Working site on citizenship and multiculturalism issues.
2013/09/30 Leave a comment
A nice little story from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, population just over 100,000, reminding just how much multiculturalism and diversity are part of Canada, even in rural Western Canada.
Multiculturalism rich in church’s 100-year history – Local – The Moose Jaw Times Herald.
2013/09/30 1 Comment
The debate in the UK on state schools with dress codes, in and out of school. Lacking in the article is a comparison with other faith-based state schools, and their dress codes (e.g., Catholic, Jewish, Sikh etc), and how they are applied.
Quebec, ironically, also provides state financing to faith-based schools, despite it ongoing focus on secularism.
A reminder that providing financing can reinforce parallel communities and reduce opportunities for integration.
2013/09/29 Leave a comment
A good example of an inter-faith initiative, Common Word, trying to reduce violence between Muslims and Christians. While I am not sure how effective this initiative will be among the more militant fundamentalists, it nevertheless is providing a forum and space for moderates, and respect for the commonalities among different faiths.
Muslims finding common ground with Christians: The path to peace – The Globe and Mail.
2013/09/27 Leave a comment
One of the ironies of the debate over the proposed Charter.
PQ leader Pauline Marois losing her feminist allies: Hébert | Toronto Star.
And in other Charter-related news, Tom Mulcair, Leader of the Official Opposition and NDP, maintains his position against the proposed Charter but will not provide any funding for a legal challenge, trimming his sails somewhat:
Charte des valeurs québécoises – Thomas Mulcair modère ses intentions
And no surprise, the hijab is largely accepted, the niqab is not. Previous polls in English Canada are similar; covering the face is rejection and separation, not integration:
Pour certaines personnes, c’est le concept de la domination homme-femme. D’autres ont tout simplement un sentiment anti-islam. Mais il y a aussi le fait que le niqab crée une distance entre les gens qui est en dehors des normes sociales. Des gens vivent un inconfort par rapport à ça.
Sondage sur la tolérance des Québécois: le hijab oui, le niqab non
2013/09/27 2 Comments
A number of columns by critics of Islam and Muslims (Michael Coren, Farzana Hassan), who focus on the extremists among them, without recognizing that all religions have their fundamentalists, conservatives and extremists, as well as the majority who are more moderate believers.
The issue is more how extremism manifests itself; unfortunately, in the case of Muslims, it manifests itself in terrorism and blowing people up. And that is the problem, unlike most other communities where it is more internal to how people live their lives (e.g., the choices made by conservative Jews, Christians, Sikhs and the like), although there are also issues from an integration perspective.
I could not find the source reference to Imam Soharwardy (the Calgary Imam referred to in the second article), just the blog commenting on it without a direct link.
Muslim extremism: That’s just calling it like it is | Home | Toronto Sun.
2013/09/26 Leave a comment
A good review and overview by Stanley Fish in the NYTimes of Ronald Dworkin’s last book, Religion without God. Some of the argumentation is complex, but treating belief and non-belief as equal rights (freedom of and freedom from religion), and how liberals recreate an ethnical framework, is of interest. Quote:
By “ethical independence” Dworkin means the individual’s independence to decide for himself or herself how to acknowledge the “felt conviction that the universe really does embody a sublime beauty.” One form of acknowledgment might be the practice of theism — traditional religion with its rituals, sacred texts, formal prayers, proscribed and prescribed activities; but the conviction of the universe’s beauty does not, says Dworkin, “suppose any god” as its ground. Once we see this, we are on the way to “decoupling religion from a god” and admitting into the ranks of the religious those who are possessed by that conviction but do not trace it back to any deity. They will be, Dworkin declares, “religious atheists.”
2013/09/24 Leave a comment
Correct assessment, although even isolated incidents can be deadly. Interestingly, no mention of the ongoing research towards better understanding of some of the possible factors involved that are part of the federally funded Kanishka Project:
…. invest in research on pressing questions for Canada on terrorism and counter-terrorism, such as preventing and countering violent extremism.
The Project is about better understanding what terrorism means in the Canadian context, how that is changing over time, and what we can do to support effective policies and programs to counter terrorism and violent extremism in Canada.
No ‘mass phenomenon’ of homegrown radicalization in Canada, says Harper – Winnipeg Free Press.
2013/09/23 Leave a comment
Missed this debate between the Minister in charge of selling the Charter, and the philosopher and academic, Gérard Bouchard, who actually has thought considerably about these issues during his long career and his work on the Bouchard-Taylor commission. Quote:
“We took a meticulous look at the practice of accommodations and concluded it was going well,” he said. “You launched yourself into this operation in ignorance of the reality.”
Bouchard repeatedly asked Drainville what studies the government had done to determine that there was a need to restrict its employees’ religious freedoms.
Drainville replied that he had heard from “representatives of teachers, school boards, people working in the health sector” and other employers who didn’t know how to deal with their workers’ requests for religious accommodations and who implored the province to bring in limits.
Quebec minister in hot seat over charter of values – Montreal – CBC News.
In other words, anecdote, not evidence.
And naturally enough, the “battle” of the demonstrations starts (smaller than the one the previous week protesting the Charter):
Manifestation en faveur de la Charte des valeurs à Montréal
And a nuanced analysis of what makes Muslim Canadians wear the hijab, noting the wide variety of practices and beliefs within the community, and that wearing a hijab does not mean that it has been forced by male relatives. Quote:
D’une génération à l’autre, l’islam est souvent vécu de façon différente. « Certaines femmes [plus âgées] ont porté le voile par tradition. Les jeunes sont beaucoup plus dans une recherche spirituelle. On s’approprie la religion et on en fait quelque chose d’individuel. »
2013/09/21 Leave a comment
An interesting take on dual citizenship from a religious perspective. Issue more of a Quebec issue with the proposed Charter, as in the rest of Canada there is space for religious symbols (although we sometimes suffer from political correctness with “holiday trees”).
The Franco-American Flophouse: Dual Citizens in a Secular Society.
Click image for book purchase
Multicultural Meanderings 