Independence was declared on Aug. 15, 1947
Aug. 15, 1947, represented the formal end of the British Raj. India became independent, and what had once been the crown jewel of the British Empire was gone. The rest of the empire soon followed suit. Indian nationalism had been growing since the early decades of the 20th century, becoming increasingly focused on complete independence.…
It is shortsighted to restrict ourselves to a candy cane diet of Christmas cuteness
We go to extremes to avoid the religious aspects of Christmas in the public sphere, and we are worse for it. Christian beliefs about Christmas might offend someone in our secular and multicultural society, so we ignore its religious and historical background. The reluctance to mention the origins of this much-loved holiday permeates early childhood…
But to claim Islamaphobia is endemic in Canada is wrong
October was Islamic History Month in Canada. In a letter introducing the month, former Diversity Minister Bardish Chagger wrote, “Today and everyday, I stand with Muslim communities, and indeed all Canadians, to denounce the hatred that fuels Islamophobia.” Muslim leaders also wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister in June asking for a National…
Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Adam Germain's ruling hostile to a free and democratic society
Politically determined public health guidelines during the covid-19 pandemic have come with a cost. Governments have defined essential and non-essential services, ostensibly to ensure Canadians have access to food. Not all can afford essential services food – that’s a story for another day – so food banks have remained open alongside grocery sellers. Several non-essential…
And may make the situation worse
In July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced the arson and vandalism of Catholic churches across Canada in the wake of discoveries of unmarked graves at former residential schools. After more than 1,100 unmarked graves were discovered at the sites of schools previously run by the Catholic Church in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, protests erupted. Statues…
Pastor Artur Pawlowski sees another government intruding on societal institutions
When Artur Pawlowski came to Canada in 1995, he didn’t think it would turn out as it has. The pastor of Calgary’s Street Church Ministries, famous for his confrontations with police, says Canada looks too much like the communist Poland he grew up in. “I grew up seeing police and authorities destroying my country, not…
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association director Harsha Walia reacted to the burning of churches by tweeting ‘Burn it all down’
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) executive director Harsha Walia retweeted a Vice News article on June 30 about two Catholic churches being burned down in Canada. These terrible incidents were reportedly related to the discovery of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at three former residential schools. A retweet wouldn’t have been noticed by most…
The claim that merging Ontario’s government-run and Catholic school systems will save “an estimated $1.6 billion a year” is blarney
In terms of cultural insensitivity, the latest call for ending Ontario’s Catholic school funding wins the shamrock, coming, as it did, on St. Patrick’s Day. But if we overlook that faux pas, we still have to consider the pot of gold that would be saved by absorbing Catholic schools into the government-run system. Or do…
Ignorance is the surest path to misunderstanding. And if it’s not addressed, misunderstanding quickly descends into intolerance
“Amen and awoman.” This was how a U.S. congressman concluded a prayer recently in the House of Representatives. No doubt he meant to be inclusive of both men and women. However, he sounded ridiculous. That’s because the word “amen” comes from Hebrew and means “so be it.” Amen has nothing to do with gender. This…
It’s disturbing to learn that someone in the same profession was murdered while walking home from work. Samuel Paty, who taught a curriculum similar to mine, was beheaded by an extremist outside of Paris on Oct. 16. Paty presented material in previous weeks as part of a study of freedom of speech that some found…