Quebec Isn't Bashful
From Canwest news service/The Calgary Herald, a little advance warning to those who'd be tempted to come over and multiply (and not just in math class) and have Sharia law installed:
A Quebec government plan to force new immigrants to sign a declaration saying they will respect Quebec's common values is a political stunt designed to increase the government's support prior to a provincial election, opponents of the new plan said Wednesday."It is a political move to gain votes and I hope that most Quebecers see through this," said Ehab Lotayef, the vice-president of Parole Arabe, an Arab community organization. "I don't know what it can achieve. I am all for new immigrants learning more about the place they are coming to, but this is a place that already has a charter of rights."
Starting in January, immigrants applying to come to Quebec will be required, as part of their application process, to sign a declaration promising to learn French and acknowledging that they understand that men and women have equal rights and political and religious powers are separate.
..Anyone who refuses to sign the declaration will not have their application accepted, Quebec Immigration Minister Yolande James said Wednesday after unveiling a series of measures designed to help immigrants better integrate into Quebec society.
"Coming to Quebec is not a right, it is a privilege," James said. "If you refuse to sign the declaration, you won't be able to come here."
Note the statement from the Parole Arab guy: "I am all for new immigrants learning more about the place they are coming to..." But...? Women and men having equal rights a problem for him? Political and religious powers being separate an issue?
Those who can't live in the West on the West's terms should go back to places they'd be more comfortable -- places where women and gays are stoned, and religious nutters rule all. Merci, et fermez la porte on your way out.
We should have a (very) similar declaration for immigrants to sign here. And it wouldn't hurt for some Americans to be made to read and sign it as well. o.O
Flynne at October 30, 2008 7:11 AM
As long as you speak french you can come to this province.
hhahaha! at October 30, 2008 8:26 AM
I suspect most immigrants would be perfectly happy to sign such a document, as long as it didn't ask too much. Of course, the few who would object would have a defenders in this country who would assert that:
1. The West doesn't really have a culture worth learning about,
2. What culture it does have is oppressive, and
3. With the first and second propositions being obviously true, one needn't make any effort to fit in. One is free, however, to make any demand of the host country one wishes.
old rpm daddy at October 30, 2008 10:53 AM
this sounds good until you realize that, hmmmm what was it you told us? Oh yeah, they lie. Unless this can be used to deport someone in the event they don't learn the language or are accused/convicted of a crime relating to equal rights, it IS a purely political move. Political theater.
christina at October 30, 2008 11:32 AM
I commend Quebec for understanding that immigration is a privilege, not a right. Not sure how much this will change things but we shall see. Be careful with Quebec, however. This province is far from being a libertarian paradise. It is a socialist basketcase (one of the poorest jurisdictions in Canada). It is also a province that makes it illegal to have English only signs. It is also illegal, unless you went to english high school within the province, to send your kids to english school.
Charles at October 30, 2008 11:33 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2008/10/30/quebec_isnt_bas.html#comment-1601325">comment from christinathis sounds good until you realize that, hmmmm what was it you told us? Oh yeah, they lie.
I realize that. It's symbolic, but note that Monsieur Arabe is upset about it. Imagine, being upset that you'd be expected to behave according to laws and customs of the place you're emigrating to. Oh, the indignity. Best that this sort of stuff is not left unspoken.
Amy Alkon at October 30, 2008 11:36 AM
Here is the answer to your question "Women and men having equal rights a problem for him?" given *before* you wrote it:
http://cbc.ca/montreal/media/audio/daybreak/20081030DBK_IMMI.ram
Ehab Lotayef at October 30, 2008 12:18 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2008/10/30/quebec_isnt_bas.html#comment-1601341">comment from Ehab LotayefGot that as text?
Amy Alkon at October 30, 2008 12:52 PM
> It's symbolic, but note that
> Monsieur Arabe is upset
Exactly: Rhetoric matters. Tiis the only reason I'd vote for McCain at this point. Having people in senior positions in government mouthing off about "spreading the wealth around" is not tolerable. It give people weird ideas about what they can bring to the table.
Crid [cridcridatgmail] at October 30, 2008 1:43 PM
I don't know how upset he was. I think his point was that they're using fear to get votes, which is something we look down on here. I would probably resent that too if it was about my group, or a group that I am supportive of. I get irritated every time a politician in an election year starts suddenly bagging on gay people, hookers, and pot.
I am behind making it clear to immigrants their responsibilities to their new home. I think emphasizing that immigration isn't just takng our benefits while ignoring our culture and laws is important. I just think the effort should be focused on something that will actually work, not just comfort the fearful. TSA anyone?
Christina at October 30, 2008 2:09 PM
This is all very strange coming from Quebec. The perception amongst other Canadians is that Quebecers are by far the most socialist province in the country. But it's complicated. Everything in La Belle Provence is complicated.
The urban areas, especially Montreal, is by far the most socialist but people in the rest of the province are generally more conservative in their views. A commission was setup to explore issues around this topic: http://www.cdpdj.qc.ca
I'm guessing that this new law is a reflection of the commission's finding, namely that many (most?) Quebecers are fed up with new immigrants coming into their province and not bothering to respect the cultural traditions or integrate in any way. For many decades, anyone speaking out about this was deemed a racist. But it has clearly reached a tipping point where enough is enough.
Just this afternoon I was speaking to a friend here in Vancouver about the same thing. I explained that I'm very pro-immigrant but I do not agree with Canada's official multicultural policies that deem it perfectly fine to never integrate into Canadian culture.
If Messiah Obama gets elected on Tuesday and he enacts some of the multicult policies I expect he will, I wonder if Americans will eventually reach a similar attitude as Quebecers?
Robert W. at October 30, 2008 3:44 PM
This is the political equivalent of those "chastity pledges" the Bible-thumpers try to get teenagers to sign. Worse than that. It's like getting a teenager to sign a chastity pledge in return for a new Porsche complete with smokin' hot hooker riding shotgun.
Speedy
Speedy at October 31, 2008 4:51 AM
As a Quebecer living in Montreal, I can understand the need for this law.
The province of Quebec is a singularity in North-America. It is the only place where the institutions use French as a primary language. There's also a cleavage towards religion; until 1960, the province was wall-to-wall Roman-Catholic. After a period called "The Quiet Revolution" (1960-1980), The Catholic Church lost it's power in the public sphere and a prudent Agnosticism or Deism became the mainstream faith-belief system.
This, and the historical evidence that the modern Canada was born over the invasion of the French colony of New-France, created a mentality of siege for many of my fellow Quebecers. Not only it fuel the separatism movement against the rest of Canada but it oppose itself towards any "Invading" current of thought. A perfect example is a violent distrust for the Americans.
Islam falls into that category. Having kept some bad memories of the Catholic "Reign" over the province, Any form of religious orthodoxy is viewed with a dose of skepticism. Since the treatment of women under the Shari'a remembers many of the Catholic dogma, the link is not hard to make.
Sadly, the whole Declaration thing reeks political opportunism. The whole province is deadlocked in a minority government where the three provincial parties don't have the majority at the parliament. With constant rumors of elections glooming at the horizon, such a declaration might help swing the vote of many "Pure-Wool" Quebecers who are looking up to defend the province. Personally, I support this initiative but I find it ill-timed at best.
Toubrouk at October 31, 2008 11:04 AM
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