Sihk kirpan controversy in Quebec

[Jay]

Yes, it is wrong if a nation that pretends to be a friend to liberty is in the business of telling a peaceful person how to live his own life, or trying to make him fit a certain mold. That's not liberty.

The idea of keeping a nation culturally pure, racially pure, religiously pure, or any other kind of purity that's based on exclusivity, is an obsolete one that should conjure unpleasant memories of the past where they have been tried. The only way to truly enforce such 'purity' is through bloodshed.

Forced multiculturalism through law is abhorrent, but forced monoculturalism is just as bad. I can understand the desire for a culture to want to maintain its identity and traditions, and I even support that idea. But not when it takes a negative tone by actively denying the culture of others.

After all, would any of us want to be told that we cannot wear kilts because they don't fit in with mainstream culture wherever we happen to be? Or would we rather enjoy the liberty of proudly wearing the garb and accoutrements of our heritage?

We of Scots descent, of all people, should understand the idea of liberty and cultural tolerance.

With all due respect, friend, you are confusing English Canada with Quebec. Quebec never signed the 1982 Bill of Rights that essentially defined Canada as being a multi-cultural land of freedoms. That makes Quebec no different than France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Japan et al in saying "this is who we are and you accept that if you choose to live here"

As I said earlier, I believe in personal and religious freedoms and do agree with multiculturalism. However, I also agree that any individual culture reserves the right to decide if they wish to maintain this culture.

Cultural respect goes both ways. Sometimes people forget that. Multiculturalism is not about some cultures doing their own thing and expecting others to cave in to that. Its about 2 or more differing cultures taking the best of each and creating something bigger while still maintaining the original cultures.

[be da veva]

Cultural respect goes both ways. Sometimes people forget that. Multiculturalism is not about some cultures doing their own thing and expecting others to cave in to that. Its about 2 or more differing cultures taking the best of each and creating something bigger while still maintaining the original cultures.

Well said and pretty much how things are in Montreal and the sorrounding subburds.

[Lallans]

Well said and pretty much how things are in Montreal and the sorrounding subburds.

Oh yeah? You should have seen Montreal 30-40 years ago. It's a small town now, culturally and financially.

[Dale Seago]

And while the Quebecois dither about Indian Sikhs with kirpans. . .

Over in Nepal, right by India. . .

A retired Ghurkha soldier.

Versus 40 train robbers/rapists armed with swords, other blades, and maybe-functional firearms.

3 robbers dead, 8 injured, the rest fled, thanks to one man with a khukuri.

I'm raising a glass of good malt in honor of Bishnu Shrestha.

http://myrepublica.com/portal/index....&news_id=27100

Could even a Scot have done better?

[CMcG]

<snip>

I'm raising a glass of good malt in honor of Bishnu Shrestha.

<snip>

Could even a Scot have done better?

I'll join you in raising a glass to that hero.

And a Scot or Sihk might also have been able to achieve such feats, but only if they were actually allowed to carry their blades!

[xman]

Well, talking politics and religion? IBTB!

First, Thank-you Eric for helping to set the record straight about Québec. I spent three wonderful years in Montréal and know that very few Québecois feel that they are "not a multicultural society". What an absurd notion. Visit Montréal to see.

I feel it important to get back to MacmillanofRathdown's point. It would have been easy for a kiltie to divest himself of a sgian dubh. Why so difficult for a Sikh to part with his kirpan? Oh right, it's a religious issue. I guess those guys can't fly now or risk offending their god because they can't carry a blade on board. ... I'll bet they do fly though. Although people often state that there must be some special exception for religion, in practice reason is always employed somewhere.

[BoldHighlander]

It would have been easy for a kiltie to divest himself of a sgian dubh. Why so difficult for a Sikh to part with his kirpan? Oh right, it's a religious issue. I guess those guys can't fly now or risk offending their god because they can't carry a blade on board. ...

Maybe they should get it tattooed.

[macwilkin]

Well, talking politics and religion? IBTB!

First, Thank-you Eric for helping to set the record straight about Québec. I spent three wonderful years in Montréal and know that very few Québecois feel that they are "not a multicultural society". What an absurd notion. Visit Montréal to see.

I feel it important to get back to MacmillanofRathdown's point. It would have been easy for a kiltie to divest himself of a sgian dubh. Why so difficult for a Sikh to part with his kirpan? Oh right, it's a religious issue. I guess those guys can't fly now or risk offending their god because they can't carry a blade on board. ... I'll bet they do fly though. Although people often state that there must be some special exception for religion, in practice reason is always employed somewhere.

Have you ever met a Sikh, sir? I have, and found the two Sikh gentlemen I know to be just that -- gentlemen. One of them was a great devotee of Burns and Scotland in general. I find your comments a tad disrespectful to a religion and people that are known for their bravery and commitment to freedom.

T.

[CMcG]

Well, talking politics and religion? IBTB!

<snip>

Hopefully we're talking about Sihk's and kirpans, while potentially relating it to kilts and sgian dubhs. That other stuff is just along for the ride

[Andy Proffitt]

I feel it important to get back to MacmillanofRathdown's point. It would have been easy for a kiltie to divest himself of a sgian dubh. Why so difficult for a Sikh to part with his kirpan? Oh right, it's a religious issue. I guess those guys can't fly now or risk offending their god because they can't carry a blade on board. ... I'll bet they do fly though. Although people often state that there must be some special exception for religion, in practice reason is always employed somewhere.

Seriously, and doesn't it just make your blood boil when people ask for kosher meals on a flight? The nerve.

This is their religion, which they hold dear and take seriously. I realize that most of us come from a crumbling western civilization that holds nothing sacred, and can't understand their viewpoint, but this is a real problem to them.

No, the sgian dubh is not a problem for us because no God mandated the wearing of it....although they probably thought it was really cool.

If this is the way the people of Quebec want to conduct themselves, fine, let the Sikh populations move, and leave Quebec the lesser for it.