Madam Speaker, yesterday I tried to move a motion calling on the House of Commons to join the Bloc Québécois in denouncing the presence of a religious exemption in paragraph 319(3)(b) of the Criminal Code. This exemption permits hate speech under the guise of religious beliefs. However, the Conservatives and Liberals seem to be against the idea of repealing this Criminal Code provision and stopping people from using religion as an excuse to spread hate speech or calls for violence.
My colleague cited the situation with women in Iran and Afghanistan. I am very worried about the spreading influence of religious extremism, and I am afraid we are starting to see it even here in Quebec and Canada. It especially affects the most vulnerable members of our society, as well as women and women's rights. I would like to know what my colleague thinks of the growing presence of these influences and how they might affect certain politicians' thinking on issues like this.