Yves Michaud's letter to the Canadian Jewish Congress: Difference between revisions

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This is an unofficial translation of a letter sent to the Canadian Jewish Congress by Yves Michaud, a citizen who was publicly defamed and labelled an Anti-Semite by adversaries of the Quebec nationalist movement. The media controversy in which he was involved lead to resignation of Parti Québécois Premier of Québec Lucien Bouchard in 1996. Read the original French language letter [[Lettre de Yves Michaud au Congrès juif du Canada|here]].
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To whom it may concern,
To whom it may concern,


1 - Would you have the kindness to forward me your address so that I may send you a copy of [http://www.edvlb.com/ShowGuidePage.asp?CodeProduit=253963 my book] and the [http://www.vigile.net/spip.php?page=archives&u=/archives/ds-michaud/docs/m-13-verbatim.html remarks] which I made before the [[Commission of the Estates General of the French language]]? That way, you will be in a better position to voice your opinion with intelligence and good faith on the true nature of my remarks, including my admiring and unconditional praise on the Jewish people which encouraged the French Canadian people to follow their "rough will to survive, their invincible spirit of solidarity and their moral armour adding that in a way the Christians and the Jews were spiritually Semites."
1 - Would you have the kindness to forward me your address so that I may send you a copy of [http://www.edvlb.com/ShowGuidePage.asp?CodeProduit=253963 my book] and the [http://www.vigile.net/spip.php?page=archives&u=/archives/ds-michaud/docs/m-13-verbatim.html remarks] which I made before the [[Commission of the Estates General of the French language]]? That way, you will be in a better position to voice your opinion with intelligence and good faith on the true nature of my remarks, including my admiring and unconditional praise on the Jewish people which encouraged the French Canadian people to follow their "rough will to survive, their invincible spirit of solidarity and their moral armour adding that in a way the Christians and the Jews were spiritually Semites."


2 - I am, along with twelve other Quebecers, or Canadians if you prefer, a founding member of the [http://www.liguedesdroits.ca/ ''Ligue des droits de l'homme''] (Human Rights League), in 1962, in company of [[Wikipedia:Pierre-Elliott Trudeau|Pierre-Elliott Trudeau]], and [[Wikipedia:Jacques Hébert|Jacques Hébert]], the former Liberal senator. I was last year president of the [[Wikipedia:Léo Cormier|Léo Cormier]] [http://www.liguedesdroits.ca/pages_centre/partenaires.html Foundation for the defence of rights and freedoms]. I am the godfather of a Jewish boy, my wife is godmother of a Jewish girl, I lived for 37 years in a Jewish district of Montreal in perfect harmony, friendship and conviviality with my neighbours for whom I feel the highest regard. Few old-stock Quebec families can claim such a resume. By searching a little, one could surely find a better profile for anti-semitism!!! I know that you did not pronounce the word of "antisémite" when referring to me, but the text of your correspondence with professor [[Hilton]] of [[Wikipedia:Concordia University|Concordia University]] suggests that I have or I could have had a background of this nature.
2 - I am, along with twelve other Quebecers, or Canadians if you prefer, a founding member of the [http://www.liguedesdroits.ca/ ''Ligue des droits de l'homme''] (Human Rights League), in 1962, in company of [[Wikipedia:Pierre-Elliott Trudeau|Pierre-Elliott Trudeau]], and [[Wikipedia:Jacques Hébert|Jacques Hébert]], the former Liberal senator. I was last year president of the [[Wikipedia:Léo Cormier|Léo Cormier]] [http://www.liguedesdroits.ca/pages_centre/partenaires.html Foundation] for the defence of rights and freedoms. I am the godfather of a Jewish boy, my wife is godmother of a Jewish girl, I lived for 37 years in a Jewish district of Montreal in perfect harmony, friendship and conviviality with my neighbours for whom I feel the highest regard. Few old-stock Quebec families can claim such a resume. By searching a little, one could surely find a better profile for anti-semitism!!! I know that you did not pronounce the word of "antisémite" when referring to me, but the text of your correspondence with professor [[Hilton]] of [[Wikipedia:Concordia University|Concordia University]] suggests that I have or I could have had a background of this nature.


3 - Your knowledge of the Quebec public life seems to be imperfect. The [http://www.bnaibrith.ca/address.html B'Nai Brith regional office for Quebec], headed by Mr. [[Wikipedia:Robert Libman|Robert Libman]], suggested that the [[Wikipedia:Lionel-Groulx (Montreal Metro)|Lionel-Groulx Metro station]] in Montreal be unbaptized and that the name of it should be that of a former Prime Minister of Israel. Groulx was the headlight and the intellectual guide of two generations of French Canadians, who have become Quebecers. This proposal was and still is perceived as a supreme insult and a blow to the memory of a venerated person in the history of Quebec. To dare such thing, in my eyes and those of a number of my compatriots, is an extremism getting close to anti-Quebec racism. I do not know, unless I am wrong, that your organization has denounced this insult to our memory.
3 - Your knowledge of the Quebec public life seems to be imperfect. The [http://www.bnaibrith.ca/address.html B'Nai Brith regional office for Quebec], headed by Mr. [[Wikipedia:Robert Libman|Robert Libman]], suggested that the [[Wikipedia:Lionel-Groulx (Montreal Metro)|Lionel-Groulx Metro station]] in Montreal be unbaptized and that the name of it should be that of a former Prime Minister of Israel. Groulx was the headlight and the intellectual guide of two generations of French Canadians, who have become Quebecers. This proposal was and still is perceived as a supreme insult and a blow to the memory of a venerated person in the history of Quebec. To dare such thing, in my eyes and those of a number of my compatriots, is an extremism getting close to anti-Quebec racism. I do not know, unless I am wrong, that your organization has denounced this insult to our memory.


The very same day that my intention to be candidate for nomination in the [[Wikipedia:Mercier (provincial electoral district)|Mercier riding]] became public, the same B'Nai Brith regional office for Quebec directed by Robert Libman called me a "dinosaur" and invited the [[Wikipedia:Premier of Quebec|Premier of Quebec]] to invalidate my candidature in virtue of his position as president of the [[Wikipedia:|Parti québécois]]. As if the B'Nai Brith had assumed the power to designate the candidates for nomination of a political party when its director is a ferocious and keen adversary of the said party. You'll admit that, in terms of "having the nerve to", it would be difficult to do better! Mr. Libman, moreover, is a "[[Wikipedia:Partition of Quebec|partitionist]]" Zealot, i.e. a proponent of the cutting-up of the Quebec territory if the majority of its people voted "yes" to sovereignty in a forthcoming referendum. Wrongly or rightly so, this stance is interpreted by several Quebecers as a call to confrontation which could take the form of a kind of civil war, although the débonnaire pacifism of Quebecers is hardly inclined to this kind of activity. It even happens sometimes the this people pushes the tolerance as far as to ask forgiveness to those who insult this same people!
The very same day that my intention to be candidate for nomination in the [[Wikipedia:Mercier (provincial electoral district)|Mercier riding]] became public, the same B'Nai Brith regional office for Quebec directed by Robert Libman called me a "dinosaur" and invited the [[Wikipedia:Premier of Quebec|Premier of Quebec]] to invalidate my candidature in virtue of his position as president of the [[Wikipedia:|Parti québécois]]. As if the B'Nai Brith had assumed the power to designate the candidates for nomination of a political party when its director is a ferocious and keen adversary of the said party. You'll admit that, in terms of "having the nerve to", it would be difficult to do better! Mr. Libman, moreover, is a "[[Wikipedia:Partition of Quebec|partitionist]]" Zealot, i.e. a proponent of the cutting-up of the Quebec territory if the majority of its people voted "yes" to sovereignty in a forthcoming referendum. Wrongly or rightly so, this stance is interpreted by several Quebecers as a call to confrontation which could take the form of a kind of civil war, although the débonnaire pacifism of Quebecers is hardly inclined to this kind of activity. It even happens sometimes the this people pushes the tolerance as far as to ask forgiveness to those who insult them!


4 - For more than two centuries, the generosity of the Quebec people (an "[[Wikipedia:ethnic group|ethnic group]]", - if the word is not sacrilege - who not only founded Quebec but also Canada) has had no limit with regard to all citizens who live on its territory, without regard with their confession, colour and origins. That being said, it has indeed happened in the past, on its territory and in that of Canada, that certain forms of [[Wikipedia:ostracism|ostracism]] were applied against the nationals of Jewish confession, in particular the refusal to admit them in universities and select clubs, but that was the fact of the English-Canadian "ethnic group". I imagine that in this respect your files are an inexhaustible source of consultation and information.
4 - For more than two centuries, the generosity of the Quebec people (an "[[Wikipedia:ethnic group|ethnic group]]", - if the word is not sacrilege - who not only founded Quebec but also Canada) has had no limit with regard to all citizens who live on its territory, without regard with their confession, colour and origins. That being said, it has indeed happened in the past, on its territory and in that of Canada, that certain forms of [[Wikipedia:ostracism|ostracism]] were applied against the nationals of Jewish confession, in particular the refusal to admit them in universities and select clubs, but that was the fact of the English-Canadian "ethnic group". I imagine that in this respect your files are an inexhaustible source of consultation and information.
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