The Strangers In Our Midst
The Quebec press just adores pressing on. Convinced that the Jews of Quebec, just like pushy Jews everywhere are intent on 'owning' society and conspiring to overturn traditional French-Canadian values, replacing them with their own notoriously mysterious and nonsensical ones. And they won't have it. They're busy showing those Jews up for what they are, noxious pests.
It is not 'reasonable accommodation' at all to tolerate a recently-enacted by-law in a section of town whose residents are majority Jewish, and who are celebrating their two most sacred religious holidays by requesting that serene quiet in respect of those religious holidays prevail, for a two-day period. It is unreasonable and atrocious that Jews request that lawns not be mowed for two days.
That a similar by-law requesting respect and quiet prevail during Christmas is on the books and no one appears to be put out by it is a testament to the respect that a Christian society has earned because most reasonable people believe that to be a reasonable accommodation. And although few can believe it, Jews can be as reasonable as anyone else.
But then, they're Jews, what can one expect, after all? Still it's an intolerable situation and they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. So Quebecor has decided to pull no punches, its TVA and LCN networks, along with their Journal de Montreal newspaper has decided to put those mouthy, self-entitled Jews on notice.
LCN invited a blogger who enjoys mocking the Hasidim of Outremont to speak his piece: "A Hampstead resident cannot mow his lawn and do renovations because it would bother his Jewish neighbours who are celebrating a religious holiday". Needling Jews is a happy pasttime. And commenters responded on cue: one writing the Olympic Stadium be turned into a concentration camp.
Hitler had clearly been provoked; perhaps Quebec Jews could consider moving to Israel if they're unhappy in Quebec...? wrote another. TVA News's Facebook page hosted a dozen anti-Semitic comments such as "was Adolph right?". A popular radio and TV host, Benoit Dutrizac complained that "the Jewish community has all the rights, and Quebec society has to shut up".
So, go right ahead, said Mr. Dutrizac to his listeners of the 75% Jewish residents of Hampstead:
It is not 'reasonable accommodation' at all to tolerate a recently-enacted by-law in a section of town whose residents are majority Jewish, and who are celebrating their two most sacred religious holidays by requesting that serene quiet in respect of those religious holidays prevail, for a two-day period. It is unreasonable and atrocious that Jews request that lawns not be mowed for two days.
That a similar by-law requesting respect and quiet prevail during Christmas is on the books and no one appears to be put out by it is a testament to the respect that a Christian society has earned because most reasonable people believe that to be a reasonable accommodation. And although few can believe it, Jews can be as reasonable as anyone else.
But then, they're Jews, what can one expect, after all? Still it's an intolerable situation and they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. So Quebecor has decided to pull no punches, its TVA and LCN networks, along with their Journal de Montreal newspaper has decided to put those mouthy, self-entitled Jews on notice.
LCN invited a blogger who enjoys mocking the Hasidim of Outremont to speak his piece: "A Hampstead resident cannot mow his lawn and do renovations because it would bother his Jewish neighbours who are celebrating a religious holiday". Needling Jews is a happy pasttime. And commenters responded on cue: one writing the Olympic Stadium be turned into a concentration camp.
Hitler had clearly been provoked; perhaps Quebec Jews could consider moving to Israel if they're unhappy in Quebec...? wrote another. TVA News's Facebook page hosted a dozen anti-Semitic comments such as "was Adolph right?". A popular radio and TV host, Benoit Dutrizac complained that "the Jewish community has all the rights, and Quebec society has to shut up".
So, go right ahead, said Mr. Dutrizac to his listeners of the 75% Jewish residents of Hampstead:
"Honk your horn, make some noise, fart, whatever, any kind of noise to show the Jewish community that this is not the Jewish community that is in charge in Quebec. They are not the ones who will determine how we will live as a society in Quebec. That's just not true. It's not true that they are going to impose their religious concepts, their religious precepts on the entire society. There are some damned limits."Happy Rosh Hashona, and Yom Kippur, Jewish friends.
Labels: Anti-Semitism, Quebec
posted by Pieface | 8:10 PM
2 Comments:
i have nothing against jews. I am a christian and i do like a quiet christmas. However, I do not agree the any religious group ought to be accomodated in such a way. If you do, then be ready to accomodate seperate bathing times, bylaws preventing eating in public during ramadan.... It is the thin edge of the wedge. Such bylaws (like the old sunday shopping bans) are an imposition of ones beliefs on other folks. People ought to respect other religions by choice. It is not acceptable for the state to enforce observance of religious ritual of any sort.
carmegil, everyone is entitled to their opinion. In fact I cannot disagree with your argument. Mine is simply that this event has become fodder for anti-Semitic backlash that should not reflect how Canadians think and feel but unfortunately does on occasion, on the part of devoted racists. In this particular instance the Quebec press is reverting to a historical position of anti-Semitism.
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