The Fruit of Multiculturalism

The Liberal Party of Canada, so long accustomed to governing the country and now barely clinging to parliamentary representation, smugly introduced the concept of multiculturalism to Canadian society as a unique Canadian feature whereby all ethnic, cultural and/or religious groups could feel exceptional.  Their heritage and customs and values were deemed to be a prized addition to the mixture of languages, religions and ethnicities that represented the population of an immigrant-based nation.

What was once a much-appreciated initiative, making people feel comfortable and entitled to maintain the customs they left behind them rather than favour adapting to new customs and values. That turned into expectations that originating-country cultural values were at least the equal of Canadian ones, and often enough, superior to those of the prevailing culture. 

And that seemed to be all right with politicians, and indigenous Canadians became accustomed to these attitudinal perversities.

Perverse because when one leaves one country to become a citizen of another it is generally for a reason; to advance a personal goal and enhance personal opportunities; to escape a stifling social, religious or political environment, to abandon a country where minorities are persecuted, to rescue one's family from violence and perpetual danger.  Earlier immigrants made an effort to integrate themselves; learn the common language, social customs and prevailing values - and practise them.

Latterly, to be deliberately different has become a virtue.  Later immigrants saw no pressing need to become like all others, and chose instead to spurn the effort to learn how to become a part of the larger society.  And for many the larger community represented those whom they would opt to be isolated from, preferring to live in close communion with those of their own culture, religion and social mores.

Now, just as in Britain and elsewhere in Europe, a sizeable community of people from the near East and Africa have made Canada their home.  Even while Canada has become their home they have imported holus-bolus cultural and religious imperatives that all too often disagree profoundly with Canadian values.  But Canadians have learned to be receptive and courteous and averse to accusations of racism. 

Which has resulted in enclaves of covertly malevolent groups who have learned to make good use of Canada's equality and multiculturalism laws, and Canadians' dread of racial confrontation, enabling them to infiltrate into society their campaigns against other, long-established groups within Canadian society.  Academic institutions within Canada now host Islamist student groups that foment deliberate slander against Jewish student counterparts.

Public marches and protests, from Gay Pride events to war protests to union confrontations come replete with banners reflecting outlawed Islamist jihad groups, and posters with images of terror group leaders including Ahyatollah Ali Khamenei and his predecessor as the originator of the Islamic Revoltion.  Invariably there will be posters that hiss contempt for "Zionists".

Canada's Foreign Affairs Department may have closed down the Embassy of Iran and brought back our own diplomats from Tehran, but their unofficial fanatical political representatives remain in Canada, addressing the expatriate community in social centres and mosques, teach in Muslim schools using imported radicalized curricula, question the historical reality of the Holocaust, target Israel as the fount of world evil.

The Institute for Contemporary Islamic Thought, operated by Zafar Bangash, multiculturally celebrates Khomeinist propaganda: "A major part of this work must be to break the stranglehold which western ideas and thinking have on the minds of Muslims."  This is the majestic process of civil integration heralded by Canadian multiculturalism.