By Canadian Press

Former imam turned federal Liberal candidate in Montreal hopes to build bridges

May 29, 2019 | 8:30 AM

OTTAWA — A former imam whose sermon at the funeral of six worshippers murdered at a Quebec City mosque attracted international attention will run for the federal Liberals in a Montreal riding.

Hassan Guillet won a contested nomination in Saint-Leonard-Saint-Michel, becoming the first Liberal candidate not to come from the influential Italian community since the 1988 inception of the east-end riding.

Guillet says he wants to represent everyone in the riding and not just its substantial North African community. He beat a local city councillor and a notary to secure the nomination.

The engineer said he hopes to be a “bridge builder” at a time when Quebecers and Canadians are more divided than ever on issues of immigration and secularism.

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Guillet rose to prominence for a sermon he gave at the funeral for the Quebec City victims held in Montreal in 2017.

At that time, he referred to the killer, Alexandre Bissonnette, as a victim — which earned him worldwide praise. J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, called his words “extraordinary and humane.”

The Canadian Press