Multiculturalism does not fail Canada, it IS Canada
Salim Mansur's article in today's Toronto Sun, entitled "Multiculturalism fails Canada" warrants a response, not only because he greatly exaggerates the downsides of multiculturism in Canada, but more importantly he insults the intelligence of Canadians.
I also resent the implication that by putting an emphasis on our homeland politics, we become less Canadian and unable to integrate into Canadian society. Canadians, and hyphenated Canadians, are some of the most worldly people I've ever met. Our multiculturalism gives the rare ability to simultaneously be engaged in issues close to home and around the world. In my own community, most Sikh-Canadians are equally passionate about water issues in Punjab as they are about environmental issues in Canada. I'm as concerned about Sikhs getting justice for the massacres in Delhi as I am about the third-world conditions in our Aboriginal communities.
Mr. Mansur and Mr. Dosanjh are insulting our intelligence. Canadians can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Salim Mansur's article in today's Toronto Sun, entitled "Multiculturalism fails Canada" warrants a response, not only because he greatly exaggerates the downsides of multiculturism in Canada, but more importantly he insults the intelligence of Canadians.
In a column for the National Post on April 23, Dosanjh contended minority communities — immigrants of non-European origin — threaten the social fabric of Canada by an obsession with injustices in their “homelands” in the recent or distant past. The result is excessive emphasis “placed on the differences that keep us apart from each other” and “diminishing emphasis on commonalities and values that bind us.”
Mr. Dosanjh and Mr. Mansur assume that non-white Canadians are the first to contemplate international disputes in their new home. This conveniently ignores the efforts of Armenian-Canadians on the Armenian genocide, pro-democratic Iranian-Canadians and Jewish-Canadian advocates of Isreal. All of these groups are leveraging the freedom of expression granted by Canada to make the world a better place.Sikh extremists are not alone in sheltering behind the politics of multiculturalism, then pushing their agenda that runs counter to Canada’s national interests and liberal democratic values.
I've been looking for Sikh extremists for the last decade but haven't found any espousing the type of violence that Mr. Dosanjh and Mr. Mansur seem convinced is epidemic in Canada. I'm also guesssing that Sikh-Canadians pushing for justice in the 1984 Sikh pogroms threatens the social fabric by their efforts. Sikhs believe in equality, democracy and justice. Why do you think half a million of us have made Canada our home?I also resent the implication that by putting an emphasis on our homeland politics, we become less Canadian and unable to integrate into Canadian society. Canadians, and hyphenated Canadians, are some of the most worldly people I've ever met. Our multiculturalism gives the rare ability to simultaneously be engaged in issues close to home and around the world. In my own community, most Sikh-Canadians are equally passionate about water issues in Punjab as they are about environmental issues in Canada. I'm as concerned about Sikhs getting justice for the massacres in Delhi as I am about the third-world conditions in our Aboriginal communities.
Mr. Mansur and Mr. Dosanjh are insulting our intelligence. Canadians can walk and chew gum at the same time.
