Mario Dumont

Pierre Trudeau Dept: As leader of the lately departed Action d mocratique du Qu bec, Dumont generated a wave of support that nearly carried the party to power - and himself to the premiership - five years ago by feeding old-stock Quebecers' atavistic fears about their collective identity being undermined by cultural and religious accommodations made to immigrant groups. Most prominently targeted was the province's burgeoning Muslim population, according to Montreal Gazette. Halal is meat derived from animals slaughtered in accordance with Islamic ritual method, which differs only marginally- at least as it's done in this country - from standard slaughtering technique. It is much the same as Jewish kosher production, whereby the animals are killed by slitting their throats after being blessed by a rabbi and mario Dumont is certainly no Pierre Trudeau, of whom it was more famously said, but it seems that he too haunts us still. After a career-ending repudiation in the last provincial election, Dumont has recycled himself as a TV talking head, but he's still grabbing attention by stoking xenophobia. This week he stirred up a controversy over the growing encroachment of halal meats on Quebec's food-store shelves. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.