Politic?

This is a blog dedicated to a personal interpretation of political news of the day. I attempt to be as knowledgeable as possible before commenting and committing my thoughts to a day's communication.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Canada, The Moral Religious Arbiter

Canada's new religious freedoms ambassador to the world has been charged with an agenda that "will monitor religious freedom around the world, he will promote it as a key objective of Canadian foreign policy, and Dr. Bennett will help ensure that the protection of religious freedom informs the policies and programs of the Government of Canada." Thus spake a man of courage, Canada's Prime Minister.

What, after all, could be more fundamental than the guaranteed freedom in any society to worship in the religion that has huge meaning to the faithful. To be denied that opportunity as a human right is to deny the most basic of spiritual needs of most people. Where in various countries of the world religious intemperance against even those sharing a religion, but not an interpretation of that religion will see mass murder between sects.

Where some countries aver that only the state religion may be practised in that country and none others. Persecution of minority-religion faithful is endemic throughout the Muslim world, as it is in China. In some Muslim countries to convert from Islam to any other religion is to invite capital punishment, the offence is seen to be so great and unlawful both to god and human law enacted to protect the tender feelings of that god.

Violence against religious minorities quite represents a yardstick of human tolerance for one another. But then, there is no tolerance in a religion like Islam for those who enter their domain -- any geography dedicated to the worship of Allah and he alone, is seen to be violated by those who seek to proselytize another religion. Mostly by word of mouth, by handing out literature geared for that purpose.

Islam too is a proselytizing religion, but it has traditionally - and does so to this very day - proselytized through violence. Where once in its heritage years the violence of conquest and subjugation aiding in conveying the need to surrender to Islam was the device of choice - more latterly it has been in a more circumspect manner through means used by other evangelical religions. But then something dramatic happened, and traditional jihad was restored to modern use.

On the other hand, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims themselves, Jews, Bahai', and any number of religions in between see themselves discriminated against by the state they happen to be living within which not only tolerates this, but mandates it as a matter of law. Canada has never been overtly critical of other countries who make life a misery for their religious minorities; we have been polite and diplomatic.

For there are always other matters to be considered in establishing good working relationships with other countries.  Beyond those that are our natural allies because there are shared values, common backgrounds, interrelated interests. As a majority-Christian country, gradually absorbing greater numbers of people from various countries of the world bringing with them their culture and religious beliefs, we have become more sensitized to the state of religion elsewhere just as new media make communications more readily available.

It remains yet to be seen how useful such an office can be for Canada in promulgating its beatific view of religious freedom. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade may see the aggressive stimulation of Canada's views on religious freedom put forward at inopportune moments to be an interference in the normal flow of diplomacy and trade.  This is an ambassadorial office that will have to tread carefully while still observing its mandate.

A tricky situation, not one that will bring much opportunity to alter the political-religious situations in those countries of the world like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, and their ilk around to Canada's approach on respecting the rights of others, be they minorities or simply representatives of sects in disfavour.

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