Sihk kirpan controversy in Quebec

[Jay]

Without trying to make waves with religion (Sikhs) or culture and politics (Quebec) I think the Quebeckers do have a point.

Personally, I am liberal in these regards. I live in a very multicultural area and I embrace multiculturalism.


That being said, we in English Canada have lost all sense of who we are. We define ourselves by beer and hockey. Some legacy for our kids.


Quebec on the other hand works hard to maintain their culture. No different than any other country in the world (save Canada, US, UK and maybe Australia) For this, English Canada call them racists, xenophobes and the like.


Is it so wrong to say "this is our culture. if you don't like it don't come here. Many places in the world will let you live as you wish. Just not here".

[Andy Proffitt]

Is it so wrong to say "this is our culture. if you don't like it don't come here. Many places in the world will let you live as you wish. Just not here".

They want to wear a ceremonial knife in their hair, not make everyone around them wear it. They aren't behaving like other groups and demanding that their religious views become law, they just want to practice their religion, which is all about tolerance and brotherhood and fighting injustice. Seriously, who gets pissed off at the Sikhs, its like getting in a fistfight with Gandhi.
Oh well, the Sikhs would be better served moving to a friendlier local anyway (pretty much anywhere is friendlier than where these are)>

[BoldHighlander]

Seriously, who gets pissed off at the Sikhs, its like getting in a fistfight with Gandhi.

I don't know about that. I use to work with some Sikhs, and they were bad @ss mofos! Just ask Indira Gandhi, she found out the hard way!

[macwilkin]

They want to wear a ceremonial knife in their hair, not make everyone around them wear it. They aren't behaving like other groups and demanding that their religious views become law, they just want to practice their religion, which is all about tolerance and brotherhood and fighting injustice. Seriously, who gets pissed off at the Sikhs, its like getting in a fistfight with Gandhi.
Oh well, the Sikhs would be better served moving to a friendlier local anyway (pretty much anywhere is friendlier than where these are)>

As the husband of someone of Francophone (Acadian & Louisiana Creole) heritage, whilst I certainly respect the Quebecois for their efforts to preserve their culture, one would hope that they would extend the same respect they demand from others. I know a fellow in New Brunswick who is half Scot, half Acadian who has told me firsthand of how some in Quebec look down their nose at the Maritime French.

However, in this instance, I stand with the Sikhs, because of the nasty things folks said to my wife about her French heritage back in 2003.

T

[artificer]

They want to wear a ceremonial knife in their hair, not make everyone around them wear it. They aren't behaving like other groups and demanding that their religious views become law, they just want to practice their religion, which is all about tolerance and brotherhood and fighting injustice. Seriously, who gets pissed off at the Sikhs, its like getting in a fistfight with Gandhi.
Oh well, the Sikhs would be better served moving to a friendlier local anyway (pretty much anywhere is friendlier than where these are)>

***. Asking for tolerance is a LOT different that attempting to bend others to their POV.

How would the Quebeccies feel if the rest of Canada suddenly stripped off the French from government signage and documents?

When you are the minority in your country, and are afforded things like French signage everywhere, it seems especially petty to attempt to trod on the 'little guy' in YOUR state (where you are the big guy).

I won't say anything further about Canadian politics, as it's not my country, but personally I will nearly ALWAYS side with "tolerance/acceptance" over "my way or the highway".
ith:

[Tobus]

To add to the story, the Sikhs in question were appearing before legislators to discuss cultural issues and had called ahead to ask about the kirpans- they got mixed messages until they showed up wearing them and I guess got the definitive answer.

That's true in more ways than one. They got the definitive answer on their kirpans, but one might also say they got their definitive answer on cultural issues as well! And in a pretty publicly embarrassing way.

[Lyle1]

Some Sikhs wear a miniature kirpan attached to the comb in their hair or on a necklace, which satisfies the religious requirement. Kirpans are worn as a symbol of the need to prevent violence by being prepared to intercede rather than standing by when violence occurs. It seems that the solution is fairly simple. Sikhs are required to wear a kirpan (though many secular Sikhs do not), but they do not need to be functional weapons.

[Jack Daw]

Some Sikhs wear a miniature kirpan attached to the comb in their hair or on a necklace, which satisfies the religious requirement. Kirpans are worn as a symbol of the need to prevent violence by being prepared to intercede rather than standing by when violence occurs. It seems that the solution is fairly simple. Sikhs are required to wear a kirpan (though many secular Sikhs do not), but they do not need to be functional weapons.

I have a Sikh friend who wears a tiny kirpan on a necklace. He said it's small enough not to set off the metal detector at the airport.

[xman]

The saga continues ...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/st...n-measure.html

[Kilted Canadian]

I think the main problem here is that a good number of Sikhs do indeed carry functional kirpans, which could be easily used as a weapon. One was displayed by a Sikh during an interview on CBC News, and it looked to have a blade of 4-5 inches long, and it was undoubtedly a knife in design, with minimal ornamentation. This was not a small hair ornament worn solely to satsify a religious requirement.

Also, there was in incident several years ago where a Sikh student was found to have used his Kirpan to threaten several classmates in a Montreal school, which likely did nothing to improve the situation, despite the protests of his mother that he could not have simply drawn the weapon, as it was fully wrapped and tucked into his waistband.

The fact that the boy took such measures to draw a weapon on his classmates disturbs me greatly, as does the carrying of any weapon in a governmental or public building by non-government personell( ie RCMP, OPP, CF, etc).

Mind you, I have no problem with the kirpan when worn as shown previously. The issue only arises when it becomes a functional weapon that can be drawn and used. Even though the masses of Sikhs would never do such a thing, one must always be wary for the exception to the rule.