In 2007 the Premier of Québec, Canada, appointed the Bouchard-Taylor Commission to investigate and defuse growing controversies surrounding the accommodation of cultural and religious diversity in the Province. This article analyzes the Commission's efforts to address the contested nature of secularism and interculturalism in Québec, as well as the impact of the Commission's inquiry on the Muslim minority community in Canada. It examines some of the significant aspects of both the Bouchard-Taylor Commission and its Final Report. It also provides firsthand, evaluative commentary from representatives of Muslim organizations based in Montreal, Canada. Particular attention is given to the concerns surrounding the integration of Muslims in a Francophone society anxious to preserve an “authentic” culture, as well as to the didactic role assumed by the Report's authors in their efforts to clarify the bases for an integration model premised on interculturalism and open secularism. Finally, an assessment is offered with respect to the value of public dialogue conducted with intent to strengthen social cohesion and solidarity within modern, pluralistic societies.
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Meena Sharify-Funk (2010) studied this question.