Cartoon removed of premier stoning former colleague

— A Montreal-area weekly newspaper has removed an editorial cartoon from its website depicting Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard stoning a former Muslim colleague.

The work shows Couillard dressed in a djellaba, a long robe worn in North Africa, lobbing stones at Fatima Houda-Pepin while saying “Happy Birthday, Fatima!” to mark International Women’s Day last week.

Couillard said his office signalled to the owners of Le Courrier du Sud Friday he found the cartoon to be in poor taste, but the premier insisted Monday there was no request for it to be removed.

When asked by a reporter why he was so offended by the cartoon, Couillard said it depicts murder.

“Do you believe that’s OK? I’ll leave it up to each citizen to make their own judgment,” Couillard said.

The cartoon was published in print and digital formats last week but was removed from the weekly newspaper’s website Monday.

Jean-Marc Phaneuf, the longtime cartoonist behind the work, said he sees nothing controversial about it and believes Couillard is going too far by saying it shows a slaying.

“I find it distressing for freedom of the press,” Phaneuf told The Canadian Press. “We’re talking about political ideals and we have a premier whose office is offended and wants to muzzle people who criticize them in the same way they muzzled a woman who tried to criticize them.”

The outspoken Houda-Pepin is a former Liberal who was ejected from caucus in 2014 after feuding with Couillard and the party over what she felt was a weak stance on identity issues. Just last month, Houda-Pepin, now a consultant and newspaper columnist, called out the Couillard government for what she described as a restrained approach to dealing with identity and language.

Phaneuf said he believes Houda-Pepin was the person who best represented women by standing up to Couillard.

“Each time cartoonists express themselves about something, they can’t create unanimity,” Phaneuf said. “There are always those who will approve ... and others who will contest. It’s normal, it’s an opinion.”

The newspaper owner said it reviewed the image after the complaint from the premier’s office and “deemed it to be offensive and in poor taste” in deciding to remove it online. A print version was distributed last week.