Caroline is a research analyst with Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME.) She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the Université de Montréal, and did an exchange semester in South Africa as part of this program. She was also selected by the Quebec Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie to take part in The Washington Center program in spring 2016. Thanks to this assignment she was able to spend time in Washington DC, deepening and expanding her study of the Middle East. This experience is what stimulated her interest for the region as she was involved in one of the US Department of Defence’s regional center focused on the Near East South Asian area.
See Caroline Biotteau's articles below:
When it comes to Israel, are Quebec’s political elites out of touch ? (Feb 20, 2017)
This article was originally published on Feb. 20, 2017 in Rabble.
The most recent poll regarding Canadian’s attitudes towards Israel has just been released and the results are telling. Quite strikingly, far more Canadians have a negative view of the government of Israel than a positive one. Even more remarkable, Quebec respondents have a far harsher view of the government of Israel than their fellow Canadians.
Some have argued that Quebecers have always been more critical of the Israeli government, and more sympathetic to the Palestinians. This assumption was up in the air, however, when a survey by Crop-LaPresse issued in 2014 during the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas found that the majority (64%) of Quebecers chose not to pick sides in the messy flare up....
Canadian Society’s Double-Standard on the “Terrorism” Label (Feb 07, 2017)
This article was originally published on February 9, 2017 on Rabble.
In the aftermath of the Quebec City mosque attack we have heard and read all kinds of language to describe the event. “Hate crime,” “mass murder” and “terrorist attack” were all used and they all, to some extent, do define what has happened. However, one confused TVA anchor said on air that this was a case of “reverse” terrorism. As if terrorism had only one form: Muslim against others.
The TVA anchor has since apologized for his words, but his statement is reflective of a much larger problem: many people seem confused about when to properly use the term “terrorism.” This is no surprise considering the fact that even pundits and governments are unable to agree on when to apply the term....
The Radical Right has always been on the Radar, just not in the Media (Jan 31, 2017)
This article was originally published on Feb. 2, 2017 in Rabble.
When radicalization is publicly discussed in Canada, it is almost always with a reference to Islamic extremism or terrorism. It’s as if this phenomenon is strictly confined to individuals who have adopted extremist Islamist ideas like those of ISIS. Yet, this narrow conception of radicalization has, without a doubt, allowed for the atrocities in the Quebec City Mosque to take place. By failing to acknowledge the threat coming from the radicalization of individuals and the presence of more than 100 right-wing groups throughout Canada, we have blinded ourselves to the possibility of something like this ever happening.
There is no question that Islamic radicalization and violence is a threat that must be addressed in Canada. Governments at all levels have mobilized to address the risk posed by international Islamic extremist groups, and the academic study of the phenomenon has exploded. ...
