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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Bringing Saudi values to Canada, one human rights complaint at a time
Syed Soharwardy, the Saudi-trained imam now preaching in Calgary, is at it again.
Back in 2006, Soharwardy filed a complaint with the Alberta human rights commission because the Western Standard published the Danish cartoons of Mohammed. You simply have to read his hand-scrawled complaint -- my favourite part was that those cartoons violated his rights because he was a direct descendant of Mohammed. Uh, I'm not sure if that's considered a legal cause of action back in Saudi Arabia, let alone in Canada. You really have to check it out, here. Our response is here; though I was tempted to make the compelling legal argument that I am a descendant of Moses, I refrained. (I also used a spell-check.)
Soharwardy's first stop was the Calgary Police Service, who gently reminded him that he wasn't back in Saudi anymore, and that police don't settle political differences over here. So he went to the AHRCC, who are much less liberal than gun-toting cops.
Now Soharwardy is mad again -- this time because of some public comments posted to the Western Standard blog on December 2nd, ironically in response to a post by me about radical Muslims using human rights commissions as censors.
Soharwardy says he felt scared by those public comments -- but not scared enough to, say, contact the Western Standard to even ask for them to be taken down. As usual, his first stop was the police who, as usual, turned him away. So off to the human rights commission he goes. Soharwardy's press conference today? Well, we all know that's what genuinely scared people do.
Here's Matthew Johnston's official response on behalf of the new Western Standard.
Rob Breakenridge has a good question: if Soharwardy's own website contains the scary, hateful words that he is complaining to the human rights commission about, is he not "promoting hatred" against Muslims himself? Soharwardy might argue -- if Soharwardy deigned to argue -- that he repeated those bad words only to rebut them. But that's exactly what happened on the Western Standard site -- they were promptly rebutted by another public commenter.
Soharwardy is a lot like Mohamed Elmasry. They each claim to represent enormous numbers of people -- Soharwardy has the "Islamic Supreme Council" and Elmasry has the "Canadian Islamic Congress". But both are actually part-timers (Soharwardy works for IBM; Elmasry is a professor at Waterloo) who have never shown more than a handful of followers -- not that that's ever stopped the media from quoting them obsequiously.
Elmasry and Soharwardy have both said bone-headed, even bigoted, things in the press. Elmasry said any Jew 18 or older in Israel is fair game for a terrorist attack. Soharwardy -- an advocate for bringing sharia law to Canada -- is just plain nutty:
I blame... the media. Seriously: I blame them for the soft bigotry of low expectations. If Soharwardy and Elmasry were WASPs, the media would ridicule them for their thin skin, and would attack their views as the reactionary fascism that it is. But because they're foreign-born, dark-skinned Muslims who speak with an accent, the media shut off their natural skepticism and forget all of their ideals about free speech -- and their judgment -- because they want to be gentle.
They're not doing Muslims any favours. The media -- and all polite society -- should marginalize the fascists and the radicals, and build up the moderates, like Toronto's outstanding Tarek Fatah, or others like Irshad Manji and Salim Mansur.
Elmasry and Soharwardy actual retard the integration and progress of any Muslims who follow them -- thankfully, a small number. For, instead of teaching them true civics -- such as how to participate in the cut-and-thrust of democratic debate without running to the government -- they teach them to be professional complainers and think of themselves as victims.
Thought experiment: Do you think that Canadian attitudes towards Muslims are enhanced or damaged by the Elmasry-Soharwardy recipe of two parts whining and one part bullying? You don't have to guess -- this Nanos poll has the answer.
Elmasry and Soharwardy are media-hungry radicals -- which is why only the human rights commissions of the world (and doe-eyed journalists) will give them any credit. Constructive Muslim leaders would teach their flock the essence of Western liberal civics -- how to debate and participate, not how to whine, censor and bully. In other words, they should teach Canadian values, and leave the Saudi values behind.
UPDATE: Here's a short video clip from CTV. h/t ZP
Posted by Ezra Levant on December 19, 2007 | Permalink
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Comments
'In an interview with the Calgary Herald in August, he termed the Israeli bombings of Lebanon an act of genocide"
Did he repeat these words when the Lebanese army indiscriminately bombed Palestinian "refugee" camps in Lebanon just recently - for weeks and weeks?
Posted by: obc | 2007-12-19 8:10:15 PM
CFCN news has a report about this - with video!
http://tinyurl.com/244jpn
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-12-19 8:18:26 PM
Where is the western world heading to? Self Destruction?! This is obviously not Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Pakistan where freedom of speech doesn't mean any thing... I feel so so sad & mad!
Posted by: winston | 2007-12-19 8:20:24 PM
The time is now to put the Human Rights Commissions under the public microscope - by phone and more importantly by letters. They must either be reigned in substantially, or better yet - dismantled in totality. The politicians have not yet weighted in but if the media is pushed hard enough, they cannot ignore it.
At least the media is beginning to air some of these things now where they have avoided doing so like the plague in previous years.
Posted by: calgary clipper | 2007-12-19 8:28:38 PM
This is simply a form of "libel chill", but is far cheaper and more certain (for the "complainant"). Human Rights Commissions are being used as a free sledge hammer to silence people. Calgary Clipper, you are right.....it's time to put the heat on the HRC and it is time to dismantle the lunacy and the cottage industry that has formed around it. The problem is that no politicians has the guts to do it.
Posted by: John Luft | 2007-12-19 8:35:23 PM
I wonder when the people of the West will realize that the enemy of our culture is P.C. And the people who wish us harm are using it for our destruction and will not stop untill they are stopped.
Posted by: owen schrader | 2007-12-19 9:53:37 PM
Soharwarady is wrong. We should teach him some history. He is from pakistan. Muslims of pakistan whose forefathers were peace loving Hindus. Generations back they were brutally murdered or forced to convert to muslims. It is a very documented fact. Soharwardy has no roots to Arabs leave aside Mohammed. He should read history before making stupid comments.
Posted by: Mohammed | 2007-12-19 10:22:04 PM
Hey Soharwarady,
You Middle Easterners come here with the emotions of a 14 year old girl. Your perpetual hurt feelings and paranoia need to be overcome by simply growing up and realizing that we speak up here and don't kill each other for doing so.
You have nothing to fear but your losing your own bad arguments to more reasoned and better ones.
We argue and debate and even insult each other for sport. Sometimes we even settle disputes and have laugh at the same time. We know how to live a little here. You would do well to assimilate into this way of like. You might even learn to smile.
Posted by: John West | 2007-12-19 10:33:16 PM
A death cult whining to a human rights commission.
The irony kills me.
Epsi
Posted by: epsilon | 2007-12-19 11:13:15 PM
Indeed Canadian MSM share the blame, just consider the contortions they put themselves through in order to avoid linking the murder of a teenage girl by her father to the Muslim concept of honour killings. Oh, no connection whatsoever.
Still the greatest threat to our right to free speech comes from the so-called human rights advocating hate laws, etc. We must wake up and dismantle every HRC along with repealing the act. I remain at odds with my secular liberal Jewish brothers and sisters, since they still believe such laws will protect us from anti-Semitism. The truth is the very opposite. There was already legislation to deal with libel or anyone inciting violence and murder. There should be no group receiving special treatment under the law, and yet this is the monster we have allowed to be created.
At present it is the Islamists using this same monster to impose their will on their host country, but we have seen other groups, such as the homosexual lobby use the same to impose their special interest agenda.
Posted by: Alain | 2007-12-19 11:44:50 PM
people can say whatever they want...but they cant be racist like the comments that were posted on this website. and if muslims do it then why should a christian or whatever the religion maybe why cant you people be open minded to other religions and not hate? It is obviously wrong to call all muslims terrorists, and to wish death upon all of them. if a muslim said that about christians or jews, then there would be media aaaall over that. Its not right, your all grown ups ...act like one. The younger generation is looking up to the adults who are distroying this country for their religions, and their racist steriotypes, passing it on to their loved ones like a disease.
Posted by: Dina | 2007-12-19 11:47:18 PM
If it is so bad here,I have a solution go home!You forget you are an invited guest and I'm sick of pissing and moaning.Would the rules be changed in your country for me?
Posted by: ryan | 2007-12-19 11:51:12 PM
Islam wasn't spread with a butter knife, Dina.
Read some history.
Better yet, read contemporary accounts of all the hostages who survived being kidnapped by Muslims in the past 6 years, you'll see they were all forced to convert to Islam on pain of death before they were released, including the 15 British Seamen who were kidnapped by Iran in March this year.
Show me links to Muslims protesting this fact and denouncing the perpetrators for corrupting, exposing to ridicule, or defaming Islam.
Very few do, and when they do they get death threats, but even so, none of them denounce the passages in the Koran and Sunna that tell them to do these outrages.
If you want to compare Jews, Christians, and Muslims, Dina, direct me to passages in the Bible that tell Christians and Jews to do the violent things that the Koran, Sunna, and Hadith direct Muslims to do to Infidels.
By the way, Dina, Islam is neither a race nor are Muslims an identifiable group of people any more than Christians are, which is to say, "Not at all."
Posted by: Speller | 2007-12-20 12:36:12 AM
We've reached something of a tipping point for free speech in Canada if people are expected to censor blog comments in order to deal with the swiftly-rebutted words of an entirely anonymous individual who may or may not even be anywhere within or near Canadian jurisdiction.
What's occuring here, betweem this, the Steyn complaint, and others, appears to be a deliberate pattern of harassment directed against anti-Islamic media.
Posted by: Adam Yoshida | 2007-12-20 2:03:40 AM
People shouldn't base all muslims on just one person . Usually the people who show the most hate never even seen or spoke to a muslim to even know how they are. Lets put all the ignorance aside and be Canadians for what they are, to be welcoming friendly people while keeping our values which alot of immigrants also cherish as well. Until we think of humans as a whole well always have conflicts and it will never end.
Posted by: Canadiana | 2007-12-20 4:27:30 AM
I am doing a research on Canadian Muslims.
Can you please provide me with your email.
Abbas
Posted by: Abbas | 2007-12-20 6:37:07 AM
Yay for Zionism!
There is no God but Yahweh, and Moses is his prophet!
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-12-20 6:42:44 AM
Why is it that Muslims come to the west, but very few westerners go to Muslim countries? Could it be that the Muslim countries can't tolerate us? [edit]
Posted by: warren | 2007-12-20 7:06:32 AM
>"People shouldn't base all muslims on just one person . Lets put all the ignorance aside..."
Canadiana | 20-Dec-07 4:27:30 AM
When you put your ignorance aside come back and tell us what you’ve learned.
All Christians are judged by just one man, Jesus Christ. Christians strive to be like Jesus.
All Muslims are judged by just one man, the prophet Mohammed.
Mohammed was the epitome of the perfect Muslim man and Muslims strive to be like him.
When you've studied who the man Mohammed was, come back and we'll talk.
THIS>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg
is the Flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The phrase in Arabic on it says "There is no god but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet with a Sword beneath the script.
The word Islam means SUBMISSION.
The word Muslim means "those who submit" and Muslims believe all people are born Muslim.
In Islam if a Muslim leaves the faith he is to be killed.
If all people are born Muslim but some will not submit then they are to be killed.
Simple logic, right?
Jihad is the 6th Pillar of Islam and means to fight Holy War until ALL people submit.
Myself?
I'm never going to submit.
When you figure it out you will no longer be ignorant.
Posted by: Speller | 2007-12-20 7:36:00 AM
God Bless Zionism indeed!
And Abbas, if you are doing research on Muslims, I don't really think there's a lot of them on this site.
Best of luck anyways.
Posted by: atric | 2007-12-20 7:39:08 AM
"Fact 4: Never talk down to a Muslim because Zionism is racist, ugly and the worst evil on earth. This is not an anti-sematic slur. This is the truth seen under the microscope and under the light of day by millions of people around the world.
So please! No more besmirching of Islam or Muslims."
I thought Sandra's was a rhetorical comment but when you go to her website, it is quite clear that this misguided naivist indeed supports terrorist activities of the global death cult masquerading as religion. Let her write these words and let us read them since they pretty much underline everything we re talking about here.
Epsi
Posted by: Epsilon | 2007-12-20 7:54:31 AM
Its very interesting..I too feel afraid. As a Canadian I feel many of my rights are being dissovled and soon my customs, culture and beliefs will be gone from this country. I was born here and by opening my arms to others..I feel I have simply allowed my way of life to be swamped.I would go abroad to try to share my beliefs and customs but I do belive that I would not be recieved well in Many countries, most likely because there is not as much tolerance as one can find in Canada. I am the minority in my own country and am afraid of losing my culture and way of life. Question is..who cares?? Why would anyone listen to a minority. My concerns will continue to go unheeded. I guess my culture has no place in multi culturism. All in all it's my own fault I was born white in Canada.
Posted by: scared | 2007-12-20 7:54:53 AM
Scared, quit being such a wimp. Stand up and fight. Stand up for Canada. I have little patience for attitudes like yours.
Epsi
Posted by: Epsilon | 2007-12-20 7:58:58 AM
Hey Sandra, what do I get for
$40.00 an hour? Is it regular massage, or Oriental style?
Do you do house cleaning as well?
Posted by: dp | 2007-12-20 8:10:02 AM
I have deleted the extreme comments. In my humble opinion the result is, that by doing this, I've made extremists look reasonable--but you can go back and read the thread to judge for yourself--now that I've "extended" my "dominion over men's eyes."
"...the Popes of Rome, engrossing what they pleased of political rule into their own hands, extended their dominion over men's eyes, as they had before over their judgments, burning and prohibiting to be read what they fancied not..." from Areopagitica by John Milton
Posted by: Kevin Steel | 2007-12-20 8:39:19 AM
What happens to homosexuals, dissidents, and women in Israel? Not much.
What happens to them in Muslim countries? Execution, imprisonment and/or suppression.
Zionism isn't so bad after all.
Some 'religion of peace' - tell that to Aqsa Pervez, whose father allegedly beat her to death for not obeying him.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-12-20 8:41:45 AM
DP: very cutting rebuke of Sandra. I'm sure she's devastated by your logic and reasoning. What will you do next? Drop your pants and moon her?
Posted by: Pat_Pending | 2007-12-20 8:44:07 AM
Do you really think that someone who uses an important topic to sell her services deserves more respect?
Posted by: dp | 2007-12-20 9:00:29 AM
The local media has taken an interest in what we do here.
Calgary Sun:
Police accused of ignoring hate crimes
http://tinyurl.com/36syof
Calgary Herald:
Anti-Muslim web postings spark rights complaint
http://tinyurl.com/2nymxt
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-12-20 9:26:27 AM
There's a story on CTV Newsnet this morning about the Imam vs The WS. They flashed a post from a few days back that read "kill them all". I see that post has been deleted.
Apparently, there will be protests in Calgary today. It will be interesting to hear comments from the protesters. I think it would be a good idea to record every word just in case anything hateful comes out.
I think it's important to stand up for free speech, even when it gets heated. It's not only free speech, it's accurate speech. If a large group of people have similar opinions they deserve to be heard.
Posted by: dp | 2007-12-20 9:33:26 AM
>"They flashed a post from a few days back that read "kill them all". I see that post has been deleted."
dp | 20-Dec-07 9:33:26 AM
That was a troll named Templar.
Templar was a moby.
That was posted by "Templar" for the very purpose it is serving the MSM "as we speak."*
*(channeling Hedy Fry)
Posted by: Speller | 2007-12-20 9:42:12 AM
So they're using free speech as a tool to try and limit free speech? That doesn't surprise me.
Posted by: dp | 2007-12-20 9:46:41 AM
dp:
The comment they refer to was by someone named "Ja-rule" and it appears by the ip that this was the one and only time "Ja-rule" commented (from a server in Burlington ON).
That comment appeared two days after someone using the nick "Conrad-Canada" posted an extremely ugly comment about homosexuals--which Conrad-USA objected to via email btw--which was deleted.
I am assuming--without proof at the moment--that someone is using deceit in an attempt to discredit the blog before we can build our new site and impose better controls. But I emphasize that is just a guess. It could just be that someone, seeing distasteful remarks, jumped in to crank things up because they believed this would slip by.
Posted by: Kevin Steel | 2007-12-20 9:55:34 AM
Sounds like Templar was setting the trap.
Looks to convenient to me.
Posted by: atric | 2007-12-20 9:56:10 AM
Moby definition>
moby - An insidious and specialized type of left-wing troll who visits blogs and impersonates a conservative for the purpose of either spreading false rumors intended to sow dissension among conservative voters, or who purposely posts inflammatory and offensive comments for the purpose of discrediting the blog in question.
http://lgfdictionary.wordpress.com/lgf-dictionary/#moby
Posted by: Speller | 2007-12-20 9:57:36 AM
I was watching the news last night when you aired the News feed of "Syed Soharwardy" concern for safety.
This became the discussion of the evening amoungst Calgarians.
Interent blogs expecially ones such as Western Standard are where people like my self ( although I have never until today used this web site to be honest.) post their views, their thoughts, how is it fair that some one takes our right as a Canadian Citizen away from us?
Many others including myself feel that taking away ones right to post internet blogs of their thoughts and feelings hinder our freedom of speech.
It is completely different for one to "type" hate thoughts on another culture, religion and or on a direct person than it is to actually go out and behave on those thoughts which then would be a crime. However; these are everyday peoples THOUGHTS.
I agree with the Calgary Police; by there is NO CRIME COMMITTED FOR SPEAKING OR TYPING ONES THOUGHTS AND OR FEELINGS. And if action is unfolded by disconnecting people to blog their thoughts what truely has become of our " Free Country."
We are no longer ALLOWED to say "Merry Christmas" due to Muslims finding it offensive. However, they are allowed to carry knives in schools which they claim is part of their religion. However, I am a born and raised Canadian Citizen and ALL MY LIFE been saying " Merry Christmas!". They feel they can take that right away from us. Now it seems as though they desire to take the right of FREEDOM OF SPEECH AWAY FROM US.
How is this right?
This fusterates me because I am a born and raised Canadian, and I feel the Alberta Human Rights Commission, Syed Soharwardy and people like him as well ( not saying directly Muslims) forget they came to OUR country. And have taking away so much of our Heritage and Culture such as saying Prayer in Schools, Signing " Oh, Canada!" in Schools, as well as " God Save The Queen." Things that have been apart of this Countries FOUNDATION for Centuries. Now allowing people like him because they "FEEL" threatened to take away OUR freedom of speech.
I as a CANADIAN "FEEL" THREATENED!
Posted by: Miranda | 2007-12-20 10:01:02 AM
Here in Canada, my generation has been trained to continuously vomit political correctness since we started elementary school after the Berlin Wall fell. And I too for most of my life thought to call a spade anything but a spade was the way to go. And i fear that we've gotten to a point where our culture now is fear: not in the american sense of total paranoia - but in a canadian sense of over-sensitive political correctness (fosterd through multi-cultural governmental and societal means).
Back when Canada was in the transitional period from British North America to what we know today as Canada, our journalists and citizens had the balls to say what they, and their constituents, felt to be true. I refer to characters in our history like Joseph Howe of Nova Scotia.
Ever since Trudeau, Canada has become increasingly over-sensitive to the whims of recently arrived Canadians in fear of repeated history.
Don't get me wrong here: what we did to the Jews in 1939 on the S.S. St. Louis was horribly ignorant, and we have learned to become more receptive to foreign plights (as we live in a globalizing world due to a globalizing market place).
Which is all well and good, seeing as how it was our Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson who had a major hand in the creation of the U.N.
You see it is my opionion we started this multi-cultural embrace under true and honourable pretenses...but along the way our politicians have manipulated and twisted these initiatives to gain self-servig popularity amongst their voters (who more and more were special interests and growing minorities).
Our culture is exactly what "Scared"? Canada has always been a nation of immigrants, and we have continuously reshaped our "culture", and our notions of morality, as our country floats along through history. Thank god, Yahweh, and allah for blogs like this!
What we need to maintain is the free speech and debate on webistes like this one! Remember that the Third Reich had the Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (I'm not drawing a parallel to the AHRCC - just let's not allow it to go that far as Canadian citizens period).
Everything i've read thus far has been well informed (with a few exceptions of stupidity and illiteracy). Keep it coming from all sides and all points of view!
Posted by: evilSteve | 2007-12-20 10:03:17 AM
You people are being played.
The tip off is, as Speller has pointed out, the planting of the most hateful posts by the "moby".
Quite possibly by Soharwardy himself, or elements like him.
It is a favorite tactic of the left, to first plant the lie, then expand on it.
On a much larger scale, look what they have accomplished with the global warming lie.
The entire "thought police/hrc" is a self appointed weapon of the left designed to control any speech that doesn't conform to their world or their views.
It is time for the clear thinking people of this nation, to begin taking their country back from these self appointed fascists.
Posted by: deepblue | 2007-12-20 10:06:26 AM
You people are a bunch of misinformed simpletons living in such a secularized and ignorant society that you can’t face the fact that the world’s problems and anti-western sentiment is a direct result of decades, if not centuries of western aggression and hostility towards the Eastern world. For god’s sake, you people live in Calgary, Alberta!! Could you be anymore of a redneck! It’s not like Calgary, Calgarians and Albertans are known for their worldly knowledge and cultural diversity. Your idea of being culturally diverse is ordering Chinese food from Mr. Wong’s so excuse me for gagging while I read your blogs on such a universally recognized piece of journalistic crap (and the only reasoning I would waste my time reading your pathetic attempts at being a sophisticated and knowledgeable blogger is that someone sent me the link to the Western). I am not picking on any one person or race here, but people get a grip and get your facts straight. CNN, Fox News and the Western Standard are not the most reliable, unbiased nor intellectually prudent sources to get your world news from. Nor do the comments of one person represent an entire race, religion, etc. Do some homework and get your facts straight before you make you misinformed Neanderthal comments.
As to comments about immigrants in Canada, the last time I checked, immigrants are the backbone of Canadian society and if it was not for “us immigrants” this country would be a barren wasteland of lazy, unemployed rednecks who have no motivation to do anything but drink beer and eat their Chinese food.
Posted by: Joe Black | 2007-12-20 10:43:06 AM
Canadians-being reduced to disseminating truth through Samidzat literature. I never thought I'd see the day. Truly sad.
Posted by: atric | 2007-12-20 10:46:54 AM
"For god’s sake, you people live in Calgary, Alberta!! Could you be anymore of a redneck!"
I think this is the thesis statement of the above rant.
Clearly this person is from Toronto, the same people who are bringing back racial segregation into their school system and soon to other parts of society.
They enforce patriarchal rule allowing fathers to kill their daughters for not obeying them (while allowing their sons to do as they please).
They turn a blind eye to non-white crime, yet react with horror whenever a pretty white teenager is murdered (2 years ago next week in fact).
Their city council is so obsessed with being politically correct that they ignore city services. Now basic sanitation and transit are a laughing stock.
Calgary, for all its problems, is what Toronto can only dream about - tolerant, safe, productive.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-12-20 10:54:12 AM
Hey.... Whats wrong with chinese food?!!
Posted by: Jane Doe | 2007-12-20 10:55:08 AM
Tell me Joe Blackheart,
Did you have to go to an elitist eastern university to learn such mindless bigotry, or does it just come naturally to a clown like you?
Posted by: deepblue | 2007-12-20 10:58:16 AM
Go and take the poll on whether or not you would be willing to fight for your freedoms.
http://allwest.blogspot.com/
Thanks
And Joe Black you are a fool. Albertans are the very best Canadian culture has to offer. The are the worker bees and the wealth creators in Canada.
They still tell it like it is without the politically correct sophistry that idiots like you wallow in. You must be from Ontario.
Posted by: John West | 2007-12-20 11:00:35 AM
>"Your idea of being culturally diverse is ordering Chinese food from Mr. Wong’s so excuse me for gagging...."
Joe Black | 20-Dec-07 10:43:06 AM
Gag 'till ya choke, Joey, I never said cultural diversity was a good thing.
Maybe you could explain why diversity for the sake of diversity is something worth pursuing?
di·verse· (də vʉrs′, dīvʉrs; dī′vʉrs′)
adjective
1) different; dissimilar
2) varied; diversified
Etymology: ME & OFr < L diversus, pp. of divertere, to TURN ASIDE < dis-, apart + vertere, to TURN:
Really, if you've already got the best, why should you to turn aside from it?
Posted by: Speller | 2007-12-20 11:04:28 AM
Hey Joe, where you gonna run to now? Sorry, I just had to give Hendrix a plug.
If you take your own advice and do your homework, you'll find that most of the really radical posts come from a land far away from Calgary. It's the world wide web after all.
If black is your game as well as your name, then I haven't seen very many of your African brothers out in the cold where I make a living. Western Canada, and particularly the oilpatch was built by Saskatchewan farm boys who weren't afraid to leave home and work hard. There were also a good number of Maritimers. It was only after the heavy lifting was done that the "parasitic" immigrants showed up.
This is nothing new. My ancesters came to Nova Scotia in 1783, when it wasn't a welfare province. After the heavy lifting was done, then the merchant class showed up with a knowledge of business. After they were settled, then the real businessmen showed up to take over.
Maybe it's just a hazing ritual that all immigrants have to endure.
Posted by: dp | 2007-12-20 11:05:09 AM
Hey Joe, why don't you tell us how you really feel
?
Posted by: atric | 2007-12-20 11:05:56 AM
Joe Black was the name of a character in the movie "Meet Joe Black" played by Brad Pitt.
The character was Death who had taken a holiday from reaping and assumed possession of Brad Pitt's human body.
Posted by: Speller | 2007-12-20 11:11:05 AM
The notion of ethnic, multinational, multicultural diversity and political correctness seems easily traced in Canada (and America) to a kindly desire to be welcoming to visitors and immigrants.
But the true kindness is entirely delivered in the gift of allowing-inviting others to come and join us, e.g. as Canadians, or as Americans, not as Saudi's (or Frenchmen, Australians, etc.) who happen to reside in Canada or in America.
To adopt our culture, rather than deliver their culture, is the civil manner for a new comer to effect. The logic of this situation is unmistakable; if your culture and conditons are superior to ours, then stay in your own country.
Of course a new comer brings with him all of his being, history, language, etc. but he then OFFERS his ideas and ways of doing things (as in a commercial business transaction) to those who wish to partake of it, rather than by way of demanding "recognition" of his culture, beyond his basic human dignity and Natural Law rights.
We are being fooled to think that the kindness of accomodation to changes desired by outsiders is our strength, when in fact it is the kindness to allow others to join our culture that provides enduring strength and freedom for all.
Posted by: Conrad-USA | 2007-12-20 11:24:34 AM
Great comment, Conrad.
I'm going to archive that one.
Very eloquent.
Posted by: Speller | 2007-12-20 11:28:55 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.