Thursday, September 17, 2015

Jason Kenney and the Bigot Issue that Could Kill Canada



Golly. How did I know that the shabby Con stooge Chris Alexander's moment of glory, or infamy, wouldn't last long?

That he would rush out this morning to breathlessly announce that the government would appeal a court decision allowing a woman to wear a niqab during a citizenship ceremony. 

Only to be quickly given the hook so Jason Kenney could show everyone who is the REAL Immigration Minister.

And take this bigot issue one step further. 

Conservatives doubled down on their position that women should not wear face coverings during citizenship ceremonies, saying the government would take the matter to the Supreme Court, while vowing to reintroduce the niqab ban within 100 days of re-election. 

And of course claim the credit.

"I'm proud to have made the decision to underscore the public nature of the citizenship oath," Kenney said during a news conference in Calgary Wednesday morning. "Like the vast majority of Canadians — including I think the vast majority of Muslim Canadians — I do not believe that the public declaration of your loyalty to your fellow citizens should be obscured or hidden.

Even though that's nothing to brag about, and it's NOT what two courts said when they ruled in favour of Zunera Ishaq...



Even though she has said she is prepared to bare her face in private before the ceremony for purposes of identification. 

And even though back in 2012 Kenney wasn't bothered about staging a fake citizenship ceremony. Until he was caught. 



Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and the Sun News Network are laying the blame for a misleading televised citizenship ceremony squarely on the shoulders of federal civil servants. The Canadian Press reported Thursday that six federal bureaucrats were drafted to pose as new Canadians for a reaffirmation ceremony broadcast on the TV channel last October.

"I regret that, but that in no way should undermine the importance and value of special reaffirmation ceremonies which we encourage all Canadians to participate in."


But then none of  this has anything to do with the citizenship ceremony, and everything to do with creating yet another wedge issue as the Globe Editorial Board points out.

Mr. Harper’s dedication to this issue gets its legs from the distrust many people, Muslims included, feel toward the niqab. Some see it as discriminatory. But that legitimate disagreement has been transformed into a fear that veiled women are trying to “hide their identity,” as Mr. Harper said.

It is all contrived bullshit, and it is a matter of religious freedom.

A religious freedom is a religious freedom; it’s not something you only practise when it’s convenient to the broader society. Mr. Harper has never had a valid argument – legal, social or otherwise – for pursuing this issue so doggedly.

Which you'd think Harper would know, considering that he created the so-called Office of Religious Freedom. 



Canada is recognized globally for its leadership on human rights issues, and takes principled positions to promote Canadian values of pluralism and tolerance throughout the world.

Even if its stated mandate couldn't be more hollow or farcical. 

But then Harper and his Aussie attack dingo Lyndon Crosby don't care about that. All they care about is creating a wedge issue to help them win the election...



And sadly, since so many Canadians, including many in Quebec, believe they have the right to tell a woman what to wear, it might sway some votes. 

And if the Cons are successful in fanning the flames of bigotry it could cost us our country.

You know, ever since I was a teenager I've found myself fighting for the rights of people who aren't popular, because my parents raised me to believe that those are the people who most need help.

So here I am defending a woman who veils herself because of her fundamentalist religious views. Even though I don't think much of niqabs, and I'm an atheist. 

But you know what? I don't regret it a bit. Because what those struggles have taught me is to recognize bullies when I see them.

And there is no worse bully than this disgusting monster...



And the good news is that bullies can be beaten. 

The niqab controversy may win back a few of his most rabid supporters. But the Cons will not be able to fan the bigot flame without overplaying their hand.


Which would only reinforce the widespread feeling that Harper and  and corrupt vicious regime have been in power for too long.

So while it is an ugly issue, I still believe the desire for change will prevail.

And that in just over a month our long nightmare could be over...

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6 comments:

David said...

Candidates Rona Ambrose, Megan Leslie and John McCallum discus the government's push to ban face-coverings at citizenship ceremonies

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Politics/Power+%26+Politics/ID/2675578972/

Anonymous said...

Stephen Harper, the great economist (so they say) ... considering HE has sold 3/4's of Canada to whomever, why are we in need of a Prime Minister??? ... there's really nothing left for him to economize over ... I do NOT believe, for 1 second that he found a $1.9 billion surplus ... show Canadians the books STEVE ... I bet U wouldn't DARE show the true books ... $1.9 billion surplus??? ... where is the rest of Canadas money Steve??? ... after all your years as the Crime Minister, we only have that small amount of money as surplus??? ... U say you're a fundamentalist??? ... I say, you are just "mental" ... U drive around the country as if U are some head of state OR a king ... Bill C-51 was NOT made to protect Canadians from terrorists, IT was invented to protect U from Canadians, who are angry at your BS you spew non-stop ... You hate Russians, Moslems, First Nations and almost every other nationality and religion out there, except for Mr. Netanhooyoo ... U really are a poor excuse of a human being Steve ... U do NOT deserve to be prime minster of ANY country ... U hired the Wizard of Oz ... good job he's done with Tony Abbott's career (voted right out the door) ... Hopefully he can do the same for U ... TY

Unknown said...

This issue is rooted in Harpers evangelical christian beliefs. These beliefs define his policy on refugees. How long is it going to take for the public to catch on?

David said...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/12/24/jesus-mary-joseph-refugees/20886969/

In the spirit of Christmas, I ask Christians who are opposed to refugee/immigration reforms to consider one thing: Jesus, Mary and Joseph were refugees. They had to run to another country for safety after Jesus was born. Would you treat them with the same hatred as today’s children and families who are running from death in their countries? -- Debbie Linthicum, Des Moines

David said...

Tough on crime is tough on people
BY JONATHAN AND SARAH NICOLAI-DEKONING
March 11, 2015
http://convergemagazine.com/tough-on-crime-is-tough-on-people-15812

Jesus was a lefty
http://www.newstatesman.com/religion/2010/12/jesus-god-tax-christ-health

e.a.f. said...

women who wear the niqab are not hiding their identity as Steve and his gang allege. When I'm shopping and see a group of women wearing them, when I see them later in the store I can identify every one of them again. You see they have eyes, they have hands, shapes, etc. The problem is Steve and his gang simply think all Arabs/Muslims are alike. Sort of like those red necks who think all black people look a like or all people of oriental descent look a like.

Now as to Chris and Jason's concerns about identify and citizenship, it would appear the boys haven't read Wednesdays, Vancouver Province newspaper. Lovely article about an immigration consultant who was arrested for fraud. Helped over 100 Communist Chinese get Canadian citizenship by fraud. Where is Chris on that? Are these citizenships going to revoked? Is immigration/citizenship going to investigate these immigration consultants to see how much fraud is going on with communist Chinese citizens gaining Canadian citizenship fraudulently? Bet you they don't. Its O.k. for Communist Chinese citizens to commit fraud to gain citizenship, its o.k. for them to turn Richmond into a suburb of china, but hell try to have a true Arab/Muslim refugee come into Canada, just not happening. So what is the difference? Does Steve think Communist Chinese are better than Arab Muslims? Does Steve hate Muslim Arabs so much, he'd let them die, just like Canada let all those Jews die prior to WW II?

We ought to re3member steve and about 60 of his caucus are members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance church which believes the bible is inerrant, and the second coming is imminent. With back wards thinking like that, you can conclude how they came to their ideas about Muslims.