Are Canadians becoming less tolerant of different religious groups? This thought rolled into my mind as I have watched with concern the growing demonstrations between Pro-Palestinian groups and Pro-Israel groups demonstrating in cities and on campuses across North America.
In Quebec the Coalition Avenir Quebec government passed Bill 21 which banned some civil servants including teachers, police officers and government lawyers from wearing religious symbols at work. The government has invoked the “Notwithstanding” clause to overrule what the Court of Appeals ruled as saying the bill was unconstitutional. It has had the harshest impact on Muslim women in the Quebec public service.
Most recently the Speaker of the House in the Ontario legislature ordered Independent MPP Sarah Jama to remove her kaffiyeh or be removed from sitting in the house. She refused and was ordered out of the legislature.
The Kaffiyeh is a cotton scarf, traditionally worn by men as a headdress in the middle east. The black and white check shawl is often used today to signal solidarity with the Palestinian people. It is a stylish symbol just as bright red ties worn by Liberal members or bright blue ties worn by Conservatives indicate their solidarity with their party. Of course Sarah Jama refused to remove it.
That left all three party leaders in a quandary. Do they support the sitting member over the Speaker or back the speaker. Together they promoted the ability of members to wear the Kaffiyeh in the legislature. NDP leader Marit Stiles twice sought and failed to get unanimous consent motions passed to allow Kaffiyeh in the legislature. Some Tory MPPs defied Ford and voted against consent.
Our Constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom and freedom of expression. It does not allow for hate speech or intimidation of peoples of different religions, races, ethnicities, sexual preferences or gender expressions.
In the mid-east we are seeing a huge conflict being played out daily on our television screens between Hamas and Israel. We have been witness to the 1400 Jewish people killed, raped slaughtered or taken hostage by Hamas. We have great sympathy for them and their families and understand the need of the Israel government to seek out those who conducted the assault.
We also have sympathy and concern for the Palestinians who have seen their homes, schools and hospitals destroyed by Israel as they have laid siege to Gaza. We mourn the over 35,000 Gazans who have died in the conflict – mostly women and children. We have learned of the withholding of food, water, and aid to the people of Gaza. Today the frustrations of the people of Israel who wish to have the remaining hostages be set free, and the people of Gaza who wish to have their homes and lives returned and the fear of war and killing ended.
Instead of occupying campuses and calling for universities to end financial support of Israel by companies, it might be far better for both sides to sit down and discuss ways of creating two countries who can live side by side, respecting each other’s right to exist and prosper. Without some sort of dialogue this conflict is bound to repeat. If we have learned nothing since 1948 the right for two nations to coexist is paramount.
