"If you want to live under sharia law, go back to the hellhole country you came from, or go to another hellhole country that lives under sharia law" / Corbella: Let's change the tune on official multiculturalism
Willem-Jan Markerink
Net zoals in Rotterdam destijds alleen de Chinezen ongestraft konden
demonstreren tegen de terreur van antillianen en marokkanen.
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"I'd tell them, this is Canada, and in Canada, we teach music and physical
education in our schools. If you don't like it, leave. If you want to live
under sharia law, go back to the hellhole country you came from or go to
another hellhole country that lives under sharia law," said Kanwar, who is a
professor emeritus of sociology at Mount Royal University in Calgary.
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http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Corbella+change+tune+official+multicultural
ism/4268151/story.html
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Corbella: Let's change the tune on official multiculturalism
By Licia Corbella, Calgary Herald February 11, 2011 Comments (13)
"If you want to live under sharia law, go back to the hellhole country you
came from, or go to another hellhole country that lives under sharia law,"
says Mahfooz Kanwar, a member of the Muslim Canadian Congress.
Photograph by: Grant Black, Calgary Herald
About one dozen families who recently immigrated to Canada are demanding that
the Louis Riel School Division in Winnipeg excuse their children from music
and coed physical education programs for religious reasons.
The families believe that music is un-Islamic - just like the Taliban believe
and then imposed on the entire population of Afghanistan - and that physical
education classes should be segregated by gender even in the elementary
years.
The school division is facing the music in a typically Canadian way - that
is, bending itself into a trombone to try to accommodate these demands, even
though in Manitoba, and indeed the rest of the country, music and phys. ed
are compulsory parts of the curriculum.
Officials say they may try to have the Muslim children do a writing project
on music to satisfy the curriculum's requirements. The school officials have
apparently consulted the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, and they have also
spoken to a member of the Islamic community suggested by those very same
Muslim parents.
In any event, the school district is trying to find a way to adapt the
curriculum to fit the wishes of these families, rather than these families
adapting to fit into the school and Canadian culture.
Mahfooz Kanwar, a member of the Muslim Canadian Congress, says he has some
better ideas.
"I'd tell them, this is Canada, and in Canada, we teach music and physical
education in our schools. If you don't like it, leave. If you want to live
under sharia law, go back to the hellhole country you came from or go to
another hellhole country that lives under sharia law," said Kanwar, who is a
professor emeritus of sociology at Mount Royal University in Calgary.
That might be putting things a little more forcefully than most of us would
be comfortable with, but Kanwar says he is tired of hearing about such out-
of-tune demands from newcomers to our country. "Immigrants to Canada should
adjust to Canada, not the other way around," he argues.
Kanwar, who immigrated to Canada from Pakistan via England and then the
United States in 1966, says he used to buy into the "Trudeaupian mosaic,
official multiculturalism (nonsense)."
He makes it clear, that like most Canadians, he is pleased and enjoys that
Canada has citizens literally from every country and corner in the world, as
it has enriched this country immensely. But it's official multiculturalism -
the state policy "that entrenches the lie" that all cultures and beliefs are
of equal value and of equal validity in Canada that he objects to.
"The fact is, Canada has an enviable culture based on Judeo-Christian values
- not Muslim values - with British and French rule of law and traditions and
that's why it's better than all of the other places in the world. We are
heading down a dangerous path if we allow the idea that sharia law has a
place in Canada. It does not. It is completely incompatible with the idea and
reality of Canada," says Kanwar, who in the 1970s was the founder and
president of the Pakistan-Canada Association and a big fan of official
multiculturalism. Kanwar says his views changed when he started listening to
the people who joined his group. They badmouthed Canada, weren't interested
in knowing Canadians or even in learning one of our official languages. They
created cultural ghettos and the Canadian government even helped fund it.
"One day it dawned on me that the reason all of us wanted to move here was
going to disappear if we didn't start defending Canada and its fundamental
values." That's when Kanwar started speaking out against the dangers of
official multiculturalism. He has been doing so for decades.
So, it's no surprise that Kanwar is delighted with the recent speech British
Prime Minister David Cameron delivered to the 47th Munich Security Conference
on Feb. 5.
"Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism," said Cameron, "we have failed
to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong. We
have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run
counter to our values. So when a white person holds objectionable views -
racism, for example - we rightly condemn them. But when equally unacceptable
views or practices have come from someone who isn't white, we've been too
cautious, frankly even fearful, to stand up to them. . . . This hands-off
tolerance," said Cameron, "has only served to reinforce the sense that not
enough is shared. All this leaves some young Muslims feeling rootless and . .
. can lead them to this extremist ideology."
Kanwar actually credits German Chancellor Angela Merkel for being among the
first of the world's democratic leaders to take the courageous step in
October to say that official multiculturalism had "failed totally."
It appears leaders are getting bolder. During an interview with TFI channel
on Feb. 10, French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared that the government
policy that encourages immigrant groups to foster distinct societies within
France "is a failure."
"If you come to France, you accept to melt into a single community, which is
the national community, and if you do not want to accept that, you cannot be
welcome in France," he said.
"We have been too concerned about the identity of the person who was arriving
and not enough about the identity of the country that was receiving him,"
Sarkozy added.
Kanwar says for years, some "non-whites like me" have felt comfortable
pointing out the failings of official multiculturalism. What's encouraging is
that now "whites" or the majority culture and its leaders are starting to
sound the alarm.
Cameron ended his speech by saying: "This terrorism is completely
indiscriminate and has been thrust upon us. . . . We need to confront it with
confidence.
"At stake are not just lives, it's our way of life. That's why this is a
challenge we cannot avoid - and one we must meet."
That democratically elected leaders are at long last starting to sing a
different tune is sweet music to Kanwar. Here's hoping those poor kids in
Winnipeg will get to hear some of it.
lcor...@calgaryherald.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
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Mitchell65
11:22 PM on February 15, 2011
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Mahfooz Kanwar is an incredibly brilliant professor. He has been stating this
message for years and I hope the Canadian federal government listens. Thank
goodness he is one of very FEW who will voice this rational point of view.
Canada should not be giving into any group that demands a change of laws,
rules, traditions, etc. to fit their "unique needs". This behavior by our
government is eroding Canada's core traditions, its history and laws.
If you come to Canada, you should be expected to speak English or French; you
should realize that dancing, music and holidays like Christmas and Easter are
part of our heritage.
Sharia law is NOT part of our Canadian heritage. Nor are 'honor killings',
arranged marriages, or killing infidels.
The moment the Canadian gov't stands up to such nonsense will be a wonderful
day.
Can you imagine a Canadian immigrating to say Iran, Afghanistan or Saudia
Arabia and demanding unique rights?
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anonymous
3:47 PM on February 15, 2011
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I agree with Mr. Kanwar.....if you are immigrants , who want to live in
Canada , you should always abide by all the rules & the laws of Canada. Yes,
I agree with a commenter on the page who said we are all immigrants from
other Countries, who established their lives & settlements in Canada....but
we all abided by all the laws & rules & lived peacefully together. We all
should be working & living for PEACE WITH EACH OTHER & PEACE IN THE WORLD.
PLEASE GOD >>>HELP US ALL GET ALONG PEACEFULLY & LOVINGLY ....SO WE CAN HAVE
A BETTER WORLD DEDICATED TO YOU!!!
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Orcaman_60
3:02 PM on February 15, 2011
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I think the answer is relativly simple. If I, as a white Anglo-Saxon
protestant moved to a Muslim country and planned to stay, I would have to
abide by the rules of law and religion generally accepted by those people.
That, or be stoned, beheaded, or worse. If I were stupid enough to emmigrate
there, that is. It seems, in general, that most of these immigrants come here
to flee that backwardness of beliefs. It is my opinion that those who come to
Canada should learn to accept the rules and regulations that the rest of us
here were brought up under. Mind you, I am all for freedom of belief in
ones' religion, too a point, that being these so called honour killings...
(nothing honourable about that behaviour at all) and forced dress codes for
women. You want to live here, fine. But learn to accept the changes we would
have to if we went to your homelands. I am sick of watching this unending
garbage on TV and in the newspapers. Since when did the minority rule in a
democracy?
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anonymous
2:18 PM on February 15, 2011
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Islam has no Golden Rule. In the Qur'an Muslims are told to be "merciful to
one another but harsh to unbelievers" (48:29). That's a far cry from "do unto
others as you would have them do unto you."
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anonymous
1:48 PM on February 15, 2011
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Between the two of us, Robert Spencer and I reach just under two million
people a month on our blogs. That and our book sales, regular TV and radio
appearances, speaking engagements, conferences, and additional 50,000
"friends" on our various Facebook pages, Twitter and SIOA group, etc., make
for quite a cacophonous echo chamber. I submit that it is Jasser's chamber
that is empty. Where are all the Jassers?
Jasser mentions "many Muslim reformers." Where are they? Where are the
Muslims who take to the streets when another girl is killed for honor, or
another apostate is murdered under the Sharia? Where were all the Muslims
taking to the streets after Mumbai, London, Madrid, Beslan, Bali, Times
Square, Fort Hood? But they take to the streets by the hundreds of thousands,
light embassies on fire, and slaughter innocents when a cartoon offends them.
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anonymous
1:12 PM on February 15, 2011
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Its time for all christians to return to our faith imho ,its time to tell the
liberal left the dreaming NDP that the average Canadian is fed up with the
people who want us to change our flag ,our holidays our customs and our
country to suit themselves .Did you read that Iggy
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anonymous
12:42 PM on February 15, 2011
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RE :About one dozen families who recently immigrated to Canada are
demanding,as usual they need to show their dominance ,its the way of the
sword and allas will.NO we dont find sharia acceptable with our consitution
,our freedom ,our way of life .If they dont like it here why did they lie to
get in ?
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Brad7
12:03 PM on February 15, 2011
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Well written. Mr Kanwar has got it right, emigrants MUST assimilate, not the
Canadians.
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Coach2011
9:47 AM on February 15, 2011
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Well it is about time that someone is stating what has to be addressed. Face
it, we are all immigrants and thanks to our grandparents or parents they
chose Canada to live in. I was born and grew up in Toronto, where it is
living proof that the world can live in harmony, just on separate corners or
communities and not bother one another.
In my simple mind if you someone comes to a new country they live by that
countries law, simple. I am not in any way racist and you are all welcome to
our wonderful and vast country, as long as you contribute, not become a
leech, and live by our laws, not nessacarily our ways. Leave your problems in
the the country you left and take advantage of a new oppurtunity in the
country which has welcomed you.
Forget Don Cherry, Mr.Kanwar for Prime Minister.
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sedgewick
6:23 PM on February 14, 2011
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He is certainly right about Canada's liberal society being based on its
Judeo-Christian, I might add European, foundation.
Western Europe, the cradle of the humanistic tradition, benefited immensely
from the often strained power sharing between secular rulers and the Church,
the only body with a writ extending over the whole area of the Western Roman
Empire after its demise.
This uneasy relationship allowed controversial ideas to flourish despite
ecclesiastical persecution and eventually culminated in the Protestant
Reformation and the Renaissance, which paved the way for the Enlightenment to
produce the tolerant societies we take for granted in the West today.
None of this happened anywhere else. Repression, both religious and secular
was, and in many places still is, the rule. Why should we now accept such
models in Canada after much of the blood and tears that had been shed to get
to where we are?
Come here if you want to share our hard won freedoms, but don't try to
abrogate them!
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akw1
11:39 AM on February 14, 2011
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Wow! Bravo, Mr. Kanwar. You must be a very unpopular person in many Muslim
communities, but please don't give up! Being from the US, we have immigrants
from all nations, too, and it always takes different nationalities a while to
integrate, but they eventually do because they want to. Many Muslim
immigrants to our country do not want to integrate, and it is very
frustrating. They chose to come here to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities
this country offers, but want to "use" those benefits and force the rest of
us to change the aspects of our society that they don't like. That causes
resentment on both sides, and it is very difficult to discuss it without
being called a racist or an "Islamiphobe."
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donsharpe
10:59 AM on February 12, 2011
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What a fantastic article, the death of the 'official multiculturalism' can't
happen soon enough.
Hopefully 'political correctness' will be close behind.
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GrungyOldVan
10:25 AM on February 12, 2011
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multiculturalism is the stealth jihad...
surprise!!!
Read more:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Corbella+change+tune+official+multicultural
ism/4268151/story.html#ixzz1EHUOBXTI
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--
Bye,
Willem-Jan Markerink
The desire to understand
is sometimes far less intelligent than
the inability to understand
<w.j.ma...@a1.nl>
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]