Montreal borough councillor apologizes to anyone offended by headscarf comments

A councillorforthe borough of Anjou,in Montreal's east end, is attempting to clarify derisive comments she made about a doctor who wearsa headscarf and the "Islamification of our country."

In the face of intense public criticism, Lynne Shandissued a statement Monday apologizing to anyone especially Muslims who may have taken offence from herearlier comments on Facebook.

"What I really wanted to write is that I firmly believe in a secular society where all religions and religious symbols should have no influence on public and governmental institutions," she said.

"My religion, like the Muslim religion, does not tolerate racism and is based on the equality of peoples."

She said she is "not a member of any extremist group" and she is also"against all forms of religions or fundamentalist groups that propagate hatred, violence or racism."

In herFacebook post on the weekend, Shandtook issue with the fact that she was treated by a doctor wearing a hijab.

"Yesterday I had an emergency ophthalmology exam, and who was the ophthalmologist? A woman in a veil... Grrrrrr" she wrote.

"If it hadn't been an emergency I would have refused to be treated by her. I'm angry because it's really the Islamification of our country."

Painful timing after N.Z. mosque shootings, say Montreal Muslims

At a mosque in Anjou, people said that the timing of the comments is especially insensitive, coming as they do just over a week after theChristchurch mosque shootingsin New Zealand.

"This is what hurts us a lot,"Nordine Hmida said.

Some saidShand'scomments made them feel unsafe.

"I feel afraid for not just myself, but even for my family, for my children,"Soufiane Daha said.

Politicians condemn comments

Despite the furore, Anjou Mayor Luis Miranda said it's not up to himbut to voters to decide if they want Shand to stay on in her role.

"I'm not going to kick her out. Constituents in three years will decide what they're going to do with her,"Miranda said.

Montreal Mayor Valrie Planteis among those who condemned Shand's initial remarks.

"The comments [from] the Anjou councillor are absolutely inappropriate and out of line for an elected official," Plante tweeted on Sunday.

On Monday, Quebec Deputy Premier Genevive Guilbaultcalled them"inappropriate."

"People can wear those signs if they want to," she said.

The Coalition Avenir Qubec government is expected to table a bill this week that would banpublic workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols. The bill won't apply to doctors.

Guilbault saidthe legislation will bring "clarification" to the debate around religious symbols and will "help to ease people's minds."