Alden E. Habacon: Why is green so white?

2014/04/26 Leave a comment

Alden Habacon on the whiteness of the environmental movement in Vancouver, surprising just how large and influential the Asian Canadian community is. A reminder that diversity is not a left or right, green or not green issue, and that all have to engage the broader community:

Over the next 10 years, we will witness the transformation of “green”.

It will move from being a universal Western ideal—based on the false idea that we all see green the same—to being a richer spectrum of green. It won’t just be something we talk about in English, but will be the intercultural and multilingual conversation that it needs to be.

It will not, however, get there organically. It will need to be intentional. Unlike nature, left to itself, the green movement in the West will not correct its course, but continue on a path towards lesser relevance to the growing cultural diversity of our Canadian cities.

Alden E. Habacon: Why is green so white? | Georgia Straight, Vancouver’s News & Entertainment Weekly.

Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with , ,

The Sources of Egyptian Anti-Semitism

2014/04/26 Leave a comment

Long detailed piece on ongoing antisemitism in Egypt and how deeply entrenched it is:

When confronted with anti-Semitism in their country, Egyptians typically dismiss the charge out of hand. “We cannot be anti-Semites, for we are Semites ourselves,” is the favorite line. Western observers, incapable of echoing such nonsense, have tended to dismiss concern with the widespread appeal of anti-Semitism in Egypt and beyond. “It’s just a stupid knee-jerk reaction to the Arab-Israeli conflict”, is a sentiment held by many. Egyptians are not really anti-Semites, not like the Europeans anyway; they are just anti Israeli and cannot make the differentiation between Israel and the Jews. Given that, after the persecution by Nasser, there are very few Jews in the country anyway, this bigotry has no practical ramifications and should not concern us. Egypt will uphold its peace treaty with Israel, and the country’s decision-makers, while sometimes using anti-Semitism as a tool, are too sane to fall for such nonsense.

Such attitudes are not only wrong; they are dangerous. As I’ve shown, decision-makers in Egypt are not themselves immune to anti-Semitism but in fact are among its most committed believers. In the top ranks of the Egyptian army, in its intelligence community, and in the ranks of state servants, the nearly universal belief of the existence of a Jewish conspiracy against the homeland is dangerous and affects perception of reality and hence policy. To be unable to see the world as it is, to be incapable of understanding the causes of events, is a dangerous condition, and one that can lead to disastrous consequences.

Anti-Semitism in Egypt is not merely a form of bigotry. It forms the basis on which its adherents interpret and understand the world. As such, at the forefront of those concerned by its widespread adaptation by the country’s leaders and intellectuals should be Egyptians themselves—at least those who care enough about the country’s future and wish it well. As Walter Russell Mead has argued: “Rabid anti-Semitism coupled with an addiction to implausible conspiracy theories is a very strong predictor of national doom.”

Anti-Semitism is one of the pillars of socio-political life in Egypt. A country consumed with such madness cannot become a flourishing liberal democracy. Egypt should not be doomed to such a condition. Those who seek a better future for their country must begin by combating the vicious monster head on, before it consumes them.

The Sources of Egyptian Anti-Semitism – The American Interest.

Filed under Antisemitism Tagged with ,

David Cameron’s ‘Christian country’ remarks fuel mini media frenzy

2014/04/26 Leave a comment

David Cameron’s faith and politics statements and the predictable controversy. Had he talked about Christianity’s influence on Britain’s development and values, and linked to the openness to other faiths, likely would have been a non-issue.

Of more interest is the much higher percentage of British who state they have no religion (51 %), likely one of the higher percentages in the world (Canada is about 24 %):

In last year’s British Society Attitudes Survey, 51 per cent of those polled described themselves as having no religion. And the number of those who say they are members of the Church of England continues to fall year by year.

British Attitudes Towards Religion:

No religion: 48 per cent

Church of England: 20 per cent

Other Christian: 17 per cent

Source: British Social Attitudes Survey, 2012

Campbell refers to Cameron as a “bog standard middle England churchgoer.” During his reign as Tony Blair’s chief spin-doctor, Campbell managed to curb any talk of religion with an imperious command delivered from the plinth, telling reporters: “We don’t do God.”

Cameron’s critics accuse him of deciding to “do God” now in a bid to prevent an exodus of more traditional members from his governing Conservative Party to the UK Independence Party or UKIP, running on a staunchly anti-European, anti-immigrant platform.

Also amusing to see former PM Blair’s spin doctor, Alistair Campbell, comment on Cameron without disclosing just how much he suppressed any evidence or news about Blair’s deep religious faith (Blair only “came out,” so to speak, when he left office)

David Cameron’s ‘Christian country’ remarks fuel mini media frenzy – World – CBC News.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with , , ,

Graeme Hamilton: The one gesture Philippe Couillard used to slam the door on Marois’ Parti Québécois

2014/04/25 Leave a comment

Not bad messaging:

But it was a subtler gesture by Mr. Couillard that truly slammed the door on Pauline Marois’ 19 months in power. Kathleen Weil, it was announced, would be “Minister of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion.”

After the division wrought by the PQ’s charter of Quebec values, which sought to ban minorities who wear religious symbols from public-sector employment, the immigration department’s new name was clearly intended to send a message: The days of homogeneity and exclusion are over.

Addressing Ms. Weil in his speech after the 26-member cabinet was sworn in in the National Assembly’s Salon Rouge, Mr. Couillard said immigration is essential to Quebec’s future, and diversity is an asset.

“To welcome is to grow and to open oneself. In Quebec we are going to grow together,” he said.

“You will have the difficult but essential task of helping to heal the wounds of recent months by participating in the construction of an open, inclusive society proudly sharing an identity based on our language and our shared values.”

We will see how this is captured in the proposed Charte de laicité.

Graeme Hamilton: The one gesture Philippe Couillard used to slam the door on Marois’ Parti Québécois | National Post.

Martin Patriquin in Maclean’s makes the same point:

Kathleen Weil will be minister of “immigration, diversity and inclusion.” The name itself is an apparent middle finger to the former PQ government, which pushed a so-called Quebec values charter that sought to remove religious accoutrements from the heads and bodies of Quebec’s public-sector employees. Weil, an early Couillard supporter, and newly ensconced justice minister Stephanie Vallée will likely work together to bring about legislation on the “reasonable accommodations” file—and deflate a major PQ electoral cudgel in the process.

A government of low expectations for Philippe Couillard

La Presse‘s take:

Lors d’un point de presse, jeudi matin, en marge du premier caucus depuis la prestation de serment des libéraux, elle a dit juger que le gouvernement, dans une démarche d’inclusion, devra déployer des «gestes concrets» pour se rapprocher de ces communautés qui auraient été victimes «d’intimidation» en raison de la charte péquiste.

«Il y a des blessures», selon elle.

Le titre de Mme Weil, qui exerçait la même fonction dans le gouvernement Charest, a été modifié pour devenir «ministre de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion».

Elle dit souhaiter que la société québécoise «s’ouvre» davantage aux nouveaux arrivants. «L’inclusion, ça va au-delà» de l’intégration, qu’elle décrit comme une «dimension nouvelle».

«Il faut revisiter toutes ces questions», selon Mme Weil, qui juge le moment venu de «rebâtir des ponts», loin du message «d’exclusion» prôné par le gouvernement précédent.

Laïcité: Québec juge nécessaire de rebâtir les ponts

Filed under Charte de la laïcité, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with , ,

Film at 9/11 Museum Sets Off Clash Over Reference to Islam – NYTimes.com

2014/04/25 Leave a comment

Good article on the challenges in explaining 9/11, Al-Qaeda, and Islamists. One can never please everyone, and I tend to agree that being too careful on language can be as harmful as being too careless, given the need to educate. Holocaust education generally does not shy from clarity in telling the story, and the film appears to be careful in how it tells the story:

In interviews, several leading scholars of Islam said that the term “Islamic terrorist” was broadly rejected as unfairly conflating Islam and terrorism, but the terms Islamist and jihadist can be used, in the proper context, to refer to Al Qaeda, preferably with additional qualifiers, like “radical,” or “militant.”

But for Mr. Elazabawy, and many other Muslims, the words “Islamic” and “Islamist” are equally inappropriate to apply to Al Qaeda, and the word “jihad” refers to a positive struggle against evil, the opposite of how they view the terrorist attacks.

“Don’t tell me this is an Islamist or an Islamic group; that means they are part of us,” he said in an interview. “We are all of us against that.”

For his part, Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University, defended the film, whose script he vetted.

“The critics who are going to say, ‘Let’s not talk about it as an Islamic or Islamist movement,’ could end up not telling the story at all, or diluting it so much that you wonder where Al Qaeda comes from,” Dr. Haykel said.

Film at 9/11 Museum Sets Off Clash Over Reference to Islam – NYTimes.com.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Radicalization Tagged with ,

West and Russia must unite to tackle radical Islam, says Tony Blair

2014/04/25 Leave a comment

While it is hard to disagree with Blair’s premise that fundamentalism poses serious risks to security, stability, human rights and prosperity, it is harder to think of ways to engage and influence to reduce the risk in an effective manner. As we have learned from Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt and Syria, there are limits, some self-imposed, some reflecting the complexity of the societies concerned, to what Western countries can do. There is something paternalistic in Blair’s attitude, in some cases we have to let societies work things out themselves and have more policy modesty, while of course addressing our security issues and providing some capacity building where appropriate:

”Consider this absurdity: that we spend billions of dollars on security arrangements and on defence to protect ourselves against the consequences of an ideology that is being advocated in the formal and informal school systems and in civic institutions of the very countries with whom we have intimate security and defence relationships.

”Some of those countries of course wish to escape from the grip of this ideology.

”But often it is hard for them to do so within their own political constraints. They need to have this issue out in the open where it then becomes harder for the promotion of this ideology to happen underneath the radar.

”In other words they need us to make this a core part of the international dialogue in order to force the necessary change within their own societies.

”This struggle between what we may call the open-minded and the closed-minded is at the heart of whether the 21st century turns in the direction of peaceful coexistence or conflict between people of different cultures.”

West and Russia must unite to tackle radical Islam, says Tony Blair – Telegraph.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Radicalization Tagged with ,

Professors are Less Likely to Mentor Female and Minority Students, Especially in Business School – The Wire

2014/04/24 Leave a comment

Another version of the blind cv test to demonstrate bias (see How an ethnic-sounding name may affect the job hunt), this time with respect to mentorship in the US:

Faculty bias is particularly entrenched in areas of study that lead to the best-paying jobs, like the natural sciences and business. “The very worst in terms of bias is business academia,” Milkman says. “We see a 25-percentage-point gap in the response rate to caucasian males versus women and minorities.”

Professors are Less Likely to Mentor Female and Minority Students, Especially in Business School – The Wire.

Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with ,

Komagata Maru exhibit recalls ship that was turned away

2014/04/24 Leave a comment

Good community-led initiative:

This year, the 100th anniversary of the episode, Mr. Girn is helping to tell the story, which has become a passion for him.

He is overseeing the project Komagata Maru 1914-2014, a collaboration among eight institutions across the Lower Mainland to hold exhibitions and events. At the Surrey Art Gallery, Ruptures in Arrival: Art in the Wake of the Komagata Maru examines contemporary art dealing with the event – and more recent histories of mass migration from Asia to Canada’s West Coast.

The Komagata Maru sailed to Vancouver in 1914, arriving in May. It had 376 passengers on board from Punjab, India – most of them Sikhs. They were British subjects, as were the Canadians they were hoping to join on this side of the Pacific. But Canada allowed only 24 to land. The rest, after two desperate months in Vancouver’s harbour, were forced to return to India. By the time they got there, the First World War had begun and they were seen as potentially seditious. Some were shot and many were imprisoned.

A great deal has been written about the incident, but Surrey Art Gallery curator Jordan Strom says finding visual art about it was challenging.

Komagata Maru exhibit recalls ship that was turned away – The Globe and Mail.

Filed under Historical Recognition, Multiculturalism Tagged with

My Take: Couillard Pitches Charter Lite

2014/04/23 Leave a comment

My speculation on what will and will not be included in Premier Couillard’s proposed Charte de laicité:

Will the new premier be able to develop an approach that responds to the concerns of many Quebeckers, while respecting the fundamental rights of each Quebecker, regardless of their religion? Former PQ Premier Pauline Marois, ironically, paved the way by showing the limits to identity-based politics in Quebec.

By moving early in his mandate, while the PQ is occupied in its post-election reflections, and the CAQ is trying to position itself as the main opposition party, Couillard has a unique opportunity to help Quebec to move past the divisive debate over the previous Charter.

Couillard Pitches Charter Lite – New Canadian Media – NCM

The Globe, on the other hand, takes a similar position to Haroon Siddiqui of the Star (Philippe Couillard is in a secular charter mess of his own). Globe’s editorial board wants Couillard to drop his idea of a Quebec Charte de laicité. Never sure how helpful or relevant such editorials are when, as one of the first commitments of a newly-elected Premier, Couillard will press ahead. Likely more productive to note one’s opposition but recognize the reality, and focus more on the form and content:

Mr. Couillard should leave it there. If he truly feels that the combined force of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Quebec Bill of Human Rights and Freedoms, the courts and the ongoing maturation of modern Quebec society are not enough to manage the reasonable accommodation of minority religious rights in Quebec, then perhaps his government can make itself feel better (and keep the PQ quiet) by adopting an anodyne motion restating that Quebec’s government is secular and that men and woman are equals. But the smarter play is to just wait. After six months go by, and then another six, and then a few years, and Quebeckers realize the supposedly imminent threats that the Charter of Values was purported to be a bulwark against never existed in the first place, they will lose interest in the subject and develop even more of a distaste for politicians who play the identity card.

Couillard should bury the Charter of Values – The Globe and Mail.

Filed under Charte de la laïcité, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with , ,

“Shopping for Votes” Immigration and Citizenship

2014/04/23 Leave a comment

Target voting groups among ethnic communities: Philipino, Chinese and Indo-Canadians, with my comparison table of the figures highlighted in the press releases:

Visitor Visas Permanent Residents Student Visas Ancestry
Philipino Canadians

47,000

30,000

650,000
Chinese Canadians

270,000

34,000

29,000

1,500,000
Indo-Canadians

130,000

33,000

14,000

1,165,000

Welcoming a record number of visitors from the Philippines in 2013

Welcoming record numbers from China in 2013

Indo-Canadian immigration continues to grow

Note: Indo-Canadian release did not include size of community, NHS figures used for comparison.

Filed under Multiculturalism

← Older posts

Newer posts →