The bigger question is "what is a Canadian"? This isn't a racial thing -- space aliens living in Calgary can be "Canadian" -- I recently heard 20% of Canadian citizens were born elsewhere. But do we have a uniform ethos? Is there a Nation of Canada or is it merely a State?
My sense is that there is a Nation here -- it is rapidly evolving because of massive immigration and economic change -- when I was a child Eatons was a unifying force but that's not true today -- and in my grade school the exotic foreigners came from Poland. But there is a Nation.
Canada's Nationhood is built by common national institutions -- whether they be public (the Forces) or private (Tim's). And the apparent triviality of, say, a donut chain as national symbol changes nothing of its enduring connectedness to the core of what we are.
Perhaps I am too fancy for an early Toronto morning?
The new citizenship guide won't make Canadians but it is a good step:
New citizenship guide says no to 'barbaric' practices
Kathryn Blaze Carlson,
National Post
Canada's revamped citizenship guide warns newcomers that "barbaric cultural practices" such as honour killings will not be tolerated, marking a stronger tone against importing beliefs that clash with Canadian values.
"In Canada, men and women are equal under the law," the document says. "Canada's openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, 'honour killings,' female genital mutilation or other gender-based violence. Those guilty of these crimes are severely punished under Canada's criminal laws."
The guide, released on Thursday and called Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Canadian Citizenship, (read the full guide) is the first of its kind to explicitly denounce violence in the name of family honour -- a crime in the headlines just this week after an Ottawa man was sentenced to a year in jail for threatening violence against his daughter.
While honour killings remain relatively rare in Canada, several high-profile cases have drawn attention to the issue. Even the use of the term "honour killings" has stirred debate, as critics of the wording say it implies the practice is accepted by certain religions when, in fact, it is not.
"The government had long been cautious about offending people," said Amin Muhammad, a psychiatry professor at Memorial University and author of a recent paper on the subject, which was submitted to the federal Department of Justice. "But now, the government is bravely -- but politely -- warning that this is something that is not to be tolerated."
9 comments:
What laws protect Canadians against a political party and its leadership that openly pander to one religious group while openly demeaning another? It does not surprise to see the favored group thus emboldened, attempt to whip up hate through paid advertising that brought not a peep from leadership within government, media,law or community.
Where is the equity in Canadian law when "brown shirtism", ride again?
Foot calls B.S., Mort
There isn't any such law -- pandering is often called something softer -- but I am unsure this governemtn has actually done anything for the group you refer to beyond making noises...
Does anyone remember the last time the Conservatives did anything to help battered women? I don't, but in all honesty, it's possible that I missed it or that it was just a local thing that didn't make the national news.
It seems that providing contact information for women's shelters might be slightly more useful than denouncing fringe practices that are doubly rare in Canada simply because the people who practice them would be less likely to want to leave their country for a better life in Canada in the first place.
100 years ago people debated if the Irish could ever possibly be assimilated. Now it's Muslims.
Plus ca change.
Define what is and is not a barbaric custom? Only female circumcision, but why not male? I had my son circumcised, am I a terrorist? How is that not gender-specific violence? Because it was done by a doctor, in a hospital, it is fine.
What about refusing to cut your hair like Sikhs and Rastafarians? Or insisting males need to carry a weapon, like the Sgian Dubh in Scottish tradition, or, again, like the Sikhs? What about enforcing strict distinctions between the sexes as many Orthodox and fundamentalist denominations and communities do; restricting, for example, who menstruating women can have contact with because they are believed unclean.
How about claiming only men can speak for God and interpret his word in an official capacity, as the Catholic Church does? Is that not discriminatory?
Where do the Conservatives stand on equal pay legislation? Aren’t they against it? Or homophobia, which they support.
The Conservatives want to insist to new immigrants that men and women are equal under the law.
The same group of white guys who also want to curtail abortion rights and restrict a women’s reproductive freedom and her ability to be in charge of her own body, are positioning Canada as this shining beacon of gender equality? And you think this is a good step? For what? Propaganda? Tricking people into believing stuff about Canada which isn’t really true?
How about we put more money into making sure immigrants can speak French or English? Or making it easier for foreign education and professional credentials are accepted in Canada. As Chuck Norris said in Delta Force: “Deeds, not words.”
Bruce Hoffman describes terrorism as “violence designed to register some protest and/or to change the outcome of some political issue.”
WSAM, Do you not know the difference between female circumcision and male circumcision?
Maybe a couple pictures will enlighten you, but be warned of the graphic nature:
One
two
Three
How dare you compare a forced physical mutilation to male circumcision? One is intended to reduce sexual pleasure so a woman won't cheat on her future husband, basically enslaving women, and the other is a minor surgery removing a piece of skin! How can you compare it to cultural practices that a woman could walk away from? A 12 year old can't walk away from her mutilated vagina. Does it make you feel better to know that this isn't something done by Muslims alone? You disgust me.
Male circumcision isn't an enforced physical mutilation? How so?
My son was a week old when he had his. We neglected to get his consent.
Why don't immigrants learn that murdering people is not the Canadian way? Or that Canadians do not eat dog. Or that Canadians never spit in public ...
The point is: why focus on female circumcision? It's already illegal. So why single it out?
Why not slavery? Or pedophilia? Slavery’s persistence is a bigger global problem than female circumcision. Are there hordes of immigrants secretly circumcising their daughters? Is this a real problem for Canada. Or, could this be, maybe, a pretend problem?
They could have just stated Canada’s values. Why list what we don’t do? Why target one activity and not another? Do you think there is a specific group being antagonized here?
Wouldn’t it be easier to just make immigrants memorize the criminal code.
You don't find it a bit hypocritical for the Conservatives to be holding up Canada as a beacon of gender equality?
The level of gender equality that Canadians do enjoy exists despite the Conservatives.
Next they will be triumphing Canada's semi-successful attempts at gun control.
WSAM, you are truly a moron. Honest to god, a low IQ moron. There is no other way to explain how you can compare female genital mutilation to circumcision. It's obvious you didn't look at the pictures or read the links. If there was an ignore function on blogger you'd be on my list because debating a douchebag like you demeans me.
Get an education, you're an embarrassment to humanity.
Get an education?
Ratty. You are projecting.
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