L'Affaire Hérouxville in context: Conflicting narratives on Islam, Muslim women, and identity

In January 2007 the small town of Hérouxville in Quebec, Canada, introduced a set of codes of conduct called Normes de vie de la municipalit d'Hérouxville (Standards of Living for Residents of Hérouxville). Despite the proclamation that these rules do not target any particular religion or culture, the language of the document suggests that the Muslim community was being targeted. This article seeks to analyse the context within which dominant discourses on Islam have been developed and carried forward in western societies. I will argue that the standards are a re-articulation of a centuries-long colonial construction of the Muslim Other. They are also symptomatic of a deep-rooted commitment to cultural preservation in Quebec society that (from time to time) lends itself to xenophobic sentiments. The article makes two recommendations on how to start remedying the overwhelmingly negative image of Muslims in Canada and the rest of the western world: (1) a better representation of Muslims in the mainstream media in Canada and other western countries, and (2) a sustainable multicultural communication infrastructure that enables active participation of citizens, including immigrant groups, in the public realm.