# Attack on Quebec mosque **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 30, 2017, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581 "2017-01-30T12:42:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/21 "2017-01-30T21:47:27Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I’ve just been out so what I know is snippets that I caught on the car radio and the CBC’s latest tweets when I got home. As many might know by now, there is only one suspect who is believed to be the shooter, Alexandre Bissonnette. AFAIK Mohamed el Khadir was the 911 caller and appears to be a material witness, not a suspect. But lots of details are still unconfirmed. > > CBC Radio did an interview just now with Maxime Fiset, who was a well-known leader of one of the Quebec ultranationalist alt-right factions mentioned in the link back in my [post #4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19961990&postcount=4), and has since renounced it and turned to fighting against it. He said he was only surprised that something like this had not happened sooner. Much as I hate to say it, I’m kind of surprised that something like this happened in Canada (and more specifically Quebec which, IIRC has a ridiculously low murder rate. Like less than 10 a year, IIRC) and not in the US. ☹ Though the week is still young… ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/22 "2017-01-30T21:58:09Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > You quite plainly have not read the thread you cite. Tell me specifically where I said that liberal producers were hypocrites? The article said as much and I started the thread to find what people’s opinions were of that article. I happen to think the author made a fair point but that in no way suggested I thought all of them were hypocrites. > > You’re allowing an obvious animus against me to color my posts in your eyes. All seems jaundic’d, etc. My advice is to take it to the Pit if you wish to speak more freely. …oh I’m quite happy here thanks. And I did read the thread I cited, including that bit where you didn’t answer my questions. I asked you a lot of questions related to your OP. And again you didn’t answer any of my questions. You must have somehow missed them in your rush to respond to me. Here are those questions again: How did you get this impression? Why, based on a couple of anecdotes, would you consider your impression to be wrong? How are you planning on “measuring your impressions” and comparing your impressions to my impressions? How tolerant is the United States to Muslim immigrants? Didn’t the US President do something a couple of days ago that was pretty fucking intolerant to Muslim refugees? Have the Canadian government done anything comparable in the last couple of years? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/23 "2017-01-30T23:04:00Z")
> [@Human\_Action](#): > > I assume we can expect a travel ban on Canadians soon, right? I wonder why people attempting to join their families in the USA don’t fly to Canada and walk to the United States. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/24 "2017-01-30T23:11:38Z")
RickJay: > [@](#): > > Alexandre Bissonnette, a distinctly not-very-Muslim-sounding name Muslims come in many ethnicities. I’m sure that until four years ago, “Tsarnaev” wouldn’t have sounded very Muslim to you either. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/25 "2017-01-30T23:38:02Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I wonder why people attempting to join their families in the USA don’t fly to Canada and walk to the United States. Because it’s a long walk? And until last week it was pretty easy to get in to join your family in the US? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/26 "2017-01-30T23:46:54Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I wonder why people attempting to join their families in the USA don’t fly to Canada and walk to the United States. Because the exemptions only apply to dual citizens with Canadian passports or permanent residency cards in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/27 "2017-01-30T23:54:52Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …oh I’m quite happy here thanks. And I did read the thread I cited, including that bit where you didn’t answer my questions. > > I asked you a lot of questions related to your OP. And again you didn’t answer any of my questions. You must have somehow missed them in your rush to respond to me. Here are those questions again: > > How did you get this impression? Why, based on a couple of anecdotes, would you consider your impression to be wrong? > > How are you planning on “measuring your impressions” and comparing your impressions to my impressions? How tolerant is the United States to Muslim immigrants? Didn’t the US President do something a couple of days ago that was pretty fucking intolerant to Muslim refugees? Have the Canadian government done anything comparable in the last couple of years? Have you considered that I may have ignored your questions because of your aggressive attitude? Such is the case. Your remarks in this post about US intolerance confirm for me that you miscomprehended me. I was taken aback by the incident in Canada _because_ it was unexpected whereas in the US in the present climate it would have been totally expected. But enough. The mistake I have made of late on this board is to needlessly engage with posters like yourself. I shall read your posts in future with the attention I consider they deserve and reply only when I see something that merits a response. My best wishes to you. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/28 "2017-01-31T00:54:51Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Have you considered that I may have ignored your questions because of your aggressive attitude? Such is the case. …you are ignoring my questions but you are not ignoring my posts. Can I suggest if you want to get the thread back on track you either ignore my posts, or answer the questions? I’m not going to apologise for your perception of my attitude or my tone. > [@](#): > > Your remarks in this post about US intolerance confirm for me that you miscomprehended me. I was taken aback by the incident in Canada _because_ it was unexpected whereas in the US in the present climate it would have been totally expected. I don’t miscomprehended you at all. You stated: “I always get the impression from the media that Canada is far more welcoming to and tolerant of Muslim immigrants than the US or UK”. It is entirely possible for Canada to be more “welcoming and tolerant of Muslim immigrants than the US and the UK” and for “outrages” to happen in Canada and for terrorist attacks to happen in Canada. This incident shouldn’t surprise you. I live in a country where the police aren’t armed. And we have come under attack from State Sponsored terrorists and we have had mass shootings. My questions addressed the subjective nature of your “impressions.” “Outrages” happen all over the world, even in Canada. You can find anti-muslim and anti-American and anti-Jewish and anti-LGBT and anti-anti’s all over the world. If a politically charged act of terrorism changes your impression of a country and its people: then the terrorists have been successful in their goal. And that appears to be the case here. > [@](#): > > But enough. YES SIR! > [@](#): > > The mistake I have made of late on this board is to needlessly engage with posters like yourself. What sort of poster am I exactly? And why is it a mistake to engage me? > [@](#): > > I shall read your posts in future with the attention I consider they deserve and reply only when I see something that merits a response. This is normal messageboard behaviour. So congratulations on being the same as the rest of us, I guess? ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/29 "2017-01-31T01:27:51Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > [Story in Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/01/30/quebec-mosque-attack-why-is-this-happening-here-this-is-barbaric/) > > . > > I always get the impression from the media that Canada is far more welcoming to and tolerant of Muslim immigrants than the US or UK but is that in fact the case? There have been several outrages committed (pigs’ heads left outside mosques, etc) although few of this magnitude. Québécois are simply more Latin, more vocal about everything. When we have a corruption scandal, it is spread out for all to see. When people are bigoted, it’s also visible. I’ve never personally experienced any anti-Muslim actions or hate around here (Montreal). Quebec City, however, has some very vocal and rabid radio X channels that are xenophobic, and they’ve been stirring things up, hoping for a local Trump (there is a man hoping for the honour), so more things tend to be happening there (a pig’s head, no need to make it plural), a warning message. We are all devastated by this. I didn’t sleep all night because of this, struck to the developing story, responding to posts of Muslim friends who are trying to reassure US, telling us they know it’s not everyone, and that we shouldn’t take blame or feel guilty for what some islamophobe racist did. My family is half Anglo, half French, as are my friends and neighbours. They are all devastated, stunned, shocked, that this could happen here. I only know one woman who is overtly islamophobe, but she lives in the boonies and has never actually known a Muslim in person. I’ve known her since I was 8 years old, but she blocked me on FB some months ago. Edited to add that I wouldn’t trust a Cogeco poll more than I’d trust a Fox or Breitbart poll. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/30 "2017-01-31T01:31:36Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I just read a CBC account of the shooting. Witnesses told the CBC that the shooters were yelling (what else) “Allahu Akbar!” > > Which means this anti-Muslim hate crime was likely carried out by other Muslims. > > If so, this incident doesn’t reflect badly on Canada at all- just on people like Justin Trudeau who raced to blame white Islamophobic bigots. I see you’ve already had a few replies. You are at the Straight Dope, I have to say that I’m surprised that you dare affirm alt-truths. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/31 "2017-01-31T01:45:20Z")
Alexandre Bissonnette has been charged in the shooting. He apparently has right-wing political leanings, and is a fan of both Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen. In the Vice article linked below, people who know Bissonnette describe him as a “ultra nationalist white supremacist” and “he has right-wing political ideas, pro-Israel, anti-immigration. I had many debates with him about Trump. He was obviously pro-Trump.” The BBC article does not mention Belkhadir, but the Vice article indicates that he was a witness, who was detained by police after he ran away, thinking that a police officer was the attacker. He is not being charged. > **[Quebec mosque attack: Student Alexandre Bissonnette charged](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38805163)** > > The political science student, 27, is known for his far-right views, refugee advocates say. > **[Quebec Terror Suspect Alexandre Bissonnette Charged With Six Counts of Murder](https://www.vice.com/en/article/aejexe/quebec-terror-suspect-alexandre-bissonnette-charged-with-six-counts-of-murder)** > > Media reports paint him as a Trump-supporting misogynist. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/32 "2017-01-31T02:39:26Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Alexandre Bissonnette has been charged in the shooting. He apparently has right-wing political leanings, and is a fan of both Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen. Perhaps Trump will pay his legal fees. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/33 "2017-01-31T02:45:06Z")
Ooh, pro-Israel. How awful. Guess I should turn myself in to the RMCP. ---
**Author:** ![CatandMouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@CatandMouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatandMouse)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/34 "2017-01-31T02:46:08Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I just read a CBC account of the shooting. Witnesses told the CBC that the shooters were yelling (what else) “Allahu Akbar!” > > Which means this anti-Muslim hate crime was likely carried out by other Muslims. > > If so, this incident doesn’t reflect badly on Canada at all- just on people like Justin Trudeau who raced to blame white Islamophobic bigots. Well now that we know the shooter was a white Islamophobic bigot, Justin Trudeau must set aside political correctness and say “WHITE CHRISTIAN TERRORIST”, in a tweet, in all caps, in order to Make Canada Great Again! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/35 "2017-01-31T02:49:50Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Ooh, pro-Israel. How awful. Guess I should turn myself in to the RMCP. I don’t know how that got in there, unless in simplistic thinking he hates Muslims, so therefor Israel must be a fellow Muslim hater. Never mind that there are voting Muslim citizens of Israel, some serving in the IDF. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/36 "2017-01-31T02:55:29Z")
Oh, in certain liberal circles these days, being pro-Israel is\* just like Hitler\*! Unironically. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/37 "2017-01-31T03:01:00Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Oh, in certain liberal circles these days, being pro-Israel is\* just like Hitler\*! Unironically. Which is strange, since Adolph wasn’t terribly well disposed towards we Jews. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/38 "2017-01-31T03:20:20Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Oh, in certain liberal circles these days, being pro-Israel is\* just like Hitler\*! Unironically. Whereas in conservative circles, being Jewish but not being a right-wing zealot and actually having any sympathy for the Palestinians makes you [“far worse than kapos – Jews who turned in their fellow Jews in the Nazi death camps”](http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/18828). Of course, that’s not the view of any serious political player…just the person who Donald Trump has chosen to be the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/39 "2017-01-31T03:45:43Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > [To aldiboronti:]Didn’t the US President do something a couple of days ago that was pretty fucking intolerant to Muslim refugees? Have the Canadian government done anything comparable in the last couple of years? Well last year we took in 25,000 Syrian refugees, and if that wasn’t bad enough, [our Prime Minister cried at one of them](https://youtu.be/NvTKtqODneQ)! ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581/40 "2017-01-31T03:57:10Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I wonder why people attempting to join their families in the USA don’t fly to Canada and walk to the United States. Perhaps it is because, unlike Trump, they are law abiding. The mode of transport is immaterial to the executive order. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-on-quebec-mosque/778581.md?page=3)