On Monday, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage will reconvene to discuss the pros and cons of M-103, the hotly-debated motion that has polarized the country.
The motion is controversial for a number of reasons. Its critics justifiably fear that the motion attempts to thwart freedom of conscience and speech when it comes to criticizing the disturbing and extreme Islamic practices sometimes seen among migrant communities.
Such practices often centre on treatment of women. They might include polygamy, the segregation and marginalization of women, and in some groups, such as the North African communities, the heinous practice of female genital mutilation.
Many fear that mere criticism of such practices will soon become legally actionable.
.... I originally come from a country where blasphemy is considered a crime against the state. The term Islamophobia poses a unique problem in the way it is understood in Islamic nations, as well as among Muslims, some of whom espouse a deeply obscurantist understanding of Islam. This understanding tolerates no criticism of Islamic precept, culture, belief or practice.
Citizens must retain the right to criticize what they find mistaken, misguided or damaging, whether in movies, in art or in the behaviour of individuals or even cultural groups. Islamophobia seeks to write special rules for fundamentalist Islam. [Toronto Sun] Read more
