France | Multicultural Meanderings

La Géographie du Canada et de sa diversité culturelle

2014/01/06 Leave a comment

This French website, developed by Dennis Fox, a Canadian professor at the Université de Nice, is a good reference site in French about Canada and Canadian diversity. I was interviewed a number of years ago by Professor Fox (see Entretiens vidéos avec des experts for short clips) as part of his developing the site (disclosure: he is a friend of mine). Good to have a more balanced portrayal of Canadian multiculturalism in France, given their very different model of laicité and poor record of integration.

La Géographie du Canada et sa diversité culturelle

Direct links to the clips:

Andrew Griffith: Quelle relation entre les peuples autochtones et le multiculturalisme au Canada ?

Andrew Griffith: Qu’est-ce qui fait le ciment canadien et la nature de l’identité canadienne?

Andrew Griffith: Est-ce qu’il y a des régions du monde qui sont favorisées dans …

Andrew Griffith: Est-ce que la politique de multiculturalisme a contribué à l’identité canadienne?

Andrew Griffith: Quelle est la faiblesse du multiculturalisme canadien ?

Andrew Griffith: Quelle est la force principale du multiculturalisme canadien ?

Andrew Griffith: Quel est l’obstacle le plus important à l’intégration économique des immigrants ?

Filed under Charte des valeurs québécoise, Multiculturalism Tagged with Dennis Fox, France, Université de Nice

French President Hollande tells Marois secularism eases social tensions

2013/12/18 Leave a comment

No surprise, as Quebec has always been influenced by French debates on accommodation and laicité, notwithstanding the very different histories and context of Quebec and France. France has had similar regulations to the proposed Charter since 2004 and there is ongoing debate over their effectiveness, not to mention the overall weakness of France’s integration of other communities, particularly Muslims.

French President Hollande tells Marois secularism eases social tensions – Need to know – Macleans.ca.

Hollande vante la laïcité proposée par Marois

Filed under Charte des valeurs québécoise, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with France, French President Hollande, laicité, Premier Marois, President Hollance, Quebec

Laïcité – Pauline Marois et Jean-Marc Ayrault sont sur la même longueur d’onde and other Charter-related articles

2013/12/14 Leave a comment

No surprise given that elements in Quebec have always been inspired by French cartesian approaches to integration issues, without taking into account the very different history and mix of immigration in Quebec compared to France, or the extremely poor French record on integration and participation of minority communities:

« Les propos de Jean-Marc Ayrault sont de la musique à mes oreilles, a déclaré la première ministre. Vous connaissez très bien notre point de vue. Ce sont les mêmes mots que j’ai utilisés à l’Assemblée nationale du Québec entre autres où j’ai parlé justement du vouloir vivre ensemble […]. Nous pensons qu’il faut que les règles soient claires et c’est essentiellement ce que nous faisons avec notre charte des valeurs affirmant la laïcité du Québec et de ses institutions. »

The visit took place the same day as the publication of a government-appointed working group report arguing for a more inclusive, open approach to integration, including rolling back some of the prohibitions of the hijab and more recognition of minority cultures . Quickly repudiated by the French government and opposition politicians alike, given the engrained nature of French laïcité:

Laïcité – Pauline Marois et Jean-Marc Ayrault sont sur la même longueur d’onde | Le Devoir.

La laïcité française, une «inspiration» pour Marois | PAUL JOURNET | Politique québécoise

France urged to end ban on Muslim headscarves in schools amid fears over growing racism

And lastly, a couple of opinion pieces, the first noting the similarities and differences between Canada and Quebec on Christmas and religion (not that significant, much bigger differences between Canada and the US), the second, by a self-styled “jeune rebel” uses Hitchens to make his arguments for the charter, with a dogmatic approach against religion:

Le Québec toujours habité par la foi | MATHIEU PERREAULT | National

Hitchens appuierait le projet de loi 60 | Le Devoir

Filed under Charte des valeurs québécoise, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with France, Jean-Marc Ayrault, laicité, pauline marois, Premier Marois, Quebec

The Hijab and Integration

2013/10/25 Leave a comment

Nice commentary by Victoria Ferauge on the hijab. Required reading for Premier Maurois and those in Quebec in favour of the Charter. My favourite quote (among many):

Quebec (and other places) are trying to judge what is inside someone’s head by what he or she wears on their bodies. It’s matching insides to outsides – always a perilous undertaking fraught with error and misunderstandings. If one thinks it is possible to see a “message” and make judgements about a woman based on what she wears, then it follows that all women everywhere can be judged that way. So then, what does it mean, mes amis, if a woman wears a short black skirt, a tight blouse and high heels? What “messages” is she sending? And are we allowed to treat her differently because of how we interpret her intentions manifested through her fashion sense?

Do we really want to go there? For that matter, weren’t we there a few decades ago?

The Franco-American Flophouse: The Hijab and Integration.

Filed under Charte des valeurs québécoise, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with France, Franco-American Flophouse, hijab, Premier Maurois, Quebec, Victoria Ferauge

France slides right on immigration

2013/10/10 Leave a comment

The continuing slide to the right in France’s immigration and integration policies, likely to be counterproductive in a country that has largely failed in integration.

What seems lost on the republicans, however, is that as coercion takes the place of persuasion, young Muslims are showing even greater fervour for their faith than their parents. But with a population of five million Muslims expected to near seven million in a decade or so, few politicians appear willing to defy public opinion by abandoning the stick for the carrot….

As Dominique Reynié, director of the Foundation for Political Innovation, observed in Le Monde: “Twenty years ago, Valls’s remarks on the Roma would have come from [Front National founder] Jean-Marie Le Pen. In 2010, president Sarkozy’s remarks were shocking. In 2013, worse language emanates from the Socialist Interior Minister. Almost 80 per cent of French voters agree with him. President Hollande shows his de facto support. It is a testimony to the rightward slide of the [political] landscape. All of France is hardening.”

France slides right on immigration – The Globe and Mail.

Filed under Immigration, Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with Dominique Reynié, Foundation for Political Innovation, France, Integration, islam

France’s ‘beautiful notion’ of secularism is not a model for Quebec – The Globe and Mail

2013/10/04 Leave a comment

Jack Jedwab of the Association of Canadian Studies on the empirical evidence on France’s secular model. Confirms other analysis, news reports, and general knowledge:

Unfortunately for Ms. Marois and Mr. Moscovici, the evidence on the French model points to a very different conclusion. Surveys conducted in June, 2012, by Eurobarometer (the polling arm of the European Commission) put France on top of the list amongst the 27 countries of the European Union as regards the extent to which its own population feel there is discrimination in society based on religion or beliefs. Two in three French citizens surveyed see such discrimination as widespread compared with half of the U.K. population. As regards discrimination outside the workplace on the basis of religion or beliefs France (55 per cent) records the highest percentage in the EU of people feeling it is widespread. France doesn’t do much better around the perception of ethnic discrimination outside the workplace with yet another EU record 76 per cent seeing it as widespread.

France’s ‘beautiful notion’ of secularism is not a model for Quebec – The Globe and Mail.

Filed under Charte des valeurs québécoise, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with France, Jack Jedwab, Quebec

Values Charter: Sovereignists, Amnesty Intl, France

2013/09/22 Leave a comment

Quiet day. Reflecting the divisions among the sovereignists, those in favour of the Charter are planning their strategy, and aim a cheap shot at Gérard Bouchard:

Des souverainistes pro-Charte se rassemblent à Montréal | Hugo Pilon-Larose | Politique québécoise.

Meanwhile, back to reality with Amnesty International’s public position noting that the proposed Charter limits the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and freedom of religion:

Amnesty International slams Quebec charter for limiting ‘fundamental rights’

And lastly, a good analysis in the Globe about France’s experience with its laicisme approach, including the latest Charter of Secularism at school. The original decision to ban the veil at government schools was subject of considerable discussion and reflection; and was grounded in fears that there was a fair amount of compulsion for teenage girls to wear the hijab (not voluntary). But as these measures are imposed, people opt-out of the government schools, undermining the policy objective of inclusion.

How the French promotion of secularism offers a cautionary lesson for Quebec

Filed under Charte des valeurs québécoise, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with Amnesty International, France, human-rights, Quebec, quebec charter, Sovereignists

National character on parade | National Post

2013/09/22 Leave a comment

Nice to see a columnist like Barbara Kay in the National Post taking a broad view across religions on the role and portrayal of women. Far too rare, and the issue is broader than the niqab. While I do not agree with the overall French approach to dress codes of banning in all places, nevertheless reminding that these issues are not particular to one religion, one age group, one particular dress code, is helpful.

National character on parade | National Post.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with Barbara Kay, France, human-rights, Niqab, Politics