WHAT IS ISLAMIZATION?

Shades of Egypt in Quebec

"They spend half of their time when they are in meetings explaining Quebec, explaining what's going on, partly defending the type of society that we are. That's perceived by the business community as not very conducive to business. It's a distraction from what they want to achieve."
Michel Leblanc, president, Montreal Board of Trade

The Desjardins credit-union group recently issued a report in which it stated that Quebec's economy is "at a standstill". Quebec's gross debt is the highest within Canada, at 54%. It seems unlikely that the provincial government will meet its target of a balanced budget this year. Since the Parti Quebecois took power a year ago unemployment has steadily crept upward. Voter are now looking at the Quebec Liberals with a certain amount of yearning nostalgia, after having back-lashed the PQ back to power.

Independence is never far from the PQ agenda, top of mind it seems, over all else. The province is in dreadful financial straits and that should be the first and final concern of the government, but it takes second or third place to the sovereignty aspiration. And that aspiration is integrally wound within the the self-designation of Quebec as a 'nation', and of the need to protect that nation's exceptionalism, heritage and uniqueness at all costs.

Bill 101 in its fundamental excesses and strident deviance from the whole of Canada as a nationally recognized bilingual country offended and frightened so many Quebecers that they streamed out of the province, along with corporate head offices, while foreign investment began to dwindle. The failure of the province to generate sufficient revenue to fund its social priorities left it as a major beneficiary of the generosity of the funding provinces through the federal government's transfer payments.

Quebec could see dignity in accepting massive amounts of financial support from other more economically successful provinces simply because of its belief in its significant exceptionality; without the original French presence in Canada, there would be no founding, evidently. The province that once boasted more advanced infrastructure, a booming economy and a cultural mecca for the rest of Canada has wasted it all in its strident impetus toward separation.

Within the province consumer confidence is down. Housing starts are down. "We are not saying the province is in recession, but overall, it's not looking that great in terms of economic growth", observed National Bank senior economist Krishen Rangasamy. Quebec's reputation as part of a country where democratic freedoms and equality are guaranteed is beginning to suffer abroad, viewed with skepticism as a place to migrate to, to invest in.

"Societies, especially in North America, that are able to manage diversity in a positive and inclusive way succeed well economically, attract investments and quality immigrants. Societies that cannot make this gesture of openness and inclusion , will suffer economically", observed provincial Liberal leader Philippe Couillard. And dividends are already appearing on the basis of that sentiment, and likely will grow in support for the next election.

"What's the signal to immigrants? You can come to Quebec but you have to basically set aside all of your values? If you're not prepared to accommodate and be multicultural, your signal to immigrants is terrible" said Greg Hodgson, senior vice-president and chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada commenting on the weak economic growth, less than 1.5%, that Quebec is experiencing this year.

As for Premier Marois; asked whether she has any concerns that her proposed Charter with its ban on religious symbols targeting the more visible of a religion's expression in the public sphere, would make it more difficult to attract French-speaking immigrants from Muslim countries, nothing of the sort: "I absolutely don't believe it's a danger. The most beautiful example of that is France, which has a very impressive number of people of North African origin and which has found a space to live well with all these immigrants from other religions and countries."

She is either ignorantly daft or ingenuously playful in using France's teeming underbelly of North African Muslims as an example of success. Where in the foetid banlieues housing the disaffected, the unemployed, the resentful immigrants who have brought their heritage of hostility toward others, their violent backlash, their insularity and disregard for French culture and values, presenting as a threat to those not of their faith and certainly to the police who dare not venture there.

Premier Marois and her party do have a point about expectations that immigrants should give sufficient credence to and acceptance of Quebec's values and priorities. And certainly to observance of the law, taking precedence over any religious law, in a secular political country where church and state are separate. The ghettoes and their grimly festering inability and unwillingness to integrate that typify France may be what Pauline Marois, in fact, wishes to avoid.

Visually overt religious costumes that serve to separate people through their message of apartness and unwillingness to embrace a larger prevailing culture, or even allow for communication by closing off civil access to one another is an insult and an offence against the receiving culture. A more suitably civil way of communicating the unsuitability of a full-face covering reflecting a culture demeaning to women within a culture of equality should have been designed.

That message could and should have been delivered upon registering intention by applying to emigrate from the country of origin. The choice then could have been made at the initiation of the procedure. Not long afterward when immigrants arrive, settle, and anticipate that there will be no opposition to their thought of resuming their lives in a manner reflecting how it had appeared in their place of origin. A customary setting aside of women, not a religious requirement, but one expressed as such simply has no place in a pluralist society.

Because, simply put, there are limits to everything. Especially 'freedoms' that impose themselves on the sensibilities, patience and understanding of the majority.

"It is the responsibility of Islam to embrace the liberties required for citizens of a modern state, and not the other way around." Family Security Matters

WHAT IS ISLAMIZATION?

Islamization [Islamisation]: The erasure of the customs, norms and laws of any country or region in order to purely reflect Islamic sentiment. This can be done through political pressure - as in the West - where full out Jihad is not possible, such as in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the ultimate goal of Islamization has been achieved by violent Jihad and finally through political pressure for peace - which in Islam can only come under Shari'a rule.

Also see: Dar al-Harb & Dar al-Islam