Guest Blogger - Welcome to Canada?

I was sent this from a friend who was disturbed by the words used and sentiments conveyed by the Government of Canada that serve to perpetuate our tendency to ‘other.’    This tendency to be unable/unwilling to view the world through the lens of another happens with all groups of people so it is incumbent upon leadership in all societies, those with the power to make a difference,  to have courage and move away from the prejudice and the marginalization that we so easily embrace to ‘protect’ ourselves.  To Kill a Mockingbird is #13 on the Martel inspired Prime Minister’s reading list.  Perhaps a few minutes a day could be set aside during question period for some quiet reading so that our leadership might reflect upon that which is already known.

Welcome to Canada?  By Margaret Opazo-Baer

I read with dismay your editorial (Friday, November 13, The Ottawa Citizen) praising the Conservatives’ new Citizenship Guide. In particular, you lauded the reference to a multiculturalism that rejects “barbaric cultural practices such as honour killing” and other forms of violence against women. Such a statement implies that immigrants are in some special way responsible for such violence.

Statistics consistently and clearly show that there is no difference in the rates of family violence between people born in Canada and immigrants, or between rich and poor.

While it is true that Canadians have not historically labelled family violence as “honour-killing,” make no mistake: the vast majority of violence in this country is committed against women and children, by men of every race or culture.  This crime is universal and timeless.

For example, your newspaper reported that same day on the brutal (“barbaric”?) attack of a (white) Ottawa woman who was brutally stabbed by her (white) ex-boyfriend.

Barbaric is originally Greek for “foreign”, describing an outsider with different language and customs, but the term has come to mean uncivilized, cruel, ignorant, savage. To be sure, this is a loaded, deeply offensive word.

To which culture is Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney referring? Is it the intention of Kenney and this Conservative government to appeal to and reinforce cultural stereotyping?

History repeatedly shows that accusing a particular group of possessing “barbaric” or uncivilized traits is a very slippery slope. 

Almost uniquely in this world, Canada has been built by generations of immigrants from everywhere, and our government’s language has carefully supported this rare social and economic integration.

How deeply disappointing, therefore, to read such disrespectful language deliberately and recklessly used in a government communications document that welcomes new Canadians, and then to read it glibly praised in your editorial. Such myths should be recognized and condemned as ignorant and smug at best, and overtly racist and inflammatory at worst.

Is this really the way we want to welcome new Canadians?