generalspeaking

Failed: Replace It

Multiculturalism, and immigration. In Canada they go together like love and marriage. There is the institutionalized belief that you cannot have one without the other. We have so been accustomed to believe. That immigration equals multiculturalism. That all those who seek to become landed immigrants, residents of Canada and eventually citizens, must be made to feel so completely comfortable, it would be as though they had never left home.

They could replicate here in Canada what they left behind in their countries of origin. It sounds innocent enough; beguilingly so. And, truth is, for many ethnic communities within Canada it is more than innocent; it represents a kind of ideal. The importation of a cultural way of life, remembrance of a heritage brought with them, freedom to worship their religion without social or formal interference of any kind. Free to be themselves.

People from abroad, taking the trouble to migrate to another country that offered other opportunities; economic, educational, political freedom. An escape from sometimes-stifling political agendas elsewhere, or official rejection of their form of religious devotion, inequalities in opportunities and education; ethnic and tradition-based casual or institutionalized violations of human rights. In Canada all that would be a thing of the past.

And it would, if it were all left behind. Some ethnic groups bring little baggage with them, and adjust devotedly to the Canadian way of life, adapting themselves to Canadian values and social mores, while still maintaining impossible-to-sever (and why would they?) connections to the past, to their origins and their memories.

But then - there is always a 'but' in there somewhere in human affairs - there are those for whom social sequestration is a preference, along with the exercise of exclusionist cultural practises and religion-dominated values. And it is here, in these instances, which have become too numerous to ignore, that multiculturalism is proving itself to have been a dreadful error.

Instead of encouraging social assimilation and acceptance of the values of the prevailing culture, it aided continued distancing, separation and ghettos. Where no contact is made of any substance with the larger community and with people within it, it is inevitable that suspicion would ensue - and worse. Confrontations and accusations, and eventually subversive attempts at destabilization of the host culture and values.

Enmities that should have been left behind accompanied those who emigrated from countries where tribal and clan and ethnic and religious clashes were common. Since the reality of egalitarianism, equal justice, social acceptance and pluralism did not penetrate the dark curtains of separation sanctioned by multiculturalism, those who kept themselves apart felt justified in agitating for recognition of their own religion-based system of justice.

Now, through immigration and an unwillingness to adapt, there are overt manifestations of disequilibrium, of dysfunction.

"The practice of wearing the veil is proliferating in Canada. If we allow it to happen, what sort of society are we creating? If there is acceptance of this sort of thing you change the dynamics of a society and you no longer have a society that upholds the equality of all women.
"People who wear the burqa and people who promote Sharia are some of the most intolerant people. They will demand restrictions of freedom of speech against those who might question or criticize their religion. How can we tolerate intolerance?" Salma Siddiqui

"People are silenced by fear and intimidation. Criticizing fellow Muslims is akin to criticizing Islam, which is like criticizing the Prophet and the Koran and, therefore, God. This is the kind of brainwashing done on youths." Raheel Raza

"I don't believe in this narrative that they (the Islamists) are a small minority and can be ignored. Absolutely not. They are the ones calling for Sharia. They are the ones wanting to put limits on freedom of speech and so many other values that we cherish in the West. We have this abusive multiculturalism now, and it has become the West's Achilles heel." Farzana Hassan

"We find it ironic that the very ideology we were trying to run away from 23 years ago has followed us to Canada."

Labels: Canada, Political Realities, Social-Cultural Deviations

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, September 06, 2011