More women, minorities running in GTA in federal election

2015/08/14 Leave a comment

Election_2015Encouraging but will see how many elected (47 percent of the GTA are visible minorities):

Many GTA voters can look forward to voting for either a woman or a person from a diverse background during this year’s federal election.

While the nomination process is ongoing — the deadline for candidates isn’t until Sept. 28 — there has already been a concerted effort by the federal parties to court women and minorities to run in Toronto-area ridings.

When it comes to women, the NDP leads the way with 21 of its 50 nominated candidates being women. The Liberals trail closely behind, while about one-in-four Conservative and Green Party candidates are female.

 

Incumbent NDP MP Peggy Nash, who is running again in Parkdale-High Park, said it’s positive to see so many women in the race.

“I think that a strong slate of women, really offers Canadians a full choice and broad representations so that they’re full range of views are getting heard,” Nash said.

While the number of female candidates in the GTA and the rest of Ontario is going up, the co-founder of Equal Voice — an organization that encourages women to run — says there’s still work to be done, especially given the fact that just 25 per cent of the 41st Parliament was female.

“That doesn’t nearly approximate the percentage of women in the population. And it does suggest that our democracy is not fair,” said Donna Dasko.

The number of minority candidates also appears to be on the rise, with the Liberals leading the way.

 

Ratna Omidvar, of Ryerson University’s Global Diversity Exchange, said growth in this area is inevitable given Toronto’s diversity, particularly in the suburbs.

“Think of Brampton, think of Scarborough, it is then inevitable that all parties will be running candidates from these communities,” Omidvar said.

More women, minorities running in GTA in federal election – Toronto – CBC News.

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ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape – The New York Times

2015/08/14 Leave a comment

Sick:

The systematic rape of women and girls from the Yazidi religious minority has become deeply enmeshed in the organization and the radical theology of the Islamic State in the year since the group announced it was reviving slavery as an institution. Interviews with 21 women and girls who recently escaped the Islamic State, as well as an examination of the group’s official communications, illuminate how the practice has been enshrined in the group’s core tenets.

The trade in Yazidi women and girls has created a persistent infrastructure, with a network of warehouses where the victims are held, viewing rooms where they are inspected and marketed, and a dedicated fleet of buses used to transport them.

A total of 5,270 Yazidis were abducted last year, and at least 3,144 are still being held, according to community leaders. To handle them, the Islamic State has developed a detailed bureaucracy of sex slavery, including sales contracts notarized by the ISIS-run Islamic courts. And the practice has become an established recruiting tool to lure men from deeply conservative Muslim societies, where casual sex is taboo and dating is forbidden.

A growing body of internal policy memos and theological discussions has established guidelines for slavery, including a lengthy how-to manual issued by the Islamic State Research and Fatwa Department just last month. Repeatedly, the ISIS leadership has emphasized a narrow and selective reading of the Quran and other religious rulings to not only justify violence, but also to elevate and celebrate each sexual assault as spiritually beneficial, even virtuous.

“Every time that he came to rape me, he would pray,” said F, a 15-year-old girl who was captured on the shoulder of Mount Sinjar one year ago and was sold to an Iraqi fighter in his 20s. Like some others interviewed by The New York Times, she wanted to be identified only by her first initial because of the shame associated with rape.

“He kept telling me this is ibadah,” she said, using a term from Islamic scripture meaning worship.

“He said that raping me is his prayer to God. I said to him, ‘What you’re doing to me is wrong, and it will not bring you closer to God.’ And he said, ‘No, it’s allowed. It’s halal,’” said the teenager, who escaped in April with the help of smugglers after being enslaved for nearly nine months.

ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape – The New York Times.

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We have better tools than the law to defy hate-mongers: Butt

2015/08/13 Leave a comment

David Butt, a Toronto-based criminal lawyer, argues for more public discourse as a means to curb hate speech, rather than lengthy judicial processes, provoked by the visit of misogynist Daryush Valizadeh who essentially advocates legalizing rape among other unacceptable views:

Third, there is often truth to the cliché that the best antidote to hate speech is more speech that denounces the hate not through the force of state intervention, but through the force of enlightened reason. Defying the hate-monger with the very tools he uses, exposing his offensive, propagandistic assumptions and deceptions, can be a powerful antidote to hate speech. Social media, wisely deployed, can enhance our collective power to burst the bubble of hate-mongers. Boycotts can catch fire with devastating speed, the hate-monger’s enablers can be dissuaded from enabling, and the messages can be transformed into teachable moments on the virtues of the counterarguments.

The catch is that countering bad speech with good has traction only if people care enough to actually respond. A passive, disengaged populace is fertilizer to the hate-monger’s mushrooms. Speaking out against hate is a social responsibility associated with a truly vibrant freedom of expression that is all too often overlooked. It is hard work to rise up and speak against things that are just plain wrong, and too many of us are content to leave that hard work to someone else.

There are at least three reasons why it is not a good idea to prosecute malevolent gadflies like Roosh V. But there is every reason for all of us to take on his hateful propaganda with the tools we all have at our disposal: our discerning intellects and our expressive capacities. We maintain and deserve a vibrant freedom of expression to the extent that we exercise it.

We have better tools than the law to defy hate-mongers – The Globe and Mail.

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Extremist travellers aren’t about to go away: Leuprecht

2015/08/13 Leave a comment

Christian Leuprecht’s contrarian view in support of  the proposed travel ban to countries where ISIS or other terror organizations are active:

Given the ease of communication and travel in the 21st century, the phenomenon of ideologically inspired travellers looking to join violent extremist causes is not about to go away. In fact, the ubiquity of social, economic and political conditions, especially throughout the Middle East, that fuel ideological extremism will likely mean extremist travellers will become even more prevalent.

Over the past decade, the United Nations Security Council has passed several resolutions, binding on all member countries – including Canada – to stem the flow of Foreign Terrorist Fighters, including Resolution 2178 in 2014. Political stripes notwithstanding, the next federal government is bound to find itself under continued pressure to innovate measures to counter and prevent terrorist-related activity. In this light, Canadians stand to benefit from a more informed debate on issues of national security. No better time, then, to raise legislative proposals than during an election campaign and afford Canadians the opportunity to cast their lot on the issue at the urn.

Extremist travellers aren’t about to go away – The Globe and Mail.

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A Current Snapshot of Canadian Multiculturalism – Review of my book

2015/08/12 Leave a comment

From the first review of Multiculturalism in Canada: Evidence and Anecdote, by Don Curry, Executive Director, North Bay & District Multicultural Centre, in New Canadian Media:

Griffith has the credentials for writing a comprehensive book of this nature. The author of Policy Arrogance or Innocent Bias: Resetting Citizenship and Multiculturalism, he is the former director general for citizenship and multiculturalism at Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

As someone leading an organization that is active in integration issues, I encourage anyone involved in citizenship, multiculturalism, immigration and integration issues to read this book to keep current with the latest available information, and perhaps alter some perceptions.

The only complaint I have about the depth of research is that it left out my corner of Canada – northern Ontario – and lumped it in with southern Ontario.

But I know why: it’s because, as Griffith notes, the National Household Survey of 2011 left a lot of gaps when it attempted to drill down to smaller census areas. He strengthens the argument for the return of the long-form census.

The evidence Griffith uses in the book is irrefutable, combining the best currently available data from Statistics Canada, employment equity, Citizenship and Immigration Canada operational statistics, and more to draw his conclusions.

As Griffith says, “My hope is that the evidence highlighted in this book will contribute to creating a more informed discourse as Canada – by most measures a remarkably successful, diverse and multicultural society – prepares for its 150th anniversary.”

Multiculturalism in Canada is an e-book modestly priced to reach a wide audience – and it deserves one.

A Current Snapshot of Canadian Multiculturalism – New Canadian Media.

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Damian Clairmont’s mother says Harper pushing ‘quick fix’ on terrorism

2015/08/12 Leave a comment

Captures it exactly (Michael den Tandt made similar arguments in Michael Den Tandt: Harper pandering with plan to make it illegal to travel to terror-stricken zones):

An Alberta woman whose 22-year-old son was killed while fighting with Islamic extremists in Syria says Stephen Harper is looking for a “quick fix” to deal with terrorism instead of addressing the root cause of radicalized youth.

The Conservative leader promised on Sunday that, if re-elected, his government would make it a crime for Canadians to travel to countries or regions where they could fight alongside groups identified by the federal government as terrorist organizations.

He said the government would establish “declared areas” — parts of the world where terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, hold control and use their base to recruit and train followers.

“Anybody can pick up and travel and book a flight to anywhere, and if you really want to go badly enough, you can book your flight to Europe and then from there book yourself into somewhere else,” Chris Boudreau of Calgary said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

“It’s window dressing. It’s not realistic.”

Damian Clairmont’s mother says Harper pushing ‘quick fix’ on terrorism – Politics – CBC News.

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Some minorities more likely to see heart health deteriorate: study

2015/08/12 Leave a comment

Some_minorities_more_likely_to_see_heart_health_deteriorate__study_-_The_Globe_and_MailInteresting new study on how lifestyle in Canada affects different minority groups, as they integrate and adopt unhealthy Canadian food and lack of exercise habits:

The study looked at data from nearly 220,000 Canadians who took part in Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey. The researchers focused on individuals belonging to Canada’s four major ethnic groups: white, South Asian, Chinese and black.

The results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting health problems affect ethnic groups at different rates. While genes certainly play a role, they do not tell the entire story, Chiu said.

“I like to think of it as genes load up the gun and environment pulls the trigger,” she said.

Her study helps explain why some ethnic groups appear to be more vulnerable to certain health conditions. Overall, the ethnic minority groups included in the study had household incomes that were as much as $30,000 lower than those of their white counterparts.

Those groups also reported that they ate fewer fruits and vegetables. At the same time, smoking rates among all of the groups studied fell, with the exception of black women and Chinese men.

“This is another wakeup call,” said Dr. Sonia Anand, professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University in Hamilton and a spokeswoman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. “We have to get going or we’re going to end up with an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the next 20 years.”

Anand was not involved in this study, but much of her research focuses on the causes of heart disease in ethnic groups. She said the evidence is clear the differences exist, but there is no clear strategy on how to solve this complex problem.

The important question for researchers and policy makers, according to Chiu, is how to bridge the gap and reverse the trends.

One solution will be to tailor campaigns to ethnic groups, Chiu said. They need to know they are at risk and what changes they can make to reduce their vulnerability, such as quitting smoking or eating more fruits and vegetables.

And, as Anand noted, “we move less, we commute by car, we don’t live in walkable neighbourhoods.”

That means the necessary solutions are going to require a lot of time, co-ordination, funding and commitment, she said.

Some minorities more likely to see heart health deteriorate: study – The Globe and Mail.

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Multiculturalism in Canada: Evidence and Anecdote – Now Available in Print

2015/08/11 Leave a comment

For those interesting, my book is now available in print at a price of $39.00 directly from Lulu (direct link here) in addition to the pdf version at $3.99 (direct link here). The print version should become available through the usual on-line distributors in 6-8 weeks.

My personal preference is for the pdf version, given the charts are best in colour although I did optimize the print black-and-white charts as much as I could.

But doing the final review of the proof copy today, there is something oddly satisfying of holding it in one’s hand at last.

Filed under Citizenship, Multiculturalism Tagged with ,

Reaction to Calgary cab video shows progress in fighting racism, says immigration lawyer

2015/08/11 Leave a comment

Raj Sharma on how Calgary is changing, using the example of a taxi driver who filed a complaint over the racist rant of a passenger:

One way to measure how this city has changed is the public response to a dash-cam video that recently surfaced, which has been seen and shared by many. It shows an enraged drunk inundating Sardar Qayyum — a meek, deferential, Pakistani émigré and Canadian citizen — with a racist diatribe.

Unlike those who preceded him, Qayyum felt that he could go to our law enforcement agencies. He didn’t necessarily have to turn the other cheek.

…The perpetrator in this case has been identified, shamed and has lost his job. Having run the gauntlet of the internet, he and his family will move on after the mob finds their next target.

The public reaction to the video has shown his behaviour is not condoned, it is condemned. That’s a good sign and the support that Qayyum has received is heart-warming.

Racism appears to have progressed. You no longer commonly hear the generic slur of “Paki” being smeared over all South Asians. Unfortunately, racist attacks and tirades against Muslims appear to be increasing. A network of women’s centres is reporting an alarming rise in intolerance, racism and violence against Muslim women in Quebec tied to the proposed Charter of Quebec values, which thankfully remained inchoate.

Violence against Muslim women on the rise, group says

The rant against Qayyum centred around his religion; this incident is merely a symptom of the overall disease wherein the vast majority of Muslims are being tarred and feathered for the actions of a tiny minority. Muslims are “terrorists” or “sympathizers,” but since 2001 nearly twice as many people in the United States have been killed by white supremacists, antigovernment fanatics and other non-Muslim extremists than radical Muslims. Racists, by their very nature, rarely let the facts get in the way.

As a result, it’s been a chilly few years for ordinary Muslims living in the West, including Canada. However, “ordinary” Canadians with their condemnation of one man’s unacceptable actions have spoken loudly. This should be celebrated in moderation for the concerns expressed above.

I am optimistic that, while it may well be chilly right now for Canadian Muslims, the beauty is that in Calgary, the next chinook is already on its way.

Reaction to Calgary cab video shows progress in fighting racism, says immigration lawyer | CBCNews.ca Mobile.

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Tendering problems cause one-year delay in National Holocaust Monument

2015/08/11 Leave a comment

An update on the other (non-controversial) monument being built in Ottawa:

But the project ground to a halt when bids from pre-qualified firms for the construction contract came in well above budget, said Margi Oksner, executive director of the National Holocaust Monument Development Council, created in 2011 to raise money for the project.

“We weren’t sure what caused that,” Oksner said. “We were all surprised by it. None of us felt that our original estimates were loopy.”

The overall budget for the monument is about $8 million, including construction costs, artist fees, site studies and preparation, the fabrication of artistic elements and the cost of the national design competition.

The development council has raised $4.4 million to date and the federal government has contributed $4 million.

…The monument consists of six concrete and metal mesh triangular walls displaying large landscape photos by famed photographer Edward Burtynsky. The walls will be arrayed in the form of a Star of David, enclosing a central area and a contemplation space featuring an eternal flame.

“We are getting there slowly but surely,” said Rabbi Daniel Friedman, chair of the development council. “Fundraising is on track to build the most impressive holocaust monument in the world.”

After the construction contract bids came in well over budget, the National Capital Commission, which is responsible for the monument’s construction and will assume ownership once it’s completed, surveyed the contractors.

Its findings convinced the council and the project team that the contractors had “overestimated a lot of things,” Oksner said. “For example, they overestimated the amount of concrete compared to what we estimated by something like 80 per cent.”

To reduce costs, the project team has made a few minor changes to the monument design, Oksner said.

Architect Daniel Libeskind has reduced the size of a high wall near the entrance to the monument — something he been thinking about doing anyway — to make the monument more welcoming for visitors, Oksner said.

…The monument is now scheduled to be unveiled on April 24, 2017, the day that Yom HaShoah falls on that year.

Tendering problems cause one-year delay in National Holocaust Monument | Ottawa Citizen.

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