26 October 2014

Thing is, Kathleen... I'm pretty sure...

...no one from my rural, largely agricultural community, would ever consider even badmouthing Canadian soldiers, never mind try to murder them.

So what is Premiere Wynne really saying?
"In Ontario we are already engaged with many communities, right from my own riding ... that has one of the largest Muslim populations in the country, and there are many, many people who are engaged with us."
I'm not sure what sort of engagement the Premiere is referring to. It can't be engaged as in marriage... because marrying outside the faith, or converting to another religion is a crime that, in most Muslim countries is punishable by death.

Maybe engagement is some sort of socialist codeword. Or maybe it's what you say when you don't actually have any real ideas about what to do.

I do know that when my parents immigrated here back in the fifties, no one bent over backwards trying to "engage" them. They were expected to be good citizens, lead productive lives and obey the laws of the land.

What is this engagement thing and why is the onus not on newcomers to fit into Canadian society? If immigrants don't believe that Canadians have a society that is superior to their country of origin... then why the heck did they come here?