôme explains, “What differentiates Islam from other religions is its political and legal nature. People don’t realize that since its foundation by the Prophet in the 7th century, Islam is fundamentally a state — Islam is a state.”

He describes how Islam functions as a theocracy with its own set of laws, which leads some Muslim fundamentalists to resist integrating with Canadian laws because they seek to uphold their own legal system.

He also reflects on the multiculturalism entrenched in Canada’s constitution by former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau in 1982, making cultural and religious diversity sacred in Canada. He explains that this has rendered Islam-related issues taboo, topics that people hesitate to address today.

Jérôme points to the leniency and reluctance of authorities to take action or speak out for fear of being labeled Islamophobic or accused of hate speech. He stresses the importance of overcoming this fear and mindset to enable open criticism of Islam when warranted.

He further mentions that Islam is inherently multicultural and appeals to people of all backgrounds. Jérôme provides an in-depth perspective on Islam and the growing phenomenon of Islamization in Canada.

Alexandra Lavoie

Quebec based Journalist

Alexa graduated with a degree in biology from Laval University. Throughout her many travels, she has seen political instability as well as corruption. While she witnessed social disorder on a daily basis, she has always been a defender of society’s most vulnerable. She’s been around the world several times, and now joins Rebel News to shed light on today’s biggest stories.