Neil Macdonald's Article On The Issue With Canadian Politics

“The spirit of democracy cannot be imposed from without. It has to come from within”. (Gandhi) A lawful and fair democracy is one that represents the people, where the will of the people is done not where the government’s will is enforced. Here in Canada we believe a democratic government is well suited for its people but like any other system it has its flaws. This country was a model democracy. Canada’s wealth, respect for legal, human and civil rights almost promises that this country has the potential to uphold a legitimate democracy. Reading headlines today concerning the state of democracy in Canada we can see how our political system is slipping. A democracy should uphold the rights of its people rather than the rights of a

"The Discourse of the Veil" Ahmed examines Amin’s recommendations regarding women and formed part of his thesis and how/why he believed that unveiling was key to the social transformation, which is important for unraveling the significance of the debate that his book provoked (Ahmed, 145). Ahmed discusses the origins and history as an idea of the veil which informs Western colonial discourse and 20th century-Arabic debate have several implications. The first implication is the evident connection between the issue of culture of women, as well as between the cultures of other men and the oppression of women, which was created by Western discourse. The idea that improving the status of women resulting in abandoning native customs was

This essay will discuss Justin Trudeau’s interview in the Ottawa Citizen, titled “Q and A: Why Justin Trudeau says he’s the real alternative”, where he shares his plan to increase taxation on the rich in order to give the middle class a tax break. This plan is in response to the larger issue of income inequality in Canada. Analysing the income inequality from a liberal “justice as fairness” perspective, one can conclude that Justin Trudeau is taking the correct action, as taxation on the rich is in compliance with the two principles of justice as described by John Rawls.

Canada adopted multiculturalism as an official policy, which allows the value and dignity of all Canadians, regardless of their racial origins, language or religious affiliations. Plus the status of two official languages, French and English. Canada promotes multiculturalism by encouraging Canadians to participate in all aspects of life. Regardless of their background, anyone can participate in social, cultural, economic, and political affairs. Everyone is equal to one another. Everyone has the right to be heard. These rights are provided to us through our Canadian constitution and our charter of rights and freedoms. Some people come to Canada and have a history of hate towards an ethnic group. Promoting hatred is not permitted in Canada. You have the right to have your own ethnicity in Canada but you must also respect others right to do the same. Canada has experienced racial and ethnic tensions. But the majority of Canadians are fair minded. We will accept and respect them that will accept and respect us. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the freedom of religious expression. For those who are new comers to Canada, you may contribute to this country’s diversity. But you need to be prepared to live in a

The first part of the second article of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom, one of the 1982’s Constitutional Acts, states that everyone has the fundamental right to “freedom of conscience and religion” (“Constitution Act, 1982”, part 1). However, the line separating individual religious rights from the State’s religious neutrality is a subject of debate in Quebec. On October 18, 2017, the Quebec Liberal government introduced Bill 62 that aims at conserving Quebec’s religious neutrality, but also requires individuals to remove face-covering veils while giving or receiving public services (Bill 62, ch. III div. II). It is however unethical for Quebec’s government to impose a restriction on certain Muslim women’s religious and

The notion of having a nation where any religion can practice freely was one of the many reasons that which America was founded on. This belief brought people together, but today is tearing many people apart. Patel states that, “…in America, people will have their identities respected, their freedom protected and their safety secured (pg.14).” Many people in America do have the luxury of their belief being appreciated and tolerated in America, but for vast majority of people this is not the case. Specifically in this novel Patel discusses this discrimination towards Muslims in America. Though he does recognize that it is not just Muslims who experience discrimination, all religions have. It can be argued though, that Muslims have

Islam is expanding. It is currently the fastest growing religion in the world, and with the refugee crisis in Europe and North America, the Islamification of the West is inevitable if we do not oppose it; and it seems like our government does not oppose it. In today’s society, people are taught to tolerate a religion that poses a great threat to Western values, and when people demonstrate their fear of losing these values, they are branded as bigots and something with the suffix “phobe” attached to it. Recently, a motion has been passed in Canadian parliament (M-103) which seeks to criminalize any speech against Islam, essentially handing power and authority over to an ideology that poses a great threat to our democratic values. The motion states its purpose to be eliminating Canada from “Islamophobia”, but it does not define what Islamophobia is; it is basically an attack on free speech from the left, as it takes away our right to criticise the radical aspects of Islam, even with reasonable, mature, and highly intellectualized arguments. The liberals are always pushing an agenda that enforces tolerance towards all peoples and ideologies, even when said ideologies are not tolerant of them. They brand people as intolerable bigots for objecting to ideologies and beliefs that do not coincide with the culture and environment they are raised in, and those that conflict with modern day Western values (women’s rights, gay rights, etc.). So, what if Islamophobia is justified? What if our rejection of Islam is not because of racism, but rather a result of our fear of losing the world that gives us freedom and democracy? What is not realized by most people in the west, specifically those who support open borders and acceptance of Islam and Sharia law, is the fact that Islam is the complete opposite of the ideal Western society. It does not take long for one to realize, given extensive research of the Quran, statistics, and current events, that Islam, within its fundamental state serves its purpose as a conquering entity that seeks to expand as far as it can by any

This topic is important to Canada because it shows us what fear can do to a country’s people. The people of Canada were afraid of the enemy. So the Canadian government set up internment camps to imprison people that came from the enemy countries. The people that came from the enemy countries were innocent people but were perceived as evil because of people's fear of the enemy. Even in the modern day this fear still exists. For example, people from the Middle East caused the 9/11 attack. This created fear amongst people that people from the middle east are terrorists. This fear resulted in cases like Maher Arar. Maher Arar was just a normal person that was wrongly punished because of his race. This fear of people from the Middle East parallels

Canadian Political Culture, in a nation- state context, can be break down as beliefs and attitudes that Canadian have of political objects( Jackson, Politics in Canada.1994).

In a country abundant with natural resources, a bright and competent population, and a kind, revered reputation, the shared thoughts of a well educated and astute leader and one’s cabinet sharing the same characteristics is critical. Our country is based on an multicultural population with differing views and ways of life, considering the the priceless value of the the Canada’s assets, it is imperative that it is handled in the best way possible, and, as time goes on, the ones involved in the control of our country will become more apt, leading to better control of our issues over time. European, Asian, African: all with varying religions, perspectives, ways of being, and all have important roles in our diverse, hard-working country. Ergo, the sharing of thoughts of views when thinking for Canada is imperative. For example, when France put in place a ban on all face/head coverings,

In 1971 when the Conservatives ended the Socred hold on power, the Conservative Party succeeded by “neutralizing ideology and focusing on ‘safe change,’ that is, a change of faces but not policies.” The 1971 election brought into office the Progressive Conservative Party under the leadership of Peter Lougheed; Lougheed than served as premier until 1985, when he was replaced by Don Getty. In 1986 general election, Alberta PC win the election with 61 seats, NDP getting 16 seats, liberal getting 4 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and Alberta PC also win 1989 general election of Alberta. Getty’s decision to resign in 1992 “ushered in the leadership election that provides the point of departure.” Alberta’s electoral history

Multiculturalism as argued by Himani Bannerji in "The Dark Side, of the Nation: Essays on Multiculturalism, Nationalism and Gender," (1996) acts like a thin veil that hides European settler-colonist, even racist, ideologies which permeate the socio-political landscape of Canada. Bannerjii applies a Marxist perspective as she questions the notion of multiculturalism in Canada that is separated from existing power relations and social structures (p.110). The author critiques the discourse of multiculturalism that allows the Canadian state to limit its understanding of multiculturalism to “difference” thus neglecting class, gender, sexuality and other social factors while preserving its post-colonial capitalist and oppressive structures. Bannerjii

The attack on a mosque in Quebec has struck a chord in my mind the past week. Woods’ concept of cultural rights has clearly been breached in this circumstance. Morally, it’s obvious how horrific the assault on the mosque is, especially if we consider the recent events of Trump’s first few days in office. I feel as though Trump’s anti-muslim facade, and Canada’s open arms migration policy that the New York Times recently outlined in an article entitled “Quebec Mosque Attack Forces Canadians to Confront a Strain of Intolerance,” has had a huge influence on this attack.

In search of better opportunities than their native countries can offer, Muslims from Pakistan, India, Egypt and other Muslim countries immigrated to Canada, not only bringing with them strong work experience and higher education, but also their life savings. After the 9/11 tragedy, every Muslim is seen as a suspect. There is a very little trust for Muslims. Just having a Muslim name is enough for discrimination regardless whether a person practices Islam, or not. Even those Muslims who try to conform to Canadian customs and values are not immune from discrimination. After the 9/11 tragedy the unemployment rate among Muslims has risen substantially. In a recent survey conducted by ISCC in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) it was found that 75% percent of new Muslim immigrants could not find jobs in their professions within the last 12 to 24 months.[9] As well, a lot of stereotypes have become integrated into society today, with many negative consequences resulting from this. Many people describe a terrorist as “someone from the middle east that wears a robe and has a dirty beard and carries around an AK-47.” The fact that so many innocent people could be cast in such a negative light is baffling, and something that people in today’s society

In his book Orientalism (1978), Edward Said (1935-2003) critiques modern Orientalist prejudices against the Orient(and Islam as a study case). To him, "No matter how deep the specific exception, no matter how much a single Oriental can escape the fences placed around him, he is first an Oriental, second a human being, and last again an Oriental." (102) Not only did nineteenth century Orientalists make generalizations about the Orient, but they also tried to domesticate it, represent it, and speak on its behalf using their own vocabulary. Said asserts that: