DonLever Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau is accusing the Harper government of deliberately stoking fear and prejudice against Muslim Canadians employing the same kind of rhetoric that led to some of Canada's most shameful displays of racism in the past. The Liberal leader drew a parallel Monday between the current government's rhetoric about Muslims and other "dark episodes" in Canada's history: the internment of Ukrainian, Japanese and Italian Canadians during the two world wars, the turning away boatloads of Jewish and Punjabi refugees and the imposition of residential schools for aboriginal children. Since two Canadian soldiers were murdered by men with radical Islamist sympathies last October, Trudeau said the government has been blurring the line between the genuine threat terrorism posed to national security and "simple prejudice." "I believe they have done it deliberately and I believe what they have done is deeply wrong," Trudeau said in the text of a speech delivered in Toronto to the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada."We all know what is going on here," he added."It is nothing less than an attempt to play on people's fears and foster prejudice, directly toward the Muslim faith. This is not the spirit of Canadian liberty, my friends. It is the spirit of the Komagata Maru. Of the St. Louis. Of 'none is too many.' "The Komagata Maru was a ship carrying Muslim, Hindu and Sikh passengers, who were denied entry into Canada in 1914. The St. Louis was a German ocean liner whose Jewish passengers were denied entry in 1939 under the "none is too many" policy of the Canadian government of the day."We should all shudder to hear the same rhetoric that led to a 'none is too many' immigration policy toward Jews in the 1930s and 40s, being used to raise fears against Muslims today," Trudeau said. Over the past several weeks, Trudeau said the governing Conservatives' rhetoric has escalated as they promote new anti-terrorism legislation and decry a court ruling that struck down a law that banned a Muslim woman from wearing a face-covering niqab while taking the oath of citizenship. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he finds it "offensive" for someone to cover their face during the citizenship ceremony and has vowed to appeal the ruling.The Conservative party has used Harper's comments in fundraising missives that trumpet the prime minister's contention that wearing a niqab while taking the citizenship oath is "not the way we do things here. "The party has also promoted the anti-terrorism legislation by posting online images of a menacing Islamist terrorist and quotations from a recent threat to attack the West Edmonton Mall.The government has been criticized, meanwhile, for doing little to reassure Muslim Canadians after last fall's violence or, more recently, after a Quebec judge refused to hear a Muslim woman because she was wearing a hijab to cover her head. Trudeau scoffed at the Conservatives' contention that the ban on face-coverings during citizenship ceremonies was intended to promote gender equality."It is a cruel joke to claim you are liberating people from oppression by dictating in law what they can and cannot wear. "And he warned that Harper and his fellow Tories are going down a dangerous path in a country that is home to over 1 million Muslims."Fear is a dangerous thing. Once stoked, whether by a judge from the bench or a prime minister with a dog whistle, there is no way to predict where it will end," Trudeau said. "Across Canada, and especially in my home province (of Quebec), Canadians are being encouraged by their government to be fearful of one another. For me, this is both unconscionable and a real threat to Canadian liberty. "A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office defended the government's actions, in part by quoting weekend comments by Defence Minister Jason Kenny in which the minister said "We stand in defence of the vast majority of Muslims who reject this cult of violence. Canadians are in solidarity with them. Stephen Lecce also defended the government's anti-terror legislation."Under Prime Minister Harper, this Government will continue to take action to protect our freedoms by denying the international jihadist movement the opportunity to inflict terror on our citizens and interests," Lecce said in an email. "Through the Anti-Terrorism Act 2015, we are taking decisive action to thwart efforts to use Canada as a recruiting ground, prevent terrorism travel and attacks on our soil. "Earlier Monday at an event in Ottawa, Marjory LeBreton, a senior Conservative senator, acknowledged that the government's messaging may be making Muslims feel unwelcome. She was responding to a question from Sheema Khan, who told LeBreton that Muslim Canadians are feeling "a little bit excluded, somewhat under suspicion." - See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/national/trudeau-says-harper-government-deliberately-stoking-prejudice-against-muslims-1.1786806#sthash.0Jy30ynZ.dpuf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 In a matter of hours the Cons will no doubt label Trudeau as a terrorist sympathizer the same way they did Mulcair and the NDP for openly supporting the Palestinian people and a 2 state solution. Remember, if you're not with us (Conservatives) You're with the Pedophiles, terrorists, enviornmentalists and basically anyone else they deem a threat to their party. And THAT is the core of todays current right wing values. everything truly Conservative about the party went away the second that bumbling idiot sold the party to MacKay and harper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 In a matter of hours the Cons will no doubt label Trudeau as a terrorist sympathizer the same way they did Mulcair and the NDP for openly supporting the Palestinian people and a 2 state solution. Remember, if you're not with us (Conservatives) You're with the Pedophiles, terrorists, enviornmentalists and basically anyone else they deem a threat to their party. And THAT is the core of todays current right wing values. everything truly Conservative about the party went away the second that bumbling idiot sold the party to MacKay and harper You think Stephane Dion could have done better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuktravella Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 trudeau is a sniveling pos not that i like harper or anything but ya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 You think Stephane Dion could have done better? I think anyone is better than the Conservatives at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuktravella Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 true but hell no to trudeau unless you like hipsters running their country into the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordCanuck Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Conservatives need to lose this upcoming election but they wont cause most ignorant people will see their awful attack ads, thinking its the trueth. Down with the conservatives! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockout Casualty Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 true but hell no to trudeau unless you like hipsters running their country into the ground You're shooting from the hip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsedin33 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 true but hell no to trudeau unless you like hipsters running their country into the ground You are worse then Palin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeefcakeBo Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I don't want to get into this whole debate about Trudeau vs Harper. However I have to say the article seems to twist Harper's comments about face covering at citizenship ceremonies. I also think it's unnecessary. At that point your Canadian now and you don't need to be subjected to a bunch of barbaric muslim rules that take away the rights of women. Women shouldn't be covering their faces here, I don't really care that it's a religious thing because it's a religious thing that was only designed to take away women's rights. That's unfortunate that even in a free country women are still putting up with that crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 true but hell no to trudeau unless you like hipsters running their country into the ground And your solution is what exactly again? more Harper? Hell I'd give May or Mulcair a shot before either Trudeau or Harper but sadly too many canadians these days believe the crap they see on TV and American style attack ads are here to stay and these ads will label the Greens and the NDP as poor choices carbon taxers greenies leftists union lovers or any number of things just to keep or sway a vote from the mindless uneducated masses that populate this country. The biggest threat to our country right now isn't Harpers belief in some roaming band of terrorists in a desert a world away...it's voter apathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackberries Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Honestly I like neither of them. I can see trudeaus point, but I also disagree with how he doesnt believe those that leave to join Isis should have their passports stripped. Harper does have a racist past connection "google the northern foundation" but Trudeau seems weasely. Mulclair is like Mr Rogers on Oxycontin. No wonder people don't vote since the third party alternative is the same as not voting at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etsen3 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Whether Harper's rhetoric is intended to incite prejudice specifically, there's no question that he is using fear to further his own agenda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 so... Mulcair, anyone? As much as I hate to go against the Conservatives, they seem to have been...overstepping their bounds, recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummer4now Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I don't want to get into this whole debate about Trudeau vs Harper. However I have to say the article seems to twist Harper's comments about face covering at citizenship ceremonies. I also think it's unnecessary. At that point your Canadian now and you don't need to be subjected to a bunch of barbaric muslim rules that take away the rights of women. Women shouldn't be covering their faces here, I don't really care that it's a religious thing because it's a religious thing that was only designed to take away women's rights. That's unfortunate that even in a free country women are still putting up with that crap. That's their choice and frankly no one has the right to say otherwise.. Should we ban turbans too? I doubt most that choice to wear the niqab or burqa are forced to do so in Canada or any non-islamic place.. Now having said that.. if they're forced then that's a problem. I often see Muslim women that wear that garb all the time at University when they could easily not wear at all. Just walking behind people like that and I can see the dirty looks others give them in public. So long story short I have deep respect for people who choose to wear that garb as it takes a lot of balls so to speak. Honestly I like neither of them. I can see trudeaus point, but I also disagree with how he doesnt believe those that leave to join Isis should have their passports stripped. Harper does have a racist past connection "google the northern foundation" but Trudeau seems weasely. Mulclair is like Mr Rogers on Oxycontin. No wonder people don't vote since the third party alternative is the same as not voting at all. Good analogy lol.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackberries Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Whether Harper's rhetoric is intended to incite prejudice specifically, there's no question that he is using fear to further his own agenda. Honestly its almost Busheque Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam13371337 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Harper is definitely a pos... but niqabs have no place in Canada, or any society for that matter.. even a lot of muslim clerics condemn it... and it only exist in a few extremely conservative countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan etc... If you want to go out in public and function as a human, then the public should have a right to see your face (and identity) You cant go to a bank wearing a balaclava can youÉ... theres a point where common sense should prevail over backwards traditions... I Personally have no problems with any other religious symbols.... but Niqabs take it too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I don't want to get into this whole debate about Trudeau vs Harper. However I have to say the article seems to twist Harper's comments about face covering at citizenship ceremonies. I also think it's unnecessary. At that point your Canadian now and you don't need to be subjected to a bunch of barbaric muslim rules that take away the rights of women. Women shouldn't be covering their faces here, I don't really care that it's a religious thing because it's a religious thing that was only designed to take away women's rights. That's unfortunate that even in a free country women are still putting up with that crap. "What HE said." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliesStache14 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 we already had one Trudeau ruin Canada, we aren't going to have another. And nobody wants the NDP running things Harper will be re-elected, devil we know vs devils we don't etc. Same reason Obama got re-elected, if the Republicans had chosen almost anyone else other than that idiot Romney they'd be in charge right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummer4now Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 "What HE said." This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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