Union, Arab Group Call For CHMP Host's Firing

A group representing Canadian Arabs and a public employees' union are calling for the firing of CORUS French Talk CHMP (98,5 FM)/MONTREAL host BENOIT DUTRIZAC for comments he made to a Muslim candidate for Parliament, reports the MONTREAL GAZETTE.  

The ONTARIO chapter of the CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES and the CANADIAN ARAB FEDERATION are demanding a CRTC investigation of the SEPTEMBER 10 incident, in which DUTRIZAC allegedly calling NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY candidate SAMIRA LAOUNI's hijab "sexy" and telling her that under Muslim Sharia law, "if I were to rape you here today, you'd need witnesses to testify that you weren't consenting." The GAZETTE reports that the union and CAF responded after the GAZETTE printed an English account of the French show on SEPTEMBER 13; the CAF is also calling on CORUS to review its hate speech policy and put its staff through mandatory "anti-oppression training."

DUTRIZAC told the GAZETTE in an e-mail, "I treated Mme. LAOUNI with respect and as a woman. I told her that her hijab was sexy to make her laugh so we could have an open discussion about religion and politics." In a separate e-mail, he said that he had gotten a dozen "hateful emails in English and French" and, "I detest being treated like a racist. I'm insulted. And to be accused of doing garbage radio by goddamn ignoramuses who've never seen or heard my work, I've had enough."

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