From the Globe and Mail (Granting asylum to U.S. citizens a touchy issue by Marina Jimenez, December 28):
The Immigration and Refugee Board has granted asylum to 14 of 740 American refugee claimants in the past three years -- all of them babies born in the United States to foreign couples.
The successful claimants -- attached to the refugee cases of their parents -- won asylum in Canada on the basis that they would endure cruel and unusual punishment if separated from their families.
Since the Safe Third Country Agreement came into effect in 2004, refugee claimants who arrive in the United States first are supposed to seek a safe haven there.
[. . .]
In the 14 American claims, the children were born while the parents were en route to Canada, passing through the United States.
U.S. cases are politically sensitive because of the optics of granting asylum to citizens of a country where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights.
[Hyphenated Canadian: US cases are sensitive because they are particularly blatant examples of how our system is being abused. The US is a democracy that respects human rights. Accepting American citizens as refugees is absurd beyond belief.]
[. . .]
The Globe and Mail has learned that in two cases in 2003, the IRB granted asylum to U.S.-born children, and then took the extraordinary step of reopening the cases in a bid to revoke their status.
"I think the board is really paranoid about American claimants purely for the public image, and the idea there would be a news report saying, 'Look, an American got status here,' " said Raoul Boulakia, a Toronto refugee lawyer.
[. . .]
Read all of Marina Jimenez's article.
The Safe Third Country Agreement wasn't necessary. Under international law, people fleeing persecution are supposed to make their claim in the first safe country they enter and the United States qualifies as a safe country. Anyone who reaches the US before coming to Canada should make their claim there and Canadian officials had the right to send them back even without the agreement.
Asylum seekers make their claims in Canada rather than the US, because we are a soft touch. It's called asylum shopping. People with dubious refugee claims try to find the country where the social benefits are the most generous and where the chances of being accepted as a refugee are the highest. According to people who've studied the issue, Canada accepts the asylum claims of people who don't fit the legal definition of a refugee. They are economic migrants jumping the immigration queue. See Daniel Stoffman's book Who Gets In.
For a thorough discussion of the problems with our refugee determination process, consult Stephen Gallagher's Fraser Institute report: Canada's Dysfunctional Refugee Determination System. For information on how terrorists have taken advantage of Canada's negligence, read Martin Collacott's report: Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism.
See also:
Canada's refugee determination board is staffed by amateurs. Some adjudicators barely speak English
Immigration lawyers urging Iraqis to enter Canada illegally
If they found a way to come here, tens of millions would be eligible for refugee status in Canada
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian law United States US Immigration and Refugee Board immigration refugees asylum human rights
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Teachers issued new guidelines on how to teach English students about the British presence in India
From the BBC (Teachers get guidelines on India, December 28)
Schools in England are to be sent extra guidelines on how to teach about the legacy of the British Empire in India.
The guidelines are being sent out as the 60th anniversary of Indian independence is celebrated next year.
The guidance aims to help schools explore the impact of British rule and key features of the cultural and religious history of the subcontinent.
It comes from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and is for Key Stage 3 pupils (ages 12 to 14).
It will offer teachers suggestions about how they can cover the key background to the struggle for independence and examine why India was such an important part of the British Empire.
[. . .]
QCA chief executive Ken Boston said: "Today's society is a global one that is ever changing. Never has it been so important to work with other countries around the world, particularly for business opportunities."
[Hyphenated Canadian: Students should know more about world history, but linking history teaching to international trade, as Ken Boston does, makes me wonder whether historical accuracy will be sacrificed in the interests of promoting good will towards India. What happens if the Indian government objects to the way Indian history is taught in English schools? Will the authorities bow to pressure and alter the content to suit India? The Hindutva movement has expressed a keen interest in how Indian history is taught in the United States, so I'm sure they're interested in how the subject is taught in Britain as well. Will white English students be taught to feel ashamed of their ancestors? Will English schools promote white guilt?]
Given the mix of nationalities in England, it was important to foster understanding through learning.
[Hyphenated Canadian: What happens if the goal of "fostering understanding" conflicts with the historical facts?]
[. . .]
Traditionalist history teachers complained that the general tone of the guidance was anti-British.
The director of the traditionalist History Curriculum Association, Chris McGovern, said there was little about positive consequences of imperial rule.
"Instead pupils have to work out 'how the British profited from their Indian empire' and 'the relative importance of the various benefits Britain experienced as a result of their Indian empire'.
[. . .]
Read the whole BBC article.
See also:
BC Chinese student to Canadian teacher: "Sir, why did you move here? It's all Chinese."
Peter Worthington: Mixed feelings about Canadian War Museum
Technorati tags: United Kingdom UK Great Britain England English British Empire India Pakistan education schools history multiculturalism
Schools in England are to be sent extra guidelines on how to teach about the legacy of the British Empire in India.
The guidelines are being sent out as the 60th anniversary of Indian independence is celebrated next year.
The guidance aims to help schools explore the impact of British rule and key features of the cultural and religious history of the subcontinent.
It comes from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and is for Key Stage 3 pupils (ages 12 to 14).
It will offer teachers suggestions about how they can cover the key background to the struggle for independence and examine why India was such an important part of the British Empire.
[. . .]
QCA chief executive Ken Boston said: "Today's society is a global one that is ever changing. Never has it been so important to work with other countries around the world, particularly for business opportunities."
[Hyphenated Canadian: Students should know more about world history, but linking history teaching to international trade, as Ken Boston does, makes me wonder whether historical accuracy will be sacrificed in the interests of promoting good will towards India. What happens if the Indian government objects to the way Indian history is taught in English schools? Will the authorities bow to pressure and alter the content to suit India? The Hindutva movement has expressed a keen interest in how Indian history is taught in the United States, so I'm sure they're interested in how the subject is taught in Britain as well. Will white English students be taught to feel ashamed of their ancestors? Will English schools promote white guilt?]
Given the mix of nationalities in England, it was important to foster understanding through learning.
[Hyphenated Canadian: What happens if the goal of "fostering understanding" conflicts with the historical facts?]
[. . .]
Traditionalist history teachers complained that the general tone of the guidance was anti-British.
The director of the traditionalist History Curriculum Association, Chris McGovern, said there was little about positive consequences of imperial rule.
"Instead pupils have to work out 'how the British profited from their Indian empire' and 'the relative importance of the various benefits Britain experienced as a result of their Indian empire'.
[. . .]
Read the whole BBC article.
See also:
BC Chinese student to Canadian teacher: "Sir, why did you move here? It's all Chinese."
Peter Worthington: Mixed feelings about Canadian War Museum
Technorati tags: United Kingdom UK Great Britain England English British Empire India Pakistan education schools history multiculturalism
The culture war: Chinese edition - Confucius vs Santa Claus
From DPA (Confucius or Santa Claus in Chinese 'cultural war, December 27):
The popularity of Christmas in China has provoked a boisterous discussion over 'an invasion' of foreign culture and the loss of China's own cultural identity.
'Confucius or Santa Claus?' is the question posed by Internet forums and state media commentaries.
As interest in Western holidays rises, indifference is developing toward traditional festivals, such as the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival, warned the People's Daily, the communist party's newspaper.
The precipitator of the debate was an online petition by 10 doctoral students from China's best universities that called for China to show Santa Claus the door and better cultivate Chinese traditions.
The petition seeks to 'wake up the Chinese people to resist Western cultural invasion' which, it said, 'has been more like storms sweeping through the country rather than mild showers'.
[. . .]
Read all of the DPA article.
Here in Canada, Chinese New Year is a huge holiday and dragon boat races are popular.
When you read stories about foreign countries adopting certain western customs, it's easy to imagine globalization is creating a single world culture. That's an illusion. Western culture isn't powerful enough to eliminate non-Western cultures and identities. If it were, there would be no Japan, because that country has been heavily influenced by the West since the 19th century Meiji restoration and especially since the end of World War II. Yet despite everything, Japan continues to have a distinct culture. Western culture has changed Japan, but not enough for the Japanese to lose their sense of themselves as a separate people.
The same holds true for other countries. Cultural characteristics like cousin marriage, female genital mutilation, arranged marriages and the caste system aren't disappearing anytime soon.
I don't think China is in any danger of losing its identity and don't believe we are headed towards a peaceful future in which the nations of the world will blend into a single harmonious whole.
Canadians may delude themselves into thinking our country represents the post-national, multicultural future but nationalism remains alive and well in places like China and India.
See also:
Christmas in Muslim Dubai
Immigration and cultural change or why I don't want to celebrate Eid and Diwali
Technorati tags: China Chinese East Asia Asian Asians globalization society culture customs traditions traditional holidays celebrations Christmas Santa Claus Confucius cultural nationalism culture war
The popularity of Christmas in China has provoked a boisterous discussion over 'an invasion' of foreign culture and the loss of China's own cultural identity.
'Confucius or Santa Claus?' is the question posed by Internet forums and state media commentaries.
As interest in Western holidays rises, indifference is developing toward traditional festivals, such as the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival, warned the People's Daily, the communist party's newspaper.
The precipitator of the debate was an online petition by 10 doctoral students from China's best universities that called for China to show Santa Claus the door and better cultivate Chinese traditions.
The petition seeks to 'wake up the Chinese people to resist Western cultural invasion' which, it said, 'has been more like storms sweeping through the country rather than mild showers'.
[. . .]
Read all of the DPA article.
Here in Canada, Chinese New Year is a huge holiday and dragon boat races are popular.
When you read stories about foreign countries adopting certain western customs, it's easy to imagine globalization is creating a single world culture. That's an illusion. Western culture isn't powerful enough to eliminate non-Western cultures and identities. If it were, there would be no Japan, because that country has been heavily influenced by the West since the 19th century Meiji restoration and especially since the end of World War II. Yet despite everything, Japan continues to have a distinct culture. Western culture has changed Japan, but not enough for the Japanese to lose their sense of themselves as a separate people.
The same holds true for other countries. Cultural characteristics like cousin marriage, female genital mutilation, arranged marriages and the caste system aren't disappearing anytime soon.
I don't think China is in any danger of losing its identity and don't believe we are headed towards a peaceful future in which the nations of the world will blend into a single harmonious whole.
Canadians may delude themselves into thinking our country represents the post-national, multicultural future but nationalism remains alive and well in places like China and India.
See also:
Christmas in Muslim Dubai
Immigration and cultural change or why I don't want to celebrate Eid and Diwali
Technorati tags: China Chinese East Asia Asian Asians globalization society culture customs traditions traditional holidays celebrations Christmas Santa Claus Confucius cultural nationalism culture war
Workplace safety in Canada
From CanWest News (Courts take companies to task for poor safety record by Eric Beauchesne, December 28):
Canada's worsening workplace-safety record is putting more than workers at risk, as the courts are cracking down on companies and supervisors deemed not to have done enough to protect their workers and others, legal and safety officials say.
Prosecutors are seeking, and judges are imposing, higher fines against companies and supervisors, says Toronto lawyer Peter Brady, a partner at McCarthy Tetrault, who deals with occupational health and safety issues.
''What five years ago would have been a fine of $30,000 or $40,000 is now upward of $100,000,'' Brady says. ''That kind of multiplier is being applied across the board.
[. . .]
Brady's warning follows a recent report that on average nearly five Canadians died every single working day last year because of a work-related accident or illness.
The report, by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards, expressed ''grave concern'' that such deaths are rising - not falling as they are in most other industrial countries.
One of the authors, economist Andrew Sharpe is skeptical of the claim that enforcement of workplace-safety laws is increasing, noting that isn't reflected in the statistics on workplace fatalities.
Workplace-related deaths in Canada reached 1,097 last year, continuing an increase from what was only 758 in 1993, the report noted.
A table in the report shows that in Ontario, the total amounts being levied in fines for workplace-safety violations are up significantly this decade compared with the 1990s, and safety stop-work orders have jumped over the past two years.
However, despite a surge two years ago, the number of convictions has remained relatively steady, as have workplace-safety inspections and investigations.
[. . .]
Read all of Eric Beauchesne's article.
See also:
Polish welders sue, say they were brought to Canada under false pretenses
BC unions say foreign workers are being hired to replace fired Canadians
Technorati tags: Canada Saskatchewan Canadian law labour labor workers rights compensation workplace safety
Canada's worsening workplace-safety record is putting more than workers at risk, as the courts are cracking down on companies and supervisors deemed not to have done enough to protect their workers and others, legal and safety officials say.
Prosecutors are seeking, and judges are imposing, higher fines against companies and supervisors, says Toronto lawyer Peter Brady, a partner at McCarthy Tetrault, who deals with occupational health and safety issues.
''What five years ago would have been a fine of $30,000 or $40,000 is now upward of $100,000,'' Brady says. ''That kind of multiplier is being applied across the board.
[. . .]
Brady's warning follows a recent report that on average nearly five Canadians died every single working day last year because of a work-related accident or illness.
The report, by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards, expressed ''grave concern'' that such deaths are rising - not falling as they are in most other industrial countries.
One of the authors, economist Andrew Sharpe is skeptical of the claim that enforcement of workplace-safety laws is increasing, noting that isn't reflected in the statistics on workplace fatalities.
Workplace-related deaths in Canada reached 1,097 last year, continuing an increase from what was only 758 in 1993, the report noted.
A table in the report shows that in Ontario, the total amounts being levied in fines for workplace-safety violations are up significantly this decade compared with the 1990s, and safety stop-work orders have jumped over the past two years.
However, despite a surge two years ago, the number of convictions has remained relatively steady, as have workplace-safety inspections and investigations.
[. . .]
Read all of Eric Beauchesne's article.
See also:
Polish welders sue, say they were brought to Canada under false pretenses
BC unions say foreign workers are being hired to replace fired Canadians
Technorati tags: Canada Saskatchewan Canadian law labour labor workers rights compensation workplace safety
Solberg wants to make it easier for foreign preachers to become permanent residents
From the Toronto Sun (Feds look to land foreign preachers by Tom Godfrey, December 5):
Federal immigration officials are working to fast track foreign religious leaders into Canada as landed immigrants after being pressured by ethnic communities nationwide.
Immigration Minister Monte Solberg is studying ways of granting priests and monks permanent resident status since many arrive as visitors to work in churches but fail to pass the required tests to remain as immigrants.
"We are looking at ways to make it easier for religious workers to apply as permanent residents," Solberg's spokesman Pema Lhalungpa confirmed yesterday.
Lhalungpa said Solberg will be in India next month for a first-hand look.
Toronto lawyer Mendel Green said many foreign priests are not accepted as landed immigrants because they have poor English and French language skills.
"This is a tremendous problem for the respective communities," Green said yesterday. "The minister has undertaken a review of the selection process for religious workers."
Green represents about 40 Toronto-area organizations -- including Hindu and Buddhist temples, mosques, Presbyterian, eastern and Russian Orthodox churches -- who are trying to get their "most well-respected" priests to stay here.
Green said some of the organizations have deep pockets with large churches and congregations of up to 15,000 people.
[. . .]
Read all of Tom Godfrey's article.
See also:
Conservatives raise immigration targets
Ethnic delegates make demands at Liberal Convention
Technorati tags: Canada immigration multiculturalism religion Conservatives Monte Solberg
Federal immigration officials are working to fast track foreign religious leaders into Canada as landed immigrants after being pressured by ethnic communities nationwide.
Immigration Minister Monte Solberg is studying ways of granting priests and monks permanent resident status since many arrive as visitors to work in churches but fail to pass the required tests to remain as immigrants.
"We are looking at ways to make it easier for religious workers to apply as permanent residents," Solberg's spokesman Pema Lhalungpa confirmed yesterday.
Lhalungpa said Solberg will be in India next month for a first-hand look.
Toronto lawyer Mendel Green said many foreign priests are not accepted as landed immigrants because they have poor English and French language skills.
"This is a tremendous problem for the respective communities," Green said yesterday. "The minister has undertaken a review of the selection process for religious workers."
Green represents about 40 Toronto-area organizations -- including Hindu and Buddhist temples, mosques, Presbyterian, eastern and Russian Orthodox churches -- who are trying to get their "most well-respected" priests to stay here.
Green said some of the organizations have deep pockets with large churches and congregations of up to 15,000 people.
[. . .]
Read all of Tom Godfrey's article.
See also:
Conservatives raise immigration targets
Ethnic delegates make demands at Liberal Convention
Technorati tags: Canada immigration multiculturalism religion Conservatives Monte Solberg
Edmonton Sun: Christian family's Christmas display vandalized twice
From the Edmonton Sun (Family rattled by Eliza Barlow, December 28):
A Christmas display prepared by a devout Christian family at their Mill Woods home was desecrated by vandals twice in three days.
And the brazen attacks - both woke the parents in the middle of the night - have the shaken clan wondering whether they're victims of a prank or a bonafide hate crime.
"There's such controversy right now about having Christ in Christmas," noted resident Diane Lund.
The latest incident, in the early hours of Boxing Day, saw what cops told the family looked like a Hindu idol flung through the bay window of the home at 3643 34A Ave.
[. . .]
Rajiv Ranjan, president of the Hindu Society of Alberta, said a devout Hindu would not have thrown an idol through a window. "It is an insult even throwing our gods or goddesses. Idols are meant to be worshipped, not thrown at somebody's window."
[. . .]
Read all of Eliza Barlow's article.
See also:
Judge orders Christmas tree to be taken from lobby. Might offend non-Christians
Chicago launches opening salvo in now traditional War Against Christmas
Technorati tags: Canada Alberta Edmonton Mill Woods Christmas Christianity Christians hate crimes
A Christmas display prepared by a devout Christian family at their Mill Woods home was desecrated by vandals twice in three days.
And the brazen attacks - both woke the parents in the middle of the night - have the shaken clan wondering whether they're victims of a prank or a bonafide hate crime.
"There's such controversy right now about having Christ in Christmas," noted resident Diane Lund.
The latest incident, in the early hours of Boxing Day, saw what cops told the family looked like a Hindu idol flung through the bay window of the home at 3643 34A Ave.
[. . .]
Rajiv Ranjan, president of the Hindu Society of Alberta, said a devout Hindu would not have thrown an idol through a window. "It is an insult even throwing our gods or goddesses. Idols are meant to be worshipped, not thrown at somebody's window."
[. . .]
Read all of Eliza Barlow's article.
See also:
Judge orders Christmas tree to be taken from lobby. Might offend non-Christians
Chicago launches opening salvo in now traditional War Against Christmas
Technorati tags: Canada Alberta Edmonton Mill Woods Christmas Christianity Christians hate crimes
Cousin marriage - an obstacle to democracy in Iraq
Steve Sailer wrote about the political implications of cousin marriage in Iraq years ago. He's quoted in the Christian Science Monitor article.
From the Christian Science Monitor (Why cousin marriage matters in Iraq by Anne Bobroff-Hajal, December 26):
One central element of the Iraqi social fabric that most Americans know little about is its astonishing rate of cousin marriage. Indeed, half of all marriages in Iraq are between first or second cousins. Among countries with recorded figures, only Pakistan and Nigeria rate as high. For an eye-opening perspective about rates of consanguinity (roughly equivalent to cousin marriage) around the world, click on the "Global Prevalence" map at www.consang.net.
But who cares who marries whom in a country we invade? Why talk to anthropologists who study that arcane subject? Only those who live in modern, individualistic societies could be so oblivious. Cousin marriage, especially the unique form practiced in the Middle East, creates clans of fierce internal cohesiveness and loyalty. So in addition to sectarian violence in Iraq, the US may also be facing a greater intensity of inter-clan violence than it saw in Vietnam or the ferocious Lebanese civil war.
The US can't deal with a problem it doesn't recognize, let alone understand.
Anthropologist Stanley Kurtz has described Middle East clans as "governments in miniature" that provide the services and social aid that Americans routinely receive from their national, state, and local governments. No one in a region without stable, fair government can survive outside a strong, unified, respected clan.
[. . .]
Thus, to many Iraqis, nepotism in government and business isn't a bad thing - it's a moral imperative. The flip side of favoring relatives is that, as Steven Sailer observed in The American Conservative in 2003, it leaves fewer resources "with which to be fair toward non-kin. So nepotistic corruption is rampant in countries such as Iraq."
The corrupt dictatorships that rule much of the Muslim Middle East often function more like self-interested clans than as national governments. That, in turn, motivates people not to trust the state, but to instead remain loyal to the proven support of kin and tribe.
Clan loyalty and nepotism strengthened by centuries of cousin marriage were always bound to undermine President Bush's fantasy of creating a truly national democratic government in Iraq. Never again should the US blithely invade a country knowing so little about its societal fabric.
[. . .]
Read all of Anne Bobroff-Hajal's article.
If Canadians took cultural differences seriously, this is the kind of thing we would be reading about in Canadian newspapers. Instead, we get endless drivel about how wonderful and enriching cultural diversity is.
See also:
Cousin Marriage Conundrum: The ancient practice discourages democratic nation-building
Demography is destiny. Iraq's Shiite majority is taking control of Baghdad
Technorati tags: Iraq society culture family cousin marriage democracy culture anthropology
From the Christian Science Monitor (Why cousin marriage matters in Iraq by Anne Bobroff-Hajal, December 26):
One central element of the Iraqi social fabric that most Americans know little about is its astonishing rate of cousin marriage. Indeed, half of all marriages in Iraq are between first or second cousins. Among countries with recorded figures, only Pakistan and Nigeria rate as high. For an eye-opening perspective about rates of consanguinity (roughly equivalent to cousin marriage) around the world, click on the "Global Prevalence" map at www.consang.net.
But who cares who marries whom in a country we invade? Why talk to anthropologists who study that arcane subject? Only those who live in modern, individualistic societies could be so oblivious. Cousin marriage, especially the unique form practiced in the Middle East, creates clans of fierce internal cohesiveness and loyalty. So in addition to sectarian violence in Iraq, the US may also be facing a greater intensity of inter-clan violence than it saw in Vietnam or the ferocious Lebanese civil war.
The US can't deal with a problem it doesn't recognize, let alone understand.
Anthropologist Stanley Kurtz has described Middle East clans as "governments in miniature" that provide the services and social aid that Americans routinely receive from their national, state, and local governments. No one in a region without stable, fair government can survive outside a strong, unified, respected clan.
[. . .]
Thus, to many Iraqis, nepotism in government and business isn't a bad thing - it's a moral imperative. The flip side of favoring relatives is that, as Steven Sailer observed in The American Conservative in 2003, it leaves fewer resources "with which to be fair toward non-kin. So nepotistic corruption is rampant in countries such as Iraq."
The corrupt dictatorships that rule much of the Muslim Middle East often function more like self-interested clans than as national governments. That, in turn, motivates people not to trust the state, but to instead remain loyal to the proven support of kin and tribe.
Clan loyalty and nepotism strengthened by centuries of cousin marriage were always bound to undermine President Bush's fantasy of creating a truly national democratic government in Iraq. Never again should the US blithely invade a country knowing so little about its societal fabric.
[. . .]
Read all of Anne Bobroff-Hajal's article.
If Canadians took cultural differences seriously, this is the kind of thing we would be reading about in Canadian newspapers. Instead, we get endless drivel about how wonderful and enriching cultural diversity is.
See also:
Cousin Marriage Conundrum: The ancient practice discourages democratic nation-building
Demography is destiny. Iraq's Shiite majority is taking control of Baghdad
Technorati tags: Iraq society culture family cousin marriage democracy culture anthropology
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Christmas in Muslim Dubai
From Canadian Press (From Santa Claus to giant holiday trees, Christmas is all the rage in Dubai by Nadia Abou El-Magd, December 25):
With Santa Clauses in trendy malls, giant evergreen trees in hotels and holiday treats on supermarket shelves, Christmas cheer can't be missed in this Muslim city.
Holiday kitsch is at an all-time high in Dubai, where many residents revel in the commercial hype of the Christian holiday.
Winter temperatures are far from polar so Christmas trees are shipped in from colder countries, and pictures are snapped with Santa amid fake falling snow.
Despite a growing rift between some Muslims and Christians, it's no surprise Christmas-as-spectacle is all the rage in Dubai, home of an
[. . .]
The majority of the 800,000 citizens of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates are Muslim. But an estimated 3.7 million foreigners also live there. Though most are guest workers from other Muslim countries, many come from predominantly Christian countries including Britain.
All this good cheer stands in contrast to practices in conservative Islamic Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, which bans celebrating non-Muslim holidays, and Kuwait, where some wonder whether it's un-Islamic to wish people Merry Christmas.
[. . .]
Emiratis seem to have cut through the religious debate and moved directly to the shopping frenzy that characterizes the holiday in much of the West. The Christmas spirit is most evident in Dubai's vast malls, which feature displays of fake snowmen, furry polar bears and fuzzy reindeer wagging their heads as they pull sleighs full of presents.
A snow storm erupts every hour at the Emirates mall, where for US$11 children can visit Santa and receive a gift. Across town at the Ibn Batutta Mall, fake Santas strum electric guitars and sing "Jingle Bell Rock."
[. . .]
Read all of Nadia Abou El-Magd's article.
See also:
Christmas tree incident more than a 'kerfuffle.' Judge's disrespect for a Canadian tradition deeply insulting
Judge orders Christmas tree to be taken from lobby. Might offend non-Christians
Technorati tags: United Arab Emirates UAE Dubai Christmas Islam Muslims
With Santa Clauses in trendy malls, giant evergreen trees in hotels and holiday treats on supermarket shelves, Christmas cheer can't be missed in this Muslim city.
Holiday kitsch is at an all-time high in Dubai, where many residents revel in the commercial hype of the Christian holiday.
Winter temperatures are far from polar so Christmas trees are shipped in from colder countries, and pictures are snapped with Santa amid fake falling snow.
Despite a growing rift between some Muslims and Christians, it's no surprise Christmas-as-spectacle is all the rage in Dubai, home of an
[. . .]
The majority of the 800,000 citizens of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates are Muslim. But an estimated 3.7 million foreigners also live there. Though most are guest workers from other Muslim countries, many come from predominantly Christian countries including Britain.
All this good cheer stands in contrast to practices in conservative Islamic Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, which bans celebrating non-Muslim holidays, and Kuwait, where some wonder whether it's un-Islamic to wish people Merry Christmas.
[. . .]
Emiratis seem to have cut through the religious debate and moved directly to the shopping frenzy that characterizes the holiday in much of the West. The Christmas spirit is most evident in Dubai's vast malls, which feature displays of fake snowmen, furry polar bears and fuzzy reindeer wagging their heads as they pull sleighs full of presents.
A snow storm erupts every hour at the Emirates mall, where for US$11 children can visit Santa and receive a gift. Across town at the Ibn Batutta Mall, fake Santas strum electric guitars and sing "Jingle Bell Rock."
[. . .]
Read all of Nadia Abou El-Magd's article.
See also:
Christmas tree incident more than a 'kerfuffle.' Judge's disrespect for a Canadian tradition deeply insulting
Judge orders Christmas tree to be taken from lobby. Might offend non-Christians
Technorati tags: United Arab Emirates UAE Dubai Christmas Islam Muslims
Demography is destiny. Iraq's Shiite majority is taking control of Baghdad
From the New York Times (District by District, Shiites Make Baghdad Their Own by Sabrina Tavernise, December 23):
As the United States debates what to do in Iraq, this country’s Shiite majority has been moving toward its own solution: making the capital its own.
Large portions of Baghdad have become Shiite in recent months, as militias press their fight against Sunni militants deeper into the heart of the capital, displacing thousands of Sunni residents. At least 10 neighborhoods that a year ago were mixed Sunni and Shiite are now almost entirely Shiite, according to residents, American and Iraqi military commanders and local officials.
For the first years of the war, Sunni militants were dominant, forcing Shiites out of neighborhoods and systematically killing bakers, barbers and trash collectors, who were often Shiites. But starting in February, after the bombing of a shrine in the city of Samarra, Shiite militias began to strike back, pushing west from their strongholds and redrawing the sectarian map of the capital, home to a quarter of Iraq’s population.
[. . .]
In many ways, the changes are a natural development. Shiites, a majority of Iraq’s population, were locked out of the ruling elite under Saddam Hussein and now have power that matches their numbers.
The danger, voiced by Sunni Arabs, is that an emboldened militant fringe will conduct broader killings without being stopped by the government, or, some fear, with its help. That could, in turn, draw Sunni countries into the fight and lead to a protracted regional war, precisely the outcome that Americans most fear.
“They say they’re against this, but on the ground they do nothing,” said Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, the speaker of Parliament, a Sunni. He moved his family to the better-protected Green Zone in October.
The debate reaches to the heart of the American enterprise here. While President Bush is considering more troops, some in the Shiite-dominated government say the Americans should stay out of the sectarian fight in Baghdad and let the battle run its course. Getting involved would simply prolong the fight, they say.
[. . .]
Read all of Sabrina Tavernise's article.
As Peter Brimelow and Edwin S. Rubenstein have written: Demography is destiny. Canada isn't Iraq, and God willing, never will be, but demography matters here too.
See also:
The S words
Iraq: Withdraw To Victory?
Technorati tags: Iraq Baghdad Islam Muslims Shiites Sunnis civil war demography is destiny
As the United States debates what to do in Iraq, this country’s Shiite majority has been moving toward its own solution: making the capital its own.
Large portions of Baghdad have become Shiite in recent months, as militias press their fight against Sunni militants deeper into the heart of the capital, displacing thousands of Sunni residents. At least 10 neighborhoods that a year ago were mixed Sunni and Shiite are now almost entirely Shiite, according to residents, American and Iraqi military commanders and local officials.
For the first years of the war, Sunni militants were dominant, forcing Shiites out of neighborhoods and systematically killing bakers, barbers and trash collectors, who were often Shiites. But starting in February, after the bombing of a shrine in the city of Samarra, Shiite militias began to strike back, pushing west from their strongholds and redrawing the sectarian map of the capital, home to a quarter of Iraq’s population.
[. . .]
In many ways, the changes are a natural development. Shiites, a majority of Iraq’s population, were locked out of the ruling elite under Saddam Hussein and now have power that matches their numbers.
The danger, voiced by Sunni Arabs, is that an emboldened militant fringe will conduct broader killings without being stopped by the government, or, some fear, with its help. That could, in turn, draw Sunni countries into the fight and lead to a protracted regional war, precisely the outcome that Americans most fear.
“They say they’re against this, but on the ground they do nothing,” said Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, the speaker of Parliament, a Sunni. He moved his family to the better-protected Green Zone in October.
The debate reaches to the heart of the American enterprise here. While President Bush is considering more troops, some in the Shiite-dominated government say the Americans should stay out of the sectarian fight in Baghdad and let the battle run its course. Getting involved would simply prolong the fight, they say.
[. . .]
Read all of Sabrina Tavernise's article.
As Peter Brimelow and Edwin S. Rubenstein have written: Demography is destiny. Canada isn't Iraq, and God willing, never will be, but demography matters here too.
See also:
The S words
Iraq: Withdraw To Victory?
Technorati tags: Iraq Baghdad Islam Muslims Shiites Sunnis civil war demography is destiny
Sara Villella case - how blues singer John Butcher may have been FALSELY convicted of gun running for the Malvern Crew
[Update: A lot of sceptical comments on the Globe website. It does sound like it could be wilful ignorance on John Butcher's part. On the other hand, depression does affect people's judgment. While I understand the scepticism about Butcher's claim he didn't know he was smuggling guns, the comments left by readers ignore the legal issue. According to the judge quoted in this article, if the agreed statement of facts are true, Butcher can't be guilty as a matter of law. That said, I'm not a lawyer and there may be more to the legal issue than the article indicates.]
There is a long article in today's Globe and Mail about John Butcher, an amateur blues singer also known as Rockin' Johnie B. The report describes how Butcher may have been FALSELY convicted of smuggling guns for the Malvern Crew, a street gang based in Scarborough. An important person in this story is Sara Villella, a social worker I've blogged about her before.
From the Globe and Mail (A dejected widower's unwitting slip into gangland by Greg McArthur, December 17):
This is how Mr. Butcher, a white-haired widower without a criminal record, became an accidental gun runner for the violent street gang known as the Malvern Crew — and why he may have pleaded guilty to a crime he never committed.
[. . .]
In August, he was ordered to testify at the trial of Sara Villella — the woman with the yellow bra and busty figure who had paid him $120 that day in Detroit. A few months after Mr. Butcher's arrest, police raided homes across Ontario and charged almost everyone associated with the Malvern Crew: the underlings on the street corners, accused murderers, Shaun Falls, Jude Hudson and Ms. Villella. Falls has since been convicted.
Mr. Butcher got on the stand and recounted how he had been duped and slowly drawn into the underworld. By October, Ms. Villella had been found guilty on the smuggling charges and was to be sentenced. However, Ontario Superior Court Judge Brian Trafford didn't just stick to Ms. Villella; he delved into Mr. Butcher's case as well.
First, he called Mr. Butcher an "honest witness." Then he delivered two lines that would prompt Mr. Butcher to start sobbing.
"On my findings of fact, based upon his testimony at this trial, Mr. Butcher was not guilty of any crime in those circumstances. He did not know, or suspect, that there were any handguns in his car," the judge said.
The judge's reasoning was straightforward. Mr. Butcher's lawyer, the Crown and the judge who sentenced him had overlooked the definition of possession. Section 4 (3) of the Criminal Code states that in order to be convicted of possessing something that's illegal, the holder must "have knowledge of what that thing is."
When Mr. Butcher pleaded guilty, the court had recognized, in an agreed statement of facts, that he did not know the guns were in the car. But no one recognized the implication of that — that he couldn't be guilty of a crime.
[. . .]
Unfortunately for Mr. Butcher, Judge Trafford's words won't remove the criminal conviction attached to his name. And though the judge's words would surely be powerful ammunition to help strip his conviction, getting his case to the Ontario Court of Appeal has proven difficult. He can't afford a lawyer and, when he applied to Legal Aid Ontario, the association turned him down. It deemed the likelihood of success too low.
[. . .]
Read all of Greg McArthur's article.
See also:
Social worker convicted of gun-smuggling faces drug charges
Sara Villella case - social worker gets two years for gun-running
Social worker smuggled guns - woman linked to Malvern Crew street gang
Project Pathfinder: Alleged leader of Galloway Boys faces 39 charges in gang killings
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Barrie Toronto Scarborough US border Canada-US border crime gangs gang firearms guns gun smuggling Malvern Crew
There is a long article in today's Globe and Mail about John Butcher, an amateur blues singer also known as Rockin' Johnie B. The report describes how Butcher may have been FALSELY convicted of smuggling guns for the Malvern Crew, a street gang based in Scarborough. An important person in this story is Sara Villella, a social worker I've blogged about her before.
From the Globe and Mail (A dejected widower's unwitting slip into gangland by Greg McArthur, December 17):
This is how Mr. Butcher, a white-haired widower without a criminal record, became an accidental gun runner for the violent street gang known as the Malvern Crew — and why he may have pleaded guilty to a crime he never committed.
[. . .]
In August, he was ordered to testify at the trial of Sara Villella — the woman with the yellow bra and busty figure who had paid him $120 that day in Detroit. A few months after Mr. Butcher's arrest, police raided homes across Ontario and charged almost everyone associated with the Malvern Crew: the underlings on the street corners, accused murderers, Shaun Falls, Jude Hudson and Ms. Villella. Falls has since been convicted.
Mr. Butcher got on the stand and recounted how he had been duped and slowly drawn into the underworld. By October, Ms. Villella had been found guilty on the smuggling charges and was to be sentenced. However, Ontario Superior Court Judge Brian Trafford didn't just stick to Ms. Villella; he delved into Mr. Butcher's case as well.
First, he called Mr. Butcher an "honest witness." Then he delivered two lines that would prompt Mr. Butcher to start sobbing.
"On my findings of fact, based upon his testimony at this trial, Mr. Butcher was not guilty of any crime in those circumstances. He did not know, or suspect, that there were any handguns in his car," the judge said.
The judge's reasoning was straightforward. Mr. Butcher's lawyer, the Crown and the judge who sentenced him had overlooked the definition of possession. Section 4 (3) of the Criminal Code states that in order to be convicted of possessing something that's illegal, the holder must "have knowledge of what that thing is."
When Mr. Butcher pleaded guilty, the court had recognized, in an agreed statement of facts, that he did not know the guns were in the car. But no one recognized the implication of that — that he couldn't be guilty of a crime.
[. . .]
Unfortunately for Mr. Butcher, Judge Trafford's words won't remove the criminal conviction attached to his name. And though the judge's words would surely be powerful ammunition to help strip his conviction, getting his case to the Ontario Court of Appeal has proven difficult. He can't afford a lawyer and, when he applied to Legal Aid Ontario, the association turned him down. It deemed the likelihood of success too low.
[. . .]
Read all of Greg McArthur's article.
See also:
Social worker convicted of gun-smuggling faces drug charges
Sara Villella case - social worker gets two years for gun-running
Social worker smuggled guns - woman linked to Malvern Crew street gang
Project Pathfinder: Alleged leader of Galloway Boys faces 39 charges in gang killings
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Barrie Toronto Scarborough US border Canada-US border crime gangs gang firearms guns gun smuggling Malvern Crew
Khalsa Community School - Brampton Sikh-only institution expanding
[Update: The It's Just Stuff blog mentions that on Wednesday people were talking about this school on CFRB.]
From the Globe and Mail (Sikh school's plans to grow spark debate by Raveena Aulakh):
At the age of 11, Ontario's only Sikh school is getting ready for a growth spurt. The Khalsa Community School in Mississaugahas acquired five hectares of land in Brampton and is drawing up plans to extend its program through high school.
There is excitement among staff and students about the project, but
11-year-old Herleen Gill sits alone, sullen.
A Grade 7 pupil, she's flipping through a brochure. "It's not fair," she
fumes. "This will take a few years but I have to go to a [public] high
school soon."
Herleen, 11, has been going to the school since kindergarten and it's a family away from home. She says she's afraid to go to a public school.
Her predicament points to a debate in the community about the Khalsa School and the balance between isolation and preservation of culture.
The school offers a means of holding on to tradition, yet some believe this leads to isolation for pupils.
The alternative, integration, could mean a consequent loss of distinctiveness.
Some say it's a no-win situation.
[. . .]
The school follows the Ontario school curriculum along with lessons on Sikh theology. "People have different priorities -- we give them a chance to exercise their choice," Ms. Ahluwalia says.
The Sikh community in the Greater Toronto Area is exercising that option. Started in 1995, the Khalsa School has grown from 68 pupils to more than 400.
Besides kirtan and theology lessons, students are taught Punjabi and about Sikh heritage.
Roma Kaur, editor of Toronto's Kaur magazine, which targets Sikh women, says the Sikh population in the GTA, now 150,000, is growing and that the Sikh high school is coming at the right time. "The school's doing a good job of preserving the Sikh heritage, but it is time to upgrade it. I know there's been a demand for it."
[. . .]
A few weeks ago, a religious symposium was held to mark the birthday of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth of the 10 Sikh gurus. Besides kirtan and ardas, students talked about the Guru's life and teachings.
"It's a Sikh upbringing," Mr. Grewal says. "We give them reason to be proud of their roots."
That's one of the reasons more and more Sikh parents are sending their children to the school, despite an annual tuition of $3,875. It decreases substantially if other siblings enroll in the school.
"It keeps them closer to their faith and their culture," says Deepinder Gill, who has two daughters attending the school.
[. . .]
Read all of Raveena Aulakh's article.
See also:
Convicted Sikh murderer issued visa, but denied admission
Sikh extremists in Canada: a culture of fear and intimidation
Harper chases ethnic vote. Air India inquiry opens
Politics in Brampton, Ontario: "non-ethnics" need not apply
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention (Sikh delegates are among the groups mentioned.)
Language chaos in Peel Region courts: 4,000-5,000 court cases alone requiring Punjabi translation
Punjabi newspapers accuse provincial cabinet minister of trying to shut them down
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian India Punjab Ontario Toronto GTA Peel Region Brampton multiculturalism cultural diversity religion education private schools immigration immigrants Sikhs Sikh Sikhism Punjabi Indo-Canadians South Asians
From the Globe and Mail (Sikh school's plans to grow spark debate by Raveena Aulakh):
At the age of 11, Ontario's only Sikh school is getting ready for a growth spurt. The Khalsa Community School in Mississaugahas acquired five hectares of land in Brampton and is drawing up plans to extend its program through high school.
There is excitement among staff and students about the project, but
11-year-old Herleen Gill sits alone, sullen.
A Grade 7 pupil, she's flipping through a brochure. "It's not fair," she
fumes. "This will take a few years but I have to go to a [public] high
school soon."
Herleen, 11, has been going to the school since kindergarten and it's a family away from home. She says she's afraid to go to a public school.
Her predicament points to a debate in the community about the Khalsa School and the balance between isolation and preservation of culture.
The school offers a means of holding on to tradition, yet some believe this leads to isolation for pupils.
The alternative, integration, could mean a consequent loss of distinctiveness.
Some say it's a no-win situation.
[. . .]
The school follows the Ontario school curriculum along with lessons on Sikh theology. "People have different priorities -- we give them a chance to exercise their choice," Ms. Ahluwalia says.
The Sikh community in the Greater Toronto Area is exercising that option. Started in 1995, the Khalsa School has grown from 68 pupils to more than 400.
Besides kirtan and theology lessons, students are taught Punjabi and about Sikh heritage.
Roma Kaur, editor of Toronto's Kaur magazine, which targets Sikh women, says the Sikh population in the GTA, now 150,000, is growing and that the Sikh high school is coming at the right time. "The school's doing a good job of preserving the Sikh heritage, but it is time to upgrade it. I know there's been a demand for it."
[. . .]
A few weeks ago, a religious symposium was held to mark the birthday of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth of the 10 Sikh gurus. Besides kirtan and ardas, students talked about the Guru's life and teachings.
"It's a Sikh upbringing," Mr. Grewal says. "We give them reason to be proud of their roots."
That's one of the reasons more and more Sikh parents are sending their children to the school, despite an annual tuition of $3,875. It decreases substantially if other siblings enroll in the school.
"It keeps them closer to their faith and their culture," says Deepinder Gill, who has two daughters attending the school.
[. . .]
Read all of Raveena Aulakh's article.
See also:
Convicted Sikh murderer issued visa, but denied admission
Sikh extremists in Canada: a culture of fear and intimidation
Harper chases ethnic vote. Air India inquiry opens
Politics in Brampton, Ontario: "non-ethnics" need not apply
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention (Sikh delegates are among the groups mentioned.)
Language chaos in Peel Region courts: 4,000-5,000 court cases alone requiring Punjabi translation
Punjabi newspapers accuse provincial cabinet minister of trying to shut them down
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian India Punjab Ontario Toronto GTA Peel Region Brampton multiculturalism cultural diversity religion education private schools immigration immigrants Sikhs Sikh Sikhism Punjabi Indo-Canadians South Asians
Monday, December 25, 2006
Christmas in the new improved Toronto - Guns blaze across city
From yesterday's Toronto Sun (Guns blaze across city by Brett Clarkson and Brian Gray, December 24):
Police sealed off a perimeter in Parkdale early this morning in pursuit of a gunman after a man was shot near King and Dufferin Sts.
This morning's shootout was the third in a 24-hour rash of gunplay across the city. Just a few hours before, two people were shot in a Scarborough highrise. And yesterday morning, a gunfight in the west end hospitalized a 47-year-old man.
The Parkdale shooting was still breaking at press time this morning, but ambulance crews rushed a male victim across Queen St. to St. Michael's Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and face. His condition couldn't be confirmed.
Earlier, police and emergency crews rushed to 80 Mornelle Ct., in the Morningside Ave. and Ellesmere Rd. area, at 8:05 p.m. after receiving calls about a shooting in a second-floor unit.
[...]
Read all of the Sun article.
See also:
Man killed with machete after being run down
Residents say roominghouse murder was "only a matter of time"
Technorati tags: Toronto Parkdale crime shootings gun violence
Police sealed off a perimeter in Parkdale early this morning in pursuit of a gunman after a man was shot near King and Dufferin Sts.
This morning's shootout was the third in a 24-hour rash of gunplay across the city. Just a few hours before, two people were shot in a Scarborough highrise. And yesterday morning, a gunfight in the west end hospitalized a 47-year-old man.
The Parkdale shooting was still breaking at press time this morning, but ambulance crews rushed a male victim across Queen St. to St. Michael's Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and face. His condition couldn't be confirmed.
Earlier, police and emergency crews rushed to 80 Mornelle Ct., in the Morningside Ave. and Ellesmere Rd. area, at 8:05 p.m. after receiving calls about a shooting in a second-floor unit.
[...]
Read all of the Sun article.
See also:
Man killed with machete after being run down
Residents say roominghouse murder was "only a matter of time"
Technorati tags: Toronto Parkdale crime shootings gun violence
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas everyone. I'm going to take a short holiday break, but I'll be back soon.
Thomas Collins - Toronto's new Catholic archbishop
Saturday's Globe and Mail has a profile by Michael Valpy of Toronto's new Catholic archbishop, Thomas Collins. Valpy writes: (Toronto's new archbishop is clearly the Pope's man by Michael Valpy, December 23):
Early next year, 59-year-old Thomas Collins will take charge of the country's largest, richest but somewhat demoralized diocese, whose nearly 1.7 million Catholics are predominantly immigrants and growing in numbers.
[Hyphenated Canadian - This statistic is a mark of how much immigration has changed Toronto. I don't know off-hand in what year we stopped being a majority-Protestant city but it happened relatively recently. The Toronto of my youth - the 60s and 70s - was still a British Protestant city, although Torontonians of British descent didn't necessarily feel any close connection to Britain. One result of this dramatic change in population has been political. Toronto used to be a Conservative stronghold. Now it is "Liberal central" as the Star's Susan Delacourt called it during the recent Liberal leadership campaign. The immigrant nature of the Catholic church in Toronto can be seen in the list of languages in which various churches say the mass. For example, in my neighbourhood Catholic churches say the mass in Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and Croatian, to name a few. One local church even has a special "Brazilian" mass, which piques my curiosity since Brazilians speak Portuguese. Why would they need a special mass? I have this image in my head of drums and voodoo dolls.]
He is clearly the Pope's man -- like Benedict, a gentle introvert who leads with his intellect rather than his personality, a conservative theologian ("Me? Surely, you jest," he jokes in an interview), and a modest, soft-spoken cosmopolitan who is comfortable with women and melts into groups without dominating them.
[Hyphenated Canadian - Huh? He's comforable with women? Why is that worth noting? Why wouldn't he be comfortable with women?]
[. . .]
He is, in fact, cut from a much different cloth than both Cardinal Ambrozic, 76, whose resignation the Pope accepted last week after his 16 years as Toronto's Catholic leader, and the legendary Cardinal Emmett Carter, who was archbishop of Toronto from 1978 to 1990.
The publicly stern Cardinal Ambrozic was a superb academic but blunt in his episcopal managerial style and somewhat removed from the church's public life in the city.
He was tough on his priests, brusquely squashed demands by Catholic liberals for changes in the church and once famously called one of his critics a bitch in an interview with a Toronto magazine, for which he later apologized. He also had a marked dislike of the media in general and its reporting on the church in particular.
[Hyphenated Canadian - Can anyone blame him? Most of the media's reporting about the church is appallingly ignorant. For one thing, reporters treat the church as if it were a poltical party with different factions competing to change church "policy." Church doctrine is not a political platform that can be changed to suit whatever public opinion happens to be on a given day, but that's how the media treats it.]
(Privately, on the other hand, he was critical of the conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei, rejected requests from the Toronto Traditional Mass Society to authorize Latin tridentine masses in the archdiocese, told the editor of the archdiocesan newspaper he would never interfere in its operations, could be surprisingly tolerant and welcomed intellectually rigorous debate on the church -- which he got in spades from members of his own family.)
[. . .]
Read of all of Michael Valpy's article.
See also:
Immigration and the decline of institutional Catholicism
Us and them in Toronto's Catholic school system
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto Edmonton religion Catholic church Catholics bishops Cardinal Ambrozic Archbishop Thomas Collins
Early next year, 59-year-old Thomas Collins will take charge of the country's largest, richest but somewhat demoralized diocese, whose nearly 1.7 million Catholics are predominantly immigrants and growing in numbers.
[Hyphenated Canadian - This statistic is a mark of how much immigration has changed Toronto. I don't know off-hand in what year we stopped being a majority-Protestant city but it happened relatively recently. The Toronto of my youth - the 60s and 70s - was still a British Protestant city, although Torontonians of British descent didn't necessarily feel any close connection to Britain. One result of this dramatic change in population has been political. Toronto used to be a Conservative stronghold. Now it is "Liberal central" as the Star's Susan Delacourt called it during the recent Liberal leadership campaign. The immigrant nature of the Catholic church in Toronto can be seen in the list of languages in which various churches say the mass. For example, in my neighbourhood Catholic churches say the mass in Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and Croatian, to name a few. One local church even has a special "Brazilian" mass, which piques my curiosity since Brazilians speak Portuguese. Why would they need a special mass? I have this image in my head of drums and voodoo dolls.]
He is clearly the Pope's man -- like Benedict, a gentle introvert who leads with his intellect rather than his personality, a conservative theologian ("Me? Surely, you jest," he jokes in an interview), and a modest, soft-spoken cosmopolitan who is comfortable with women and melts into groups without dominating them.
[Hyphenated Canadian - Huh? He's comforable with women? Why is that worth noting? Why wouldn't he be comfortable with women?]
[. . .]
He is, in fact, cut from a much different cloth than both Cardinal Ambrozic, 76, whose resignation the Pope accepted last week after his 16 years as Toronto's Catholic leader, and the legendary Cardinal Emmett Carter, who was archbishop of Toronto from 1978 to 1990.
The publicly stern Cardinal Ambrozic was a superb academic but blunt in his episcopal managerial style and somewhat removed from the church's public life in the city.
He was tough on his priests, brusquely squashed demands by Catholic liberals for changes in the church and once famously called one of his critics a bitch in an interview with a Toronto magazine, for which he later apologized. He also had a marked dislike of the media in general and its reporting on the church in particular.
[Hyphenated Canadian - Can anyone blame him? Most of the media's reporting about the church is appallingly ignorant. For one thing, reporters treat the church as if it were a poltical party with different factions competing to change church "policy." Church doctrine is not a political platform that can be changed to suit whatever public opinion happens to be on a given day, but that's how the media treats it.]
(Privately, on the other hand, he was critical of the conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei, rejected requests from the Toronto Traditional Mass Society to authorize Latin tridentine masses in the archdiocese, told the editor of the archdiocesan newspaper he would never interfere in its operations, could be surprisingly tolerant and welcomed intellectually rigorous debate on the church -- which he got in spades from members of his own family.)
[. . .]
Read of all of Michael Valpy's article.
See also:
Immigration and the decline of institutional Catholicism
Us and them in Toronto's Catholic school system
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto Edmonton religion Catholic church Catholics bishops Cardinal Ambrozic Archbishop Thomas Collins
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Polish welders sue, say they were brought to Canada under false pretenses
From the CanWest News Service (Immigrant welders sue for $5.5 million, December 23):
A group of 30 Polish welders who say they were brought to work in Canada under false pretenses are suing an energy services company, Lakeland College and three individuals for more than $5.5 million.
The lawsuit, filed in Edmonton's Court of Queen's Bench, makes two main claims:
-- That the men believed they were being hired by Kihew Energy Services Ltd. to work in Alberta as full-time welders, not full-time students as their visas said.
-- And that once here, they received inadequate pay for their work, earning $10 to $12 an hour from Kihew while four companies contracted with Kihew paid up to $28 an hour for their services.
The lawsuit said the immigrant workers, who had quit their jobs in Poland, were taken advantage of.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I don't understand why the article calls these workers immigrants. It sounds to me like they're guest workers.
See also:
Let's Get To The Point About Foreign Workers
Immigration Minister's Contentions About Need For Foreign Workers Are Questionable
BC unions say foreign workers are being hired to replace fired Canadians
Technorati tags: Canada Alberta Edmonton Poland Polish Poles law lawsuits job market jobs labor shortage shortages labour guest workers foreign worker immigration immigrants immigrant welders Lakeland College
A group of 30 Polish welders who say they were brought to work in Canada under false pretenses are suing an energy services company, Lakeland College and three individuals for more than $5.5 million.
The lawsuit, filed in Edmonton's Court of Queen's Bench, makes two main claims:
-- That the men believed they were being hired by Kihew Energy Services Ltd. to work in Alberta as full-time welders, not full-time students as their visas said.
-- And that once here, they received inadequate pay for their work, earning $10 to $12 an hour from Kihew while four companies contracted with Kihew paid up to $28 an hour for their services.
The lawsuit said the immigrant workers, who had quit their jobs in Poland, were taken advantage of.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I don't understand why the article calls these workers immigrants. It sounds to me like they're guest workers.
See also:
Let's Get To The Point About Foreign Workers
Immigration Minister's Contentions About Need For Foreign Workers Are Questionable
BC unions say foreign workers are being hired to replace fired Canadians
Technorati tags: Canada Alberta Edmonton Poland Polish Poles law lawsuits job market jobs labor shortage shortages labour guest workers foreign worker immigration immigrants immigrant welders Lakeland College
Execution-style slaying at Mississauga's Square One Shopping Centre linked to Columbian drug cartel
From the Toronto Star (Drug slaying suspect flown to T.O. by Bob Mitchell, December 23):
A Canadian with alleged ties to the Colombian drug cartel has been charged with first-degree murder in the drug-related slaying of a rival at Mississauga's Square One Shopping Centre.
Jaime Humberto Restrepo, 33, a.k.a. Jimmy Prado, arrived on a private jet from Costa Rica last night accompanied by two Peel police homicide officers and an RCMP attaché. He came out the back of a white police van handcuffed and shackled, accompanied by the Peel detectives and surrounded by four heavily armed tactical officers.
His first court appearance is scheduled for today.
Police sources in Costa Rica allege the Colombian-born Restrepo paid $10,000 to have Mauricio Castro, 31, killed to avoid paying him a $2.4 million drug debt.
He's the third person to be charged with first-degree murder in the Castro slaying. Already in custody are Michael Dwight Allen, 34, of Toronto and Zack Deleon, 31, of Barrie.
[. . .]
Castro, who police in Costa Rica also believe has links to the Colombian drug cartel, was shot on July 26, 2005, by a hit man as he sat in an SUV at the mall.
Police sources said the gunman walked up to the driver's side of the SUV and fired at least four shots through the open window in front of stunned shoppers. He then calmly walked away.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article.
Mr. Restrepo hasn't had his day in court, so I won't jump to any conclusions about his guilt or innocence. However, I'm still left wondering how someone with his reputation came to be living in Canada.
See also:
800 known criminal organizations in Canada. RCMP has the resources to investigate 150 of them
Montreal anti-Mafia bust could shift power to Toronto
Anti-Mafia sweep in Montreal
Canadian-based Asian crime syndicates No.1 exporter of ecstasy into the US
Notorious MS-13 gang setting up shop in Canada.
Technorati tags: Canada Colombia Toronto GTA Mississauga Peel Region police organized crime murders drug cartels drugs narcotics immigration immigrants Square One Shopping Centre malls mall center Mauricio Castro Jimmy Prado Jaime Humberto Restrepo
A Canadian with alleged ties to the Colombian drug cartel has been charged with first-degree murder in the drug-related slaying of a rival at Mississauga's Square One Shopping Centre.
Jaime Humberto Restrepo, 33, a.k.a. Jimmy Prado, arrived on a private jet from Costa Rica last night accompanied by two Peel police homicide officers and an RCMP attaché. He came out the back of a white police van handcuffed and shackled, accompanied by the Peel detectives and surrounded by four heavily armed tactical officers.
His first court appearance is scheduled for today.
Police sources in Costa Rica allege the Colombian-born Restrepo paid $10,000 to have Mauricio Castro, 31, killed to avoid paying him a $2.4 million drug debt.
He's the third person to be charged with first-degree murder in the Castro slaying. Already in custody are Michael Dwight Allen, 34, of Toronto and Zack Deleon, 31, of Barrie.
[. . .]
Castro, who police in Costa Rica also believe has links to the Colombian drug cartel, was shot on July 26, 2005, by a hit man as he sat in an SUV at the mall.
Police sources said the gunman walked up to the driver's side of the SUV and fired at least four shots through the open window in front of stunned shoppers. He then calmly walked away.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article.
Mr. Restrepo hasn't had his day in court, so I won't jump to any conclusions about his guilt or innocence. However, I'm still left wondering how someone with his reputation came to be living in Canada.
See also:
800 known criminal organizations in Canada. RCMP has the resources to investigate 150 of them
Montreal anti-Mafia bust could shift power to Toronto
Anti-Mafia sweep in Montreal
Canadian-based Asian crime syndicates No.1 exporter of ecstasy into the US
Notorious MS-13 gang setting up shop in Canada.
Technorati tags: Canada Colombia Toronto GTA Mississauga Peel Region police organized crime murders drug cartels drugs narcotics immigration immigrants Square One Shopping Centre malls mall center Mauricio Castro Jimmy Prado Jaime Humberto Restrepo
South Asians arrested in Brampton burka bandit case. One man may have been ordered deported seven years ago
From the Toronto Star (8 arrests in store robbery by Bob Mitchell, December 22):
A series of pre-dawn raids across Greater Toronto has led to the arrests of eight people in connection with a daylight jewellery store heist in Brampton.
Among the people swooped up during Wednesday's raids was a Toronto man believed to have been on the run from Canadian immigration officials for the past seven years, police sources said.
Arif Mahmood, 38, has been charged with obstructing justice in connection with an immigration warrant, as well as several criminal offences related to the Nov. 17 robbery of Zaibi Jewellers.
Sources said Mahmood failed to show up for a deportation hearing after being convicted of an unrelated criminal charge in the mid-1990s.
He had allegedly been using several fictitious names, and identified himself as somebody else when he was arrested, Peel Police said.
[Hyphenated Canadian: Don't ask. Don't tell. The nice folks at No one is illegal might get mad.]
Investigators believe those arrested belong to a South Asian criminal group that is now being probed for other criminal activities, such as credit card fraud, break and enters, and other store robberies.
[Hyphenated Canadian: I've been told some people don't know what "South Asian" means. It may be one of those made-in-Canada labels like "visible minority." (And they say Canada doesn't have a culture.) South Asian mainly refers to people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There are some other smaller countries in the area as well.]
Police confirmed they are seeking other individuals and said they expect to lay numerous other charges in connection with other criminal activities.
Heavily armed tactical officers guarded hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of South Asian yellow gold jewellery displayed during yesterday's news conference at Peel police headquarters in Brampton.
[. . .]
A special task force was formed following the Zaibi jewellery store robbery.
In that robbery, at least three masked bandits entered the store at 499 Ray Lawson Blvd. about 11:20 a.m. on Nov. 17.
One of the bandits pretended to be a woman by dressing in a black burqa, a traditional gown worn by Muslim women.
The store owner was viciously assaulted and tied up by the bandits, who got away with a substantial amount of jewellery.
Some of the jewellery taken in the Zaibi store heist was on display at yesterday's news conference.
Mahmood, along with Muzaffar Malik, 41, of Mississauga, Abraham Fundi, 42, of Toronto, and Rehan Sheikh, 35, of Mississauga, have been charged with robbery and using an imitation firearm in connection with the Zaibi store robbery.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article.
Let me repeat what I wrote in an earlier blog post:
Failed to show up for immigration hearings, eh? Where have we heard that before? Oh yeah, millenium bomber Ahmed Ressam also failed to show up for his hearing. A 2003 report by Canada's auditor general found that Ottawa lost track of 36,000 failed refugee claimants.
See also:
Armed robber in Brampton used burqa as disguise
The Times - British terrorist suspect wore burka to evade arrest
Dutch government proposes burka ban
Technorati tags: Canada GTA Toronto Brampton organized crime gangs immigration illegal immigrants Islam Muslims South Asian South Asians burqa burka Zaibi store robbery
A series of pre-dawn raids across Greater Toronto has led to the arrests of eight people in connection with a daylight jewellery store heist in Brampton.
Among the people swooped up during Wednesday's raids was a Toronto man believed to have been on the run from Canadian immigration officials for the past seven years, police sources said.
Arif Mahmood, 38, has been charged with obstructing justice in connection with an immigration warrant, as well as several criminal offences related to the Nov. 17 robbery of Zaibi Jewellers.
Sources said Mahmood failed to show up for a deportation hearing after being convicted of an unrelated criminal charge in the mid-1990s.
He had allegedly been using several fictitious names, and identified himself as somebody else when he was arrested, Peel Police said.
[Hyphenated Canadian: Don't ask. Don't tell. The nice folks at No one is illegal might get mad.]
Investigators believe those arrested belong to a South Asian criminal group that is now being probed for other criminal activities, such as credit card fraud, break and enters, and other store robberies.
[Hyphenated Canadian: I've been told some people don't know what "South Asian" means. It may be one of those made-in-Canada labels like "visible minority." (And they say Canada doesn't have a culture.) South Asian mainly refers to people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There are some other smaller countries in the area as well.]
Police confirmed they are seeking other individuals and said they expect to lay numerous other charges in connection with other criminal activities.
Heavily armed tactical officers guarded hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of South Asian yellow gold jewellery displayed during yesterday's news conference at Peel police headquarters in Brampton.
[. . .]
A special task force was formed following the Zaibi jewellery store robbery.
In that robbery, at least three masked bandits entered the store at 499 Ray Lawson Blvd. about 11:20 a.m. on Nov. 17.
One of the bandits pretended to be a woman by dressing in a black burqa, a traditional gown worn by Muslim women.
The store owner was viciously assaulted and tied up by the bandits, who got away with a substantial amount of jewellery.
Some of the jewellery taken in the Zaibi store heist was on display at yesterday's news conference.
Mahmood, along with Muzaffar Malik, 41, of Mississauga, Abraham Fundi, 42, of Toronto, and Rehan Sheikh, 35, of Mississauga, have been charged with robbery and using an imitation firearm in connection with the Zaibi store robbery.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article.
Let me repeat what I wrote in an earlier blog post:
Failed to show up for immigration hearings, eh? Where have we heard that before? Oh yeah, millenium bomber Ahmed Ressam also failed to show up for his hearing. A 2003 report by Canada's auditor general found that Ottawa lost track of 36,000 failed refugee claimants.
See also:
Armed robber in Brampton used burqa as disguise
The Times - British terrorist suspect wore burka to evade arrest
Dutch government proposes burka ban
Technorati tags: Canada GTA Toronto Brampton organized crime gangs immigration illegal immigrants Islam Muslims South Asian South Asians burqa burka Zaibi store robbery
Friday, December 22, 2006
Alias Donmillion: convicted rapper's lawyer describes Toronto's lawless hip-hop culture as "degenerating and deteriorating"
From the Toronto Sun (Rapper jailed for firing gun by Brian Gray, ):
Lawyer says he had to carry the weapon because of lawlessness in the city's hip hop community
A Toronto rapper who is well known in the city's hip hop community was sentenced to two years and three months yesterday for shooting his handgun into the air on Caribana weekend.
Randolph Scott -- better known by his stage name Alias Donmillion -- pleaded guilty in Old City Hall court to three gun-related charges, possessing crack cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and breach of probation related to a 2002 assault conviction.
Scott was carrying the gun because he believed it was the only way he could protect himself in the "degenerating and deteriorating" culture he lives in, defence counsel John Struthers said, painting a wild-west image of the city's hip hop culture in which the rule of law is not respected.
[. . .]
Ontario Court Justice Richard Schneider agreed to joint submissions by Morgan and Struthers and sentenced Scott to two years and three months after giving him two-for-one credit for the four months and two weeks he has served awaiting the hearing.
"He was quoted incorrectly in a national publication," Struthers said of an interview about Scott's music career. "And his neighbourhood of Rexdale erupted. Mr. Scott became a target."
Scott's SUV has holes in it from where people have fired guns at him and he has been the target of extortion attempts and robbery threats.
He has also had several friends killed by gunfire, said Struthers, who also said his client was drunk after celebrating the annual Caribbean cultural festival downtown.
"People do not respect human life in any way shape or form the way they used to," he said.
Read all of Brian Gray's article.
For the life of me, I don't understand how people can read stories like this and still not see that Toronto has huge social problems. Crime in this city is not under control, no matter what the Toronto Star says. And I'm sorry if I keep harping on this, but how can a columnist at the Globe and Mail, Canada's self-styled "national newspaper," seriously suggest our country would benefit from the importation of a million poor Africans? Just how out of touch with reality do you have to be to write a column like that and how insulated from Toronto's ugly side must editors be to allow garbage like that into print? Of course, if you can't bring yourself to acknowledge that Toronto has a specifically black gang problem, it would never occur to you to think African immigrants might present a problem, even after reading stories like this, this and this.
See also:
Toronto Star article paints a frightening picture of gang life in this city
Today's police raids targeted Rexdale's Jamestown Crew
Three dead in Edmonton club shooting - "It was a thing between the black guys and a couple guys from the north side, white guys"
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Toronto blacks black African-Canadian culture Caribana music hip-hop rap rappers clubs crime guns gun violence Alias Donmillion
Lawyer says he had to carry the weapon because of lawlessness in the city's hip hop community
A Toronto rapper who is well known in the city's hip hop community was sentenced to two years and three months yesterday for shooting his handgun into the air on Caribana weekend.
Randolph Scott -- better known by his stage name Alias Donmillion -- pleaded guilty in Old City Hall court to three gun-related charges, possessing crack cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and breach of probation related to a 2002 assault conviction.
Scott was carrying the gun because he believed it was the only way he could protect himself in the "degenerating and deteriorating" culture he lives in, defence counsel John Struthers said, painting a wild-west image of the city's hip hop culture in which the rule of law is not respected.
[. . .]
Ontario Court Justice Richard Schneider agreed to joint submissions by Morgan and Struthers and sentenced Scott to two years and three months after giving him two-for-one credit for the four months and two weeks he has served awaiting the hearing.
"He was quoted incorrectly in a national publication," Struthers said of an interview about Scott's music career. "And his neighbourhood of Rexdale erupted. Mr. Scott became a target."
Scott's SUV has holes in it from where people have fired guns at him and he has been the target of extortion attempts and robbery threats.
He has also had several friends killed by gunfire, said Struthers, who also said his client was drunk after celebrating the annual Caribbean cultural festival downtown.
"People do not respect human life in any way shape or form the way they used to," he said.
Read all of Brian Gray's article.
For the life of me, I don't understand how people can read stories like this and still not see that Toronto has huge social problems. Crime in this city is not under control, no matter what the Toronto Star says. And I'm sorry if I keep harping on this, but how can a columnist at the Globe and Mail, Canada's self-styled "national newspaper," seriously suggest our country would benefit from the importation of a million poor Africans? Just how out of touch with reality do you have to be to write a column like that and how insulated from Toronto's ugly side must editors be to allow garbage like that into print? Of course, if you can't bring yourself to acknowledge that Toronto has a specifically black gang problem, it would never occur to you to think African immigrants might present a problem, even after reading stories like this, this and this.
See also:
Toronto Star article paints a frightening picture of gang life in this city
Today's police raids targeted Rexdale's Jamestown Crew
Three dead in Edmonton club shooting - "It was a thing between the black guys and a couple guys from the north side, white guys"
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Toronto blacks black African-Canadian culture Caribana music hip-hop rap rappers clubs crime guns gun violence Alias Donmillion
Christmas tree incident more than a 'kerfuffle.' Judge's disrespect for a Canadian tradition deeply insulting
From the Toronto Star (Premier rejects rules on Christmas trees by Rob Ferguson, Robert Benzie, Tim Lai, December 22):
Hoping to end the Christmas tree flap, Premier Dalton McGuinty says there's no need for a formal province-wide policy on holiday decor in courthouses.
Common sense should prevail, McGuinty said yesterday after Attorney General Michael Bryant had earlier suggested a written protocol might be needed.
An exasperated McGuinty said he still cannot understand why Ontario Court Justice Marion Cohen sparked a kerfuffle by ordering a Christmas tree removed from the lobby of the courthouse at 311 Jarvis St.
Yesterday, the tree was still tucked in an administrative corridor, well away from the public foyer.
"I don't think it's the kind of thing that we really want to get into by way of specific protocols and policies and laws and regulations," McGuinty said during an appearance in a Mississauga elementary school gym, decorated with a banner across the stage touting Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid ul-Adha and other seasonal celebrations.
[Hyphenated Canadian: Sometimes I wonder if I'm still living in Canada.]
Cohen, named to the bench on Aug. 9, 1993, by the New Democratic Party government of then premier Bob Rae, has been the courthouse administrator since last January.
Political insiders say the judge's relative inexperience as administrator may help explain the political headache she's created for the provincial government.
She ordered the 2.5-metre pine tree moved from the front foyer to interior corridor last week, deeming it offensive to those who do not celebrate Christmas.
On Wednesday, the tree reappeared in the lobby, but she ordered it returned to the other hallway.
[. . .]
Read all of the Star article.
That moving the tree might be offensive to Christians and others who celebrate Christmas apparently didn't concern her. Did any non-Christians complain about the tree? Could it be that the tree is offensive to HER and she is simply using the supposed feelings of non-Christians as a cover for her own dislike of Christianity and its symbols? The fact she ordered the tree removed to a corridor a second time says something about the depths of her feelings. Why is she being so stubborn about this?
Calling this incident a "flap" and a "kerfuffle.' as the Star does, trivializes a serious issue. What the judge did is hurtful and insulting to many Canadians, both Christian and non-Christian. Symbols matter particularly at a time when aggressive minority groups such as the homosexual lobby are doing all they can to push Christianity out of the public square. While the judge in this case acted on her own, her action is a small part of a larger culture war. (See also James Fulford's comments about the incident in Toronto.)
If a Christian judge ever ordered a menorah or another non-Christian symbol from a public place, the Star would treat it as a serious issue, but because the symbol is Christian, it's not considered that big a deal even if the Star, to its credit, recognizes that the judge was wrong.
The Star has a puff piece profiling the judge (Christmas tree judge 'nice, well-respected' by Thulasi Srikanthan, December 22):
Despite the outrage that followed, Cohen's co-workers say she's no tyrant but a kind, hard-working person whose good intentions landed her in a whole lot of trouble.
"It wasn't malicious, it was done with the highest of all motives, but you know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and no good deed goes unpunished," said lawyer Philip Epstein.
"I think Judge Cohen is a hard-working, sensitive judge who is devoted to trying to promote equality and justice. But in this case, I think she erred by removing the Christmas tree, as opposed to adding a menorah or any other symbol that seemed appropriate."
Lawyer Charlotte Murray said the perception in the profession is that Cohen is a serious and careful decision-maker.
"There are certainly judges who have certain levels of notoriety and I don't think that has ever been the case with Justice Cohen," Murray said. "Despite all this furor over the tree, she really is not someone who typically calls attention to herself."
"I can't imagine how this is all unfolding for her."
Born into a well-to-do Winnipeg family and educated in Manitoba, Cohen soon moved to Toronto, starting a practice.
While working for the firm Cohen and Solomon as a partner, she fought on behalf of immigrant and refugee women, especially those trying to end abusive relationships.
[. . .]
Read all of Thulasi Srikanthan's article.
See also:
Judge orders Christmas tree to be taken from lobby. Might offend non-Christians
Will Kymlicka, Canada's world-renowned "expert" on multiculturalism, suggests replacing Easter with Ramadan
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto holidays war against Christmas tree trees multiculturalism political correctness religion religious Christianity Christian symbols
Hoping to end the Christmas tree flap, Premier Dalton McGuinty says there's no need for a formal province-wide policy on holiday decor in courthouses.
Common sense should prevail, McGuinty said yesterday after Attorney General Michael Bryant had earlier suggested a written protocol might be needed.
An exasperated McGuinty said he still cannot understand why Ontario Court Justice Marion Cohen sparked a kerfuffle by ordering a Christmas tree removed from the lobby of the courthouse at 311 Jarvis St.
Yesterday, the tree was still tucked in an administrative corridor, well away from the public foyer.
"I don't think it's the kind of thing that we really want to get into by way of specific protocols and policies and laws and regulations," McGuinty said during an appearance in a Mississauga elementary school gym, decorated with a banner across the stage touting Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid ul-Adha and other seasonal celebrations.
[Hyphenated Canadian: Sometimes I wonder if I'm still living in Canada.]
Cohen, named to the bench on Aug. 9, 1993, by the New Democratic Party government of then premier Bob Rae, has been the courthouse administrator since last January.
Political insiders say the judge's relative inexperience as administrator may help explain the political headache she's created for the provincial government.
She ordered the 2.5-metre pine tree moved from the front foyer to interior corridor last week, deeming it offensive to those who do not celebrate Christmas.
On Wednesday, the tree reappeared in the lobby, but she ordered it returned to the other hallway.
[. . .]
Read all of the Star article.
That moving the tree might be offensive to Christians and others who celebrate Christmas apparently didn't concern her. Did any non-Christians complain about the tree? Could it be that the tree is offensive to HER and she is simply using the supposed feelings of non-Christians as a cover for her own dislike of Christianity and its symbols? The fact she ordered the tree removed to a corridor a second time says something about the depths of her feelings. Why is she being so stubborn about this?
Calling this incident a "flap" and a "kerfuffle.' as the Star does, trivializes a serious issue. What the judge did is hurtful and insulting to many Canadians, both Christian and non-Christian. Symbols matter particularly at a time when aggressive minority groups such as the homosexual lobby are doing all they can to push Christianity out of the public square. While the judge in this case acted on her own, her action is a small part of a larger culture war. (See also James Fulford's comments about the incident in Toronto.)
If a Christian judge ever ordered a menorah or another non-Christian symbol from a public place, the Star would treat it as a serious issue, but because the symbol is Christian, it's not considered that big a deal even if the Star, to its credit, recognizes that the judge was wrong.
The Star has a puff piece profiling the judge (Christmas tree judge 'nice, well-respected' by Thulasi Srikanthan, December 22):
Despite the outrage that followed, Cohen's co-workers say she's no tyrant but a kind, hard-working person whose good intentions landed her in a whole lot of trouble.
"It wasn't malicious, it was done with the highest of all motives, but you know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and no good deed goes unpunished," said lawyer Philip Epstein.
"I think Judge Cohen is a hard-working, sensitive judge who is devoted to trying to promote equality and justice. But in this case, I think she erred by removing the Christmas tree, as opposed to adding a menorah or any other symbol that seemed appropriate."
Lawyer Charlotte Murray said the perception in the profession is that Cohen is a serious and careful decision-maker.
"There are certainly judges who have certain levels of notoriety and I don't think that has ever been the case with Justice Cohen," Murray said. "Despite all this furor over the tree, she really is not someone who typically calls attention to herself."
"I can't imagine how this is all unfolding for her."
Born into a well-to-do Winnipeg family and educated in Manitoba, Cohen soon moved to Toronto, starting a practice.
While working for the firm Cohen and Solomon as a partner, she fought on behalf of immigrant and refugee women, especially those trying to end abusive relationships.
[. . .]
Read all of Thulasi Srikanthan's article.
See also:
Judge orders Christmas tree to be taken from lobby. Might offend non-Christians
Will Kymlicka, Canada's world-renowned "expert" on multiculturalism, suggests replacing Easter with Ramadan
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto holidays war against Christmas tree trees multiculturalism political correctness religion religious Christianity Christian symbols
Comments restored
Having giving it some more thought, I've decided to restore comments. I apologize for going back and forth on this. The Hogtown Front Yahoo! Group is still there for anyone who wants to use it. It's probably redundant, but I might still find a use for it.
Cheap Polish labour pushes British workers out of the construction industry
From the Times ('Labour costs are too high if I employ Brits', December 21):
Rae Borras is the chairman of Borras Construction Group, which has an annual turnover of £55 million.
He has always employed British construction workers, but is finding himself under increasing pressure to hire Poles because their cheaper labour rates enable his firm to remain competitive.
“The construction industry is facing a serious dilemma. My company installs kitchens and bathrooms in council houses, but labour costs are 20 per cent cheaper if I employ Polish sub-contractors,” he said.
“Many of my competitors now price according to Polish rates, so should I therefore tender for work at competitive rates and put guys who’ve been working for me for 25 years on the dole, or do I rely on clients to say they’ll pay me extra money for using local labour? I’m unlikely to win contracts if I employ Brits, because the labour costs are too high.”
[. . .]
Read all of the Times article.
People who defend illegal immigrants in Canada say our construction industry needs these workers, but it's the same story here as in Britain. Canadians will do the work if they are paid enough, but the construction industry finds it cheaper to hire illegal immigrants willing to work for less.
See also:
BC unions say foreign workers are being hired to replace fired Canadians
Edward S. Rubenstein: Immigration causing income inequality in the US.
Technorati tags: UK Britain British Poland immigration Polish workers wages cheap labour
Rae Borras is the chairman of Borras Construction Group, which has an annual turnover of £55 million.
He has always employed British construction workers, but is finding himself under increasing pressure to hire Poles because their cheaper labour rates enable his firm to remain competitive.
“The construction industry is facing a serious dilemma. My company installs kitchens and bathrooms in council houses, but labour costs are 20 per cent cheaper if I employ Polish sub-contractors,” he said.
“Many of my competitors now price according to Polish rates, so should I therefore tender for work at competitive rates and put guys who’ve been working for me for 25 years on the dole, or do I rely on clients to say they’ll pay me extra money for using local labour? I’m unlikely to win contracts if I employ Brits, because the labour costs are too high.”
[. . .]
Read all of the Times article.
People who defend illegal immigrants in Canada say our construction industry needs these workers, but it's the same story here as in Britain. Canadians will do the work if they are paid enough, but the construction industry finds it cheaper to hire illegal immigrants willing to work for less.
See also:
BC unions say foreign workers are being hired to replace fired Canadians
Edward S. Rubenstein: Immigration causing income inequality in the US.
Technorati tags: UK Britain British Poland immigration Polish workers wages cheap labour
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Paul Gottfried compares Israel to 1920s Poland
While I was reading about neoconservatism, a series of links led me to an interesting article by Paul Gottfried that appeared in Chronicles Magazine (Getting Israel Right, August 26, 2003). Gottfried writes:
A proper analogue for Israel is not multicultural America but Poland in the 1920s, when that newly recreated nation state was under the benign authoritarian direction of Marshall Joseph Pilsudski (see J. Rothschild’s Pilsudski’s Coup d’Etat). Like Israel, Poland was then a reluctant multi-ethnic state, whose Polish majority had to deal with ethnic minorities, constituting about 30% of the total population. Pilsudski’s government, which exercised emergency powers in an unsettled situation, tried to keep the German, Jewish, and Ukrainian minorities from growing dangerously restive but was also happy to see them emigrate. Poland did allow these minorities to vote and provided for at least minimal religious freedom for non-Catholics but also made no pretense of being culturally pluralistic. The Polish state under Pilsudski stressed national solidarity (although not as much as did his Teutonophobic and anti-Jewish opponents among the National Democrats) and kept tightly in Polish hands military and governmental positions.
[. . .]
Is Israel, one might ask, the kind of polity that its Jewish defenders would want for a Christian America or for a nationalist Europe? And if not, why do Jews have a preferential right to be ethnic nationalists? Does believing that Jews have a right to their own country require for the sake of consistency the acceptance of an English right to an English country? I have asked these questions many times, but honest answers, as opposed to outbursts of sputtering rage, have been few and far between.
Read all of Paul Gottfried's article.
See also:
What do Israel and the Palestinians have to do with Canada and Quebec?
Mohammed cartoon discussion: Did you really mean to say Denmark is a Christian country? Perhaps you misspoke.
Is Quebec nationalism "civic" or "ethnic"?
Technorati tags: Israel Zionism Jews Jewish Poland Polish history Pilsudski multiculturalism ethnocentrism Paul Gottfried neoconservatism ethnic nationalism nationalist nation
A proper analogue for Israel is not multicultural America but Poland in the 1920s, when that newly recreated nation state was under the benign authoritarian direction of Marshall Joseph Pilsudski (see J. Rothschild’s Pilsudski’s Coup d’Etat). Like Israel, Poland was then a reluctant multi-ethnic state, whose Polish majority had to deal with ethnic minorities, constituting about 30% of the total population. Pilsudski’s government, which exercised emergency powers in an unsettled situation, tried to keep the German, Jewish, and Ukrainian minorities from growing dangerously restive but was also happy to see them emigrate. Poland did allow these minorities to vote and provided for at least minimal religious freedom for non-Catholics but also made no pretense of being culturally pluralistic. The Polish state under Pilsudski stressed national solidarity (although not as much as did his Teutonophobic and anti-Jewish opponents among the National Democrats) and kept tightly in Polish hands military and governmental positions.
[. . .]
Is Israel, one might ask, the kind of polity that its Jewish defenders would want for a Christian America or for a nationalist Europe? And if not, why do Jews have a preferential right to be ethnic nationalists? Does believing that Jews have a right to their own country require for the sake of consistency the acceptance of an English right to an English country? I have asked these questions many times, but honest answers, as opposed to outbursts of sputtering rage, have been few and far between.
Read all of Paul Gottfried's article.
See also:
What do Israel and the Palestinians have to do with Canada and Quebec?
Mohammed cartoon discussion: Did you really mean to say Denmark is a Christian country? Perhaps you misspoke.
Is Quebec nationalism "civic" or "ethnic"?
Technorati tags: Israel Zionism Jews Jewish Poland Polish history Pilsudski multiculturalism ethnocentrism Paul Gottfried neoconservatism ethnic nationalism nationalist nation
Valarie Steele's lawyer - Selwyn Pieters
Valarie Steele's lawyer, Selwyn Pieters, is a busy boy.
Technorati tags: Valarie Steele Selwyn Pieters Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Valarie Steele Selwyn Pieters Jane Creba
Why is the Star treating black leader Valarie Steele as a victim?
From the Toronto Star (Steele a rebel with a cause, by Jim Rankin December 13):
Perhaps somewhere in the hours of wiretap intercepts amassed by Toronto police in the investigation into her son and others, Valarie Steele's credo has been overheard alongside a conversation that has all but assured she will never again preside over another landlord-tenant dispute.
And it would be fitting, really.
It would seem the lifelong activist and advocate for change in Toronto's black communities was living up to that credo when, caught on police telephone wiretaps played at her son's bail hearing last week, she crossed a line that a government-appointed housing tribunal adjudicator cannot cross.
Steele, named two years ago to the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, apparently tipped a friend having landlord troubles that she would be hearing the case herself. "Just play it cool," Steele tells her friend on the March, 28, 2006, wiretap, "this conversation never happened."
It's not clear how the case in question played out, but the inference is thus: Valarie Steele, it appears, took off her official hat and donned a more familiar one. She was, it appears, prepared to fix something herself.
[. . .]
Stephnie Payne, a school board trustee who worked with Steele at the Jamaican Canadian Association and is not a fan, wondered if this was a "good-news story or a bad-news story," and gave this cryptic comment: "I don't have a lot to say. All I want to tell you is what goes around comes around."
Asked to explain, Payne would only say that her time with the association was not always great, and that Steele was the reason. She also said she has spoken to others who are not supporters but do not want to speak ill of a woman who is in trouble. "They said, `I'm leaving this alone.'"
[. . . ]
If a police officer were caught on tape apparently bending the rules for a friend, I doubt the Toronto Star would publish a sympathetic portrait in an effort to minimize the damage done to his reputation. I guess when you are the leader of a minority the Star likes, little things like appearing to fix a legal hearing aren't all that important. It's not what you do that matters. It's whether you're on the right side that counts. For the Star, being black automatically puts you on the right side. That would certainly explain this:
(Disclosure: In the summer of 2003, with Steele's tenure as president of the association winding down, the group honoured the Star and the reporters who worked on the series at its annual awards dinner. This reporter was one of them. The series was also honoured with a National Newspaper Award for investigations, a Canadian Association of Journalists award and the Governor General's Michener Award for public service journalism.)
Note: the series was about alleged racial profiling by Toronto police.
According to Rankin's article Steele is suing the police:
Since his arrest on drug and weapons offences, Steele's son has twice tried to make bail. After she testified at his first bail hearing, the police, who had been intercepting calls at her home, charged her with perjury.
The charge came after Steele filed a lawsuit against the police seeking $1.25 million in damages relating to the police raid on her home following her son's arrest. She alleges, among other things, that officers poured water and urinated on some of her belongings. Her lawyer alleges the perjury charge was payback for the suit, but police have denied this. Police say they were already in the process of bringing the charge before the courts when the suit was filed.
Does anyone seriously believe the police would be stupid enough to urinate on Steele's belongings? Fair or not, my gut reaction is to wonder whether this woman is deranged, which leaves the question of why the Star is bending over backwards to treat her like a victim, especially when the consequences of her recorded words are so serious: (CBC News, Recorded conversation sparks probe of adjudicator's rulings, December 11):
Every decision made by an Ontario housing tribunal adjudicator over the past two years is being investigated after questions of bias surfaced from a recorded conversation.
The Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal plans to appoint an independent investigator to review rulings made by Valarie Steele since she was appointed in July 2004.
See also:
Wiretap reveals Valarie Steele tipped off friend before housing tribunal hearing
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto crime gun violence gangs Jamaican-Canadian Jamaicans Valarie Steele Jane Creba
Perhaps somewhere in the hours of wiretap intercepts amassed by Toronto police in the investigation into her son and others, Valarie Steele's credo has been overheard alongside a conversation that has all but assured she will never again preside over another landlord-tenant dispute.
And it would be fitting, really.
It would seem the lifelong activist and advocate for change in Toronto's black communities was living up to that credo when, caught on police telephone wiretaps played at her son's bail hearing last week, she crossed a line that a government-appointed housing tribunal adjudicator cannot cross.
Steele, named two years ago to the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, apparently tipped a friend having landlord troubles that she would be hearing the case herself. "Just play it cool," Steele tells her friend on the March, 28, 2006, wiretap, "this conversation never happened."
It's not clear how the case in question played out, but the inference is thus: Valarie Steele, it appears, took off her official hat and donned a more familiar one. She was, it appears, prepared to fix something herself.
[. . .]
Stephnie Payne, a school board trustee who worked with Steele at the Jamaican Canadian Association and is not a fan, wondered if this was a "good-news story or a bad-news story," and gave this cryptic comment: "I don't have a lot to say. All I want to tell you is what goes around comes around."
Asked to explain, Payne would only say that her time with the association was not always great, and that Steele was the reason. She also said she has spoken to others who are not supporters but do not want to speak ill of a woman who is in trouble. "They said, `I'm leaving this alone.'"
[. . . ]
If a police officer were caught on tape apparently bending the rules for a friend, I doubt the Toronto Star would publish a sympathetic portrait in an effort to minimize the damage done to his reputation. I guess when you are the leader of a minority the Star likes, little things like appearing to fix a legal hearing aren't all that important. It's not what you do that matters. It's whether you're on the right side that counts. For the Star, being black automatically puts you on the right side. That would certainly explain this:
(Disclosure: In the summer of 2003, with Steele's tenure as president of the association winding down, the group honoured the Star and the reporters who worked on the series at its annual awards dinner. This reporter was one of them. The series was also honoured with a National Newspaper Award for investigations, a Canadian Association of Journalists award and the Governor General's Michener Award for public service journalism.)
Note: the series was about alleged racial profiling by Toronto police.
According to Rankin's article Steele is suing the police:
Since his arrest on drug and weapons offences, Steele's son has twice tried to make bail. After she testified at his first bail hearing, the police, who had been intercepting calls at her home, charged her with perjury.
The charge came after Steele filed a lawsuit against the police seeking $1.25 million in damages relating to the police raid on her home following her son's arrest. She alleges, among other things, that officers poured water and urinated on some of her belongings. Her lawyer alleges the perjury charge was payback for the suit, but police have denied this. Police say they were already in the process of bringing the charge before the courts when the suit was filed.
Does anyone seriously believe the police would be stupid enough to urinate on Steele's belongings? Fair or not, my gut reaction is to wonder whether this woman is deranged, which leaves the question of why the Star is bending over backwards to treat her like a victim, especially when the consequences of her recorded words are so serious: (CBC News, Recorded conversation sparks probe of adjudicator's rulings, December 11):
Every decision made by an Ontario housing tribunal adjudicator over the past two years is being investigated after questions of bias surfaced from a recorded conversation.
The Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal plans to appoint an independent investigator to review rulings made by Valarie Steele since she was appointed in July 2004.
See also:
Wiretap reveals Valarie Steele tipped off friend before housing tribunal hearing
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto crime gun violence gangs Jamaican-Canadian Jamaicans Valarie Steele Jane Creba
Toronto terror bomb plot case inches its way through the court system
From the Toronto Star (Huge terror cell case begins its costly course by Michelle Shephard, December 20):
Canada's trial against 18 men and youths, arrested this summer for allegedly belonging to a terrorist cell plotting attacks at home, now involves a roster of high-profile defence lawyers, six prosecutors and more than 2 million pages of government documents.
The sheer complexity of the case, coupled with the anticipated challenges of how police conducted the investigation and a constitutional fight against Canada's terrorism laws, means it will be months, if not years before the trial begins.
Lawyers for the 14 accused adults appeared together yesterday for the first time in a Brampton courtroom to set a date for a preliminary hearing where a judge will determine if there's enough evidence to commit the case to trial.
[. . .]
The most immediate issue is how defence lawyers will be paid for such a complex case when most of the accused have applied for legal aid or hired their lawyers on modest retainers.
"Even Conrad Black couldn't afford this trial," scoffed long-time civil rights lawyer Paul Copeland outside court yesterday.
[. . .]
Yesterday's hearings ended with an agreement to meet in February to negotiate again over when the preliminary hearing will start.
One of the defence lawyers outside court accused the government lawyers of simply creating an "illusion of justice," with these proceedings.
"The federal Department of Justice has absolutely no intentions of allowing a preliminary hearing," charged lawyer Edward Sapiano.
He said he believes the government will eventually take the rare step of waiving a preliminary hearing and proceeding instead directly to trial in what's known as a "preferred indictment."
[. . .]
Read all of the Michelle Shephard's article.
See also:
Canadian news articles about the anti-terror sweep in Toronto
Does Muslim alienation start in high school?
Video distributed outside Toronto mosque glorifies 9-11 attacks
Globe and Mail: Saudis funding Muslim institutions in Canada
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto law courts trials crime terror terrorism terrorists bomb plot Muslims
Canada's trial against 18 men and youths, arrested this summer for allegedly belonging to a terrorist cell plotting attacks at home, now involves a roster of high-profile defence lawyers, six prosecutors and more than 2 million pages of government documents.
The sheer complexity of the case, coupled with the anticipated challenges of how police conducted the investigation and a constitutional fight against Canada's terrorism laws, means it will be months, if not years before the trial begins.
Lawyers for the 14 accused adults appeared together yesterday for the first time in a Brampton courtroom to set a date for a preliminary hearing where a judge will determine if there's enough evidence to commit the case to trial.
[. . .]
The most immediate issue is how defence lawyers will be paid for such a complex case when most of the accused have applied for legal aid or hired their lawyers on modest retainers.
"Even Conrad Black couldn't afford this trial," scoffed long-time civil rights lawyer Paul Copeland outside court yesterday.
[. . .]
Yesterday's hearings ended with an agreement to meet in February to negotiate again over when the preliminary hearing will start.
One of the defence lawyers outside court accused the government lawyers of simply creating an "illusion of justice," with these proceedings.
"The federal Department of Justice has absolutely no intentions of allowing a preliminary hearing," charged lawyer Edward Sapiano.
He said he believes the government will eventually take the rare step of waiving a preliminary hearing and proceeding instead directly to trial in what's known as a "preferred indictment."
[. . .]
Read all of the Michelle Shephard's article.
See also:
Canadian news articles about the anti-terror sweep in Toronto
Does Muslim alienation start in high school?
Video distributed outside Toronto mosque glorifies 9-11 attacks
Globe and Mail: Saudis funding Muslim institutions in Canada
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto law courts trials crime terror terrorism terrorists bomb plot Muslims
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Vdare, the world's most important web site, needs funds
Vdare, the publication that more than any other has pushed immigration to the top of the US political agenda, is short of funds. While Vdare's focus is the United States, it has also published a lot of articles about Canada. It's not an exaggeration to say the future of North America depends on institutions like Vdare that have the courage to challenge a blinkered political establishment that doesn't see the damage caused by bad immigration policies. If you can, please donate to Vdare.
See also:
Vdare.com: The most important website on the planet
Vdare is being censored by corporate software.
Technorati tags: United States US USA politics immigration Vdare web sites websites
See also:
Vdare.com: The most important website on the planet
Vdare is being censored by corporate software.
Technorati tags: United States US USA politics immigration Vdare web sites websites
Language barriers at a Toronto public school
Wednesday's National Post profiles Bryan Rickey, a 59-year-old Toronto man who for seven years has been the only member of the parent council at Blake Street Public School. Why is Mr. Rickey the only member? One big reason is language. From the article: (One-man Parent Council Resigning by Siri Agrell, December 20):
The school is nestled in a "pocket of poverty," just a few blocks away from the more affluent neighbourhoods of the Danforth and Riverdale. It serves a community for whom language barriers are as restrictive as the poverty line and where regular consultations about school board policy take a back seat to shift work and child care concerns.
"On a personal level, our parents are very interested in how things are going with their child," said principal David Hampton. "But on the group level, they don't get involved."
[. . .]
The school body has shrunk from its capacity of 750 over the past 20 years as the residents of those buildings saw their children grow up and move away but stayed put themselves, stifling the flow of young families into the neighbourhood.
Those who have arrived are mostly recent immigrants, and an informal survey of the school by teachers found there were more than 44 languages among the children.
[. . .]
Just a short walk away, students at Pape Avenue Public School and Withrow Public School have a vastly different experience, and parents know it. There, so many adults volunteer to supervise class trips that teachers can pick and choose. Pape's parent council has its own Web site and holds an annual Harvest Hoot & Howl fundraiser, a highly anticipated part of the community calendar.
Read all of Siri Agrell's article.
See also:
Us and them in Toronto's Catholic school system
Speaking of foreign languages
Immigration, language and local democracy
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto education public schools ESL English as a Second Language immigration immigrants multiculturalism cultural diversity
The school is nestled in a "pocket of poverty," just a few blocks away from the more affluent neighbourhoods of the Danforth and Riverdale. It serves a community for whom language barriers are as restrictive as the poverty line and where regular consultations about school board policy take a back seat to shift work and child care concerns.
"On a personal level, our parents are very interested in how things are going with their child," said principal David Hampton. "But on the group level, they don't get involved."
[. . .]
The school body has shrunk from its capacity of 750 over the past 20 years as the residents of those buildings saw their children grow up and move away but stayed put themselves, stifling the flow of young families into the neighbourhood.
Those who have arrived are mostly recent immigrants, and an informal survey of the school by teachers found there were more than 44 languages among the children.
[. . .]
Just a short walk away, students at Pape Avenue Public School and Withrow Public School have a vastly different experience, and parents know it. There, so many adults volunteer to supervise class trips that teachers can pick and choose. Pape's parent council has its own Web site and holds an annual Harvest Hoot & Howl fundraiser, a highly anticipated part of the community calendar.
Read all of Siri Agrell's article.
See also:
Us and them in Toronto's Catholic school system
Speaking of foreign languages
Immigration, language and local democracy
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto education public schools ESL English as a Second Language immigration immigrants multiculturalism cultural diversity
Jewish sect sends representatives to Iranian Holocaust-denial conference
Barbara Kay writes in the National Post (Perverting the Holy Spirit, December 20):
One story's essence was captured in a photograph, taken at the recent Holocaust denial conference, of Iran's President Ahmadinejad exchanging a warm greeting with a representative of Neturei Karta, billed as "Orthodox Jews United Against Zionism."
Although numerically negligible, this fanatical sect has attracted wildly disproportionate media attention by publicly aligning itself with Israel and world Jewry's worst enemies: Before Ahmadinejad, they had befriended, amongst other bottom feeders, Yasser Arafat, Hezbollah and the virulently anti-Semitic Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam.
Read all of Barbara Kay's article.
I wouldn't read too much into this story. I present it mostly for its man-bites-dog curiousity value.
The Jerusalem Post reports that another group of Hasidic Jews who oppose the state of Israel, the Satmar Hasidim, have condemned the Neturei Karta for attending the conference in Iran. And according to this blog post:
Israel's Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger called on world Rabbis to reject Neturei Karta members who participated in the Holocaust denial conference in Iran , saying they “sabotaged Israel” and should not be allowed entrance to Temples.
Read the whole post.
See also:
Hasidic Jews in Montreal reluctant to deal with female police officers (I don't know what the Hasidim in Montreal think of Israel.)
Culture clash in Montreal - Hasidic Jews vs. YMCA gym-users
Technorati tags: Jews Judaism Hasidic Hasidim Orthodox Neturei Karta anti-Zionist religious sects Iran Iranian Tehran Holocaust denial conference
One story's essence was captured in a photograph, taken at the recent Holocaust denial conference, of Iran's President Ahmadinejad exchanging a warm greeting with a representative of Neturei Karta, billed as "Orthodox Jews United Against Zionism."
Although numerically negligible, this fanatical sect has attracted wildly disproportionate media attention by publicly aligning itself with Israel and world Jewry's worst enemies: Before Ahmadinejad, they had befriended, amongst other bottom feeders, Yasser Arafat, Hezbollah and the virulently anti-Semitic Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam.
Read all of Barbara Kay's article.
I wouldn't read too much into this story. I present it mostly for its man-bites-dog curiousity value.
The Jerusalem Post reports that another group of Hasidic Jews who oppose the state of Israel, the Satmar Hasidim, have condemned the Neturei Karta for attending the conference in Iran. And according to this blog post:
Israel's Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger called on world Rabbis to reject Neturei Karta members who participated in the Holocaust denial conference in Iran , saying they “sabotaged Israel” and should not be allowed entrance to Temples.
Read the whole post.
See also:
Hasidic Jews in Montreal reluctant to deal with female police officers (I don't know what the Hasidim in Montreal think of Israel.)
Culture clash in Montreal - Hasidic Jews vs. YMCA gym-users
Technorati tags: Jews Judaism Hasidic Hasidim Orthodox Neturei Karta anti-Zionist religious sects Iran Iranian Tehran Holocaust denial conference
India won't give visa to Indo-Canadian journalist
From the Toronto Sun (India critic denied trip with preem by Sarah Green, December 20):
Freedom of the press has allowed Punjabi journalist Sukhminder Singh Hansra to criticize Indian government policies in his weekly newspaper.
But those same criticisms are now barring Hansra from travelling to India next month with an Ontario trade mission led by Premier Dalton McGuinty, the managing editor of Sanjh Savera Weekly said yesterday.
Hansra, 46, said the Indian government gave no reason for denying his visa application, but the former radio and TV commentator suspects his outspoken opinions are to blame.
[. . .]
Read all of Sarah Green's article.
See also:
Punjabi newspapers accuse provincial cabinet minister of trying to shut them down
India poised to become Canada's top source of immigrants. Is this what Canadians want?
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario politics Dalton McGuinty India Indo-Canadian Indo-Canadians Desi Desis Punjabi news media newspapers freedom of the press
Freedom of the press has allowed Punjabi journalist Sukhminder Singh Hansra to criticize Indian government policies in his weekly newspaper.
But those same criticisms are now barring Hansra from travelling to India next month with an Ontario trade mission led by Premier Dalton McGuinty, the managing editor of Sanjh Savera Weekly said yesterday.
Hansra, 46, said the Indian government gave no reason for denying his visa application, but the former radio and TV commentator suspects his outspoken opinions are to blame.
[. . .]
Read all of Sarah Green's article.
See also:
Punjabi newspapers accuse provincial cabinet minister of trying to shut them down
India poised to become Canada's top source of immigrants. Is this what Canadians want?
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario politics Dalton McGuinty India Indo-Canadian Indo-Canadians Desi Desis Punjabi news media newspapers freedom of the press
Two men acquitted in 2002 shooting
From the Toronto Sun (Men cleared in bandit's shooting by Sam Pazzano, December 13):
Two men have been acquitted of attempted murder in what the Crown had argued was a payback shooting of a schizophrenic bandit.
Ariyo "Butter" Fakomi, who is in custody facing charges stemming from a major gang bust, and Jamal Taylor were exonerated late Monday by Madam Justice Andromahi Karakatsanis in the Aug. 10, 2002, shooting of O'Neil Kinghorn, 23, outside a barbecue in North York.
Kinghorn was shot five times -- in the neck, back, shoulder, thigh and hand. Only the .22-calibre slug in his hand was removed.
Initially, Kinghorn, who was shot while fleeing, told police he didn't see his assailants, Allan Lobel, Fakomi's lawyer, said outside court.
"Kinghorn has admitted being a member of a gang called the Iraqi thugs, some Blood wannabes. He also indicated he saw unicorns and goblins," Lobel said.
[. . .]
Read all of Sam Pazzano's article.
I notice that the victim of the shooting, O'Neil Kinghorn, first told police he hadn't seen the shooters. A lot of shooting victims in Toronto refuse to cooperate with police either because they're more afraid of the gangs than of the police or because they're gang members themselves. According to the article Kinghorn is from Rexdale, a part of the city where black gangs, including the Jamestown Crew are active.
See also:
Toronto Star article paints a frightening picture of gang life in this city
Statistics Canada survey suggests Toronto police have low crime-solving rate. Police disagree
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto crime gangs
Two men have been acquitted of attempted murder in what the Crown had argued was a payback shooting of a schizophrenic bandit.
Ariyo "Butter" Fakomi, who is in custody facing charges stemming from a major gang bust, and Jamal Taylor were exonerated late Monday by Madam Justice Andromahi Karakatsanis in the Aug. 10, 2002, shooting of O'Neil Kinghorn, 23, outside a barbecue in North York.
Kinghorn was shot five times -- in the neck, back, shoulder, thigh and hand. Only the .22-calibre slug in his hand was removed.
Initially, Kinghorn, who was shot while fleeing, told police he didn't see his assailants, Allan Lobel, Fakomi's lawyer, said outside court.
"Kinghorn has admitted being a member of a gang called the Iraqi thugs, some Blood wannabes. He also indicated he saw unicorns and goblins," Lobel said.
[. . .]
Read all of Sam Pazzano's article.
I notice that the victim of the shooting, O'Neil Kinghorn, first told police he hadn't seen the shooters. A lot of shooting victims in Toronto refuse to cooperate with police either because they're more afraid of the gangs than of the police or because they're gang members themselves. According to the article Kinghorn is from Rexdale, a part of the city where black gangs, including the Jamestown Crew are active.
See also:
Toronto Star article paints a frightening picture of gang life in this city
Statistics Canada survey suggests Toronto police have low crime-solving rate. Police disagree
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto crime gangs
Project Pathfinder: Alleged leader of Galloway Boys faces 39 charges in gang killings
From the Toronto Sun (Man faces 39 charges in gang killings by Sarah Green, December 19):
The reputed head of the Galloway Boys will stand trial on 39 charges including three counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder, an Ontario Court judge ruled yesterday.
Amid tight security at the Eglinton Ave. E. courthouse, Justice Paul Roberston committed Tyshan Riley, 24, the alleged leader of the Scarborough gang, and 16 others to trial on a long list of charges including murder, robbery, drug trafficking and committing crimes to benefit a criminal organization.
The charges, first laid in October 2004, stem from Project Pathfinder, a massive Toronto Police investigation to dismantle the Galloway Boys, one of two rival street gangs in a turf war for east Scarborough.
Prosecutors allege all but one of the 17 accused were involved in gang activity.
Among the 115 charges before Justice Robertson were four counts of first-degree murder, six counts of attempted murder, several obstructing justice charges involving witness tampering, six drug trafficking conspiracy counts, and numerous gun charges.
[. . .]
Read all of Sarah Greene's article.
This trial is going to cost taxpayers a lot of money.
See also:
Woman facing gang-related charges hired as youth detention worker.
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto Scarborough Malvern crime gangs police Galloway Boys Tyshan Riley Project Pathfinder
The reputed head of the Galloway Boys will stand trial on 39 charges including three counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder, an Ontario Court judge ruled yesterday.
Amid tight security at the Eglinton Ave. E. courthouse, Justice Paul Roberston committed Tyshan Riley, 24, the alleged leader of the Scarborough gang, and 16 others to trial on a long list of charges including murder, robbery, drug trafficking and committing crimes to benefit a criminal organization.
The charges, first laid in October 2004, stem from Project Pathfinder, a massive Toronto Police investigation to dismantle the Galloway Boys, one of two rival street gangs in a turf war for east Scarborough.
Prosecutors allege all but one of the 17 accused were involved in gang activity.
Among the 115 charges before Justice Robertson were four counts of first-degree murder, six counts of attempted murder, several obstructing justice charges involving witness tampering, six drug trafficking conspiracy counts, and numerous gun charges.
[. . .]
Read all of Sarah Greene's article.
This trial is going to cost taxpayers a lot of money.
See also:
Woman facing gang-related charges hired as youth detention worker.
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto Scarborough Malvern crime gangs police Galloway Boys Tyshan Riley Project Pathfinder
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Where did Zarqawi get his inspiration to kill Americans?
Robert Spencer writes:
The pro-jihad website Jihad Unspun is running a "never before published" interview with the late Zarqawi, in which the jihadist explains his activity as imitation of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. In the excerpt below he stresses one hadith in which Muhammad says: "I have been sent with the sword, between the hands of the hour, until Allah is worshipped alone."
It would be refreshing to see a moderate Muslim (Ibrahim? Stephen? Ali?) formulate an Islamic response to this, showing how Zarqawi is misusing the Islamic texts. Only by engaging in such exercises will moderates ever begin making headway against jihadist recruitment in the Islamic community.
[. . .]
Read all of Robert Spencer's article.
I haven't made a study of Islam, but anyone who pays attention to the news has to wonder why, if Islam is a religion of peace as so many say it is, are there so many Muslim terrorist groups? If Islam promotes peace, why do a lot of Muslims believe otherwise?
See also:
No Mr. Dyer, denying a link between Islam and terrorism isn't courtesy, it's pandering to bullies
What is jihad?
Technorati tags: Islam Muslims Muhammad jihad terrorism terrorists Iraq Zarqawi
The pro-jihad website Jihad Unspun is running a "never before published" interview with the late Zarqawi, in which the jihadist explains his activity as imitation of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. In the excerpt below he stresses one hadith in which Muhammad says: "I have been sent with the sword, between the hands of the hour, until Allah is worshipped alone."
It would be refreshing to see a moderate Muslim (Ibrahim? Stephen? Ali?) formulate an Islamic response to this, showing how Zarqawi is misusing the Islamic texts. Only by engaging in such exercises will moderates ever begin making headway against jihadist recruitment in the Islamic community.
[. . .]
Read all of Robert Spencer's article.
I haven't made a study of Islam, but anyone who pays attention to the news has to wonder why, if Islam is a religion of peace as so many say it is, are there so many Muslim terrorist groups? If Islam promotes peace, why do a lot of Muslims believe otherwise?
See also:
No Mr. Dyer, denying a link between Islam and terrorism isn't courtesy, it's pandering to bullies
What is jihad?
Technorati tags: Islam Muslims Muhammad jihad terrorism terrorists Iraq Zarqawi
US ambassadors urges Canadians to get passports
From the Globe and Mail (Wilkins urges Canadians to get passports by Scott Deveau, December 18):
U.S. ambassador David Wilkins urged Canadians to go out and get passports if they planned to fly south of the border in the new year.
“Like it or not, we now live in a post-9/11 era and there's no turning back,” Mr. Wilkins said while addressing Ottawa Rotary Club Monday. “The passport requirement is the law passed by Congress, and, in my opinion, it will go in to effect.”
Under the new initiative, dubbed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, citizens of Canada, Bermuda, Mexico and the U.S. itself will be required to show a passport or other accepted document when entering the U.S. at airports as of Jan. 23, 2007.
Passports will also be needed at land crossing and seaports by June, 2009. The U.S. Congress had initially planned to implement the regulations by Jan. 1, 2008, but announced a 17-month extension this fall.
[. . .]
Read all of Scott Deveau's article.
When it comes to terrorism and national security, Americans have no reason to trust Canada. Ottawa has not taken this problem seriously. See Martin Collacott's Fraser Institute report: Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism: The Need for Policy Reform. For a full discussion of the numerous foreign terrorist groups operating in Canada see the Mackenzie Institute's online book: Other people's wars: A Review of Overseas Terrorism in Canada
See also:
Maher Arar still a threat - David Wilkins, US ambassador to Canada
US border card will be unveiled soon
Technorati tags: Canada United States US USA border travel passports national security terrorism David Wilkins
U.S. ambassador David Wilkins urged Canadians to go out and get passports if they planned to fly south of the border in the new year.
“Like it or not, we now live in a post-9/11 era and there's no turning back,” Mr. Wilkins said while addressing Ottawa Rotary Club Monday. “The passport requirement is the law passed by Congress, and, in my opinion, it will go in to effect.”
Under the new initiative, dubbed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, citizens of Canada, Bermuda, Mexico and the U.S. itself will be required to show a passport or other accepted document when entering the U.S. at airports as of Jan. 23, 2007.
Passports will also be needed at land crossing and seaports by June, 2009. The U.S. Congress had initially planned to implement the regulations by Jan. 1, 2008, but announced a 17-month extension this fall.
[. . .]
Read all of Scott Deveau's article.
When it comes to terrorism and national security, Americans have no reason to trust Canada. Ottawa has not taken this problem seriously. See Martin Collacott's Fraser Institute report: Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism: The Need for Policy Reform. For a full discussion of the numerous foreign terrorist groups operating in Canada see the Mackenzie Institute's online book: Other people's wars: A Review of Overseas Terrorism in Canada
See also:
Maher Arar still a threat - David Wilkins, US ambassador to Canada
US border card will be unveiled soon
Technorati tags: Canada United States US USA border travel passports national security terrorism David Wilkins
Mohamed Mahjoub case: Judge rules Ottawa can't deport Egyptian suspected of terrorism
From the Toronto Star (Bid to deport suspect dealt blow by Michelle Shephard December 16):
A Federal Court justice has stymied the government's attempts to deport a terrorism suspect to Egypt, calling arguments that the man will not face danger if returned "perverse" and "flawed."
The ruling on Mohamed Mahjoub, 46, marks another setback in the government's use of national security certificates to expel terrorism suspects. Mahjoub has been declared inadmissible as a refugee to Canada because he poses a risk to national security. Canada's spy service alleges Mahjoub was a high-ranking member of the Egyptian Al Jihad and had contact with various terrorism suspects in Canada. He also worked for Osama bin Laden at an agricultural company in Sudan in 1992, before he sought refuge in Toronto.
Justice Danièle Tremblay-Lamer's ruling this week overturns a government report that concluded it was unlikely Mahjoub would be tortured if deported to Egypt. The report, written by a department official known as the minister's delegate, adopted a "flawed approach (that) can be considered nothing short of patently unreasonable with regard to the substantial risk of torture issue," Tremblay-Lamer wrote.
"The delegate's blanket rejection of information from agencies with worldwide reputations for credibility such as AI and HRW (Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch) is puzzling, especially given the institutional reliance of Canadian courts and tribunals on these very sources," the ruling says.
"I find that the delegate's selective reliance on one piece of evidence that held that human rights abuses were not a systemic problem in Egypt, against the overwhelming bulk of the evidence which essentially pointed to the contrary, to be patently unreasonable."
The government also relied on Egypt's pledge that Mahjoub would be treated humanely if removed from Canada, raising the thorny issue now facing many Western countries of how to weigh government assurances from countries with questionable human rights records.
[. . .]
Read all of Michelle Shephard's article.
This case should worry anyone who cares about Canada's national security. Most terrorist suspects come from countries where governments torture prisoners. If the courts make it impossible for Ottawa to deport terrorist suspects to countries like Egypt, this would make Canada even more inviting to terrorists.
I'm not a lawyer and I can't explain all the legal twists and turns but as I understand it the trouble begins with the Supreme Court's 1985 Singh decision which gave every foreigner who claimed refugee status while on Canadian soil the right to an oral hearing. This made it impossible for immigration officials to summarily dismiss unfounded claims or immediately remove people deemed to be threats to our national security. The Singh decision in turn provided the foundation for other court decisions that have made it much harder for the government to deport undesirables.
The issue of deporting terrorist suspects to countries where they might be tortured hasn't been definitively decided yet. In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that in "exceptional circumstances" Ottawa may deport people to countries where they might be tortured, but it didn't define what those circumstances would be. This is sometimes referred to as the Suresh exception after Manickavasagam Suresh a man CSIS accuses of being a highranking fundraiser for the terrorist Tamil Tigers. Suresh has been fighting deportation for more than ten years despite a judge's decision that he should be deported "as quickly as possible."
See also:
Human rights extremists threaten Canada's national security
Judge rules Mahmoud Jaballah can't be deported to Egypt despite evidence he was involved in 1998 US embassy bombings
Technorati tags: Canada law human rights torture immigration terrorism terrorists national security Egypt Mohamed Mahjoub
A Federal Court justice has stymied the government's attempts to deport a terrorism suspect to Egypt, calling arguments that the man will not face danger if returned "perverse" and "flawed."
The ruling on Mohamed Mahjoub, 46, marks another setback in the government's use of national security certificates to expel terrorism suspects. Mahjoub has been declared inadmissible as a refugee to Canada because he poses a risk to national security. Canada's spy service alleges Mahjoub was a high-ranking member of the Egyptian Al Jihad and had contact with various terrorism suspects in Canada. He also worked for Osama bin Laden at an agricultural company in Sudan in 1992, before he sought refuge in Toronto.
Justice Danièle Tremblay-Lamer's ruling this week overturns a government report that concluded it was unlikely Mahjoub would be tortured if deported to Egypt. The report, written by a department official known as the minister's delegate, adopted a "flawed approach (that) can be considered nothing short of patently unreasonable with regard to the substantial risk of torture issue," Tremblay-Lamer wrote.
"The delegate's blanket rejection of information from agencies with worldwide reputations for credibility such as AI and HRW (Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch) is puzzling, especially given the institutional reliance of Canadian courts and tribunals on these very sources," the ruling says.
"I find that the delegate's selective reliance on one piece of evidence that held that human rights abuses were not a systemic problem in Egypt, against the overwhelming bulk of the evidence which essentially pointed to the contrary, to be patently unreasonable."
The government also relied on Egypt's pledge that Mahjoub would be treated humanely if removed from Canada, raising the thorny issue now facing many Western countries of how to weigh government assurances from countries with questionable human rights records.
[. . .]
Read all of Michelle Shephard's article.
This case should worry anyone who cares about Canada's national security. Most terrorist suspects come from countries where governments torture prisoners. If the courts make it impossible for Ottawa to deport terrorist suspects to countries like Egypt, this would make Canada even more inviting to terrorists.
I'm not a lawyer and I can't explain all the legal twists and turns but as I understand it the trouble begins with the Supreme Court's 1985 Singh decision which gave every foreigner who claimed refugee status while on Canadian soil the right to an oral hearing. This made it impossible for immigration officials to summarily dismiss unfounded claims or immediately remove people deemed to be threats to our national security. The Singh decision in turn provided the foundation for other court decisions that have made it much harder for the government to deport undesirables.
The issue of deporting terrorist suspects to countries where they might be tortured hasn't been definitively decided yet. In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that in "exceptional circumstances" Ottawa may deport people to countries where they might be tortured, but it didn't define what those circumstances would be. This is sometimes referred to as the Suresh exception after Manickavasagam Suresh a man CSIS accuses of being a highranking fundraiser for the terrorist Tamil Tigers. Suresh has been fighting deportation for more than ten years despite a judge's decision that he should be deported "as quickly as possible."
See also:
Human rights extremists threaten Canada's national security
Judge rules Mahmoud Jaballah can't be deported to Egypt despite evidence he was involved in 1998 US embassy bombings
Technorati tags: Canada law human rights torture immigration terrorism terrorists national security Egypt Mohamed Mahjoub
Two found guilty in machete slaying
From the Toronto Star (Two guilty of murder in machete slaying by Peter Small, December 19):
Two men who took part in a lethal machete and bat attack on a 21-year-old man they mistook for someone else have been convicted of second-degree murder.
A jury ruled that Sujenth Ulaganathan, and Karmugan Palarajah, both 23, were not only in a convoy of three cars that drove up to Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute, near Finch Ave. E. and Brimley Rd., on the evening of Oct. 8, 2003, but also took part in the unprovoked beating.
The jury of five women and seven men acquitted Gobianath Suntharalingam, 25, after almost two days of deliberations that ended Saturday.
His lawyer, Liam O'Connor, had argued there was no proof he was at the murder scene.
All three men had been charged with first-degree murder.
Some 15 to 20 men, most wearing face masks, set upon Janakan Sivalingam, 21, who was lounging with his chums outside the school while night classes progressed inside.
The attackers were really after Sivalingam's friend, nicknamed "Pay," whom he resembled, prosecutors Megan Petrie and Sean Hickey told the court.
[. . .]
Read all of Peter Small's article.
The accused appear to be Tamil. From an earlier article by Peter Small (no longer on line):
After the attackers kept hitting Sivalingam and swore in Tamil, they all ran off when one of them said the police were coming, the witness said. Sivalingam died seven hours later in hospital.
See also:
Man was beaten and hacked to death with baseball bats and machetes
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto crime immigration immigrants Sri Lanka Tamil Tamils
Two men who took part in a lethal machete and bat attack on a 21-year-old man they mistook for someone else have been convicted of second-degree murder.
A jury ruled that Sujenth Ulaganathan, and Karmugan Palarajah, both 23, were not only in a convoy of three cars that drove up to Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute, near Finch Ave. E. and Brimley Rd., on the evening of Oct. 8, 2003, but also took part in the unprovoked beating.
The jury of five women and seven men acquitted Gobianath Suntharalingam, 25, after almost two days of deliberations that ended Saturday.
His lawyer, Liam O'Connor, had argued there was no proof he was at the murder scene.
All three men had been charged with first-degree murder.
Some 15 to 20 men, most wearing face masks, set upon Janakan Sivalingam, 21, who was lounging with his chums outside the school while night classes progressed inside.
The attackers were really after Sivalingam's friend, nicknamed "Pay," whom he resembled, prosecutors Megan Petrie and Sean Hickey told the court.
[. . .]
Read all of Peter Small's article.
The accused appear to be Tamil. From an earlier article by Peter Small (no longer on line):
After the attackers kept hitting Sivalingam and swore in Tamil, they all ran off when one of them said the police were coming, the witness said. Sivalingam died seven hours later in hospital.
See also:
Man was beaten and hacked to death with baseball bats and machetes
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto crime immigration immigrants Sri Lanka Tamil Tamils
Announcement: New Hogtown Front discussion forum
[Update Friday December 22: I've decided to restore comments on the blog. My apologies for my indecision on this issue. I'm leaving the Hogtown Front Yahoo! Group up, though I think it's redundant now.]
I've been thinking about what to do about comments. My dilemma is this. On the one hand, I'm interested in what people have to say about the issues I raise here. On the other hand, I am concerned readers will confuse opinions expressed by other people with my own.
I've come up with what may or may not be a solution. I have created a Yahoo! group where people who want to comment on the blog can do that. The group's homepage is Hogtown Front. This is an email discussion list, but group members who don't want email can change their personal settings to receive no mail and read the messages on the group website.
If you have a Yahoo! ID, which you can get for free, go to the group homepage and sign up. If you don't have a Yahoo! ID you can subscribe to the group by sending a blank email to hogtownfront-subscribe@yahoogroups.com However, if you want to be able to change your personal settings you'll need a Yahoo! ID. If, for example, you don't want messages emailed to you, you'll need an ID to change the setting.
If anyone has trouble signing up email me at hyphenated_canadian AT yahoo.ca This group will be unmoderated but I want to discourage people from using foul language and racial epithets. Say what you want about the issues, but please be civil.
I don't know if anyone will be interested in this discussion group, but I thought I'd create it and find out.
See also:
I've decided to hide comments for now
I've been thinking about what to do about comments. My dilemma is this. On the one hand, I'm interested in what people have to say about the issues I raise here. On the other hand, I am concerned readers will confuse opinions expressed by other people with my own.
I've come up with what may or may not be a solution. I have created a Yahoo! group where people who want to comment on the blog can do that. The group's homepage is Hogtown Front. This is an email discussion list, but group members who don't want email can change their personal settings to receive no mail and read the messages on the group website.
If you have a Yahoo! ID, which you can get for free, go to the group homepage and sign up. If you don't have a Yahoo! ID you can subscribe to the group by sending a blank email to hogtownfront-subscribe@yahoogroups.com However, if you want to be able to change your personal settings you'll need a Yahoo! ID. If, for example, you don't want messages emailed to you, you'll need an ID to change the setting.
If anyone has trouble signing up email me at hyphenated_canadian AT yahoo.ca This group will be unmoderated but I want to discourage people from using foul language and racial epithets. Say what you want about the issues, but please be civil.
I don't know if anyone will be interested in this discussion group, but I thought I'd create it and find out.
See also:
I've decided to hide comments for now
High-rises on TTC property - another sign of Toronto's relentless population growth
There's an article in yesterday's Toronto Star that discusses the possibility of building high-rises on property owned by the TTC. In the middle of the article, we read (TTC eyes towers at stations by Paul Moloney, December 18):
Building around subway stations is a common occurrence around the world and while city councillors have long recognized the merits of it, they're only now starting to move forward.
Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker (Ward 38, Scarborough Centre) credits the high-profile fight to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine for turning public opinion in favour of more compact development that generates less traffic.
Read all of Paul Moloney's article.
Stories like this make me angry because the politicians involved treat Toronto's relentless population growth as an unstoppable force of nature rather than the political choice it is. Canada has a low birthrate and immigration is responsible for most of Toronto's growth. Forty percent of the 250,000+ immigrants a year who arrive in Canada each year end up in the Greater Toronto Area. That's a 100,000 people a year or a whopping one million people a decade. There's no economic justification for bringing in so many immigrants. In fact, the government's own studies show that recent immigrants are doing poorly compared to previous immigrants. Journalists and government officials keep telling us that we have to choose between urban sprawl or higher residential densities. They ignore a third more sensible option: reduced immigration.
See also:
High-rise development - a good reason to treat immigration as a municipal election issue
Immigration and new skyscrapers: population growth is transforming Toronto, but not for the better
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto immigration immigrants population growth TTC highrises
Building around subway stations is a common occurrence around the world and while city councillors have long recognized the merits of it, they're only now starting to move forward.
Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker (Ward 38, Scarborough Centre) credits the high-profile fight to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine for turning public opinion in favour of more compact development that generates less traffic.
Read all of Paul Moloney's article.
Stories like this make me angry because the politicians involved treat Toronto's relentless population growth as an unstoppable force of nature rather than the political choice it is. Canada has a low birthrate and immigration is responsible for most of Toronto's growth. Forty percent of the 250,000+ immigrants a year who arrive in Canada each year end up in the Greater Toronto Area. That's a 100,000 people a year or a whopping one million people a decade. There's no economic justification for bringing in so many immigrants. In fact, the government's own studies show that recent immigrants are doing poorly compared to previous immigrants. Journalists and government officials keep telling us that we have to choose between urban sprawl or higher residential densities. They ignore a third more sensible option: reduced immigration.
See also:
High-rise development - a good reason to treat immigration as a municipal election issue
Immigration and new skyscrapers: population growth is transforming Toronto, but not for the better
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto immigration immigrants population growth TTC highrises
Monday, December 18, 2006
I've decided to hide comments for now
[Update Friday December 22: I've restored comments. My apologies for going back and forth on this issue.]
[Clarification: I should have been more specific when I posted this message. Most of the recent comments were fine, but some of the discussion about Jews and immigration was headed into territory that made me uncomfortable. The subject itself is legitimate but it has to be handled carefully. I didn't want the distraction of having to monitor comments to make sure no one crossed the line of what I consider acceptable. I believe in free speech to the extent that I defend what I consider to be Ernst Zundel's right to say what he wants about the Holocaust, even if his opinions are understandably offensive to many. While no one has said anything approaching Zundel's nastiness, I still felt the need to distance this blog from comments that might harm my reputation. I want to promote immigration reform. I don't want to lose focus by becoming involved in discussions about a subject that isn't my immediate concern.]
----------------------------------------------------------
Original message
Some of the recent discussion on this blog has made me uncomfortable and I'm worried visitors will hold me responsible for opinions expressed by other people. I created this blog as a platform for my own views and don't want them drowned out by off-topic discussions on issues I'm not prepared to talk about right now.
I considered moderating comments, but the idea of deciding which opinions are acceptable and which aren't makes me even more uncomfortable than the recent discussion does.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but anyone who has a point of view he really wants heard can start his own blog. They're easy to set up. If you can use a computer you can start a blog.
People can also send comments to hyphenated_canadian AT yahoo.ca
[Clarification: I should have been more specific when I posted this message. Most of the recent comments were fine, but some of the discussion about Jews and immigration was headed into territory that made me uncomfortable. The subject itself is legitimate but it has to be handled carefully. I didn't want the distraction of having to monitor comments to make sure no one crossed the line of what I consider acceptable. I believe in free speech to the extent that I defend what I consider to be Ernst Zundel's right to say what he wants about the Holocaust, even if his opinions are understandably offensive to many. While no one has said anything approaching Zundel's nastiness, I still felt the need to distance this blog from comments that might harm my reputation. I want to promote immigration reform. I don't want to lose focus by becoming involved in discussions about a subject that isn't my immediate concern.]
----------------------------------------------------------
Original message
Some of the recent discussion on this blog has made me uncomfortable and I'm worried visitors will hold me responsible for opinions expressed by other people. I created this blog as a platform for my own views and don't want them drowned out by off-topic discussions on issues I'm not prepared to talk about right now.
I considered moderating comments, but the idea of deciding which opinions are acceptable and which aren't makes me even more uncomfortable than the recent discussion does.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but anyone who has a point of view he really wants heard can start his own blog. They're easy to set up. If you can use a computer you can start a blog.
People can also send comments to hyphenated_canadian AT yahoo.ca
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Sometimes blogging wears me out
There are several stories in the news I could be blogging about, but I'm too tired. I'm surprised at how much energy it takes to maintain a blog. I don't know if it's the same for other bloggers, but I find it tiring trying to come up with intelligent comments about news stories everyday. And some days I don't succeed. I can't speak for anybody else, but for me blogging is work. I'm not complaining, mind you. I blog because I want to. I can stop anytime I feel like it. I can choose to post as often or as little as I want. Most days I do want to blog, but today isn't one of them. Besides it's Sunday. The Lord commanded that we rest and who am I to contradict the Almighty? Especially when it's convenient.
See also:
Does Canadian law recognize bloggers as journalists?
Technorati tags: blogs blogging bloggers
See also:
Does Canadian law recognize bloggers as journalists?
Technorati tags: blogs blogging bloggers
Friday, December 15, 2006
Maher Arar still a threat - David Wilkins, US ambassador to Canada
From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (Arar still a threat, U.S. says, December 15):
The U.S. ambassador to Canada says Maher Arar is still considered a threat to the United States and will remain on a security watchlist, despite the findings of a Canadian inquiry.
“The decision to remove Mr. Arar from the United States in 2002 was made by U.S. officials based on our own independent assessment of the threat to the United States,” David Wilkins said in a statement today.
American officials had other sources of information about Arar, beyond that provided by the RCMP, and continue to regard Arar as a potential threat, Wilkins said.
The ambassador noted that Justice Dennis O’Connor, head of a recent inquiry that determined the RCMP gave the Americans false information about Arar, acknowledged he did not know about everything in Arar’s American file.
O’Connor’s inquiry found no evidence linking Arar to terrorism, but the Americans continue to deny him clearance to enter the country or even fly over U.S. airspace.
[. . .]
Read all of the CP article.
There appears to be a consensus in Canada that Maher Arar is an innocent man and I have no reason to doubt this is in fact the case. That said, the information available to the general public isn't the whole story. I don't know what intelligence the Americans have on Arar, but I have to at least consider the possibility they know something Justice O'Connor and the Canadian media don't.
One thing about the media's handling of the Arar case has always bothered me. Why was more attention paid to Arar than to Ahmed Ressam, the man caught late in 1999 trying to smuggle a car full of explosives into the US so that he could bomb Los Angeles International Airport? For that matter, why hasn't there been a public inquiry into the failures of our immigration system that allowed a failed refugee claimant to spend years in Canada dreaming up terrorist attacks against Canadians and Americans? At one point, Ressam considered attacking a Jewish neighbourhood in Montreal.
The Canadian media constantly presents Muslims as victims and in some cases they are, but at the same time Islamic extremism is also a reality - one that the Canadian media either ignores or downplays. One exception would be the coverage of this June's terror arrests in Toronto, where the media went overboard, but even here there was an effort to downplay the fact that the suspects were Muslim.
The Maher Arar affair has to be seen in context. Experts have said over and over again that Canada has a terrorist problem that isn't being taken seriously enough. It's easy to condemn the RCMP for how it handled Maher Arar when you aren't the one responsible for preventing terrorist attacks. When you read O'Connor's report, it becomes clear mistakes were made because Canadian and American national security agencies were terrified there would be a second wave of attacks following September 11. Police and CSIS agents were overworked because they didn't have the proper resources with which to monitor all of the possible terrorist threats.
I'm not saying the RCMP or CSIS should be above criticism or beyond the law, but we need to give these agencies adequate resources with which to fight terrorism. More importantly, we need to recognize the link between immigration and terrorism. David Harris was right when he told a US congressional subcommittee that there needs to be a moratorium on immigration at least until our national security agencies have the current situation under control. Ottawa keeps on bringing people in without taking into account the national security problems that are created when a country has a huge foreign-born population, a large part of which comes from parts of the world where hostility to the West is commonplace. Some of the people who come to Canada as immigrants hate our way of life, but all we ever hear from our leaders are boring speeches about the wonders of ethnic diversity.
See also:
Public inquiry to examine the deporation of three Muslim Canadian men to Syria
Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants would hurt Canada-US relations - Solberg tells committee
Technorati tags: Canada United States US Canada-US relations foreign affairs diplomacy diplomats ambassadors RCMP national security terrorism terrorists human rights Muslims Maher Arar David Wilkins
The U.S. ambassador to Canada says Maher Arar is still considered a threat to the United States and will remain on a security watchlist, despite the findings of a Canadian inquiry.
“The decision to remove Mr. Arar from the United States in 2002 was made by U.S. officials based on our own independent assessment of the threat to the United States,” David Wilkins said in a statement today.
American officials had other sources of information about Arar, beyond that provided by the RCMP, and continue to regard Arar as a potential threat, Wilkins said.
The ambassador noted that Justice Dennis O’Connor, head of a recent inquiry that determined the RCMP gave the Americans false information about Arar, acknowledged he did not know about everything in Arar’s American file.
O’Connor’s inquiry found no evidence linking Arar to terrorism, but the Americans continue to deny him clearance to enter the country or even fly over U.S. airspace.
[. . .]
Read all of the CP article.
There appears to be a consensus in Canada that Maher Arar is an innocent man and I have no reason to doubt this is in fact the case. That said, the information available to the general public isn't the whole story. I don't know what intelligence the Americans have on Arar, but I have to at least consider the possibility they know something Justice O'Connor and the Canadian media don't.
One thing about the media's handling of the Arar case has always bothered me. Why was more attention paid to Arar than to Ahmed Ressam, the man caught late in 1999 trying to smuggle a car full of explosives into the US so that he could bomb Los Angeles International Airport? For that matter, why hasn't there been a public inquiry into the failures of our immigration system that allowed a failed refugee claimant to spend years in Canada dreaming up terrorist attacks against Canadians and Americans? At one point, Ressam considered attacking a Jewish neighbourhood in Montreal.
The Canadian media constantly presents Muslims as victims and in some cases they are, but at the same time Islamic extremism is also a reality - one that the Canadian media either ignores or downplays. One exception would be the coverage of this June's terror arrests in Toronto, where the media went overboard, but even here there was an effort to downplay the fact that the suspects were Muslim.
The Maher Arar affair has to be seen in context. Experts have said over and over again that Canada has a terrorist problem that isn't being taken seriously enough. It's easy to condemn the RCMP for how it handled Maher Arar when you aren't the one responsible for preventing terrorist attacks. When you read O'Connor's report, it becomes clear mistakes were made because Canadian and American national security agencies were terrified there would be a second wave of attacks following September 11. Police and CSIS agents were overworked because they didn't have the proper resources with which to monitor all of the possible terrorist threats.
I'm not saying the RCMP or CSIS should be above criticism or beyond the law, but we need to give these agencies adequate resources with which to fight terrorism. More importantly, we need to recognize the link between immigration and terrorism. David Harris was right when he told a US congressional subcommittee that there needs to be a moratorium on immigration at least until our national security agencies have the current situation under control. Ottawa keeps on bringing people in without taking into account the national security problems that are created when a country has a huge foreign-born population, a large part of which comes from parts of the world where hostility to the West is commonplace. Some of the people who come to Canada as immigrants hate our way of life, but all we ever hear from our leaders are boring speeches about the wonders of ethnic diversity.
See also:
Public inquiry to examine the deporation of three Muslim Canadian men to Syria
Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants would hurt Canada-US relations - Solberg tells committee
Technorati tags: Canada United States US Canada-US relations foreign affairs diplomacy diplomats ambassadors RCMP national security terrorism terrorists human rights Muslims Maher Arar David Wilkins
Caledonia mayor says court ruling puts aboriginals above the law
From Canadian Press via the Toronto Sun (Anger over court ruling by Chinta Puxley, December 15):
An Ontario Court of Appeal decision that allows Six Nations protesters to continue occupying a disputed tract of land in Caledonia shows aboriginals are above the law, the town's mayor said yesterday.
Mayor Marie Trainer said she had hoped the appeals court would uphold a lower court's order to halt negotiations with the province and federal government until protesters cleared off the proposed subdivision in the town just south of Hamilton.
Instead, the appeal court ruled yesterday that Justice David Marshall "erred" when he said the aboriginals had made a mockery of the rule of law by refusing to vacate the site and suggested negotiations should be suspended.
[. . .]
David Ramsay, minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, said the ruling is a vindication of the province's approach to the occupation. Aboriginals are and should be treated differently, he said.
"We do take a special approach with aboriginal people," Ramsay said. "There is a long-standing injustice, quite frankly, that's occurred in this country and we're working very hard to try to rectify it."
The province hasn't told protesters to leave the land, Ramsay said, preferring to focus on negotiations rather than the occupation.
[. . .]
Read all of Chinta Puxley's article.
See also:
Caledonia occupation: court rules province can negotiate
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario politics law courts aboriginals natives native Canadians Canadian Indians Caledonia occupation native rights land dispute aboriginal land claims indigenous rights Six Nations David Ramsay Marie Trainer
An Ontario Court of Appeal decision that allows Six Nations protesters to continue occupying a disputed tract of land in Caledonia shows aboriginals are above the law, the town's mayor said yesterday.
Mayor Marie Trainer said she had hoped the appeals court would uphold a lower court's order to halt negotiations with the province and federal government until protesters cleared off the proposed subdivision in the town just south of Hamilton.
Instead, the appeal court ruled yesterday that Justice David Marshall "erred" when he said the aboriginals had made a mockery of the rule of law by refusing to vacate the site and suggested negotiations should be suspended.
[. . .]
David Ramsay, minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, said the ruling is a vindication of the province's approach to the occupation. Aboriginals are and should be treated differently, he said.
"We do take a special approach with aboriginal people," Ramsay said. "There is a long-standing injustice, quite frankly, that's occurred in this country and we're working very hard to try to rectify it."
The province hasn't told protesters to leave the land, Ramsay said, preferring to focus on negotiations rather than the occupation.
[. . .]
Read all of Chinta Puxley's article.
See also:
Caledonia occupation: court rules province can negotiate
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario politics law courts aboriginals natives native Canadians Canadian Indians Caledonia occupation native rights land dispute aboriginal land claims indigenous rights Six Nations David Ramsay Marie Trainer
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Judge orders Christmas tree to be taken from lobby. Might offend non-Christians
From the Toronto Star (Tree should stand: Premier, December 14):
Premier Dalton McGuinty says it's "unfortunate" that a Toronto judge banished a Christmas tree from the lobby of a downtown courthouse this week.
"I think it represents a misunderstanding of what we are working so hard to build here in Ontario," McGuinty said today, noting Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other faiths' celebrations are marked at Queen's Park.
"We enjoy the wonderful privilege of building a pluralistic, multicultural society," he said, adding no one should be "asked to abandon their traditions."
"What we're saying is let's share in those opportunities. Let's better understand those celebrations," he said.
Justice Marion Cohen who oversees administration for the Ontario Court of Justice at 311 Jarvis St., ordered a small artificial Christmas tree, decked out in lights and ornaments, moved to an administrative corridor on Monday. In a letter to staff, she said it is a Christian symbol that might alienate people of other creeds and cultures.
[. . .]
Read all of the Robert Benzie's and Laurie Monsebraaten's article.
See also:
Chicago launches opening salvo in now traditional War Against Christmas
Immigration and cultural change or why I don't want to celebrate Eid and Diwali
Will Kymlicka, Canada's world-renowned "expert" on multiculturalism, suggests replacing Easter with Ramadan
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto holidays war against Christmas multiculturalism political correctness religion Christianity
Premier Dalton McGuinty says it's "unfortunate" that a Toronto judge banished a Christmas tree from the lobby of a downtown courthouse this week.
"I think it represents a misunderstanding of what we are working so hard to build here in Ontario," McGuinty said today, noting Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other faiths' celebrations are marked at Queen's Park.
"We enjoy the wonderful privilege of building a pluralistic, multicultural society," he said, adding no one should be "asked to abandon their traditions."
"What we're saying is let's share in those opportunities. Let's better understand those celebrations," he said.
Justice Marion Cohen who oversees administration for the Ontario Court of Justice at 311 Jarvis St., ordered a small artificial Christmas tree, decked out in lights and ornaments, moved to an administrative corridor on Monday. In a letter to staff, she said it is a Christian symbol that might alienate people of other creeds and cultures.
[. . .]
Read all of the Robert Benzie's and Laurie Monsebraaten's article.
See also:
Chicago launches opening salvo in now traditional War Against Christmas
Immigration and cultural change or why I don't want to celebrate Eid and Diwali
Will Kymlicka, Canada's world-renowned "expert" on multiculturalism, suggests replacing Easter with Ramadan
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto holidays war against Christmas multiculturalism political correctness religion Christianity
Caledonia occupation: court rules province can negotiate
From CBC News (Court upholds Ontario's right to negotiate in Caledonia case, December 14):
The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld the province's right to negotiate with Six Nations protesters as they continue to occupy a former housing development site in Caledonia.
In a decision released Thursday, the appeal court states that Ontario Superior Court Justice David Marshall "erred" in his Aug. 8 ruling, which forbid negotiations over a land-claim dispute until protesters ended their occupation.
Lawyers for the government challenged Marshall's ruling, arguing that the judge had no jurisdiction to stop negotiations and that the talks were the best way to end the long-standing dispute.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article.
See also:
How many protestors at Caledonia last Sunday?
Smug Globe reporter shows little sympathy for plight of whites in Caledonia
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario law courts Caledonia occupation native rights land dispute aboriginal land claims indigenous rights Six Nations
The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld the province's right to negotiate with Six Nations protesters as they continue to occupy a former housing development site in Caledonia.
In a decision released Thursday, the appeal court states that Ontario Superior Court Justice David Marshall "erred" in his Aug. 8 ruling, which forbid negotiations over a land-claim dispute until protesters ended their occupation.
Lawyers for the government challenged Marshall's ruling, arguing that the judge had no jurisdiction to stop negotiations and that the talks were the best way to end the long-standing dispute.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article.
See also:
How many protestors at Caledonia last Sunday?
Smug Globe reporter shows little sympathy for plight of whites in Caledonia
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario law courts Caledonia occupation native rights land dispute aboriginal land claims indigenous rights Six Nations
Four found guilty in Matthew Daly killing
From the Toronto Star (Four guilty in Daly slaying by Bob Mitchell, December 14):
Three Hamilton men have received automatic life prison sentences after being found guilty today of second-degree murder in the savage beating death of Burlington college student Matthew Daly.
Jurors also found a fourth man guilty of manslaughter for his role in the May 19, 2001, slaying of the 19-year-old former Assumption high school football captain.
More than 54 hours of deliberation over seven days ended just before 1 p.m. with the jury returning a verdict of second-degree murder for Sam Nop, 24, Vuthy Chak, 23, and Fadil (Neil) Mujku, 23.
Justice Fletcher Dawson imposed the automatic life sentences but will decide on Jan. 29 how long Nop and Mujku must remain in prison before being eligible to seek parole.
Stephen Papadopoulos, 26, will also learn on Jan. 29 how much additional time he must spend behind bars after being found guilty of manslaughter for his role in the murder of the first-year Mohawk College business student.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article.
See also:
Matthew Daly murder case goes to the jury
Prosecutors say racial confrontation led to student being beaten to death in Hamilton.
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Ontario Hamilton Burlington immigration immigrants crime race relations racial conflict cultural diversity South Asian Asians Matthew Daly Matt Daly murder trial
Three Hamilton men have received automatic life prison sentences after being found guilty today of second-degree murder in the savage beating death of Burlington college student Matthew Daly.
Jurors also found a fourth man guilty of manslaughter for his role in the May 19, 2001, slaying of the 19-year-old former Assumption high school football captain.
More than 54 hours of deliberation over seven days ended just before 1 p.m. with the jury returning a verdict of second-degree murder for Sam Nop, 24, Vuthy Chak, 23, and Fadil (Neil) Mujku, 23.
Justice Fletcher Dawson imposed the automatic life sentences but will decide on Jan. 29 how long Nop and Mujku must remain in prison before being eligible to seek parole.
Stephen Papadopoulos, 26, will also learn on Jan. 29 how much additional time he must spend behind bars after being found guilty of manslaughter for his role in the murder of the first-year Mohawk College business student.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article.
See also:
Matthew Daly murder case goes to the jury
Prosecutors say racial confrontation led to student being beaten to death in Hamilton.
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Ontario Hamilton Burlington immigration immigrants crime race relations racial conflict cultural diversity South Asian Asians Matthew Daly Matt Daly murder trial
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
HNN: Do Arabs speak the same language?
Diana Muir writes on HNN (Do Arabs Speak the Same Language?, December 11):
The most important underreported development in the Arab world is the increasing ability of Arabs to talk with one another. They did not used to be able to. Arabs in Casablanca speak a language in the Arabic family that is all but unintelligible to Arabs in Cairo, whose language is not understood by Arabs in Baghdad, and so forth.
Outsiders are blinded to these differences by our habit of calling all of these diverse languages Arabic. If is as though we called all romance languages Frankish and therefore expected a Sicilian to be able to enter into easy conversation with a Parisian. In reality, the two can communicate if one has learned the language of the other, or if both know a second language. Throughout most of European history, that common language was most likely to have been Latin.
[. . .]
Read all of Diana Muir's article.
The degree of difference between various Arabic dialects is something I've often wondered about. I recently met an archaeologist who works in the Middle East. He speaks Arabic and I asked him about differences in dialect. He told me they are considerable. He said the Arabic he speaks is almost useless in certain parts of the Arab world. For example, he told me he found it easier to communicate with people in French when he was in Morocco.
Benedict Anderson, who is considered an important writer on nationalism, has discussed the role of the printing press in creating standardized languages out of diverse dialects. He says this was an important factor in the development of national consciousness among people who didn't previously see themselves as a nation. Anderson's ideas, it should be said, are not accepted by everyone.
One of the disputes between Ukrainians and Russians is over whether Ukrainian should be considered a distinct language or merely a dialect of Russian. (In fact, many people in Ukraine speak a Ukrainian-Russian hybrid called surzhyk.)
Ukrainian and Russian are definitely similar, but so are Ukrainian and Polish. I've never studied Polish, but when I hear people on the subway speaking the language I can usually understand at least some of what they are saying. Decades ago when I belonged to the NDP, (it was my socialist phase) I used to speak Ukrainian to Polish-speaking voters in the Roncesvalles area. We could understand each other.
When I took linguistics at university, I was taught if two people speaking their native dialects can understand each other they are speaking the same language. That method, however, leads to odd results. For example, I know from personal experience it's possible for someone speaking German to have a conversation with someone speaking Dutch, but I wouldn't tell the Dutchman that his language is a German dialect. Seriously, I wouldn't say that, because language is a touchy subject and people do get angry. Similarly, by this standard, Ukrainian would be both a Russian and a Polish dialect.
An even stranger result is this. If mutual intelligibility is the standard by which we separate dialects from distinct languages, many dialects of Italian would have to be considered separate languages, but standard Italian and Spanish might be considered the same language because it is possible for a Spanish-speaker to have a conversation with someone speaking Italian, while it's not always possible for people speaking different Italian dialects to understand each other.
In practice, whether a form of speech is labelled a language or a dialect has more to do with politics than with any objective scientific criteria. Some linguists put it this way. A language is a dialect with an army.
See also:
How printed books helped make nationalism possible
Technorati tags: Arabs Arab Arabic linguistics language languages dialects dialect nationalism nations nation media communications communication
The most important underreported development in the Arab world is the increasing ability of Arabs to talk with one another. They did not used to be able to. Arabs in Casablanca speak a language in the Arabic family that is all but unintelligible to Arabs in Cairo, whose language is not understood by Arabs in Baghdad, and so forth.
Outsiders are blinded to these differences by our habit of calling all of these diverse languages Arabic. If is as though we called all romance languages Frankish and therefore expected a Sicilian to be able to enter into easy conversation with a Parisian. In reality, the two can communicate if one has learned the language of the other, or if both know a second language. Throughout most of European history, that common language was most likely to have been Latin.
[. . .]
Read all of Diana Muir's article.
The degree of difference between various Arabic dialects is something I've often wondered about. I recently met an archaeologist who works in the Middle East. He speaks Arabic and I asked him about differences in dialect. He told me they are considerable. He said the Arabic he speaks is almost useless in certain parts of the Arab world. For example, he told me he found it easier to communicate with people in French when he was in Morocco.
Benedict Anderson, who is considered an important writer on nationalism, has discussed the role of the printing press in creating standardized languages out of diverse dialects. He says this was an important factor in the development of national consciousness among people who didn't previously see themselves as a nation. Anderson's ideas, it should be said, are not accepted by everyone.
One of the disputes between Ukrainians and Russians is over whether Ukrainian should be considered a distinct language or merely a dialect of Russian. (In fact, many people in Ukraine speak a Ukrainian-Russian hybrid called surzhyk.)
Ukrainian and Russian are definitely similar, but so are Ukrainian and Polish. I've never studied Polish, but when I hear people on the subway speaking the language I can usually understand at least some of what they are saying. Decades ago when I belonged to the NDP, (it was my socialist phase) I used to speak Ukrainian to Polish-speaking voters in the Roncesvalles area. We could understand each other.
When I took linguistics at university, I was taught if two people speaking their native dialects can understand each other they are speaking the same language. That method, however, leads to odd results. For example, I know from personal experience it's possible for someone speaking German to have a conversation with someone speaking Dutch, but I wouldn't tell the Dutchman that his language is a German dialect. Seriously, I wouldn't say that, because language is a touchy subject and people do get angry. Similarly, by this standard, Ukrainian would be both a Russian and a Polish dialect.
An even stranger result is this. If mutual intelligibility is the standard by which we separate dialects from distinct languages, many dialects of Italian would have to be considered separate languages, but standard Italian and Spanish might be considered the same language because it is possible for a Spanish-speaker to have a conversation with someone speaking Italian, while it's not always possible for people speaking different Italian dialects to understand each other.
In practice, whether a form of speech is labelled a language or a dialect has more to do with politics than with any objective scientific criteria. Some linguists put it this way. A language is a dialect with an army.
See also:
How printed books helped make nationalism possible
Technorati tags: Arabs Arab Arabic linguistics language languages dialects dialect nationalism nations nation media communications communication
Has the BNP really reformed?
Lawrence Auster discusses whether the British National Party has really reformed.
I occasionally post about the BNP because I'm interested in British immigration issues. I think it's useful for Canadians to see how immigration is being debated in other countries, particularly other English-speaking countries. As I've said before, I don't know much about the BNP, but based on what little I do know, I don't trust this group. However, I can see why people fed up with the immigration policies of Labour and the Conservatives might be attracted to a party that promises to restrict immigration.
See also:
Trevor Phillips tells churches to ban BNP members from communion
Technorati tags: Britain United Kingdom UK politics immigration immigrants race relations racism multiculturalism white nationalism British National Party BNP Nick Griffin
I occasionally post about the BNP because I'm interested in British immigration issues. I think it's useful for Canadians to see how immigration is being debated in other countries, particularly other English-speaking countries. As I've said before, I don't know much about the BNP, but based on what little I do know, I don't trust this group. However, I can see why people fed up with the immigration policies of Labour and the Conservatives might be attracted to a party that promises to restrict immigration.
See also:
Trevor Phillips tells churches to ban BNP members from communion
Technorati tags: Britain United Kingdom UK politics immigration immigrants race relations racism multiculturalism white nationalism British National Party BNP Nick Griffin
Lawrence Auster on anti-Semitism
Lawrence Auster writes:
My own policy, both with and without the comments feature activated, is not to allow serious anti-Semites to post. I think that the Realist will need to realize that in order to have a useful discussion about anti-Semitism, he will need to exclude anti-Semites.
See also:
Yes Virginia, there is, or at least was, an American ethnos
Technorati tags: anti-Semitism race realism white nationalism Lawrence Auster
My own policy, both with and without the comments feature activated, is not to allow serious anti-Semites to post. I think that the Realist will need to realize that in order to have a useful discussion about anti-Semitism, he will need to exclude anti-Semites.
See also:
Yes Virginia, there is, or at least was, an American ethnos
Technorati tags: anti-Semitism race realism white nationalism Lawrence Auster
Abdullah Almalki accuses Canadian officials
From CBC News (Almalki accuses Ottawa of aiding Syrian officials, December 13):
Abdullah Almalki has accused Canadian officials of having a larger hand in his imprisonment and alleged torture in Syria than they did in the Maher Arar affair.
"The complicity is far greater to the Canadian government than in Mr. Arar's case," the 35-year-old Syrian-Canadian engineer told CBC News on Wednesday from Ottawa.
On Tuesday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day appointed former Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci to lead an internal inquiry into the cases of Almalki, Muayyed Nureddin and Ahmad El Maati. The three men were detained in Syria and say they were tortured during interrogations.
[. . .]
Almalki was the main focus of an RCMP anti-terrorist investigation in late 2001 known as Project A-O Canada, in which the agency raided his Ottawa-area home
It was also when Arar — a fellow Syrian-born Canadian engineer — appeared on the RCMP radar for his association with Almalki.
[. . .]
Read all of the CBC article.
See also:
Public inquiry to examine the deporation of three Muslim Canadian men to Syria
Maher Arar affair - Zaccardelli resigns
Technorati tags: Canada federal government politics Conservatives Stockwell Day police RCMP terrorism national security human rights immigration immigrants Muslims Maher Arar Abdullah Almalki Syria
Abdullah Almalki has accused Canadian officials of having a larger hand in his imprisonment and alleged torture in Syria than they did in the Maher Arar affair.
"The complicity is far greater to the Canadian government than in Mr. Arar's case," the 35-year-old Syrian-Canadian engineer told CBC News on Wednesday from Ottawa.
On Tuesday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day appointed former Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci to lead an internal inquiry into the cases of Almalki, Muayyed Nureddin and Ahmad El Maati. The three men were detained in Syria and say they were tortured during interrogations.
[. . .]
Almalki was the main focus of an RCMP anti-terrorist investigation in late 2001 known as Project A-O Canada, in which the agency raided his Ottawa-area home
It was also when Arar — a fellow Syrian-born Canadian engineer — appeared on the RCMP radar for his association with Almalki.
[. . .]
Read all of the CBC article.
See also:
Public inquiry to examine the deporation of three Muslim Canadian men to Syria
Maher Arar affair - Zaccardelli resigns
Technorati tags: Canada federal government politics Conservatives Stockwell Day police RCMP terrorism national security human rights immigration immigrants Muslims Maher Arar Abdullah Almalki Syria
Matthew Daly jury asks judge for clarification
From the Hamilton Spectator (Daly jury asks for clarification, December 12):
The jury at the Matthew Daly trial broke its silence yesterday by asking the judge to clarify the difference between first and second degree murder.
After spending almost 30 hours in the jury room over four days, the seven men and five women interrupted their deliberations for the first time at about 11 a.m. yesterday by forwarding the written question to Superior Court Justice Fletcher Dawson.
The jurors are debating the fate of Hamilton residents Stephen Papadopoulos, 26, Sam Nop, 24, Vuthy Chak, 23, and Nadil (Neil) Mujku, 23, who have all pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the beating death of Daly, 19, at about 3 a.m., May 19, 2001.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also:
Matthew Daly murder case goes to the jury
Prosecutors say racial confrontation led to student being beaten to death in Hamilton.
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Ontario Hamilton Burlington immigration immigrants crime race relations racial conflict cultural diversity South Asian Asians Matthew Daly
The jury at the Matthew Daly trial broke its silence yesterday by asking the judge to clarify the difference between first and second degree murder.
After spending almost 30 hours in the jury room over four days, the seven men and five women interrupted their deliberations for the first time at about 11 a.m. yesterday by forwarding the written question to Superior Court Justice Fletcher Dawson.
The jurors are debating the fate of Hamilton residents Stephen Papadopoulos, 26, Sam Nop, 24, Vuthy Chak, 23, and Nadil (Neil) Mujku, 23, who have all pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the beating death of Daly, 19, at about 3 a.m., May 19, 2001.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also:
Matthew Daly murder case goes to the jury
Prosecutors say racial confrontation led to student being beaten to death in Hamilton.
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Ontario Hamilton Burlington immigration immigrants crime race relations racial conflict cultural diversity South Asian Asians Matthew Daly
Wiretap reveals Valarie Steele tipped off friend before housing tribunal hearing
From the Toronto Star (Steele tipped off friend in case, wiretap reveals by Betsy Powell, December 9):
A pillar of the black community and a housing tribunal adjudicator tipped off a friend that she was going to be hearing her case, according to police wiretap evidence.
"Just play it cool, this conversation never happened," Valarie Steele, the former president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, is heard saying during the intercepted call played at her son Richard Steele's bail review yesterday.
The conversation recorded last March 20 blindsided witness Ieva Martin, a fellow adjudicator with the quasi-judicial body who was on the stand as a proposed surety — someone who guarantees that an accused does not breach his or her bail conditions.
"I'm shocked," she gasped after hearing the taped conversation her colleague and friend had with a woman named Sonia. "It sounds like she (Steele) went ahead with the case even though she knew the person."
Outside the courthouse, lawyer Selwyn Pieters said Steele is on leave from the provincial tribunal, which resolves disputes between landlords and tenants.
[. . .]
Read all of Betsy Powells's article.
See also:
Son of Jamaican-Canadian leader stays in jail
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto crime gangs gang shootings shooting Yonge Street Jane Creba immigration Jamaica Jamaicans
A pillar of the black community and a housing tribunal adjudicator tipped off a friend that she was going to be hearing her case, according to police wiretap evidence.
"Just play it cool, this conversation never happened," Valarie Steele, the former president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, is heard saying during the intercepted call played at her son Richard Steele's bail review yesterday.
The conversation recorded last March 20 blindsided witness Ieva Martin, a fellow adjudicator with the quasi-judicial body who was on the stand as a proposed surety — someone who guarantees that an accused does not breach his or her bail conditions.
"I'm shocked," she gasped after hearing the taped conversation her colleague and friend had with a woman named Sonia. "It sounds like she (Steele) went ahead with the case even though she knew the person."
Outside the courthouse, lawyer Selwyn Pieters said Steele is on leave from the provincial tribunal, which resolves disputes between landlords and tenants.
[. . .]
Read all of Betsy Powells's article.
See also:
Son of Jamaican-Canadian leader stays in jail
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto crime gangs gang shootings shooting Yonge Street Jane Creba immigration Jamaica Jamaicans
Son of Jamaican-Canadian leader stays in jail
From the Toronto Star (Son of black activist remains jailed by Betsy Powell, December 13):
The son of a prominent black community leader will remain behind bars out of concern for public safety, Justice Peter Grossi ruled today.
Citing police wiretap evidence played at Richard Steele's bail review hearing, the judge said hearing the young man discussing drug and gun trafficking - as well as hearing evidence that he had breached previous bail conditions - left him little choice but to order him detained.
"To quote Bob Dylan, you don't need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind's blowing," Grossi said. Steele has been in custody since June after he was arrested on drug and weapons offences.
[. . .]]
Read all of Betsy Powell's article.
See also:
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto crime gangs gang shootings shooting Yonge Street Jane Creba immigration Jamaica Jamaicans
The son of a prominent black community leader will remain behind bars out of concern for public safety, Justice Peter Grossi ruled today.
Citing police wiretap evidence played at Richard Steele's bail review hearing, the judge said hearing the young man discussing drug and gun trafficking - as well as hearing evidence that he had breached previous bail conditions - left him little choice but to order him detained.
"To quote Bob Dylan, you don't need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind's blowing," Grossi said. Steele has been in custody since June after he was arrested on drug and weapons offences.
[. . .]]
Read all of Betsy Powell's article.
See also:
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto crime gangs gang shootings shooting Yonge Street Jane Creba immigration Jamaica Jamaicans
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Public inquiry to examine the deporation of three Muslim Canadian men to Syria
From the Toronto Star (Another deport-beating probe ordered by Tonda MacCharles and Michelle Shephard, December 12)
The federal Conservative government announced yet another public inquiry today into the role Canadian officials played in the imprisonment of three Muslim Canadian men who, like Maher Arar, ended up in Syrian jails - and in the case of one, also an Egyptian jail - where they say they were tortured.
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day announced this afternoon that former Supreme Court of Canada justice Frank Iacobucci will lead a one-year inquiry, with all the same powers that Justice Dennis O’Connor had in the Arar inquiry, into the cases of Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Elmaati, and Muayyed Nureddin.
But Iacobucci will have a tighter time-frame and a narrower mandate.
O’Connor's two-year, $13.4-million inquiry examined the role of Canadian officials into Arar’s 2002 deportation by American authorities from New York to Syria, where he was tortured, and studied the question of oversight for national security activities.
In his first report, O’Connor revealed errors by the RCMP “very likely” led to Aar’s ordeal, and his second report today recommended a whole new review scheme for all federal national security operations, starting with an expanded watchdog agency to oversee the RCMP.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also:
Maher Arar affair - Zaccardelli resigns
Another twist in the Maher Arar case. Star says Zaccardelli changed his story
Technorati tags: Canada federal government politics Conservatives Stockwell Day police RCMP terrorism national security human rights immigration immigrants Muslims Maher Arar Syria
The federal Conservative government announced yet another public inquiry today into the role Canadian officials played in the imprisonment of three Muslim Canadian men who, like Maher Arar, ended up in Syrian jails - and in the case of one, also an Egyptian jail - where they say they were tortured.
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day announced this afternoon that former Supreme Court of Canada justice Frank Iacobucci will lead a one-year inquiry, with all the same powers that Justice Dennis O’Connor had in the Arar inquiry, into the cases of Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Elmaati, and Muayyed Nureddin.
But Iacobucci will have a tighter time-frame and a narrower mandate.
O’Connor's two-year, $13.4-million inquiry examined the role of Canadian officials into Arar’s 2002 deportation by American authorities from New York to Syria, where he was tortured, and studied the question of oversight for national security activities.
In his first report, O’Connor revealed errors by the RCMP “very likely” led to Aar’s ordeal, and his second report today recommended a whole new review scheme for all federal national security operations, starting with an expanded watchdog agency to oversee the RCMP.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also:
Maher Arar affair - Zaccardelli resigns
Another twist in the Maher Arar case. Star says Zaccardelli changed his story
Technorati tags: Canada federal government politics Conservatives Stockwell Day police RCMP terrorism national security human rights immigration immigrants Muslims Maher Arar Syria
Monday, December 11, 2006
Humpty Dumpty explains multiculturalism
Mary Riddell writes:
Multiculturalism is a word so amorphous that, as Humpty Dumpty told Alice, it means just what you want it to mean.
I liked this quote, but not the article it comes from. I don't like her suggestion that religious schools should be abolished. Christian schools shouldn't be secularized just because some Muslim schools are promoting Islamic extremism. Christianity is Britain's historic faith. Islam is a foreign import. That's a difference Riddell doesn't seem to care about.
See also:
Anthony Giddens on Will Kymlicka and Canadian multiculturalism
Technorati tags: multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is a word so amorphous that, as Humpty Dumpty told Alice, it means just what you want it to mean.
I liked this quote, but not the article it comes from. I don't like her suggestion that religious schools should be abolished. Christian schools shouldn't be secularized just because some Muslim schools are promoting Islamic extremism. Christianity is Britain's historic faith. Islam is a foreign import. That's a difference Riddell doesn't seem to care about.
See also:
Anthony Giddens on Will Kymlicka and Canadian multiculturalism
Technorati tags: multiculturalism
Rushton reviews Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen's new book IQ and Global Inequality
J.Philippe Rushton writes in an article for Vdare (IQ And Global Inequality: “The Most Important Contribution To Economic Understanding Since Adam Smith,” December 7):
IQ and Global Inequality, the new book by Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen, is an elaboration and extension of their IQ and the Wealth of Nations, which was reviewed on VDARE.COM by myself and by Steve Sailer. In that book the authors presented measured IQs for 81 countries and estimated IQs for the remaining countries in the world—a total of 185. They showed that these IQs correlated around 0.70 with per capita income and rates of economic development. This was predictable, they argued, because intelligence is correlated with earnings among individuals. Nations are aggregates of individuals, so the same correlation could plausibly be expected across nations.
[. . .]
Read all of Rushton's article.
I hesitated before posting this link because talking about immigration is controversial enough without getting into the delicate subject of racial differences in IQ. Also, despite having read countless articles on the subject by Steve Sailer, I'm not well versed in the subject. If someone asked me to argue the case that whites on average score better than blacks on IQ tests, I wouldn't be able to do it.
So why am I posting this?
Simply put, the subject is too important to ignore. If it is true that there are demonstrable differences in IQ among various racial groups, this has enormous implications for public policy. We shouldn't ignore the topic simply because it's controversial. If Lynn and Vanhanen are wrong, let the critics prove it with evidence.
Of course, arguing with evidence isn't the Canadian way. The Canadian way is to denounce people like Rushton who say things the establishment doesn't like. In that sense, Malcolm Gladwell is a perfect Canadian.
See also:
The black-white IQ gap
Technorati tags: race racial differences human biology IQ intelligence Vdare J Philippe Rushton Richard Lynn Tatu Vanhanen Malcolm Gladwell
IQ and Global Inequality, the new book by Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen, is an elaboration and extension of their IQ and the Wealth of Nations, which was reviewed on VDARE.COM by myself and by Steve Sailer. In that book the authors presented measured IQs for 81 countries and estimated IQs for the remaining countries in the world—a total of 185. They showed that these IQs correlated around 0.70 with per capita income and rates of economic development. This was predictable, they argued, because intelligence is correlated with earnings among individuals. Nations are aggregates of individuals, so the same correlation could plausibly be expected across nations.
[. . .]
Read all of Rushton's article.
I hesitated before posting this link because talking about immigration is controversial enough without getting into the delicate subject of racial differences in IQ. Also, despite having read countless articles on the subject by Steve Sailer, I'm not well versed in the subject. If someone asked me to argue the case that whites on average score better than blacks on IQ tests, I wouldn't be able to do it.
So why am I posting this?
Simply put, the subject is too important to ignore. If it is true that there are demonstrable differences in IQ among various racial groups, this has enormous implications for public policy. We shouldn't ignore the topic simply because it's controversial. If Lynn and Vanhanen are wrong, let the critics prove it with evidence.
Of course, arguing with evidence isn't the Canadian way. The Canadian way is to denounce people like Rushton who say things the establishment doesn't like. In that sense, Malcolm Gladwell is a perfect Canadian.
See also:
The black-white IQ gap
Technorati tags: race racial differences human biology IQ intelligence Vdare J Philippe Rushton Richard Lynn Tatu Vanhanen Malcolm Gladwell
Ottawa approves $1.9-billion deal to compensate former students at native residential schools
From CBC News (Tories approve $1.9-billion package for native residential students, May 11):
The federal cabinet has approved a $1.9-billion deal to compensate former students at native residential schools, many of whom suffered physical and sexual abuse.
"This government recognizes the sad legacy of residential schools," Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said Wednesday in the Commons.
[. . .]
The deal offers any former student a lump sum of $10,000 each, plus $3,000 for each year spent in the schools. It is estimated there are 80,000 people alive today who attended Indian residential schools, according to Statistics Canada.
Those who were age 65 or older as of May 30, 2005, are immediately eligible for an $8,000 advance payment. Descendants of those who died after that date can also apply for compensation.
[. . .]
Read all of the CBC article.
See also:
Aboriginal Canadians: Conservatives and the Kelowna Accord
Indian tribe claims Toronto but will settle for the Island airport
Six Nations Indian blockade: Warrants issued in Caledonia
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Conservative government Stephen Harper Jim Prentice politics public policy Indians natives aboriginals aboriginal rights indigenous rights residential schools
The federal cabinet has approved a $1.9-billion deal to compensate former students at native residential schools, many of whom suffered physical and sexual abuse.
"This government recognizes the sad legacy of residential schools," Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said Wednesday in the Commons.
[. . .]
The deal offers any former student a lump sum of $10,000 each, plus $3,000 for each year spent in the schools. It is estimated there are 80,000 people alive today who attended Indian residential schools, according to Statistics Canada.
Those who were age 65 or older as of May 30, 2005, are immediately eligible for an $8,000 advance payment. Descendants of those who died after that date can also apply for compensation.
[. . .]
Read all of the CBC article.
See also:
Aboriginal Canadians: Conservatives and the Kelowna Accord
Indian tribe claims Toronto but will settle for the Island airport
Six Nations Indian blockade: Warrants issued in Caledonia
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Conservative government Stephen Harper Jim Prentice politics public policy Indians natives aboriginals aboriginal rights indigenous rights residential schools
BC Chinese student to Canadian teacher: "Sir, why did you move here? It's all Chinese."
From the weekly bulletin of Immigration Watch Canada (Subsidizing Suppression, Betrayal and Deceit At The CBC, December 3):
A few years ago, a 16-year old Chinese girl from Taiwan innocently asked a teacher at a Vancouver school: "Sir, why did you move here? It's all Chinese!"
The student was not aware that the teacher was born in Canada, and that his ancestors had arrived here about 200 years ago. She also did not have much knowledge of early or more recent Canadian history. In particular, she did not know that most of the Chinese she saw around her were recent arrivals, the result of Canada adopting in 1990 the highest continual per capita immigrant intake in the world.
The main point she wanted to make was that she was clearly embarrassed for him that he was a minority in a large group of Chinese. In the previous 10 years, at least a dozen other students had expressed the same sentiment to him. Students from other immigrant groups have probably asked the same questions in other areas of the country.
[. . .]
Read the whole bulletin. (The article is about CBC's relentless promotion of immigration and multiculturalism at the expense of fairness and balance.)
It's not surprising the Taiwanese teen didn't know any Canadian history. In his book Who killed Canadian history?, Jack Granatstein discusses the negative impact of multicultural ideology on the teaching of history.
An acquaintance of mine has a niece or nephew, I forget which, who is an elementary school pupil in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto. This is another area that has been flooded with Chinese immigrants. The niece or nephew was one of the few pupils in the class who spoke English. There were so many Chinese in the class that the teacher began to teach arithmetic in Chinese.
See also:
Disillusionment on the campaign trail: "I can't talk to anybody. None of them speak English."
Demography is destiny. Minorities win more seats in local elections
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian British Columbia BC Vancouver immigration immigrants schools education China Chinese history
A few years ago, a 16-year old Chinese girl from Taiwan innocently asked a teacher at a Vancouver school: "Sir, why did you move here? It's all Chinese!"
The student was not aware that the teacher was born in Canada, and that his ancestors had arrived here about 200 years ago. She also did not have much knowledge of early or more recent Canadian history. In particular, she did not know that most of the Chinese she saw around her were recent arrivals, the result of Canada adopting in 1990 the highest continual per capita immigrant intake in the world.
The main point she wanted to make was that she was clearly embarrassed for him that he was a minority in a large group of Chinese. In the previous 10 years, at least a dozen other students had expressed the same sentiment to him. Students from other immigrant groups have probably asked the same questions in other areas of the country.
[. . .]
Read the whole bulletin. (The article is about CBC's relentless promotion of immigration and multiculturalism at the expense of fairness and balance.)
It's not surprising the Taiwanese teen didn't know any Canadian history. In his book Who killed Canadian history?, Jack Granatstein discusses the negative impact of multicultural ideology on the teaching of history.
An acquaintance of mine has a niece or nephew, I forget which, who is an elementary school pupil in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto. This is another area that has been flooded with Chinese immigrants. The niece or nephew was one of the few pupils in the class who spoke English. There were so many Chinese in the class that the teacher began to teach arithmetic in Chinese.
See also:
Disillusionment on the campaign trail: "I can't talk to anybody. None of them speak English."
Demography is destiny. Minorities win more seats in local elections
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian British Columbia BC Vancouver immigration immigrants schools education China Chinese history
Dion sticks by his promise that 33% of Liberal candidates will be women
From the Toronto Star (Boosting women a priority for Dion by Susan Delacourt, December 11):
New Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion says he will hand-pick women to run in chosen ridings across Canada if that's what it takes to make good on his vow to have at least 103 female Liberal candidates in the next election.
In an interview with the Toronto Star, Dion said he is sticking by his leadership campaign promise to have 33 per cent women candidates in the next election, which could come early in the new year.
"My power is in my pocket if I need it," Dion said, promising that there's no going back on his pledge to increase women's representation among Liberals. "It's a commitment."
Sometime this week, Dion is expected to name the panel he's setting up to help him fulfill the goal to put women candidates in one-third of the 308 ridings across the country.
[. . .]
Read all of Susan Delacourt's article.
What's next? Will certain percentages of Liberal candidates have to be of certain races? So many blacks, so many Asians, etc? I probably shouldn't say anything. Some Liberals (and Conservatives) probably think racial quotas in riding nominations would be a good thing.
Why is it so important that one third of Liberal nominees be women? Is that what women voters want or do they want good representation regardless of the MP's sex? Will the women nominated by Dion be reflective of Canadian women in general? How many of these female nominees will be blue-collar? How many will be social conservatives? If men can't properly represent the interests of women, can well-educated, professional women properly represent the interests of stay-at-home mothers or sales clerks, etc?
It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next federal election given that feminists are attacking the Conservatives for closing 12 of 16 Status of Women offices.
See also:
Fletcher says Toronto city council too white and too male
Toronto Star frets that city council is too "white-bread"
Technorati tags: Canada politics Liberal Party Stephane Dion women affirmative action
New Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion says he will hand-pick women to run in chosen ridings across Canada if that's what it takes to make good on his vow to have at least 103 female Liberal candidates in the next election.
In an interview with the Toronto Star, Dion said he is sticking by his leadership campaign promise to have 33 per cent women candidates in the next election, which could come early in the new year.
"My power is in my pocket if I need it," Dion said, promising that there's no going back on his pledge to increase women's representation among Liberals. "It's a commitment."
Sometime this week, Dion is expected to name the panel he's setting up to help him fulfill the goal to put women candidates in one-third of the 308 ridings across the country.
[. . .]
Read all of Susan Delacourt's article.
What's next? Will certain percentages of Liberal candidates have to be of certain races? So many blacks, so many Asians, etc? I probably shouldn't say anything. Some Liberals (and Conservatives) probably think racial quotas in riding nominations would be a good thing.
Why is it so important that one third of Liberal nominees be women? Is that what women voters want or do they want good representation regardless of the MP's sex? Will the women nominated by Dion be reflective of Canadian women in general? How many of these female nominees will be blue-collar? How many will be social conservatives? If men can't properly represent the interests of women, can well-educated, professional women properly represent the interests of stay-at-home mothers or sales clerks, etc?
It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next federal election given that feminists are attacking the Conservatives for closing 12 of 16 Status of Women offices.
See also:
Fletcher says Toronto city council too white and too male
Toronto Star frets that city council is too "white-bread"
Technorati tags: Canada politics Liberal Party Stephane Dion women affirmative action
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Allegations that Turkey influenced municipal elections in the Netherlands
Paul Belien writes in the Brussels Journal (Criticism of Election Manipulation Angers Dutch Turks, December 10):
The Turkish authorities deny any wrongdoing in the Koser Kaya case. Last Thursday Dutch television revealed that Ankara influenced the 22 November general elections in the Netherlands. Fatma Koser Kaya, a Dutch woman of Turkish origin, was elected against all odds as a member of the Dutch Parliament after an email called upon Dutch voters of Turkish origin to vote for the woman because “the Turkish community is threatened by assimilation” and “no-one can represent Turks better than Turks.” The email was sent from the Turkish ministry of Religious Affairs to several thousand Dutch voters of Turkish origin.
[. . .]
Read all of Paul Belien's article.
See also:
Liberal leadership convention: "A significant number of delegates went to Montreal . . . as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests."
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention. Tamils wanted terrorist group delisted
Technorati tags: Europe Netherlands Dutch politics immigration immigrants Muslim Muslims Turkey Turks Ankara
The Turkish authorities deny any wrongdoing in the Koser Kaya case. Last Thursday Dutch television revealed that Ankara influenced the 22 November general elections in the Netherlands. Fatma Koser Kaya, a Dutch woman of Turkish origin, was elected against all odds as a member of the Dutch Parliament after an email called upon Dutch voters of Turkish origin to vote for the woman because “the Turkish community is threatened by assimilation” and “no-one can represent Turks better than Turks.” The email was sent from the Turkish ministry of Religious Affairs to several thousand Dutch voters of Turkish origin.
[. . .]
Read all of Paul Belien's article.
See also:
Liberal leadership convention: "A significant number of delegates went to Montreal . . . as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests."
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention. Tamils wanted terrorist group delisted
Technorati tags: Europe Netherlands Dutch politics immigration immigrants Muslim Muslims Turkey Turks Ankara
More ethnic politics: Jews and Muslims at odds over antisemitic flyers distributed during London Ontario byelection
From a B'nai Brith Canada press release (B’nai Brith denounces injection of antisemitism into Canadian political discourse, December 8):
Two separate antisemitic smear campaigns in the last two weeks alone have contaminated political discourse in Canada, a Jewish human rights group has charged, raising concerns about the emergence of a disturbing trend being encouraged by Arab/Muslim organizations.
According to B’nai Brith Canada, the circulation of antisemitic, anti-Harper cartoons to Jewish homes during a recent London, Ontario by-election parallels attempts to tar Bob Rae during the Liberal Party Convention because he has a Jewish wife. In both cases organizations representing the Arab/Muslim community deny any involvement in the various incidents, even though the London cartoons were affixed to Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) material, and the anti-Rae flyer was disseminated by the leader of the Canadian Arab Federation.
[. . .]
“What is most regrettable is that CIC does not even acknowledge that the London cartoons were antisemitic or targeted the Jewish community. It claims instead to have been the victim in this ugly incident. Meanwhile, CAF says it did not distribute the material, but nevertheless stands by its contents. It has not spoken out against the Liberal Convention delegate who told others not to vote for Rae because of his Jewish wife.
[. . .]
Read the whole press release.
From a media communique put out by the Canadian Islamic Congress:
The Canadian Islamic Congress said today that the Jewish human rights group B'nai Brith is wrong to claim CIC was somewhat associated with a forged political flyer distributed to some residents of London during the recent by-election for the riding of London-North-Centre.
On Saturday, November 25, 2006 some London-North-Centre residents found flyers in their home mail boxes that appeared to have been issued by the Canadian Islamic Congress.
[. . .]
Upon consultation with CIC legal counsel (and London resident) Faisal Joseph, the CIC sent emails on Nov. 25 to Liberal candidate Glen Pearson and to Gerry Weinstein, President of B’nai Brith Canada, stating categorically that "the CIC has NOTHING to do with the flyer or the cartoons in the flyer. The flyer is a forgery and intends to harm and discredit the CIC and the candidacy of Mr. Glen Pearson and fuels mistrust among the Canadian Muslim and Jewish communities."
[. . .]
Read the whole media communique.
See also:
Liberal leadership convention: "A significant number of delegates went to Montreal . . . as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests."
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention. Tamils wanted terrorist group delisted
Technorati tags: Ontario London provincial politics byelection Muslims Jews antisemitism B'nai Brith Canada Canadian Islamic Congress Canadian Arab Federation Arabs
Two separate antisemitic smear campaigns in the last two weeks alone have contaminated political discourse in Canada, a Jewish human rights group has charged, raising concerns about the emergence of a disturbing trend being encouraged by Arab/Muslim organizations.
According to B’nai Brith Canada, the circulation of antisemitic, anti-Harper cartoons to Jewish homes during a recent London, Ontario by-election parallels attempts to tar Bob Rae during the Liberal Party Convention because he has a Jewish wife. In both cases organizations representing the Arab/Muslim community deny any involvement in the various incidents, even though the London cartoons were affixed to Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) material, and the anti-Rae flyer was disseminated by the leader of the Canadian Arab Federation.
[. . .]
“What is most regrettable is that CIC does not even acknowledge that the London cartoons were antisemitic or targeted the Jewish community. It claims instead to have been the victim in this ugly incident. Meanwhile, CAF says it did not distribute the material, but nevertheless stands by its contents. It has not spoken out against the Liberal Convention delegate who told others not to vote for Rae because of his Jewish wife.
[. . .]
Read the whole press release.
From a media communique put out by the Canadian Islamic Congress:
The Canadian Islamic Congress said today that the Jewish human rights group B'nai Brith is wrong to claim CIC was somewhat associated with a forged political flyer distributed to some residents of London during the recent by-election for the riding of London-North-Centre.
On Saturday, November 25, 2006 some London-North-Centre residents found flyers in their home mail boxes that appeared to have been issued by the Canadian Islamic Congress.
[. . .]
Upon consultation with CIC legal counsel (and London resident) Faisal Joseph, the CIC sent emails on Nov. 25 to Liberal candidate Glen Pearson and to Gerry Weinstein, President of B’nai Brith Canada, stating categorically that "the CIC has NOTHING to do with the flyer or the cartoons in the flyer. The flyer is a forgery and intends to harm and discredit the CIC and the candidacy of Mr. Glen Pearson and fuels mistrust among the Canadian Muslim and Jewish communities."
[. . .]
Read the whole media communique.
See also:
Liberal leadership convention: "A significant number of delegates went to Montreal . . . as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests."
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention. Tamils wanted terrorist group delisted
Technorati tags: Ontario London provincial politics byelection Muslims Jews antisemitism B'nai Brith Canada Canadian Islamic Congress Canadian Arab Federation Arabs
Peggy Nash's private member's bill would extend family class immigration to uncles, nieces, nephews, etc.
From the Toronto Star (Bill to let immigrants sponsor extended family members by Nicholas Keung, December 9):
A Toronto MP has introduced a private member's bill that would allow Canadians and landed immigrants a one-time chance to sponsor a member of their extended family.
[Hyphenated Canadian: - Did you get that? You wouldn't even have to be citizen to sponsor an uncle, niece, etc. Can you imagine the opportunities for fraud passage of this bill would create?]
If adopted, the "Once in a Lifetime" bill would open the door for many people who would like to welcome an adult sibling, grown child, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or cousin to Canada — all categories not normally eligible under Canada's family reunification policies.
[Hyphenated Canadian: Of course, those sponsored relatives would also be able to sponsor a relative, who could then do the same, and so on. An uncle could sponsor his brother, i.e. another uncle, who could sponsor another brother, and before you know it all the uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces, cousins, etc. would be in Canada or at least in the backlog crowding out skilled immigrants.]
"We need to broaden our definition of family members because for many immigrant families, they are not just a nuclear unit," New Democrat MP Peggy Nash (Parkdale-High Park) told a news conference yesterday.
[. . .]
The bill was met with a cold reception by Immigration Minister Monte Solberg's office.
Spokesperson Pema Lhalungpa said Ottawa is committed to clearing the 800,000-person immigration backlog inherited from the previous government, and Nash's proposal would simply "add millions of people to the backlog."
[. . .]
Several community organizations have already signed on to Nash's campaign, including the Canadian Tibetan Association, Parkdale Community Legal Clinic, the Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society, Polycultural Immigrant Community Services, Kababayan Community Centre and the Afghan Women's Association.
[. . .]
Read all of Nicholas Keung's article.
This is ridiculous. Canada needs to restrict family class immigration, not expand it. From chapter 4 of Daniel Stoffman's book Who Gets In: pp. 88-9:
Those who bypass the points system and come as sponsored family members don't do very well. In a report to Parliament in 1990, the economist Don DeVoretz sounded a warning about the shift from selected to self-selected immigration. Whereas previous waves of Third World immigrants, because they were selected, caught up to Canadian-born people in income, the post-1978 group was not catching up and, said DeVoretz, "may never equal earlier immgrant income performance."
[. . .]
Family-class immigrants are the only ones whose use of welfare grows higher the longer they stay in Canada. Family-class immigrants are not even supposed to go on welfare; their sponsors guarantee as much for 10 years after their arrival. Yet a study published by the immigration department in 1996 found that only three years after their arrival in Canada, 20 percent of sponsored parents and grandparents were using welfare, twice the rate of tax filers overall. In 2001 the Ontario government paid $100 million in social assistance to immigrants whose sponsoring relatives had defaulted on their obligations.
[. . .]
The government's solution to the problem of sponsorship breakdown? Legislation, passed in 2001, that lowered from ten years to three the period during which a sponsor has to assume responsibility for a spouse or same-sex partner. Meanwhile, we allow immigrants on welfare to sponsor relatives, virtually guaranteeing that they, too, will wind up on welfare.
See also:
Bogus marriages to brothers, sisters and mothers being used to enter Canada
Conservatives raise immigration targets
Ottawa won't grant amnesty to illegal immigrants
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto parliament politics immigration immigrants NDP Peggy Nash
A Toronto MP has introduced a private member's bill that would allow Canadians and landed immigrants a one-time chance to sponsor a member of their extended family.
[Hyphenated Canadian: - Did you get that? You wouldn't even have to be citizen to sponsor an uncle, niece, etc. Can you imagine the opportunities for fraud passage of this bill would create?]
If adopted, the "Once in a Lifetime" bill would open the door for many people who would like to welcome an adult sibling, grown child, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or cousin to Canada — all categories not normally eligible under Canada's family reunification policies.
[Hyphenated Canadian: Of course, those sponsored relatives would also be able to sponsor a relative, who could then do the same, and so on. An uncle could sponsor his brother, i.e. another uncle, who could sponsor another brother, and before you know it all the uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces, cousins, etc. would be in Canada or at least in the backlog crowding out skilled immigrants.]
"We need to broaden our definition of family members because for many immigrant families, they are not just a nuclear unit," New Democrat MP Peggy Nash (Parkdale-High Park) told a news conference yesterday.
[. . .]
The bill was met with a cold reception by Immigration Minister Monte Solberg's office.
Spokesperson Pema Lhalungpa said Ottawa is committed to clearing the 800,000-person immigration backlog inherited from the previous government, and Nash's proposal would simply "add millions of people to the backlog."
[. . .]
Several community organizations have already signed on to Nash's campaign, including the Canadian Tibetan Association, Parkdale Community Legal Clinic, the Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society, Polycultural Immigrant Community Services, Kababayan Community Centre and the Afghan Women's Association.
[. . .]
Read all of Nicholas Keung's article.
This is ridiculous. Canada needs to restrict family class immigration, not expand it. From chapter 4 of Daniel Stoffman's book Who Gets In: pp. 88-9:
Those who bypass the points system and come as sponsored family members don't do very well. In a report to Parliament in 1990, the economist Don DeVoretz sounded a warning about the shift from selected to self-selected immigration. Whereas previous waves of Third World immigrants, because they were selected, caught up to Canadian-born people in income, the post-1978 group was not catching up and, said DeVoretz, "may never equal earlier immgrant income performance."
[. . .]
Family-class immigrants are the only ones whose use of welfare grows higher the longer they stay in Canada. Family-class immigrants are not even supposed to go on welfare; their sponsors guarantee as much for 10 years after their arrival. Yet a study published by the immigration department in 1996 found that only three years after their arrival in Canada, 20 percent of sponsored parents and grandparents were using welfare, twice the rate of tax filers overall. In 2001 the Ontario government paid $100 million in social assistance to immigrants whose sponsoring relatives had defaulted on their obligations.
[. . .]
The government's solution to the problem of sponsorship breakdown? Legislation, passed in 2001, that lowered from ten years to three the period during which a sponsor has to assume responsibility for a spouse or same-sex partner. Meanwhile, we allow immigrants on welfare to sponsor relatives, virtually guaranteeing that they, too, will wind up on welfare.
See also:
Bogus marriages to brothers, sisters and mothers being used to enter Canada
Conservatives raise immigration targets
Ottawa won't grant amnesty to illegal immigrants
Technorati tags: Canada Toronto parliament politics immigration immigrants NDP Peggy Nash
800 known criminal organizations in Canada. RCMP has the resources to investigate 150 of them
From the Toronto Star (RCMP lacks resources to track funds by Tara Perkins, December 9):
The federal and provincial governments need to put more resources into tracking the money trail behind criminal activity, the head of the Senate banking committee says, after learning that the RCMP is aware of about 800 criminal organizations in Canada but has the capacity to investigate only about 150 of them.
"This came as a shock to us," Senator Jerry Grafstein, chairman of the Senate committee on banking, trade and commerce, said in an interview yesterday.
"Law enforcement for illicit activities and white-collar crime is clearly underfunded."
The banking committee has been holding hearings to examine Bill C-25, which would strengthen Canada's laws to fight money laundering and terrorist financing.
On Thursday, Raf Souccar, assistant commissioner of federal and international operations at the RCMP, said "we are aware that there are 800 criminal organizations in Canada and we have a capacity to investigate perhaps 150 of them," according to a transcript of the proceedings.
[. . .]
Read all of Tara Perkins' article.
See also:
Anti-Mafia sweep in Montreal
CBC News: Auto theft and terrorism are linked
National Post: Tigers use Canadian charities as 'fronts'
Toronto Star: Terrorists work with gangs
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Senate parliament police RCMP organized crime terrorism money laundering banking banks
The federal and provincial governments need to put more resources into tracking the money trail behind criminal activity, the head of the Senate banking committee says, after learning that the RCMP is aware of about 800 criminal organizations in Canada but has the capacity to investigate only about 150 of them.
"This came as a shock to us," Senator Jerry Grafstein, chairman of the Senate committee on banking, trade and commerce, said in an interview yesterday.
"Law enforcement for illicit activities and white-collar crime is clearly underfunded."
The banking committee has been holding hearings to examine Bill C-25, which would strengthen Canada's laws to fight money laundering and terrorist financing.
On Thursday, Raf Souccar, assistant commissioner of federal and international operations at the RCMP, said "we are aware that there are 800 criminal organizations in Canada and we have a capacity to investigate perhaps 150 of them," according to a transcript of the proceedings.
[. . .]
Read all of Tara Perkins' article.
See also:
Anti-Mafia sweep in Montreal
CBC News: Auto theft and terrorism are linked
National Post: Tigers use Canadian charities as 'fronts'
Toronto Star: Terrorists work with gangs
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Senate parliament police RCMP organized crime terrorism money laundering banking banks
Canadian multiculturalism meets globalization. Here a nation. There a nation. Are Tamils another nation inside Canada? Is there a global Tamil nation?
I found this quote on an English-language Tamil website:
A nation may be divided amongst several states. Such a nation is a multi state nation - or, more appropriately, a trans-state nation. The Tamils today are a trans-state nation and their 'coherence and unity' is growing and is directed to the establishment of an independent Tamil state. But that independent Tamil state will not constitute the whole Tamil nation. The people of Tamil Eelam constitute a part of the Tamil nation.
I also found this:
What then is a nation in an emerging one world?
A nation is a community of people rooted in kinship and which has grown through a process of differentiation and opposition. It is not nature or nurture - but, it is both. It is a togetherness rooted in a shared heritage, language and culture and expressed in a determined will to live in equality and in freedom. It is a political togetherness concerned both with the structure and the exercise of power in an inter-national frame. But a nation is not a state. And it is not necessarily a state in waiting. The digital revolution is helping to forge anew the togetherness of a people -as State boundaries become increasingly porous, not only to the market but also to information, human rights and political activism - and deep rooted kinship ties are finding fresh avenues for expression
See also:
Forget the two solitudes. Canada's new reality is multiple nations.
Technorati tags: Canada multiculturalism nationalism nation globalization immigration immigrants diaspora Tamils Tamil Eelam Sri Lanka
A nation may be divided amongst several states. Such a nation is a multi state nation - or, more appropriately, a trans-state nation. The Tamils today are a trans-state nation and their 'coherence and unity' is growing and is directed to the establishment of an independent Tamil state. But that independent Tamil state will not constitute the whole Tamil nation. The people of Tamil Eelam constitute a part of the Tamil nation.
I also found this:
What then is a nation in an emerging one world?
A nation is a community of people rooted in kinship and which has grown through a process of differentiation and opposition. It is not nature or nurture - but, it is both. It is a togetherness rooted in a shared heritage, language and culture and expressed in a determined will to live in equality and in freedom. It is a political togetherness concerned both with the structure and the exercise of power in an inter-national frame. But a nation is not a state. And it is not necessarily a state in waiting. The digital revolution is helping to forge anew the togetherness of a people -as State boundaries become increasingly porous, not only to the market but also to information, human rights and political activism - and deep rooted kinship ties are finding fresh avenues for expression
See also:
Forget the two solitudes. Canada's new reality is multiple nations.
Technorati tags: Canada multiculturalism nationalism nation globalization immigration immigrants diaspora Tamils Tamil Eelam Sri Lanka
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Forget the two solitudes. Canada's new reality is multiple nations.
This quote from James Travers deserves to be highlighted:
Underlying all this is another twist that would be darkly humorous if it weren't heavy with serious implications: A convention once destined to be decided by the Québécois-as-a-nation debate was skewed by the evolving political realities of a country of multiple nations.
See also:
Liberal leadership convention: "A significant number of delegates went to Montreal . . . as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests."
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa politics Liberals Liberal Party Liberal convention leadership immigration multiculturalism
Underlying all this is another twist that would be darkly humorous if it weren't heavy with serious implications: A convention once destined to be decided by the Québécois-as-a-nation debate was skewed by the evolving political realities of a country of multiple nations.
See also:
Liberal leadership convention: "A significant number of delegates went to Montreal . . . as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests."
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa politics Liberals Liberal Party Liberal convention leadership immigration multiculturalism
Liberal leadership convention: "A significant number of delegates went to Montreal . . . as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests."
James Travers writes in the Toronto Star (Delegates as agents for ethnic interests, December 9):
Underlying all this is another twist that would be darkly humorous if it weren't heavy with serious implications: A convention once destined to be decided by the Québécois-as-a-nation debate was skewed by the evolving political realities of a country of multiple nations.
A significant number of delegates went to Montreal as more than Liberals, or even Canadians — they went as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests.
Groups with ties to Sri Lanka's complex conflict are being singled out for their aggressive tactics. Ignatieff organizers say one Montreal faction put the price of its support on a future Liberal government establishing a consulate in the area fighting for independence. And Rae supporter Tarek Fatah this week exposed detailed discussions with Tamils allegedly offering to trade votes for a promise to delist Tiger guerrillas as terrorists.
Both campaigns say they rejected those and other ethnic overtures, claims strengthened by their conspicuous failure to win late-ballot converts. And there's no evidence yet that anyone agreed to anything contrary to Canadian hegemony.
But even if tainted by sour grapes, reports of such blatant bargaining are troubling. If nothing else, they suggest a fresh layer of partisan grubbiness.
True, block voting is not a new phenomenon. It's both an established fact in party nomination fights for heavily ethnic urban ridings and an unseemly consideration in national immigration policies.
Read all of James Travers' column.
See also:
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention.
Historian Jack Granatstein is concerned about the influence of ethnic groups on Canadian foreign policy
Demography is destiny. Minorities win more seats in local elections
Alberta's new premier has Ukrainian roots. What role did ethnicity play in his win?
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa Toronto politics Liberals Liberal Party Liberal convention leadership Bob Rae Michael Ignatieff Stephane Dion immigration multiculturalism terrorism Tamils Tamil Tigers LTTE Muslims Tarek Fatah
Underlying all this is another twist that would be darkly humorous if it weren't heavy with serious implications: A convention once destined to be decided by the Québécois-as-a-nation debate was skewed by the evolving political realities of a country of multiple nations.
A significant number of delegates went to Montreal as more than Liberals, or even Canadians — they went as pressure points for ethnic and foreign interests.
Groups with ties to Sri Lanka's complex conflict are being singled out for their aggressive tactics. Ignatieff organizers say one Montreal faction put the price of its support on a future Liberal government establishing a consulate in the area fighting for independence. And Rae supporter Tarek Fatah this week exposed detailed discussions with Tamils allegedly offering to trade votes for a promise to delist Tiger guerrillas as terrorists.
Both campaigns say they rejected those and other ethnic overtures, claims strengthened by their conspicuous failure to win late-ballot converts. And there's no evidence yet that anyone agreed to anything contrary to Canadian hegemony.
But even if tainted by sour grapes, reports of such blatant bargaining are troubling. If nothing else, they suggest a fresh layer of partisan grubbiness.
True, block voting is not a new phenomenon. It's both an established fact in party nomination fights for heavily ethnic urban ridings and an unseemly consideration in national immigration policies.
Read all of James Travers' column.
See also:
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention.
Historian Jack Granatstein is concerned about the influence of ethnic groups on Canadian foreign policy
Demography is destiny. Minorities win more seats in local elections
Alberta's new premier has Ukrainian roots. What role did ethnicity play in his win?
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa Toronto politics Liberals Liberal Party Liberal convention leadership Bob Rae Michael Ignatieff Stephane Dion immigration multiculturalism terrorism Tamils Tamil Tigers LTTE Muslims Tarek Fatah
Why do people oppose public housing in their neighbourhoods?
Donovan Vincent writes in the Toronto Star (Reality check, December 9):
Building affordable housing in the city is no easy task. There’s the expense, and it can be a hot potato. Existing communities typically oppose it, fearing reduced property values and the social issues “those people’’ bring, which in turn makes politicians wary. At city hall some affordable housing projects have lurched along for these reasons.
In other words, Torontonians who don't want public housing in their neighbourhoods are bigots. Of course, it has absolutely nothing to do with stories like these:
Urban renewal leads to gang turf wars in Regent Park
Gang shootout at Regent Park
Residents watched as teen was stripped down, beaten and stabbed to death
Talk to the elder first. African tribal custom comes to Toronto
As I've said before, Toronto Star reporters live in a parallel universe.
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Ontario Toronto local politics public policy Mayor David Miller public housing crime gangs immigration immigrants news media newspapers newspaper journalists Toronto Star
Building affordable housing in the city is no easy task. There’s the expense, and it can be a hot potato. Existing communities typically oppose it, fearing reduced property values and the social issues “those people’’ bring, which in turn makes politicians wary. At city hall some affordable housing projects have lurched along for these reasons.
In other words, Torontonians who don't want public housing in their neighbourhoods are bigots. Of course, it has absolutely nothing to do with stories like these:
Urban renewal leads to gang turf wars in Regent Park
Gang shootout at Regent Park
Residents watched as teen was stripped down, beaten and stabbed to death
Talk to the elder first. African tribal custom comes to Toronto
As I've said before, Toronto Star reporters live in a parallel universe.
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Ontario Toronto local politics public policy Mayor David Miller public housing crime gangs immigration immigrants news media newspapers newspaper journalists Toronto Star
Black leader's son denies he was shot during Yonge Street gang shootout that killed Jane Creba
From the Toronto Star (Man denies he was shot in Creba case by John Duncanson, December 8):
The 19-year-old son of a prominent black community leader has denied he was shot last Boxing Day during the shootout on Yonge St. that claimed the life of 15-year-old Jane Creba.
Richard Steele, whose mother, Valarie Steele, once headed the Jamaican Canadian Association, took the stand yesterday at his bail review hearing on charges of gun trafficking and conspiracy to traffic drugs.
Crown attorney Kerry Hughes played several phone calls police intercepted in which the teen talks about being a drug dealer and living in a crack house.
[. . .]
The teenager was charged as part of a six-month police investigation called Project Green Apple, begun after Creba was shot dead and six others wounded during the Boxing Day shootout between rival gangs on Yonge St.
More than two dozen people were charged after police raids in June. Four have been charged with second-degree murder, while six others face manslaughter charges in Creba's slaying. Several others, including Steele, were charged with drug and weapons offences — arrests police said were not directly linked to the Yonge St. incident.
Police charged Valarie Steele in October with perjury in connection with her testimony at a previous bail hearing for her son. She is not testifying at this bail review, which continues tomorrow.
[. . .]
Read all of John Duncanson's article.
See also:
Jamaicans and crime - something else we're not supposed to talk about
CTV News: three of the men charged in Jane Creba's shooting death were out on bail
$50,000 bounty on Jane Creba's killer
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto crime gangs gang shootings shooting Yonge Street Jane Creba immigration Jamaica Jamaicans
The 19-year-old son of a prominent black community leader has denied he was shot last Boxing Day during the shootout on Yonge St. that claimed the life of 15-year-old Jane Creba.
Richard Steele, whose mother, Valarie Steele, once headed the Jamaican Canadian Association, took the stand yesterday at his bail review hearing on charges of gun trafficking and conspiracy to traffic drugs.
Crown attorney Kerry Hughes played several phone calls police intercepted in which the teen talks about being a drug dealer and living in a crack house.
[. . .]
The teenager was charged as part of a six-month police investigation called Project Green Apple, begun after Creba was shot dead and six others wounded during the Boxing Day shootout between rival gangs on Yonge St.
More than two dozen people were charged after police raids in June. Four have been charged with second-degree murder, while six others face manslaughter charges in Creba's slaying. Several others, including Steele, were charged with drug and weapons offences — arrests police said were not directly linked to the Yonge St. incident.
Police charged Valarie Steele in October with perjury in connection with her testimony at a previous bail hearing for her son. She is not testifying at this bail review, which continues tomorrow.
[. . .]
Read all of John Duncanson's article.
See also:
Jamaicans and crime - something else we're not supposed to talk about
CTV News: three of the men charged in Jane Creba's shooting death were out on bail
$50,000 bounty on Jane Creba's killer
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto crime gangs gang shootings shooting Yonge Street Jane Creba immigration Jamaica Jamaicans
Friday, December 08, 2006
Private member's bill would license temp agencies
From the Toronto Star (MPPs target 'temp' boom by Rita Daly, December 8):
Vulnerable workers gained support yesterday in their bid to achieve protection from "temp" agencies that use unethical or illegal means to exploit Ontario's transient workforce.
Liberal MPP Vic Dhillon (Brampton West-Mississauga) has been pushing for a crackdown on the burgeoning temporary employment industry with a private member's bill in the Ontario legislature. The bill received second reading yesterday.
Dhillon, who introduced the bill last month following a Toronto Star story on the struggles faced by temporary workers, said he'd heard enough about abuse endured by his constituents and is urging his own government crackdown on the industry.
His constituents, many of them Asian immigrants, have called or visited his constituency office in recent months upset about unpaid wages, being forced to pay "placement" fees of $150 to get work and being deliberately denied steady employment. Dhillon said some agencies are purposely sending two or more workers to a single full-time company job just to keep workers dependent on the agency.
[. . .]
Read all of Rita Daly's article.
See also:
Province won't raise mininum wage
Civic leader says working poor a "smouldering crisis"
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Brampton Toronto GTA politics Queen's Park workers rights labor labour poverty
Vulnerable workers gained support yesterday in their bid to achieve protection from "temp" agencies that use unethical or illegal means to exploit Ontario's transient workforce.
Liberal MPP Vic Dhillon (Brampton West-Mississauga) has been pushing for a crackdown on the burgeoning temporary employment industry with a private member's bill in the Ontario legislature. The bill received second reading yesterday.
Dhillon, who introduced the bill last month following a Toronto Star story on the struggles faced by temporary workers, said he'd heard enough about abuse endured by his constituents and is urging his own government crackdown on the industry.
His constituents, many of them Asian immigrants, have called or visited his constituency office in recent months upset about unpaid wages, being forced to pay "placement" fees of $150 to get work and being deliberately denied steady employment. Dhillon said some agencies are purposely sending two or more workers to a single full-time company job just to keep workers dependent on the agency.
[. . .]
Read all of Rita Daly's article.
See also:
Province won't raise mininum wage
Civic leader says working poor a "smouldering crisis"
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Brampton Toronto GTA politics Queen's Park workers rights labor labour poverty
Matthew Daly murder case goes to the jury
From the Toronto Star (Burlington beating-death case goes to jury by Bob Mitchell, December 8):
The fate of four men accused of killing Burlington college student Matthew Daly is now in the hands of 12 jurors.
The jury began its deliberation today after Justice Fletcher Dawson completed his final instructions on the law as it applies to this case. He spent more than two days reviewing the evidence that was presented by a team of Crown prosecutors during the eight-week trial in the Brampton courtroom.
Stephen Papadopoulos, 26, Sam Nop, 24, Fadil (Neil) Mujku, 23, and Vuthy Chak, 23, all from Hamilton, have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the savage beating death of the former high school football captain.
Daly, 19, was kicked, punched and beaten with bats by several assailants in a street ambush within moments of leaving a high school graduation party with his girlfriend about 3 a.m. on May 19, 2001.
[. . .]
Daly was among a group of young men who made racist comments when they aggressively ejected four men who suddenly showed up about midnight at the party held in a massive two-storey garage of a mansion in south Burlington.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that at least two, and possibly three of the four men who crashed the Nelson High School grad party were of South Asian heritage.
[. . .]
Even with all that information, there is still much the jury doesn't know about this case, including information still being kept under wraps by a court-ordered publication ban that will remain in place until the end of a future trial in connection with this horrific murder.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article.
I found this in a Hamilton Spectator story:
Sarann Nop of Burlington also faces drug trafficking charges.
Sarann Nop is the brother of Sam Nop, one of four men standing trial for the murder of Matthew Daly, the 19-year-old Mohawk College student who was beaten to death on his way home from a party in May 2001.
See also:
Prosecutors say racial confrontation led to student being beaten to death in Hamilton. Two of the accused are immigrants from Cambodia
Is it open season on whites in Toronto? Black teenager who brutally attacked old man plays race card and gets 18-months as a youth offender
Toronto Sun: Friends of Andrew Stewart's killer gloat over light sentence
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Ontario Hamilton Burlington immigration immigrants crime race relations racial conflict cultural diversity South Asian Asians Matthew Daly
The fate of four men accused of killing Burlington college student Matthew Daly is now in the hands of 12 jurors.
The jury began its deliberation today after Justice Fletcher Dawson completed his final instructions on the law as it applies to this case. He spent more than two days reviewing the evidence that was presented by a team of Crown prosecutors during the eight-week trial in the Brampton courtroom.
Stephen Papadopoulos, 26, Sam Nop, 24, Fadil (Neil) Mujku, 23, and Vuthy Chak, 23, all from Hamilton, have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the savage beating death of the former high school football captain.
Daly, 19, was kicked, punched and beaten with bats by several assailants in a street ambush within moments of leaving a high school graduation party with his girlfriend about 3 a.m. on May 19, 2001.
[. . .]
Daly was among a group of young men who made racist comments when they aggressively ejected four men who suddenly showed up about midnight at the party held in a massive two-storey garage of a mansion in south Burlington.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that at least two, and possibly three of the four men who crashed the Nelson High School grad party were of South Asian heritage.
[. . .]
Even with all that information, there is still much the jury doesn't know about this case, including information still being kept under wraps by a court-ordered publication ban that will remain in place until the end of a future trial in connection with this horrific murder.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article.
I found this in a Hamilton Spectator story:
Sarann Nop of Burlington also faces drug trafficking charges.
Sarann Nop is the brother of Sam Nop, one of four men standing trial for the murder of Matthew Daly, the 19-year-old Mohawk College student who was beaten to death on his way home from a party in May 2001.
See also:
Prosecutors say racial confrontation led to student being beaten to death in Hamilton. Two of the accused are immigrants from Cambodia
Is it open season on whites in Toronto? Black teenager who brutally attacked old man plays race card and gets 18-months as a youth offender
Toronto Sun: Friends of Andrew Stewart's killer gloat over light sentence
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Ontario Hamilton Burlington immigration immigrants crime race relations racial conflict cultural diversity South Asian Asians Matthew Daly
Thursday, December 07, 2006
An effort to encourage more Portuguese students to get post-secondary education
There is an article in Thursday's Toronto Star about efforts to encourage more Portuguese students to get post-secondary education. The Portuguese are one of several groups in Toronto that have a high drop-out rate.
From the Toronto Star (Charting a new course by Louise Brown, December 7):
Some admit its tight-knit nature — in which it is possible to live and shop in Portuguese neighbourhoods and work on predominantly Portuguese job sites without ever needing to speak much English — plays a role in keeping children in the same footsteps as their parents.
At St. Helen Catholic School in Little Portugal, for example, 89 per cent of students were born in Canada, yet for 61 per cent, the first language they learned at home was not English.
And while they say that’s not necessarily bad — the Portuguese community has fewer single parents and families living in poverty than the general population, according to Ornstein’s study — the dropout rate is worrying.
[. . .]
“Many Portuguese working parents want to leave their children with people they know and trust — usually the grandparents — so there is no real culture of literacy being built around the kitchen table,” said Enir Bassani of the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
“Parents work two, three jobs and they don’t necessarily trust institutions like schools; they don’t understand how they work and they don’t want to challenge authority, so they stay disengaged,” said Bassani.
Read all of Louise Brown's article.
When I was younger I had a Portuguese friend who was a good student. As soon as he was 16, his parents started pressuring him to quit school. They couldn't understand why he would study for free when he could be out earning a wage. My friend managed to graduate from high school, but he never went on to university. I knew his parents and they weren't bad people. They were doing what they thought best. They just didn't understand the value of education.
One thing to keep in mind though is that a majority of the Portuguese in Toronto are from the Azores and there are cultural differences between the islanders and people from the mainland. I'm not sure, but I think that has something to do with the attitude of local Portuguese towards education.
On the other hand, the friend I mentioned was from the mainland. I did, however, have other friends who were Azoreans. They used to make fun of each other. The guy from the mainland said people from the Azores had a hick dialect, while the guys from the Azores said the mainlanders sounded effeminate. Actually, that's not quite the word they used, but I'll leave the exact phrase to your imagination.
See also:
Toronto high school students who speak Portuguese, Spanish or Somali drop out at higher rates
Disillusionment on the campaign trail: "I can't talk to anybody. None of them speak English."
Immigration, language and local democracy
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Toronto education Catholic schools ethnic groups immigration immigrants Portuguese Azores multiculturalism
From the Toronto Star (Charting a new course by Louise Brown, December 7):
Some admit its tight-knit nature — in which it is possible to live and shop in Portuguese neighbourhoods and work on predominantly Portuguese job sites without ever needing to speak much English — plays a role in keeping children in the same footsteps as their parents.
At St. Helen Catholic School in Little Portugal, for example, 89 per cent of students were born in Canada, yet for 61 per cent, the first language they learned at home was not English.
And while they say that’s not necessarily bad — the Portuguese community has fewer single parents and families living in poverty than the general population, according to Ornstein’s study — the dropout rate is worrying.
[. . .]
“Many Portuguese working parents want to leave their children with people they know and trust — usually the grandparents — so there is no real culture of literacy being built around the kitchen table,” said Enir Bassani of the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
“Parents work two, three jobs and they don’t necessarily trust institutions like schools; they don’t understand how they work and they don’t want to challenge authority, so they stay disengaged,” said Bassani.
Read all of Louise Brown's article.
When I was younger I had a Portuguese friend who was a good student. As soon as he was 16, his parents started pressuring him to quit school. They couldn't understand why he would study for free when he could be out earning a wage. My friend managed to graduate from high school, but he never went on to university. I knew his parents and they weren't bad people. They were doing what they thought best. They just didn't understand the value of education.
One thing to keep in mind though is that a majority of the Portuguese in Toronto are from the Azores and there are cultural differences between the islanders and people from the mainland. I'm not sure, but I think that has something to do with the attitude of local Portuguese towards education.
On the other hand, the friend I mentioned was from the mainland. I did, however, have other friends who were Azoreans. They used to make fun of each other. The guy from the mainland said people from the Azores had a hick dialect, while the guys from the Azores said the mainlanders sounded effeminate. Actually, that's not quite the word they used, but I'll leave the exact phrase to your imagination.
See also:
Toronto high school students who speak Portuguese, Spanish or Somali drop out at higher rates
Disillusionment on the campaign trail: "I can't talk to anybody. None of them speak English."
Immigration, language and local democracy
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Toronto education Catholic schools ethnic groups immigration immigrants Portuguese Azores multiculturalism
Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention. Tamils wanted terrorist group delisted
Wednesday's Globe and Mail has an article (Race and religion at the Liberal Party convention, December 6) by Tarek Fatah, formerly of the Muslim Canadian Congress. Fatah recently resigned from the Congress citing threats from radical Muslims. In the Globe article, he describes the demands made by delegates belonging to ethnic blocks at last weekend's Liberal convention where Stephane Dion was selected leader.
Fatah relates how Rev. Frances Xavier, whom he calls "the father figure of Toronto's vibrant Tamil community," approached Bob Rae a few days before the convention. Fatah writes:
The diminutive Father Xavier did not mince his words in laying out the price for the support of the 45 Tamil Canadian delegates to the Liberal convention: "Mr. Rae, I am great fan of yours and you have done a lot for the Tamil community as premier of Ontario, but will you promise to delist the Tamil Tigers from Canada's list of terrorist organizations, if you become leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister of Canada?"
The Tamil Tigers (LTTE) are a political and military movement that uses terrorist tactics, including suicide bombings and assassinatons, to achieve its goal of an independent Tamil state on the island nation of Sri Lanka, the former British colony of Ceylon. The Tigers are notorious for kidnapping children to use as cannon fodder in its war against the Sri Lankan government. In April, the Conservative government placed the Tigers on a list of banned terrorist groups after the previous Liberal government had repeatedly refused to do so for fear of alienating Tamil voters.
Over the years, Liberal MPs like Jim Karygiannis have shamelessly courted the support of Tamil Tiger supporters. In one infamous incident, future Liberal prime minister Paul Martin and his cabinet colleague Maria Minna attended a fundraising dinner for a Tamil group called FACT despite being warned by Canada's national intelligence agency that this organization was a terrorist front.
According to Human Rights Watch, Harper's decision to ban the Tigers has had some positive effects.
Fatah again:
Mr. Rae replied that if Tamil Canadians wanted the Tigers to be delisted, they should pressure the LTTE to do what Yasser Arafat did with the PLO and Nelson Mandela did with the ANC. "Firstly, there can be no military solution to the war in Sri Lanka and, second, if any politician promises you that he will help delist the LTTE as a terrorist organization, he is not telling the truth," he said. His response did not go down well -- and nary a Bob Rae button was to be found on the 45 Tamil Canadian delegates at the convention.
Tamils weren't the only ethnic group pushing their parochial interests at the convention:
Perhaps the most influential of these groups would turn out to be the Khalistani Sikh Canadians, many from areas west of Toronto, who voted en masse for Gerard Kennedy in the convention's first and second ballots.
Some Sikhs, most of whom live in India's Punjab region, want to create an independent homeland called Khalistan. Sikh separatists were responsible for the 1985 Air India bombing which killed 329 passengers in a jet that exploded while flying off the coast of Ireland. Sikh terrorists were also responsible for the Narita Airport bombing which occurred the same day.
Bob Rae had advised the Liberal government on the public interest in an inquiry into the 1985 Air-India bombing. It would come back to haunt him. The bombing featured in some of the exchanges when Mr. Rae addressed a South Asian event in Montreal on Friday. When Mr. Rae slammed the terrorists responsible for Canada's worst act of terrorism, he found little support in the room. "He is referring to all Sikhs as terrorists," one delegate said to a B.C. senator campaigning for Mr. Rae. "Not true," the Senator said, but the delegate simply walked away.
Muslims were also active at the convention:
one Kennedy delegate organizing among the Muslim community sent out a letter to the country's mosques, asking for Muslims to vote "en masse" for one candidate. The Islamic Congress had given Mr. Kennedy an A grade, while listing other hopefuls on a scale from a B to an F. This led to a spirited response from Ignatieff delegate Salma Siddiqui, who is a vice-president of the secular Muslim Canadian Congress. "Muslims are not a herd of cattle to be sold to the highest bidder," she responded.
[. . .]
Two rookie MPs, Omar Alghabra, a Muslim, and, Navdeep Bains, a Sikh, held the strings of as many as 400 delegates in the Kennedy camp. When the time came, these delegates moved as a bloc to Mr. Dion.
See also:
Alberta's new premier has Ukrainian roots. What role did ethnicity play in his win?
Demography is destiny. Minorities win more seats in local election
Man accused of having ties to Sikh terrorists deported
Banning Tamil Tigers had positive effects but Ottawa and Toronto police should do more - Human Rights Watch
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa Toronto politics Liberals Liberal Party Liberal convention leadership Bob Rae Gerard Kennedy Stephane Dion immigration multiculturalism terrorism Tamils Tamil Tigers LTTE Sikhs Khalistan Punjab India Indo-Canadians Muslims Tarek Fatah
Fatah relates how Rev. Frances Xavier, whom he calls "the father figure of Toronto's vibrant Tamil community," approached Bob Rae a few days before the convention. Fatah writes:
The diminutive Father Xavier did not mince his words in laying out the price for the support of the 45 Tamil Canadian delegates to the Liberal convention: "Mr. Rae, I am great fan of yours and you have done a lot for the Tamil community as premier of Ontario, but will you promise to delist the Tamil Tigers from Canada's list of terrorist organizations, if you become leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister of Canada?"
The Tamil Tigers (LTTE) are a political and military movement that uses terrorist tactics, including suicide bombings and assassinatons, to achieve its goal of an independent Tamil state on the island nation of Sri Lanka, the former British colony of Ceylon. The Tigers are notorious for kidnapping children to use as cannon fodder in its war against the Sri Lankan government. In April, the Conservative government placed the Tigers on a list of banned terrorist groups after the previous Liberal government had repeatedly refused to do so for fear of alienating Tamil voters.
Over the years, Liberal MPs like Jim Karygiannis have shamelessly courted the support of Tamil Tiger supporters. In one infamous incident, future Liberal prime minister Paul Martin and his cabinet colleague Maria Minna attended a fundraising dinner for a Tamil group called FACT despite being warned by Canada's national intelligence agency that this organization was a terrorist front.
According to Human Rights Watch, Harper's decision to ban the Tigers has had some positive effects.
Fatah again:
Mr. Rae replied that if Tamil Canadians wanted the Tigers to be delisted, they should pressure the LTTE to do what Yasser Arafat did with the PLO and Nelson Mandela did with the ANC. "Firstly, there can be no military solution to the war in Sri Lanka and, second, if any politician promises you that he will help delist the LTTE as a terrorist organization, he is not telling the truth," he said. His response did not go down well -- and nary a Bob Rae button was to be found on the 45 Tamil Canadian delegates at the convention.
Tamils weren't the only ethnic group pushing their parochial interests at the convention:
Perhaps the most influential of these groups would turn out to be the Khalistani Sikh Canadians, many from areas west of Toronto, who voted en masse for Gerard Kennedy in the convention's first and second ballots.
Some Sikhs, most of whom live in India's Punjab region, want to create an independent homeland called Khalistan. Sikh separatists were responsible for the 1985 Air India bombing which killed 329 passengers in a jet that exploded while flying off the coast of Ireland. Sikh terrorists were also responsible for the Narita Airport bombing which occurred the same day.
Bob Rae had advised the Liberal government on the public interest in an inquiry into the 1985 Air-India bombing. It would come back to haunt him. The bombing featured in some of the exchanges when Mr. Rae addressed a South Asian event in Montreal on Friday. When Mr. Rae slammed the terrorists responsible for Canada's worst act of terrorism, he found little support in the room. "He is referring to all Sikhs as terrorists," one delegate said to a B.C. senator campaigning for Mr. Rae. "Not true," the Senator said, but the delegate simply walked away.
Muslims were also active at the convention:
one Kennedy delegate organizing among the Muslim community sent out a letter to the country's mosques, asking for Muslims to vote "en masse" for one candidate. The Islamic Congress had given Mr. Kennedy an A grade, while listing other hopefuls on a scale from a B to an F. This led to a spirited response from Ignatieff delegate Salma Siddiqui, who is a vice-president of the secular Muslim Canadian Congress. "Muslims are not a herd of cattle to be sold to the highest bidder," she responded.
[. . .]
Two rookie MPs, Omar Alghabra, a Muslim, and, Navdeep Bains, a Sikh, held the strings of as many as 400 delegates in the Kennedy camp. When the time came, these delegates moved as a bloc to Mr. Dion.
See also:
Alberta's new premier has Ukrainian roots. What role did ethnicity play in his win?
Demography is destiny. Minorities win more seats in local election
Man accused of having ties to Sikh terrorists deported
Banning Tamil Tigers had positive effects but Ottawa and Toronto police should do more - Human Rights Watch
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa Toronto politics Liberals Liberal Party Liberal convention leadership Bob Rae Gerard Kennedy Stephane Dion immigration multiculturalism terrorism Tamils Tamil Tigers LTTE Sikhs Khalistan Punjab India Indo-Canadians Muslims Tarek Fatah
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Muslim students in Australia urinated on Bible, then set it on fire
From the Australian (Muslim boys urinated on Bible by Cameron Stewart, December 6):
Two Muslim students have been expelled from an Islamic school in Melbourne for urinating and spitting on a Bible and setting it on fire.
The explosive incident has forced the East Preston Islamic College to call in a senior imam to tell its 650 Muslim students that the Bible and Christianity must be respected.
Anxious teachers at the school have also petitioned principal Shaheem Doutie, expressing "grave concern" about an "inculcation of hatred and radical attitudes towards non-Muslims" at the school, including towards non-Muslim teachers.
The Bible desecration took place last week at a school camp held near Bacchus Marsh, about 50km west of Melbourne, attended by 33 teenage Muslim boys ranging in age from Year7 to Year 10.
[. . .]
Mr Doutie, whose school receives about $3.9 million in state and federal government funding each year, told The Australian yesterday that both he and the school community were appalled by the Bible desecration and that he had expelled the first two boys and suspended the third.
In a letter to all staff on Monday, Mr Doutie wrote: "The school unconditionally apologises for this horrible act as conducted by some illiterate and ignorant students while under the care of EPIC teachers.
[. . .]
Read all of Cameron Stewart's article.
It goes without saying that we can't judge all Muslims by one incident and it does seem that the school responded appropriately. Still, it's legitimate to ask how widespread this kind of contempt for Christianity is among Muslim immigrants. I don't know the answer. I do know there are plenty of examples of anti-Christian violence in countries like Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria and Indonesia. It shouldn't be surprising if at least some Muslim immigrants bring this kind of bigotry into countries like Australia or Canada.
Let me anticipate an objection to this blog post. I imagine some readers will say "Michael, you're indulging in sensationalism. By giving undue attention to a minor incident you are creating an inaccurate image of Muslims." If someone said something like that, I would reply this way: How would the media react if a group of students at a Christian school urinated on a Koran? Do you think editors would hesitate for a second to give the story frontpage treatment?
I don't know the significance of this event. Maybe it is an isolated incident of no real consequence. That's one possibility. However, for all I know this event is an indication of what many Muslims think of Christianity. For now at least, this story deserves some attention because it might be pointing to a larger problem.
See also:
New Edmonton Islamic school has corporate support
Toronto Star: Canadian Muslims in Pakistani religious schools
Globe and Mail: Saudis funding Muslim institutions in Canada
Technorati tags: Australia Australian Melbourne immigration immigrants Muslims Islam Islamic schools education Christianity Bible
Two Muslim students have been expelled from an Islamic school in Melbourne for urinating and spitting on a Bible and setting it on fire.
The explosive incident has forced the East Preston Islamic College to call in a senior imam to tell its 650 Muslim students that the Bible and Christianity must be respected.
Anxious teachers at the school have also petitioned principal Shaheem Doutie, expressing "grave concern" about an "inculcation of hatred and radical attitudes towards non-Muslims" at the school, including towards non-Muslim teachers.
The Bible desecration took place last week at a school camp held near Bacchus Marsh, about 50km west of Melbourne, attended by 33 teenage Muslim boys ranging in age from Year7 to Year 10.
[. . .]
Mr Doutie, whose school receives about $3.9 million in state and federal government funding each year, told The Australian yesterday that both he and the school community were appalled by the Bible desecration and that he had expelled the first two boys and suspended the third.
In a letter to all staff on Monday, Mr Doutie wrote: "The school unconditionally apologises for this horrible act as conducted by some illiterate and ignorant students while under the care of EPIC teachers.
[. . .]
Read all of Cameron Stewart's article.
It goes without saying that we can't judge all Muslims by one incident and it does seem that the school responded appropriately. Still, it's legitimate to ask how widespread this kind of contempt for Christianity is among Muslim immigrants. I don't know the answer. I do know there are plenty of examples of anti-Christian violence in countries like Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria and Indonesia. It shouldn't be surprising if at least some Muslim immigrants bring this kind of bigotry into countries like Australia or Canada.
Let me anticipate an objection to this blog post. I imagine some readers will say "Michael, you're indulging in sensationalism. By giving undue attention to a minor incident you are creating an inaccurate image of Muslims." If someone said something like that, I would reply this way: How would the media react if a group of students at a Christian school urinated on a Koran? Do you think editors would hesitate for a second to give the story frontpage treatment?
I don't know the significance of this event. Maybe it is an isolated incident of no real consequence. That's one possibility. However, for all I know this event is an indication of what many Muslims think of Christianity. For now at least, this story deserves some attention because it might be pointing to a larger problem.
See also:
New Edmonton Islamic school has corporate support
Toronto Star: Canadian Muslims in Pakistani religious schools
Globe and Mail: Saudis funding Muslim institutions in Canada
Technorati tags: Australia Australian Melbourne immigration immigrants Muslims Islam Islamic schools education Christianity Bible
Banning Tamil Tigers had positive effects but Ottawa and Toronto police should do more - Human Rights Watch
There's an article (Little action on Tamil Tigers by Surya Bhattacharya, December 6) in today's Star about Tamil Tiger fundraising in Toronto.
Human Rights Watch, which issued a report in March describing how the Tamil Tigers use "intimidation, extortion and even violence" to raise money for military operations in Sri Lanka, has written a letter to Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair and Stockwell Day, the federal public safety minister. In the letter Joe Becker makes note of some positive developments that have occurred since the publication of the March report:
• The April 8 proscription of the LTTE as a terrorist entity: Although Human Rights Watch does not take a position on the listing of specific organizations as terrorist groups, and we maintain concerns about possible negative effects from such listings (discussed in more detail below), our contacts in the Tamil community indicate that the proscription has had significant positive impacts. These include a significant decline in intimidation and the use of threats by LTTE fundraisers, as well as an increase in the willingness of Tamils to refuse LTTE requests for funding.
• The RCMP investigation into the World Tamil Movement: Testimony that we collected during our investigation last year indicated that representatives of the World Tamil Movement (WTM) were involved in acts of intimidation and extortion to secure funds for the LTTE. The RCMP’s investigation into the WTM and its links to the LTTE, including the recent police warrants served on the WTM offices in Toronto and Montreal, are important steps to establish accountability for illegal activities linked to the LTTE.
• Outreach to the Tamil community through advertisements: The Department of Public Safety has placed ads in major newspapers regarding the listing of the LTTE, encouraging individuals with information on criminal or illegal activity to contact the local police or RCMP. The ads also expressed support for the Tamil community and the Sri Lankan peace process. The extent to which the LTTE and its sympathizers dominate the Tamil media makes these messages extremely important as a means of communicating alternative and independent information within the Tamil community.
However, Human Rights Watch believes more needs to be done. Its recommendations are detailed in the letter sent to Blair and Day.
See also:
Ottawa finally bans Tamil Tigers
Tigers use Canadian charities as 'fronts'
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa Toronto police crime Bill Blair politics federal government Conservatives Stephen Harper Stockwell Day immigration immigrants terrorism terrorists terrorist fundraising Tamils Tamil Tigers Tamil Ealam LTTE Sri Lanka
Human Rights Watch, which issued a report in March describing how the Tamil Tigers use "intimidation, extortion and even violence" to raise money for military operations in Sri Lanka, has written a letter to Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair and Stockwell Day, the federal public safety minister. In the letter Joe Becker makes note of some positive developments that have occurred since the publication of the March report:
• The April 8 proscription of the LTTE as a terrorist entity: Although Human Rights Watch does not take a position on the listing of specific organizations as terrorist groups, and we maintain concerns about possible negative effects from such listings (discussed in more detail below), our contacts in the Tamil community indicate that the proscription has had significant positive impacts. These include a significant decline in intimidation and the use of threats by LTTE fundraisers, as well as an increase in the willingness of Tamils to refuse LTTE requests for funding.
• The RCMP investigation into the World Tamil Movement: Testimony that we collected during our investigation last year indicated that representatives of the World Tamil Movement (WTM) were involved in acts of intimidation and extortion to secure funds for the LTTE. The RCMP’s investigation into the WTM and its links to the LTTE, including the recent police warrants served on the WTM offices in Toronto and Montreal, are important steps to establish accountability for illegal activities linked to the LTTE.
• Outreach to the Tamil community through advertisements: The Department of Public Safety has placed ads in major newspapers regarding the listing of the LTTE, encouraging individuals with information on criminal or illegal activity to contact the local police or RCMP. The ads also expressed support for the Tamil community and the Sri Lankan peace process. The extent to which the LTTE and its sympathizers dominate the Tamil media makes these messages extremely important as a means of communicating alternative and independent information within the Tamil community.
However, Human Rights Watch believes more needs to be done. Its recommendations are detailed in the letter sent to Blair and Day.
See also:
Ottawa finally bans Tamil Tigers
Tigers use Canadian charities as 'fronts'
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa Toronto police crime Bill Blair politics federal government Conservatives Stephen Harper Stockwell Day immigration immigrants terrorism terrorists terrorist fundraising Tamils Tamil Tigers Tamil Ealam LTTE Sri Lanka
Maher Arar affair - Zaccardelli resigns
From the Toronto Star (RCMP's Zaccardelli resigns by Tonda MacCharles, December 6):
Embattled RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli has quit his post as the head of the country's national police force.
It is the first casualty in the wake of the Maher Arar inquiry.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his resignation in the Commons this afternoon, praising the RCMP as an organization and extending personal gratitude to Zaccardelli for his years of service.
"I thank the commissioner for his service to the country and the RCMP," said Harper.
The Arar inquiry, after a two-year investigation, concluded the RCMP mistakenly identified Arar as an "Islamic extremist" and "very likely" led to the U.S. deportation of Arar to torture in Syria.
Despite that finding, to date, no officer involved had been disciplined. Many had been promoted.
[. . .]
Read all of Tonda MacCharles' article.
See also:
Another twist in the Maher Arar case. Star says Zaccardelli changed his story
Technorati tags: Canada police RCMP Giuliano Zaccardelli national security human rights terrorism Muslims Maher Arar
Embattled RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli has quit his post as the head of the country's national police force.
It is the first casualty in the wake of the Maher Arar inquiry.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his resignation in the Commons this afternoon, praising the RCMP as an organization and extending personal gratitude to Zaccardelli for his years of service.
"I thank the commissioner for his service to the country and the RCMP," said Harper.
The Arar inquiry, after a two-year investigation, concluded the RCMP mistakenly identified Arar as an "Islamic extremist" and "very likely" led to the U.S. deportation of Arar to torture in Syria.
Despite that finding, to date, no officer involved had been disciplined. Many had been promoted.
[. . .]
Read all of Tonda MacCharles' article.
See also:
Another twist in the Maher Arar case. Star says Zaccardelli changed his story
Technorati tags: Canada police RCMP Giuliano Zaccardelli national security human rights terrorism Muslims Maher Arar
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Alberta's new premier has Ukrainian roots. What role did ethnicity play in his win?
Alberta has a new premier. His name is Ed Stelmach and he's Ukrainian. I didn't pay much attention to the provincial Conservative party leadership race and before this weekend hadn't heard of Stelmach. I did see a few TV news reports about the leadership campaign, but they mostly focused on Ted Morton and his ties to religious conservatives. Stelmach was a dark horse candidate and wasn't expected to win. The frontrunner was Jim Dinning.
Apparently, Stelmach's Ukrainian roots were a factor in the race. According to the Edmonton Journal (Ukrainian roots help Stelmach by Sarah O'Donnell, November 30):
If Ed Stelmach wins the Conservative leadership race Saturday night, it will be in part because of support from Alberta's large and politically engaged Ukrainian community.
"The $10, $15 and $20 that are coming in from the Joe Smutskys off the street, there's so many of them," John Chomiak, Stelmach's fundraising chairman, said this week. "There's lots of grassroots in Eddie's campaign."
Ted Morton dominates the religious right and Jim Dinning has a hold on the province's business elite. But Stelmach is on this second ballot because of regular folks, many of whom share his Ukrainian roots.
Stelmach said he has been amazed on the campaign trail how often the connections come up.
"The one thing I'm noticing is, no matter where I go in this province I meet people who say we have a common friend or a common relative," Stelmach said. "That's really working to my advantage. In Edmonton, there is a large Ukrainian community and that is an asset as well."
Alberta's Ukrainian community is hardly a monolithic group. But it can be a political force.
About 10 per cent of Albertans, nearly 286,000 people, identified themselves as having Ukrainian backgrounds in the 2001 census. About 13 per cent of Edmonton's population reported Ukrainian roots.
Read all of Sarah O'Donnell's article.
A non-Ukrainian friend of mine who used to live in Edmonton called the city Edmonchuk, because of the Ukrainians there. A lot of Ukrainian surnames end in 'chuk'. I don't know if my friend made up this nickname for Edmonton himself or if other people use it too.
I'm sure Albertans are more interested in Stelmach's policies and abilities than in his Ukrainian ancestry, but I'm interested, because my father is Ukrainian. My family history is complicated, but my dad's parents were homesteaders north of Edmonton. Stelmach is from the village of Andrew. A quick look at the map shows me that my own grandparents homesteaded about 100 kilometres to the west. Kevin Libby writes in the National Post:
[Stelmach is] a virtual superhero in the perogy belt, due to a Ukrainian heritage deep enough that the Alberta-born Mr. Stelmach retains a slight Eastern European accent
Not living in Alberta and being unfamiliar with its politics, I'm not sure how much of a factor ethnicity was in the race. Political victories usually involve a variety of things. Aside from the fact that I'm Ukrainian, Stelmach's win is interesting to me because if ethnicity was a major factor, it would show how stable ethnic identities can be. Ukrainians have been in Alberta for several generations now. It would seem a lot of them still haven't lost their separate identity. Bill Doskoch who wrote a profile of Stelmach for CTV News says this on his personal blog:
Not that I know the guy personally, but I know that area northeast of Edmonton quite well. My dad's quarter-section of land is about a 20-minute drive from Andrew, which is where Stelmach's farm is located.
That's a pretty damned Ukrainian part of Alberta! (as opposed to being a pretty damned part of Alberta, because of the Ukrainians)
There are concentrations of Ukrainians in certain parts of the prairies because they often homesteaded in block settlements.
Since the focus of my blog is immigration, maybe I can write a bit about Ukrainian immigrants. Ukrainians started coming to Canada in the 1890s because Ottawa needed people to populate the prairies. There was concern at that the time that if Canada didn't settle the region, the United States would annex them. Ukrainians were one of several European nationalities who were encouraged to immigrate at that time. Germans and Poles were also prominent in the west. Americans too played a big role in settling the prairies, particularly in Alberta where they have left their mark on the province's culture and politics. Or so I've read. I'm not an expert. When Preston Manning used to defend the Reform Party's opposition to state-sponsored multiculturalism, he would point out that the West was multicultural long before Ontario.
Ukrainian immigration is associated with the name of Clifford Sifton, who was Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfred Laurier, Canada's first French-Canadian prime minister. East European immigration was controversial at the time, but Sifton defended it. He's famous for this quote:
When I speak of quality I have in mind something that is quite different from what is in the mind of the average writer or speaker upon the question of immigration. I think that a stalwart peasant in a sheepskin coat, born on the soil, whose forefathers have been farmers for ten generations, with a stout wife and a half-dozen children, is good quality.
The image of a "stalwart peasant in a sheepskin coat" has becomes a cliche. There was a controversy once when one of Trudeau's cabinet ministers used this phrase in a speech at a Ukrainian gathering. Some in the audience were offended because they considered this description demeaning. I have a memory of Trudeau defending his minister in the House of Commons. I think the minister was actually praising the hardiness of the first Ukrainian immigrants but I guess some people thought Ukrainians were being dismissed as nothing but peasants. There was anger at the lack of recognition that Ukrainian-Canadians were involved in all aspects of Canadian life, not just farming. This happened a long time ago, but I think that's what it was.
Ukrainians are part of Canada's white majority, but the Ukrainian immigrants I grew up with saw themselves as a distinct minority group. In Canada we call non-whites "visible minorities," but I once heard a Ukrainian spokesman refer to Ukrainians and other white ethnics as "INVISIBLE minorities." I personally find it aggravating when some non-whites talk about whites as if they are a homogenous group. That's one reason among others, I dislike the expression "white bread." This phrase implies whites are all the same. Toronto city council may be mostly white, but it's hardly mono-ethnic when councillors have names like Pantalone, Giambrone and Mihevc, to name just a few.
People sometimes speak of four waves of Ukrainian immigration: pre-World War I, interwar, post-World War II and post-Soviet. The first two waves were mainly economic and most of the newcomers settled in the prairies, but the post-World War II wave was mostly political and included many fervent nationalists. Much of this wave settled in Toronto, Montreal and other central Canadian cities.
When I was younger, some of the Ukrainians in Toronto looked down on the prairie Ukrainians because the latter were more assimilated and were less likely to speak Ukrainian. However times change and my generation of Toronto Ukrainians is also more assimilated and less likely to speak Ukrainian. Each Canadian census shows a declining number of native Ukrainian-speakers. There's also a high rate of intermarriage with other groups. On the other hand, Edmonton now has bilingual Ukrainian schools. As does Manitoba. Ukrainians, unfortunately, also played an important part in the establishment of official multiculturalism.
Still, Ukrainian-Canadian identity is surprisingly resilient. Despite intermarriage and the loss of their ancestral language, many people still value their Ukrainian heritage. In debates about multiculturalism, people often say immigrants should assimilate. I don't disagree, but my experience tells me assimilation is not simple. Ethnic roots run deep. I'm only half-Ukrainian and my native language is English; yet, the fact that I'm writing this lengthy blog entry shows that I'm still very much tied to my Ukrainian roots.
You can't just order immigrants to assimilate. It doesn't work that way. The government can and should encourage immigrants to think of themselves as Canadian first, but assimilation is a process that sometimes takes generations to complete. That's something that needs to be taken into account when making immigration policy. Abolishing official multiculturalism would be a step in the right direction but as long as Canada has a large number of immigrants coming in, our society will stay ethnically divided. If you want the descendants of immigrants to assimilate, it helps to cut off the flow of newcomers who reinforce the link with the old country.
It will be interesting to see what Canadian politics will look like when Chinese- and Indo-Canadians really start asserting themselves. Harper's head tax apology and the demands for an apology for the Komagata Maru affair are signs of things to come. In some places already, white Canadians are virtually shut out of the political process. Demography is destiny in politics.
See also:
Alberta ain't what she used to be
Ukrainian-Canadians and the invention of official multiculturalism
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Alberta Edmonton politics Conservatives Conservative Party leadership Ed Stelmach Ted Morton Jim Dinning Ukraine Ukrainian immigrants Ukrainian-Canadian Ukrainian-Canadians Ukrainians ethnicity ethnic identity society immigration multiculturalism history
Apparently, Stelmach's Ukrainian roots were a factor in the race. According to the Edmonton Journal (Ukrainian roots help Stelmach by Sarah O'Donnell, November 30):
If Ed Stelmach wins the Conservative leadership race Saturday night, it will be in part because of support from Alberta's large and politically engaged Ukrainian community.
"The $10, $15 and $20 that are coming in from the Joe Smutskys off the street, there's so many of them," John Chomiak, Stelmach's fundraising chairman, said this week. "There's lots of grassroots in Eddie's campaign."
Ted Morton dominates the religious right and Jim Dinning has a hold on the province's business elite. But Stelmach is on this second ballot because of regular folks, many of whom share his Ukrainian roots.
Stelmach said he has been amazed on the campaign trail how often the connections come up.
"The one thing I'm noticing is, no matter where I go in this province I meet people who say we have a common friend or a common relative," Stelmach said. "That's really working to my advantage. In Edmonton, there is a large Ukrainian community and that is an asset as well."
Alberta's Ukrainian community is hardly a monolithic group. But it can be a political force.
About 10 per cent of Albertans, nearly 286,000 people, identified themselves as having Ukrainian backgrounds in the 2001 census. About 13 per cent of Edmonton's population reported Ukrainian roots.
Read all of Sarah O'Donnell's article.
A non-Ukrainian friend of mine who used to live in Edmonton called the city Edmonchuk, because of the Ukrainians there. A lot of Ukrainian surnames end in 'chuk'. I don't know if my friend made up this nickname for Edmonton himself or if other people use it too.
I'm sure Albertans are more interested in Stelmach's policies and abilities than in his Ukrainian ancestry, but I'm interested, because my father is Ukrainian. My family history is complicated, but my dad's parents were homesteaders north of Edmonton. Stelmach is from the village of Andrew. A quick look at the map shows me that my own grandparents homesteaded about 100 kilometres to the west. Kevin Libby writes in the National Post:
[Stelmach is] a virtual superhero in the perogy belt, due to a Ukrainian heritage deep enough that the Alberta-born Mr. Stelmach retains a slight Eastern European accent
Not living in Alberta and being unfamiliar with its politics, I'm not sure how much of a factor ethnicity was in the race. Political victories usually involve a variety of things. Aside from the fact that I'm Ukrainian, Stelmach's win is interesting to me because if ethnicity was a major factor, it would show how stable ethnic identities can be. Ukrainians have been in Alberta for several generations now. It would seem a lot of them still haven't lost their separate identity. Bill Doskoch who wrote a profile of Stelmach for CTV News says this on his personal blog:
Not that I know the guy personally, but I know that area northeast of Edmonton quite well. My dad's quarter-section of land is about a 20-minute drive from Andrew, which is where Stelmach's farm is located.
That's a pretty damned Ukrainian part of Alberta! (as opposed to being a pretty damned part of Alberta, because of the Ukrainians)
There are concentrations of Ukrainians in certain parts of the prairies because they often homesteaded in block settlements.
Since the focus of my blog is immigration, maybe I can write a bit about Ukrainian immigrants. Ukrainians started coming to Canada in the 1890s because Ottawa needed people to populate the prairies. There was concern at that the time that if Canada didn't settle the region, the United States would annex them. Ukrainians were one of several European nationalities who were encouraged to immigrate at that time. Germans and Poles were also prominent in the west. Americans too played a big role in settling the prairies, particularly in Alberta where they have left their mark on the province's culture and politics. Or so I've read. I'm not an expert. When Preston Manning used to defend the Reform Party's opposition to state-sponsored multiculturalism, he would point out that the West was multicultural long before Ontario.
Ukrainian immigration is associated with the name of Clifford Sifton, who was Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfred Laurier, Canada's first French-Canadian prime minister. East European immigration was controversial at the time, but Sifton defended it. He's famous for this quote:
When I speak of quality I have in mind something that is quite different from what is in the mind of the average writer or speaker upon the question of immigration. I think that a stalwart peasant in a sheepskin coat, born on the soil, whose forefathers have been farmers for ten generations, with a stout wife and a half-dozen children, is good quality.
The image of a "stalwart peasant in a sheepskin coat" has becomes a cliche. There was a controversy once when one of Trudeau's cabinet ministers used this phrase in a speech at a Ukrainian gathering. Some in the audience were offended because they considered this description demeaning. I have a memory of Trudeau defending his minister in the House of Commons. I think the minister was actually praising the hardiness of the first Ukrainian immigrants but I guess some people thought Ukrainians were being dismissed as nothing but peasants. There was anger at the lack of recognition that Ukrainian-Canadians were involved in all aspects of Canadian life, not just farming. This happened a long time ago, but I think that's what it was.
Ukrainians are part of Canada's white majority, but the Ukrainian immigrants I grew up with saw themselves as a distinct minority group. In Canada we call non-whites "visible minorities," but I once heard a Ukrainian spokesman refer to Ukrainians and other white ethnics as "INVISIBLE minorities." I personally find it aggravating when some non-whites talk about whites as if they are a homogenous group. That's one reason among others, I dislike the expression "white bread." This phrase implies whites are all the same. Toronto city council may be mostly white, but it's hardly mono-ethnic when councillors have names like Pantalone, Giambrone and Mihevc, to name just a few.
People sometimes speak of four waves of Ukrainian immigration: pre-World War I, interwar, post-World War II and post-Soviet. The first two waves were mainly economic and most of the newcomers settled in the prairies, but the post-World War II wave was mostly political and included many fervent nationalists. Much of this wave settled in Toronto, Montreal and other central Canadian cities.
When I was younger, some of the Ukrainians in Toronto looked down on the prairie Ukrainians because the latter were more assimilated and were less likely to speak Ukrainian. However times change and my generation of Toronto Ukrainians is also more assimilated and less likely to speak Ukrainian. Each Canadian census shows a declining number of native Ukrainian-speakers. There's also a high rate of intermarriage with other groups. On the other hand, Edmonton now has bilingual Ukrainian schools. As does Manitoba. Ukrainians, unfortunately, also played an important part in the establishment of official multiculturalism.
Still, Ukrainian-Canadian identity is surprisingly resilient. Despite intermarriage and the loss of their ancestral language, many people still value their Ukrainian heritage. In debates about multiculturalism, people often say immigrants should assimilate. I don't disagree, but my experience tells me assimilation is not simple. Ethnic roots run deep. I'm only half-Ukrainian and my native language is English; yet, the fact that I'm writing this lengthy blog entry shows that I'm still very much tied to my Ukrainian roots.
You can't just order immigrants to assimilate. It doesn't work that way. The government can and should encourage immigrants to think of themselves as Canadian first, but assimilation is a process that sometimes takes generations to complete. That's something that needs to be taken into account when making immigration policy. Abolishing official multiculturalism would be a step in the right direction but as long as Canada has a large number of immigrants coming in, our society will stay ethnically divided. If you want the descendants of immigrants to assimilate, it helps to cut off the flow of newcomers who reinforce the link with the old country.
It will be interesting to see what Canadian politics will look like when Chinese- and Indo-Canadians really start asserting themselves. Harper's head tax apology and the demands for an apology for the Komagata Maru affair are signs of things to come. In some places already, white Canadians are virtually shut out of the political process. Demography is destiny in politics.
See also:
Alberta ain't what she used to be
Ukrainian-Canadians and the invention of official multiculturalism
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian Alberta Edmonton politics Conservatives Conservative Party leadership Ed Stelmach Ted Morton Jim Dinning Ukraine Ukrainian immigrants Ukrainian-Canadian Ukrainian-Canadians Ukrainians ethnicity ethnic identity society immigration multiculturalism history
Stephane Dion holds French citizenship
From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (Dion won't renounce French citizenship, December 5):
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion defended his loyalty to Canada today amid questions about his dual Canadian-French citizenship.
Dion was born in Canada but his mother was born in France and Dion holds French citizenship as a result.
"I'm proud of who I am, and I am fully loyal to my country, and nobody will question that," Dion told reporters. I'm 100 per cent loyal to Canada and I believe I've more than demonstrated that in my life."
The same issue dogged Governor General Michaelle Jean, who also held a French passport through her husband. She eventually renounced French citizenship, saying it would feel strange to hold both while fulfilling her vice-regal duties.
Ezra Levant, a long-time conservative pundit and publisher of the Western Standard, criticized Dion in a column in the Calgary Sun for not doing the same.
[. . .]
Read all of the CP article.
See also:
Ezra Levant's column about Dion
Three million Canadians live abroad. Number of dual citizens not known
Ottawa plans dual citizenship review. Lebanon evacuations cost Canadian taxpayers dearly.
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian France French Ottawa politics Liberals Liberal Party Stephane Dion dual citizens citizenship nationalism national identity
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion defended his loyalty to Canada today amid questions about his dual Canadian-French citizenship.
Dion was born in Canada but his mother was born in France and Dion holds French citizenship as a result.
"I'm proud of who I am, and I am fully loyal to my country, and nobody will question that," Dion told reporters. I'm 100 per cent loyal to Canada and I believe I've more than demonstrated that in my life."
The same issue dogged Governor General Michaelle Jean, who also held a French passport through her husband. She eventually renounced French citizenship, saying it would feel strange to hold both while fulfilling her vice-regal duties.
Ezra Levant, a long-time conservative pundit and publisher of the Western Standard, criticized Dion in a column in the Calgary Sun for not doing the same.
[. . .]
Read all of the CP article.
See also:
Ezra Levant's column about Dion
Three million Canadians live abroad. Number of dual citizens not known
Ottawa plans dual citizenship review. Lebanon evacuations cost Canadian taxpayers dearly.
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian France French Ottawa politics Liberals Liberal Party Stephane Dion dual citizens citizenship nationalism national identity
300,000 more healthcare cards in Ontario than there are people
On October 12, I wrote:
Illegal immigrants, unlike the legal variety, aren't given a health check when they decide to live here. While they aren't legally entitled to government healthcare, there is an underground market in stolen and false documents that allows them to get it. Let's not kid ourselves. Illegal immigrants are receiving healthcare at taxpayer expense. Canadians are subsidizing the cheap labour that is putting them out of work.
From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (More health cards than people found in Ontario, December 5)
The auditor general has found there are about 300,000 more Ontario Health Insurance cards than there are people in the province.
Auditor Jim McCarter says most of the extra health cards are held by people in Toronto, or those living close to the United States border.
[Hyphenated Canadian - About forty percent of the 250,000+ legal immigrants who arrive in Canada each year settle in Toronto. The city has large well-established ethnic communities, which makes it easier for illegal immigrants to blend in and receive help. I don't know what percentage of these extra healthcare cards are being used by illegals, but I would guess that a substantial number are.]
McCarter also found there are hundreds of unlicensed doctors in Ontario still able to bill the system, even though they may have been suspended or moved away.
He also says there was at least $17 million wrongly charged to OHIP last year that the government failed to recover.
[. . .]
Read all of the CP story.
See also:
Auditor General's full report
The section on OHIP in pdf format
Immigrants account for two-thirds of tuberculosis cases in Canada
Ugandan immigrant charged with defrauding Ontario healthcare system. Accused of issuing illegal prescriptions for narcotics.
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario auditor general OHIP healthcare fraud immigration illegal aliens
Illegal immigrants, unlike the legal variety, aren't given a health check when they decide to live here. While they aren't legally entitled to government healthcare, there is an underground market in stolen and false documents that allows them to get it. Let's not kid ourselves. Illegal immigrants are receiving healthcare at taxpayer expense. Canadians are subsidizing the cheap labour that is putting them out of work.
From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (More health cards than people found in Ontario, December 5)
The auditor general has found there are about 300,000 more Ontario Health Insurance cards than there are people in the province.
Auditor Jim McCarter says most of the extra health cards are held by people in Toronto, or those living close to the United States border.
[Hyphenated Canadian - About forty percent of the 250,000+ legal immigrants who arrive in Canada each year settle in Toronto. The city has large well-established ethnic communities, which makes it easier for illegal immigrants to blend in and receive help. I don't know what percentage of these extra healthcare cards are being used by illegals, but I would guess that a substantial number are.]
McCarter also found there are hundreds of unlicensed doctors in Ontario still able to bill the system, even though they may have been suspended or moved away.
He also says there was at least $17 million wrongly charged to OHIP last year that the government failed to recover.
[. . .]
Read all of the CP story.
See also:
Auditor General's full report
The section on OHIP in pdf format
Immigrants account for two-thirds of tuberculosis cases in Canada
Ugandan immigrant charged with defrauding Ontario healthcare system. Accused of issuing illegal prescriptions for narcotics.
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario auditor general OHIP healthcare fraud immigration illegal aliens
Can Dion beat Harper? Political analysts say environmental issues alone don't win elections
On Sunday December 3, I wrote this about Stephane Dion:
Kyoto and the environment are his big issues. How much do Canadians care about global warming? I suspect most Canadians don't spend a lot of time worrying about greenhouse gas emissions. I'm sure there's polling data floating around the internet somewhere.
From today's National Post (Liberals can't win on green issues alone, experts say by Mary Vallis, December 5):
Recent polls have shown the environment is becoming a key concern in Canada. A Nov. 21 poll by Decima Research, for example, found 26% said it will influence their vote in the next federal election more than any other issue. This may explain why so many Liberal leadership candidates focused on it in their convention speeches.
But polls do not always tell the whole story, said Nelson Wiseman, a political scientist at the University of Toronto, who noted that people often say one thing, but do another.
"People tell you they intend to vote, but they don't," Mr. Wiseman said, referring to the recent municipal election in Toronto as an example. A few days before the election, three-quarters of respondents on one survey said they planned to vote, but only 41% of potential voters actually did.
Mr. Wiseman characterized the environment as a "leisure issue." It gets a high profile when the economy is doing well and voters have time to consider it. But when the economy takes a downturn, interest wanes and voters talk more about jobs and unemployment.
Read all of Mary Vallis' article.
See also:
Dion new Liberal leader
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa politics federal government Liberals Liberal Party Stephane Dion Stephen Harper environment Kyoto global warming
Kyoto and the environment are his big issues. How much do Canadians care about global warming? I suspect most Canadians don't spend a lot of time worrying about greenhouse gas emissions. I'm sure there's polling data floating around the internet somewhere.
From today's National Post (Liberals can't win on green issues alone, experts say by Mary Vallis, December 5):
Recent polls have shown the environment is becoming a key concern in Canada. A Nov. 21 poll by Decima Research, for example, found 26% said it will influence their vote in the next federal election more than any other issue. This may explain why so many Liberal leadership candidates focused on it in their convention speeches.
But polls do not always tell the whole story, said Nelson Wiseman, a political scientist at the University of Toronto, who noted that people often say one thing, but do another.
"People tell you they intend to vote, but they don't," Mr. Wiseman said, referring to the recent municipal election in Toronto as an example. A few days before the election, three-quarters of respondents on one survey said they planned to vote, but only 41% of potential voters actually did.
Mr. Wiseman characterized the environment as a "leisure issue." It gets a high profile when the economy is doing well and voters have time to consider it. But when the economy takes a downturn, interest wanes and voters talk more about jobs and unemployment.
Read all of Mary Vallis' article.
See also:
Dion new Liberal leader
Technorati tags: Canada Ottawa politics federal government Liberals Liberal Party Stephane Dion Stephen Harper environment Kyoto global warming
Canada's refugee industry prefers some asylum seekers over others
From pages 152-3 of Daniel Stoffman's book Who gets in: what's wrong with Canada's immigration program - and how to fix it:
I once asked Jonas Widgren, a former Swedish government official who has spent much of his life working for international migration organizations, for his definition of a refugee. He said, "A refugee is someone running for his life." A Guatemalan union leader being chased by death squads, for example. Or a supporter of democracy who'd be tortured if he fell into the clutches of a military thug like General Pinochet. Or someone, who like Rexhije Hajrullahu, is fleeing Serbs who would kill her for being Muslim.
[Hyphenated Canadian - Earlier in the book, Stoffman introduces Hajrullahu as a refugee from Kosovo.]
On the face of it, Canada should be welcoming more people like Rexhije Hajrullahu as part of its refugee resettlement program. But she's not the kind of refugee the industry likes to see coming here. Because she's selected overseas by the government, she does not need a Canadian lawyer to argue her case in Canada. Nor does she need the approval of the Immigration and Refugee Board. If all Canada's refugees were like her, millions of dollars in legal aid fees would evaporate and there would be no IRB jobs for Jean Chretien to dispense.
[Hyphenated Canadian - Chretien was still Prime Minister when this book was published in 2002.]
For more information about Daniel Stoffman's book, click here.
See also:
Immigration lawyers urging Iraqis to enter Canada illegally
Mounties charge refugee board judge accused of asking for sex from claimant
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian immigration immigrants refugee refugees asylum seekers law human rights
I once asked Jonas Widgren, a former Swedish government official who has spent much of his life working for international migration organizations, for his definition of a refugee. He said, "A refugee is someone running for his life." A Guatemalan union leader being chased by death squads, for example. Or a supporter of democracy who'd be tortured if he fell into the clutches of a military thug like General Pinochet. Or someone, who like Rexhije Hajrullahu, is fleeing Serbs who would kill her for being Muslim.
[Hyphenated Canadian - Earlier in the book, Stoffman introduces Hajrullahu as a refugee from Kosovo.]
On the face of it, Canada should be welcoming more people like Rexhije Hajrullahu as part of its refugee resettlement program. But she's not the kind of refugee the industry likes to see coming here. Because she's selected overseas by the government, she does not need a Canadian lawyer to argue her case in Canada. Nor does she need the approval of the Immigration and Refugee Board. If all Canada's refugees were like her, millions of dollars in legal aid fees would evaporate and there would be no IRB jobs for Jean Chretien to dispense.
[Hyphenated Canadian - Chretien was still Prime Minister when this book was published in 2002.]
For more information about Daniel Stoffman's book, click here.
See also:
Immigration lawyers urging Iraqis to enter Canada illegally
Mounties charge refugee board judge accused of asking for sex from claimant
Technorati tags: Canada Canadian immigration immigrants refugee refugees asylum seekers law human rights
Canada's high rate of refugee acceptance
From page 22 of Stephen Gallagher's December 2003 report Canada’s Dysfunctional Refugee Determination System:
Although it is difficult to speculate on the future and reforms have been made to the existing system, one more aspect of Canada’s refugee process that has no parallel in other countries is its rate of positive determination. Some have investigated the reason for this anomaly and reach disturbing conclusions (Stoffman, 2002: ch. 7). With respect to numbers, in its first-instance determination, Canada grants Convention Refugee status to a greater proportion and to a broader spectrum of its applicants than any other country in world. In addition, Canada granted Convention Refugee status to individuals from countries not recognized as producing refugees by any other country. In some cases, Canada granted Convention Refugee status to more individuals from a given country than all the other refugee-hosting countries of the world put together (Gallagher, 2002a: 110–11). During the 1990s, Canada’s refugee-determination rate was 61.8% during a period when none of the other major destination countries approached 50% and most European countries were in the area of 10% (UNHCR, 2000: table V.16). In 2002, Canada’s Convention Refugee Determination
rate was the highest among the major destination countries and Canada was the only developed country to grant protection (even with humanitarian and temporary protection included) to more than half of the applicants that completed the determination process (figure 3).
Download the entire report free of charge.
See also:
Immigration lawyers urging Iraqis to enter Canada illegally
Technorati tags: Canada immigration refugees Fraser Institute
Although it is difficult to speculate on the future and reforms have been made to the existing system, one more aspect of Canada’s refugee process that has no parallel in other countries is its rate of positive determination. Some have investigated the reason for this anomaly and reach disturbing conclusions (Stoffman, 2002: ch. 7). With respect to numbers, in its first-instance determination, Canada grants Convention Refugee status to a greater proportion and to a broader spectrum of its applicants than any other country in world. In addition, Canada granted Convention Refugee status to individuals from countries not recognized as producing refugees by any other country. In some cases, Canada granted Convention Refugee status to more individuals from a given country than all the other refugee-hosting countries of the world put together (Gallagher, 2002a: 110–11). During the 1990s, Canada’s refugee-determination rate was 61.8% during a period when none of the other major destination countries approached 50% and most European countries were in the area of 10% (UNHCR, 2000: table V.16). In 2002, Canada’s Convention Refugee Determination
rate was the highest among the major destination countries and Canada was the only developed country to grant protection (even with humanitarian and temporary protection included) to more than half of the applicants that completed the determination process (figure 3).
Download the entire report free of charge.
See also:
Immigration lawyers urging Iraqis to enter Canada illegally
Technorati tags: Canada immigration refugees Fraser Institute
Monday, December 04, 2006
Another twist in the Maher Arar case. Star says Zaccardelli changed his story
From the Toronto Star (RCMP head 'not informed' about Arar by Tonda MacCharles, December 4):
RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli made a stunning about-face today, saying he and other senior RCMP officials did not know the RCMP conveyed wrong information to American authorities about Maher Arar.
That information, concluded an inquiry judge, "very likely" led to his deportation to torture in Syria.
In a complete contradiction of earlier testimony before a parliamentary committee, Zaccardelli now claims he was unaware throughout Arar's detention by the U.S., and later Syria, of the RCMP missteps.
"When ministers were briefed about the circumstances of the Arar case, their briefings did not include the fact that some inaccurate information had been provided to the Americans by the RCMP," Zaccardelli told a business audience.
[. . .]
Read all of Tonda MacCharles' article.
Following the Maher Arar story, it's hard to escape the impression that the RCMP is incompetent. Whether that impression is accurate or not, I can't say. Maybe there's more to the Arar case than has been made public, but the information that is available tells us an innocent man was arrested and tortured.
I have another impression that may or may not be accurate. After 9-11, the RCMP panicked. It cut corners because it was terrified there would be a terrorist attack on Canadian soil. Among other things, the Arar case tells us that Canada is not well-equiped to fight terrorism. Our security services are overwhelmed, because before 9-11 and to a considerable extent afterwards, the federal government didn't take terrorist threats seriously despite warnings from people like Senator Colin Kenny.
See also:
Zaccardelli apologizes to Arar. All well and good. Now can we start addressing the problem of Muslim terrorists in Canada?
Maher Arar - report says Canadian Muslim tortured in Syria was wrongly suspected of links to terrorism
Technorati tags: Canada police RCMP Giuliano Zaccardelli national security human rights terrorism Muslims Maher Arar
RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli made a stunning about-face today, saying he and other senior RCMP officials did not know the RCMP conveyed wrong information to American authorities about Maher Arar.
That information, concluded an inquiry judge, "very likely" led to his deportation to torture in Syria.
In a complete contradiction of earlier testimony before a parliamentary committee, Zaccardelli now claims he was unaware throughout Arar's detention by the U.S., and later Syria, of the RCMP missteps.
"When ministers were briefed about the circumstances of the Arar case, their briefings did not include the fact that some inaccurate information had been provided to the Americans by the RCMP," Zaccardelli told a business audience.
[. . .]
Read all of Tonda MacCharles' article.
Following the Maher Arar story, it's hard to escape the impression that the RCMP is incompetent. Whether that impression is accurate or not, I can't say. Maybe there's more to the Arar case than has been made public, but the information that is available tells us an innocent man was arrested and tortured.
I have another impression that may or may not be accurate. After 9-11, the RCMP panicked. It cut corners because it was terrified there would be a terrorist attack on Canadian soil. Among other things, the Arar case tells us that Canada is not well-equiped to fight terrorism. Our security services are overwhelmed, because before 9-11 and to a considerable extent afterwards, the federal government didn't take terrorist threats seriously despite warnings from people like Senator Colin Kenny.
See also:
Zaccardelli apologizes to Arar. All well and good. Now can we start addressing the problem of Muslim terrorists in Canada?
Maher Arar - report says Canadian Muslim tortured in Syria was wrongly suspected of links to terrorism
Technorati tags: Canada police RCMP Giuliano Zaccardelli national security human rights terrorism Muslims Maher Arar
How printed books helped make nationalism possible
On his blog, Unenumerated, Nick Szabo writes:
Before book consciousness there had been no national languages, but only a range of often mutually incomprehensible dialects and in Western Europe the language of the tiny literate elite, Latin. With newly unified national vernaculars, organizations were able to coordinate and grow in an unprecedented manner. A much larger group of people, raised on the same written language, increasingly also came to look and speak similarlyand become far more mutually trusted. It was the birth of national loyalty and nationwide webs of trust. The "tribe" to which we are instinctively loyal vastly increased in size. The pool of already somewhat trusted "same tribe" people from which a bureacracy could recruit new members vastly increased.
Read all of Nick Szabo's blog post.
I don't know if Nick Szabo has read Benedict Anderson's book Imagined Communities, but whether he has or not, Anderson makes a similar point about the role of the printing press in creating widely-understood standardized languages out of numerous distinct dialects.
There are a lot of competing theories about nationalism. Among other things, scholars disagree about whether nationalism is something new that only emerged in modern times or whether it has always been around. Anderson is one of those who says nationalism is something new.
See also:
Wishful thinking won't make Quebec nationalism disappear
Is Quebec nationalism "civic" or "ethnic"?
Hat tip: Steve Sailer
Technorati tags: nationalism nation national identity history culture social theory books literacy
Before book consciousness there had been no national languages, but only a range of often mutually incomprehensible dialects and in Western Europe the language of the tiny literate elite, Latin. With newly unified national vernaculars, organizations were able to coordinate and grow in an unprecedented manner. A much larger group of people, raised on the same written language, increasingly also came to look and speak similarlyand become far more mutually trusted. It was the birth of national loyalty and nationwide webs of trust. The "tribe" to which we are instinctively loyal vastly increased in size. The pool of already somewhat trusted "same tribe" people from which a bureacracy could recruit new members vastly increased.
Read all of Nick Szabo's blog post.
I don't know if Nick Szabo has read Benedict Anderson's book Imagined Communities, but whether he has or not, Anderson makes a similar point about the role of the printing press in creating widely-understood standardized languages out of numerous distinct dialects.
There are a lot of competing theories about nationalism. Among other things, scholars disagree about whether nationalism is something new that only emerged in modern times or whether it has always been around. Anderson is one of those who says nationalism is something new.
See also:
Wishful thinking won't make Quebec nationalism disappear
Is Quebec nationalism "civic" or "ethnic"?
Hat tip: Steve Sailer
Technorati tags: nationalism nation national identity history culture social theory books literacy
Globe and Mail: EU official debriefs Khadr about CIA flight
From the Globe and Mail (EU official debriefs Khadr about CIA flight by Colin Freeze, December 4):
A member of a European Union committee probing CIA rendition flights travelled to Toronto yesterday to hear a former Guantanamo Bay detainee describe the jet that took him to Europe.
Ana Maria Gomes, a European Union MP, met with 24-year-old Abdurahman Khadr as he recalled a trip made in November, 2003 aboard a U.S. Gulfstream IV jet.
Mr. Khadr recalled the words that he claims came from a Central Intelligence Agency handler who put him onto the plane flying out of Cuba and toward Bosnia.
"He said it was the CIA deputy director's plane and they came down to . . . Guantanamo Bay just to pick me up," Mr. Khadr said. The jet stopped to refuel in the Azores islands, 1,500 kilometres off the coast of Portugal, before landing in Europe, he said.
[. . .]
Read all of Colin Freeze's article.
[The Khadrs:] Canada's First Family of Terrorism
Canada's al Qaeda family back in the news: Abdullah Khadr charged on four counts
Technorati tags: Canada European Union EU United States US USA CIA national security human rights extraordinary rendition immigration terrorism terrorists Islam Muslims Khadr
A member of a European Union committee probing CIA rendition flights travelled to Toronto yesterday to hear a former Guantanamo Bay detainee describe the jet that took him to Europe.
Ana Maria Gomes, a European Union MP, met with 24-year-old Abdurahman Khadr as he recalled a trip made in November, 2003 aboard a U.S. Gulfstream IV jet.
Mr. Khadr recalled the words that he claims came from a Central Intelligence Agency handler who put him onto the plane flying out of Cuba and toward Bosnia.
"He said it was the CIA deputy director's plane and they came down to . . . Guantanamo Bay just to pick me up," Mr. Khadr said. The jet stopped to refuel in the Azores islands, 1,500 kilometres off the coast of Portugal, before landing in Europe, he said.
[. . .]
Read all of Colin Freeze's article.
[The Khadrs:] Canada's First Family of Terrorism
Canada's al Qaeda family back in the news: Abdullah Khadr charged on four counts
Technorati tags: Canada European Union EU United States US USA CIA national security human rights extraordinary rendition immigration terrorism terrorists Islam Muslims Khadr
Bill 50 - Letter writer says Ontario acupuncture bill has support
According to a November 23 Canadian Press story:
Furious Chinese acupuncturists are threatening to mobilize half-a-million people against Ontario's Liberal government over legislation making their profession self-regulating.
[. . .]
"Bill 50 discriminates against the Chinese medicine profession and against the Chinese community and is a second head tax," said Stephen Liu, co-chairman of the Canadian Society of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.
However, not everyone is opposed to this bill. Jane Cheung, a committee member of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada writes in a November 28 letter to the Toronto Star (Acupuncture bill supported):
As a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner (TCM) in Ontario, I certainly am not "infuriated" by the successful passing of the third and final reading of Bill 50 in the Ontario Legislature on Nov. 23, 2006. This is, in fact, a historic day which will finally allow the acupuncturists and TCM practitioners of Ontario to take their place alongside the other regulated health professions in the province.
Contrary to the quotes from a vocal minority that were interviewed for this article, this bill has enjoyed widespread support both in the TCM community and the general public. It passed the support of the governing Liberal party combined with the support of the major opposition parties.
This amount of support shows that it was past time for this type of legislation. Previously, there was absolutely no regulation of acupuncture and TCM in Ontario. Anybody, regardless of training or expertise, has been able to set up shop in Ontario and start performing acupuncture. There have been absolutely no standards and no monitoring to ensure that people were receiving quality treatment. No formal mechanism currently exists to hear complaints.
[. .. ]
Read all of Ms. Cheung's letter.
See also:
Bill 50: Chinese acupuncturists call new Ontario legislation a "second head-tax"
Bill 50: Opposition over Ontario plan to regulate "traditional Chinese medicine"
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto Queen's Park Dalton McGuinty politics law legislation healthcare health alternative medicine acupuncture immigration China Chinese immigrants traditional Chinese medicine multiculturalism cultural diversity
Furious Chinese acupuncturists are threatening to mobilize half-a-million people against Ontario's Liberal government over legislation making their profession self-regulating.
[. . .]
"Bill 50 discriminates against the Chinese medicine profession and against the Chinese community and is a second head tax," said Stephen Liu, co-chairman of the Canadian Society of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.
However, not everyone is opposed to this bill. Jane Cheung, a committee member of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada writes in a November 28 letter to the Toronto Star (Acupuncture bill supported):
As a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner (TCM) in Ontario, I certainly am not "infuriated" by the successful passing of the third and final reading of Bill 50 in the Ontario Legislature on Nov. 23, 2006. This is, in fact, a historic day which will finally allow the acupuncturists and TCM practitioners of Ontario to take their place alongside the other regulated health professions in the province.
Contrary to the quotes from a vocal minority that were interviewed for this article, this bill has enjoyed widespread support both in the TCM community and the general public. It passed the support of the governing Liberal party combined with the support of the major opposition parties.
This amount of support shows that it was past time for this type of legislation. Previously, there was absolutely no regulation of acupuncture and TCM in Ontario. Anybody, regardless of training or expertise, has been able to set up shop in Ontario and start performing acupuncture. There have been absolutely no standards and no monitoring to ensure that people were receiving quality treatment. No formal mechanism currently exists to hear complaints.
[. .. ]
Read all of Ms. Cheung's letter.
See also:
Bill 50: Chinese acupuncturists call new Ontario legislation a "second head-tax"
Bill 50: Opposition over Ontario plan to regulate "traditional Chinese medicine"
Technorati tags: Canada Ontario Toronto Queen's Park Dalton McGuinty politics law legislation healthcare health alternative medicine acupuncture immigration China Chinese immigrants traditional Chinese medicine multiculturalism cultural diversity
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Dion new Liberal leader
This won't be news to most readers, but Stephane Dion is the new Liberal leader. Can he beat Harper? I don't know. James Travers is sceptical. He writes in the Star:
Suddenly, Jean Chrétien's cynical convention declaration that the leadership is all about winning elections seems terribly dated. A party led by Dion is far from a surefire winner and faces the extreme — if potentially exhilarating — challenge of intersecting with voters in the stratosphere of ideas.
Wish the new leader well but consider, too, the advantage now held by the Prime Minister as he eyes an election as early as spring. Dion is anathema to the francophone and nationalist voters Liberals must reclaim from Conservatives and the Bloc in Quebec, isn't well known outside central Canada and, as a leader, is a work in early progress.
[. . .]
That's not to suggest Dion lacks all appeal. Those same qualities that helped him win the leadership — decency, seriousness and boyish naiveté — could prove marketable qualities outside the petrie dish of a delegated convention.
I see his poor English as a handicap. Poor may not be the right word. Dion's English is fluent, but flawed and that might hurt him with English-Canadian voters especially if there is lingering resentment over the resolution recognizing the Quebecois as a nation. Voters might take it out on him even if he isn't responsible for raising the issue.
Kyoto and the environment are his big issues. How much do Canadians care about global warming? I suspect most Canadians don't spend a lot of time worrying about greenhouse gas emissions. I'm sure there's polling data floating around the internet somewhere. I do remember a TV crew interviewing Canadians on the street about Kyoto. Don't remember which city. Most of the people the crew talked to didn't know what the Kyoto accord was. Were those people typical? In my own circle of friends and family, global warming is not a big issue, but that doesn't mean very much.
See also:
The backroom boys behind Michael Ignatieff
Meet Jim Karygiannis - Liberal MP and Tamil Tiger enabler
Technorati tags: Canada politics government Liberals Liberal Party leadership Stephane Dion Kyoto environment
Suddenly, Jean Chrétien's cynical convention declaration that the leadership is all about winning elections seems terribly dated. A party led by Dion is far from a surefire winner and faces the extreme — if potentially exhilarating — challenge of intersecting with voters in the stratosphere of ideas.
Wish the new leader well but consider, too, the advantage now held by the Prime Minister as he eyes an election as early as spring. Dion is anathema to the francophone and nationalist voters Liberals must reclaim from Conservatives and the Bloc in Quebec, isn't well known outside central Canada and, as a leader, is a work in early progress.
[. . .]
That's not to suggest Dion lacks all appeal. Those same qualities that helped him win the leadership — decency, seriousness and boyish naiveté — could prove marketable qualities outside the petrie dish of a delegated convention.
I see his poor English as a handicap. Poor may not be the right word. Dion's English is fluent, but flawed and that might hurt him with English-Canadian voters especially if there is lingering resentment over the resolution recognizing the Quebecois as a nation. Voters might take it out on him even if he isn't responsible for raising the issue.
Kyoto and the environment are his big issues. How much do Canadians care about global warming? I suspect most Canadians don't spend a lot of time worrying about greenhouse gas emissions. I'm sure there's polling data floating around the internet somewhere. I do remember a TV crew interviewing Canadians on the street about Kyoto. Don't remember which city. Most of the people the crew talked to didn't know what the Kyoto accord was. Were those people typical? In my own circle of friends and family, global warming is not a big issue, but that doesn't mean very much.
See also:
The backroom boys behind Michael Ignatieff
Meet Jim Karygiannis - Liberal MP and Tamil Tiger enabler
Technorati tags: Canada politics government Liberals Liberal Party leadership Stephane Dion Kyoto environment