Working site on citizenship and multiculturalism issues.
2013/11/12 Leave a comment
My excerpt, from the Anecdote or Evidence chapter, of my book, Policy Arrogance or Innocent Bias: Resetting Citizenship and Multiculturalism, in The MacDonald-Laurier Institute‘s bimonthly publication, Inside Policy. Direct link to November issue (pdf, see page 30 for excerpt below):
2013/11/12 Leave a comment
Consistent yes, but wrong also, banning PQ candidates from wearing religious symbols. “Harmony” indeed, according to Premier Marois. Quebec Liberal Party calling this one correctly, as they have been throughout the Charter debates and discussions.
And a reminder of the xenophobic current behind the third party in Quebec (CAQ, formerly ADQ), which provoked the original reasonable accommodation debate over 5 years ago and the Bouchard-Taylor Commission.
2013/11/11 Leave a comment
Would rather believe the commentary in Quebec and English Canada than these protestations to the contrary:
And the usual political games with PQ leader Marois intimating that some members of the Quebec Liberal Party oppose the position of the Party (likely true, as in the case of most political parties, but Couillard has managed to maintain party discipline):
Le PQ doute de l’unanimité anti-charte au PLQ
And an admission that the Charter is not in conformity with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms from Daniel Turp, a prominent sovereignist and former Bloc Quebecois Member of Parliament:
Charte de la laïcité – Québec devrait user de la clause dérogatoire | Le Devoir
Lastly, Haroon Siddiqui of The Star has a blistering critique of the toughening up of the Charter in Bill 60:
The bill is based on demagoguery. It proposes a solution for a problem that does not exist. It divides society.
It is Orwellian. It claims to preserve secularism by axing a fundamental secular right – the right to freedom of religion that includes the right to show it.
The ostensibly leftist PQ is following rightwing European xenophobes, anti-Semites and Islamophobes. Its bill goes in tandem with recently announced reductions in immigration to Quebec. It is pandering to Quebecers who think that immigration is a threat to “the heritage of Quebec society” (46 per cent, according to a Léger poll) and those who are alarmingly intolerant of religious minorities (according to Forum Research and Angus Reid polls).
2013/11/11 Leave a comment
Some interesting observations how language affects one’s personality, no matter how bilingual or multilingual one is. The key point is that most of us are not symmetrically bilingual, but have different levels of competency and emotional affiliations.
2013/11/09 Leave a comment
A few pieces asking the obvious question as to whether the proposed Quebec Charter will be given a pass by the courts. As the Supreme Court of Canada has a broader understanding of religious accommodation issues, backed up by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the overall consensus, mentioned in earlier articles, is that the Quebec Charter will not ruled compatible with religious freedom:
La Charte des valeurs passerait-elle le test des tribunaux? | Le Devoir.
Why experts think Quebec’s secular charter won’t survive in court
2013/11/09 1 Comment
A good piece by Hussein Ibish on secularism and Islam, and how false definitions of secularism have been misappropriated, and that secularism offers, given the diversity within Islam and other religions, “religious freedom, religious authenticity, and religious meaning”:
What devout Muslims need to understand is that real secularism alone offers them something most of them seem to badly want: freedom. If there really is no compulsion in religion, only a secular society can provide that. Only in a secular system can Muslims be free to practice Islam exactly as they see fit. Any \”Islamic\” polity will of necessity be imposing a particular version or interpretation of Islam, which is an extremely heterodox set of traditions.
The claim that secularism is really just Christianity in disguise is manifestly false. The language is European, inherited from the Enlightenment. But both Western chauvinists and anti-Western demagogues badly misread the fact that although the specific language of modern human rights and freedoms is, for historical reasons, currently packaged in Western terms, this hardly means that they lack non-Western cognates, origins, or bases.
Since at least the 10th century, most Muslim societies have distinguished between political and religious authority, and it\’s absurd to claim that religious freedom originates only or even mainly as a concept from the Protestant Reformation. There are deep roots in both traditional and modern interpretations of Islam that lend themselves to political secularism.
2013/11/08 2 Comments
A few good pieces of analysis of the PQ strategy in tabling a more doctrinaire and rigid version of the Quebec Values Charter, starting with Terrence McKenna of the CBC:
The political strategy behind Quebec’s values charter – Canada – CBC News.
And Martin Patriquin of Macleans,
There are evident risks to this strategy. Successive polls (like this one) suggest Quebecers are far less worried about what’s on a woman’s head than what the mobster is stuffing into his sock. As Parizeau’s sortie demonstrates, the charter has divided the sovereignist movement itself. There are inevitable court challenges should the proposed bill become law. And though Drainville et al. are loath to talk about it, there is the sticky matter of enforcement: what happens when, not if, a Muslim, Sikh, Jew, Christian refuses to remove his or her religious accoutrement?
But these are logical considerations, and logic has no place in pride. In one form or another, CALVDLEDNRDLEAQDEELFELHEELDDA (the French an acronym) is now a political inevitability in Quebec. God help us all.
Why the PQ won’t back down – Blog Central, Martin Patriquin – Macleans.ca
Lastly, Bernard Descoteaux of Le Devoir, on the electoral and political risks:
Il est certain, si le gouvernement Marois maintient la ligne dure, que le projet de loi 60 ne pourra être adopté tant qu’il est en situation minoritaire. Pour peu que l’appui populaire que recueille la Charte des valeurs se maintienne, il aurait là l’argument qui le justifierait à demander aux Québécois un mandat majoritaire. Le pari est risqué. Sous un gouvernement libéral, ce projet de loi 60, comme d’autres qui sont actuellement en plan, notamment le projet de loi 14 amendant la Charte de la langue française, sera enterré pour longtemps. Une telle approche est un quitte ou double dangereux. Inutile aussi puisque la Coalition avenir Québec est ouverte au dialogue.
Avec son appui, le gouvernement pourrait faire adopter l’essentiel de ce projet. Il y aurait des compromis, mais ce serait mieux que rien du tout. L’objectif de ce projet est d’assurer « la diversité de la société québécoise dans l’harmonie », nous dit la première ministre Marois. Pour cela, est-il indispensable de tout régir dans le moindre détail ? Bien sûr que non.
2013/11/08 Leave a comment
Some reactions to the tabling of the proposed Quebec Charter, starting with the leader of the provincial liberal party (who has been consistent throughout the debate):
A good summary of reactions by Quebec associations and groups to the tabling of the Charter, with the same groups opposed as before given the hardening of the provisions of the Charter:
Charte: des associations réagissent | Pierre Saint-Arnaud | Politique québécoise
Charte – Les communautésculturelles déçues
And commentary by Gérard Bouchard and Charles Taylor, reiterating their opposition to the Charter:
Charles Taylor et Gérard Bouchard dénoncent une charte nuisible
And from federal politicians,
Federal politicians of all stripes denounce Quebec values bill
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