Cornwall ON – While you probably couldn’t get one of these onto an airplane as carry on luggage if you weren’t a Sikh, the Kirpan has never been involved in a violent attack in Quebec.
But politics are a strange game in Quebec. Manic at times; facist at others; and deeply rooted in benign Xenophobic racism the Quebec assembly voted unanimously, 113-0 in fact to support the banning of Kirpans, the ceremonial daggers carried by Male Sikhs.
What bothers me most is that I don’t feel that most Quebecers or even most MLAs in Quebec have that huge an issue with Sikhs carrying Kirpans. To me this was capitulation to that special dying, yet still strong enough sliver of Quebec society that votes PQ and to a degree BQ.
Louise Beaudoin, the Parti Quebecois member for Montreal’s Rosemont riding, presented the motion, telling reporters she did so because provincial Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil remained neutral on the kirpan ban.
Beaudoin said she wanted to know where Weil stands on the issue of security versus religious freedom.
And she said the Sikhs should have been ready to make an accommodation by checking their kirpans with assembly security.
“Frankly, they could have made an effort to respect our institutions and our values,” she told reporters.
Ms Beaudoin does have a way of making one feel warm and fuzzy; especially if you’re not “pur laines” . She also was quick to point out that because Quebec never signed the Canadian Constitution that Quebec does not support Multi-culturalism.
The vote is an alleged response to Corporal Denis Lortie’s shootem up of the Assembly. Last checked Corporal Lortie was not carrying a religious object, especially a Kirpan.
Like I said, they do things differently in Quebec…..What do you think my fellow Canadians? You can post your comments below.
Multiculturalism? Quebec doesn’t even support bilingualism and I think the rest of the country should reciprocate. A culture and language should live and die with the support, or lack of support, of those involved in that culture or language. Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for it.
Neither should they be forced to learn a second language to get a job in an area where their own language is in the vast majority.
Although adherents of this cult that treats such a symbol as an article of faith, probably deserve a wide berth, it is never-the-less a cruel blow to other superstitions that might consider using weapons as inspiration for symbols.
And what if another religion were to object to such a symbol …might say the argument “cuts” both ways.
At any rate it will be a conundrum for Sikhs that observe the tenet that “Nothing ever happens without the Will of the Creator God.”
The only things that Quebec does support are trade unions and ramming the french language down the throats of Canadians everywhere. Let us thank Tory MP Maxime Bernier who recently reopened the french language can of worms. I speak french because I want to and not because I have to! French should not be a requirement to obtain any job in Canada.
“Ms Beaudoin does have a way of making one feel warm and fuzzy; especially if you’re not “pur laines” . She also was quick to point out that because Quebec never signed the Canadian Constitution that Quebec does not support Multi-culturalism.”
Ok, so why are we having bilingualism requirements in the rest of Canada? Why do we give Quebec money? If they did not sign on? What benefit should they get from the rest of Canada? And why should the rest of Canada cater outside of the English language for the French? Ms Baudoin I think is just digging the province of Quebec into a deeper hole with her crap.. I come from Quebec, I speak both French and English, and Ms. Baudoin makes me cringe with her viewpoints…
What was wrong with Canada that changes had to be made anyway. People get along fine usually, until governments and @#$ disturbers come along.
The Ontario government guidelines to get a grade 12 diploma includes only one of 30 courses in French. Then they say you don’t speak French so no government job for you, Why does our own province and country want to stop so many from working?
The Canadian way is to be more accepting, pass it on.