Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has an idea that should be adopted at city halls across the country — end the practice of raising flags of other countries. It’s one thing for the federal government in Ottawa to follow protocol and fly the flag of a visiting foreign dignitary; that’s accepted and expected.
Municipalities, though, have no role in foreign affairs, and this practice, which likely started as a unifying measure, is now divisive, which is why Farkas says he wants to see it end.
“Calgary’s flag policy means any country recognized by Canada may have their flag flown at City Hall on their national day. But national flag-raisings are now creating division,” Farkas said last week.
Flag-raising policies now creating division, not unity
We’ve seen those divisions recently in attempts to get the raising of the Israeli flag cancelled at various city halls and now we’ve seen that with the Palestinian flag raising since Canada officially recognized a Palestinian State in September. Flag raisings over the past few days in cities like Mississauga and Toronto have been incredibly divisive and even involved attempted court injunctions.
Of note regarding the City of Calgary policy — and it appears similar for Toronto — we could be raising the flags of countries that we shouldn’t really be honouring all simply because the federal government recognizes the existence of that state.
City Council does not have legal authority to determine which countries Canada recognizes. Under our existing policy, any national flag request that meets the criteria must be considered equally,” he wrote.
Canadian cities recognizing countries with widespread human-rights abuses
By recognizing the Palestinian State, the Carney government is recognizing a state government in part, some would argue in whole, by a terrorist group. Hamas, which governs Gaza, is clearly a terrorist group and the Palestinian Authority, which is in charge of the West Bank, is an organization that doesn’t hold elections and is credibly accused of arbitrary arrest and torture, extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses.
It goes beyond just this conflict in the Middle East, though. Toronto has held flag raising ceremonies this year for several countries with questionable human rights records that we wouldn’t want to celebrate.
On Oct. 9, we raised the flag of Uganda at Toronto City Hall, a country where basic rights such as freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association are all curtailed and where homosexuality is punishable by death. This isn’t exactly the type of country that we should be celebrating with a ceremony at City Hall, the flag is a symbol of the government in charge and that government is repressive.
Similar complaints, though not as harsh, could be made against Angola. Their flag was raised on Nov. 12 at Toronto City Hall.
This past May 23, Calgary raised the flag of Eritrea, a country accused of widespread human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings and sexual violations, specifically in the Tigray region which is disputed with Ethiopia. Toronto raised Ethiopia’s flag on Sept. 11, despite their government facing many of the same accusations.
Both countries criminalize same-sex relations and yet here are two Canadian cities — likely more — celebrating and honouring these countries. Raising the flag that represents the regime in place does not honour the people, the diaspora living here, it is an honour to the repressive regime in place.
Honouring foreign regimes doesn’t represent local communities
Can you imagine seeing the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran flying at a government facility in Canada? It should never happen, but with these policies in place, it clearly could.
That’s why Calgary’s mayor wants to move a motion this week to end the practice.
It’s a good move; let’s hope it passes and then is replicated across the country.
Multicultural Meanderings 