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The Curse of Cultural Awareness

Well those guys who didn't welcome Dr. Kanwar back to his mosque are just the example of the "narrow-minded" immigrants who refuse to embrace or at least respect the Canadian culture- rather the nation- that they have made their new home.  Reverse-racism, as Wesley or George W. would say. But still, just because there are a few immigrants who take advantage of "Multiculturalism" to illicit ends doesn't mean that it should dropped altogether as a principle. There are many immigrants who don't fall into that category of the same people that Dr. Kanwar scolded. I thus stand firm on this point by reiterating this quote from one of my earlier posts:


Well not all immigrants see Canadian culture as a threat to their own. Most embrace it. I DO AGREE that it's frustrating that some members of MINORITY cultures who do settle here are THEMSELVES NARROW-MINDED and refuse to accept the host culture. I've encountered Hindu-Pakistani (No offence to any of that origin in this forum) people over the phone who don't know a single world of English who live in Surrey, BC.  I've encountered Chinese (No offence meant again- I'm not inconsiderate of others' feelings) in the US who've are US-born, but have such a strong accent and such a lack of command of English that it makes me wonder whether they spent their whole life in Chinatown (like those in San Francisco or Monterrey Park/Alhambra near Los Angeles).


 
I can't remember his name, but an author of East Indian and Trinidadian descent called official multiculturalism, as praciticed in Canada, "apartheid with a smile" or "friendly apartheid" or something like that.

Edit: the author I'm thinking of is Neil Bissoondath.
 
I think I can sum it all up by saying. Its our country, Canada invited you, NOT the other way around. Are you Canadian or simply someone else from somewhere else living in Canada!

Get your priorities right and straight. Love it or leave it!

For those new and from other cultures, once citizenship is granted, be a Canadian citizen before anything else, which includes your religion or previous nationality. Canada and all of what it is, must come first. I don't think thats asking too much. Do you?

Look at me, I spent the first 35 yrs of my life being Canadian, left for greener pastures, and found them. I've been an Australian citizen for 10 yrs now, and I love my adopted country as if I was born there.

I am an immigrrant too, started fresh in Australia with only two barracks boxes, and at the time a 4 year unhappy marriage which was about to shyte itself.

I celebrate Australia Day, ANZAC Day, and the Melbourne Cup. I have earned my right to vote, and I have served my new country during peace and war. I enjoy keeping touch with my Canadian past, but my loyality is where I am now, not where I once was.

However, I never forget my past, my heritage, both from my Saskatchewan roots and my forefathers from Northern Ireland. In Australia, 01 Jul is just  another winter's day, but I know its Canada Day. I am not a part of the Canadian Australian community, nor the RC Australian community, but simply an Australian with Canadian heritage, Nothing more.

I am not out there demonstraing against Isreal, or for Palestine, not out there, whinging about Serbia and creating more problems with people bringing their baggage and previous prejudices to our shores. This does nothing but tarnish our own beliefs, yet it is allowed to go on. Its a democracy right? I tell you, nothing disgusted me more than to see news shot in Australia of islamic youths, faces wrapped in those scarves, smashing and causing over a million dollars damage in Sydney's CBD a while back. Yes most are Australian born, and look what or who they seek for identity. No faded blue singlets and bordies. Plain refusal to adopt a new culture and way of life, enforcing their own hatred and beliefs, terrorising other Australians. Disgusting behaviour!

Now if only people from many other countries who migrate to Canada could also have the same attitude as I did and still do (many do mind you, but it seems more than many do not either), rather than creating satellite countries from whence they came in ours, maybe things would be different, as the gap is widening betwen generic westerners and others from islamic countries.

Shyte, I hope I am making some sense. At least I've vented a bit :)

If our governments could be more hard lined rather than appeasing the migrant vote based on ethinicity. In 2003, Sydney spent more $$ on Chinese New year then on Christmas celebrations for the entire city.

Cheers from Baghdaddy,

Wes
 
Neil Bissoondath covers this very topic at length in his book Selling Illusions.

It is not lost on him that if he were a white anglo writing such a book, he would be quickly branded a racist, intolerant redneck, and held up to ridicule.

He also discusses, in depth, the "cult of the exotic" that we so espouse here in Canada, where it is almost passe to be of western European descent, and definitely not something to be proud of. All people must be hyphenated Canadians with ties to an ancestral homeland which they may never have visited or even liked in the first place to play the "role of the ethnic".

The crux of the argument is he presents, which I agree with, is that highlighting cultural differences serves only to fragment an already divided nation, and the cynical political goals and ramifications behind it.
 
tomahawk6 said:
Very interesting article from Strategypage. Cultural awareness is a double edge sword it would seem.Oil countries buy their technical experts rather than creating their own is one obvious problem. Arab countries have fallen behind not only the west economically but also the east. Reversing this will be the salvation for the arab world but not easily acheived.

The Curse of Cultural Awareness .........

Tomahawk 6 - you sure kept lots of Toque Headed Troopers (herein after THT) wacking each other with Lacrosse Sticks about Canadian perceptions of multi culturalism - or lack there of :)

Would you or anyone know if the Strategy page article that started this all off has footnotes? Without footnotes I'd say its quite inflamatory - despite that - indicators leading to lack of accountabilty - reponsibility are readily available at this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arab-World-Competitiveness-Report/dp/1403948011

Thanks in advance
 
In the news this morning a story about Washington telling Canadian defence contractors they are not permitted to employ people from countries they deem unfriendly or a risk to their National security. Cue the CBC who of course tracked down one of the 24 individuals mentionedand suprise,,suprise,suprise. The man they interviewed{he has lived in Canada 20 years}, could not speak one word of English! Multiculturalism at its best.
 
Exarecr said:
In the news this morning a story about Washington telling Canadian defence contractors they are not permitted to employ people from countries they deem unfriendly or a risk to their National security. Cue the CBC who of course tracked down one of the 24 individuals mentionedand suprise,,suprise,suprise. The man they interviewed{he has lived in Canada 20 years}, could not speak one word of English! Multiculturalism at its best.

Did he speak the other official language? You know, French?
 
Yikes! Forgot about that aspect,but the dude was speaking Arabic.
 
RangerRay said:
I can't remember his name, but an author of East Indian and Trinidadian descent called official multiculturalism, as praciticed in Canada, "apartheid with a smile" or "friendly apartheid" or something like that.

Edit: the author I'm thinking of is Neil Bissoondath.

My wife says that Canadians are the nicest people to stab you in the back!!! She prefers the upfront racism of Malaysia, where at least you know when people dislike you.
 
S_Baker said:
I think it is important to note that CDN defense contractors can hire whomever they want.   However, when it comes to equipment being exported to the U.S., paid for by the U.S. taxpayers the workers can not hold dual citizenship.

That is not true. The actual issue is getting licenses to use US equipment and information which is covered by International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and administered by the US State Department. Information available here at DDTC Homepage / ITAR Index. An example would be technical data and maintenance information for avionics systems in new aircraft so they can be maintained by contractors in Canada. To get a license for the information requires that the receiver accept certain restrictions on who can handle the information.

Added: I worded some of that wrong, the license requirement is actually for the US based exporter and it's needed before they can send information and/or equipment to Canada.
 
This is another kitchy internet thing that goes around, but has some food for thought:


Subject: Immigrant Changes

I'm sure this is true for the U.S. as well.
So many letter writers have explained how this land is made up of immigrants.  Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people why today's Canadian is not willing to accept the new kind of immigrant any longer.
Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to Canada, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in Halifax and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good times and bad times. They made learning English and French a primary rule in their new Canadian households and some even changed their names[don't agree with that part] to blend in with their new homeland. They had waved goodbye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture.
Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, housing, medical assistance, no labor laws to protect them.
All they had were the skills, craftsmanship and desire they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.  Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out.  Canadians fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Sweden, and so many other places. None of these first generation Canadians ever gave any thought about
what country their parents had come from.  They were Canadians fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan.  They were defending the Freedom as one people.  When we liberated France, no one in those villages was looking for the Ukrainian-Canadian or the German-Canadian or the Irish-Canadian.
The people of France saw only Canadians, and we carried one flag  that represented our country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were.
It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrifice much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be a Canadian. They stirred the melting pot into one red and white bowl. Now here we are in 2006 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it with a different set of rules, one that includes a Canadian passport, and a guarantee of being faithful to their MOTHER country. I'm sorry, that's not what being a Canadian is all about.  Canadians have been very open hearted and open minded regarding immigrants, whether they were fleeing poverty, dictatorship, persecution, or whatever else makes a person adopt a foreign country.  And I suppose when we say adopt, we think of those aforementioned immigrants who truly did ADOPT our country, and our flag and our morals and our customs, and left their wars, their politics, and their desire to become good
Canadians was foremost and unbridled.
I believe that the immigrants who landed in Canada in the 1900's deserve better than that for the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a  beacon for those legally searching for a better life.  I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example
by those waving foreign country flags, fighting foreign battles on our soil, trying to oblige Canadians to change to suit their religions and cultures, often from which they fled to refuge in Canada; and wanting to change our country's fabric by claiming discrimination when we do not give into their demands.
 
This article appeared today addressing what so many people think should be done to end the silliness of PC:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/canada_stoning_col

From the article:
"We wish to inform these new arrivals that the way of life which they abandoned when they left their countries of origin cannot be recreated here," said the declaration, which also says women are allowed to drive, vote, dance, write checks, dress how they want, work and own property.


"Therefore we consider it completely outside these norms to ... kill women by stoning them in public, burning them alive, burning them with acid, circumcising them etc."




 
niner domestic said:
This article appeared today addressing what so many people think should be done to end the silliness of PC:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/canada_stoning_col

From the article:
"We wish to inform these new arrivals that the way of life which they abandoned when they left their countries of origin cannot be recreated here," said the declaration, which also says women are allowed to drive, vote, dance, write checks, dress how they want, work and own property.


"Therefore we consider it completely outside these norms to ... kill women by stoning them in public, burning them alive, burning them with acid, circumcising them etc."

Good lord these town folks must be so racist and intolerant!!

I have met people living in Vancouver who were astounded that I would “allow” my wife to go out alone and that if she did I should beat her. I upset one strict Muslim by serving my wife before myself. I met another that was moving back to his home country because Canada was infecting his wife and daughter. Apparently he was offended that the rights and freedoms we offer also applied to the rest of his family.

1400 years Mohammed tried to increase the rights of women, the irony is his religion is now used to oppress them. The fact that his first wife ran her own business empire and his 7th wife had to kick butt and lead his army into battle seems entirely lost on people. 


 
Those who oppose what the townspeople have said appear to have forgotten WHY the townspeople made their statement - because these typoes of incidents have been witnessed in immigrant communities. The question of stereotyping would depend on how frequently does this happen.

 
Also bear in mind the situation in Quebec: "accomodement raisonable" is becoming quite a contentious issue. Between the examples mentionned in the article (frosted windows for a gym and policewomen being told not to talk to certain religious groups) there is also the issue of a town hall having removed the nativity scene from under it's Christmas tree, and putting a HUMONGOUS menorah on top of said tree, and other such events. All in all, Quebec is basically bending over backward to accomodate minorities, going so far as removing the rights of white christians (non white, non christians, too, just using white christians as an example) in favour of minorities.

It's not so much a question of the townspeople being racist, as it's a reaction to the percieved "counter-racism" (the PC way of saying "racism against whites") of certain government agencies and administration decisions.
 
Isn't refusing to acknowledge a female peace officer an illegal act in the first place according to the Canadian Charter?  Aren't these 'new Canadians' supposed to abide by the rule of our country of risk being sent home?

I mention this because my wife is from another country and moved here when she was 18.  She is constantly shocked by the crap people get away with, when her family was threatened with deportation back to their home country if they broke any Canadian laws during their first few years of residence...

Somebody needs to hand these people a rule book and say, 'hey, if you want to come here to live, this is what you will have to agree to...'. 
 
I found this portion of the article interesting

Salam Elmenyawi, president of the Muslim Council of Montreal, said the declaration had "set the clock back for decades" as far as race relations were concerned.


"I was shocked and insulted to see these kinds of false stereotypes and ignorance about Islam and our religion ... in a public document written by people in authority who discriminate openly," he told Reuters


or perhaps hypocritical would a more apt term rather than interesting, coming as it does from a man whose religion largely discriminates against women, at least in so far as it is often practised.  And his use of the word false boggles me as we see on the news such things occuring frequently by people who practice Islam.  Who does he think he is fooling, considering some practitioners of Islam have even tried to introduce Sharia law here. I believe that it was Quebec courts who first struck it down.

 
Funny thing is that Herouxville does not have anyone asking for accommodations - there are no new immigrants looking to settle in that town.  The town wanted to draw a reasonnable line in the snow & saying we're not going to go beyond.... here!

All I can say is.... good for them!
 
Centurian1985 said:
Isn't refusing to acknowledge a female peace officer an illegal act in the first place according to the Canadian Charter? 

No.  People can ignore us all they want, male or female.  Strangely, we do seem to find ways of attracting and holding those same peoples attention.... ^-^

Centurian1985 said:
Aren't these 'new Canadians' supposed to abide by the rule of our country of risk being sent home?
I mention this because my wife is from another country and moved here when she was 18.  She is constantly shocked by the crap people get away with, when her family was threatened with deportation back to their home country if they broke any Canadian laws during their first few years of residence...

Pretty much the only way to get punted is to get convicted of an indictable offence.  And since the legal system is a joke, no charges that are dual rarely ever get proceded with by way of indictment.  And even when they get drilled for something like murder or manslaughter, they find a way to get someone pregnant and generally end up staying anyway. 
Immigration policy:  "Just get here.  We'll do the rest".  ::)
 
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