وتارێکم بە ناونیشانی
' Charters of Quebec Value will Dwindle Discrimination in Canada'
ی کەنەدی لە هەردوو ' Andisha'لە ڕۆژنامەی
دوورگەی ئۆنتاریو و کیوبێک ی کەنەدی بڵاو ئەبێتەوە. سەرنووسەر و خاوەنی ئەم ڕۆژنامەیە دکتۆر یارسانا نیکیپانە

، چارتەری کوبێک داوای کرد خەڵک ڕەمزە ئاینیەکان لە دادگا و خەستەخانە و هەندێ دام و دەزگادا بە کار نەهێنن کە پێویستی بە ناسینەوەی شوناس هەیە ،بە تایبەت ئیسلام و جولەکە و سیخ کە ڕەمزەکانیان زۆر دیار و نەشیاو دەرئەکەون بۆ ئەو شوێنانە ، بۆ نموونە ژنێک لە کەنەدادا دوو ساڵ لە دادگادا پەچەکە لا نەئەدا دادوەر ببینبێت بزانێت تاوانباری لە ژێردایە یان دەعبایەکی تر... ئەمەش ئەوە ئەگەیەنێت هەندێ کەس هاتوونەتە ئەم وڵاتە کە تەنها لە ئیدارە شەق تێ ئەگەن و ناتوانن لە مامەڵەی شارستانیانە و بێ توندوتیژی ژیان بە ڕی بکەن.وەکو زۆربەی بڵاوکراوەکان وتارەکە هەندێ هەڵەی تایپی تێ کەوتووە ببەخشن

Charter of Quebec Value Will Dwindle Discrimination in Canada

 Kaziwa Salih

The charter of Quebec value which aims to ban religious clothing and symbols in public-sector workplaces has faced a massive denunciation from Ontario politicians and some residents. This debate raises the longstanding question about the country of Canada’s division between English and French. As an individual who grew up in a Muslim country and environment where Muslim culture manipulated all other cultures, my experiences inform me that Quebec’s Premier Pauline Marois’ plan  will unite Canada, create improvement and reduce racism in the future. I agree with this plan for the following reasons:

First, racism appears in two forms: facing racism and performing the act of racism. Individuals face racism when they become victims of discrimination as a result of wearing religious outfits; for example, HUFF Post Religion published a video of a Muslim woman being harassed on a Montreal bus due to her Hijab, the Muslim head covering for women, on September 21, 2013. Another form of discrimination occurs when an individual becomes a victim because she/he is not wearing religion clothes,; for example, when a person who wears religious clothing discriminating other, and does not treat a person without religion clothes in the same manner he/she treats a person wearing the same religious clothing. Notably, many Canadian young women from religious backgrounds become victims of their parents’ religion and beliefs, and are forced to oblige to certain religious traditions in term of clothing, marriage, or relationships. In recent years, several women have even been killed in Canada under the title of honour killing. This brutal culture of violence it will be a sources of counter-violence in near future.   

Second, this type of debate will not divide Canada, as this old allegation derives from the time when the Canadian population was mostly two nations and languages: French and English. As multiculturalism minister Jason Kenney told CTV’s Question Period, Marois’ plan “should not be seen as a divide between the province and the rest of the country...This should not be seen as a Canada vs. Quebec issue”. In fact, nowadays Canada is comprised of more than two hundred nations and languages. Albeit there are still only two official languages, if there is to be separation then Canada could be separated into two hundred pieces for all of the nationalities who are now Canadians. Essentially, multiculturalism requires giving equal rights to all groups without victimizing minority groups for the sake of the majority. This applies to everything else from religious clothing to religious activities at schools. If there is community has those rights , all other communities should have same rights.

Third, while every nation has its own traditional clothing and religious symbols, these are not worn at the workplace. Accordingly, there has been international attention focused on western outfits that are easy to wear and professional at work; dressing in this way significantly affects the quality and outcome of the work. As a Kurdish individual, I always dreamed of practicing my culture and language freely, without suppression. Yet, when the Mulas or Emam (Mulas are leaders of mosques) began a speech campaign to convince the government and people to wear the traditional Kurdish clothes that had been banned for decades for work and on daily bases, their efforts did not succeed, due to the unprofessional look and apprehensive use of such clothing in the work sector, which is believed to affect the outcome and quality of the work.

Finally, this charter value also impacts Jews, Sikhs, and other religious groups that wear visible religious symbols, not only Muslims, although it is mainly Muslims who take this value offensively. If Muslim communities find Canadians’ defence of their culture to be distasteful, then they should think of their own country when it comes to the similar issue. In fact, the many Muslim countries, especially Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries do not allow foreigners to practice their own culture and must wear Islamic clothing even if they are not Muslim. I am not aware of all other religious groups’ conditions; however, aware that there is a disproportionately large number of Muslims especially children live on the poverty line. If their allegation is for protection of community, and its culture why they do not change the live of those poor people? Why they do not create scholarship for poor Muslim students and increase their educational chances instead of building religious accommodation at work place and schools or building of dozen of the mosques in the city? Which one has more valid value and priority for their community?    

All in all, religion is a very personal practice, and should therefore not be present in work sectors, especially courts, hospitals, and schools. As immigrants we moved to Canada to attain safety and live freely. Many escaped the fanatic Islamic dictatorship; thus, there is no reason to live in Canada if it is going to create a similar environment that we escaped from. Based on the above points, if we do not politicize this charter value, and instead perceive it from social and cultural perspectives, it will unite not divide. This charter value can guarantee protection and freedom for many young women in Canada in the near future, and protect Canada from honour killing. This charter value will protect people from facing or performing discrimination, which will eventually reduce racism.

Sources:

Muslim Woman In Hijab Harassed On Montreal Bus.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/17/muslim-woman-hijab-harassed-montreal-bus-quebec_n_3942132.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Multiculturalism minister Jason Kenney told CTV’s Question Period http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/jason-kenney-calls-quebec-s-values-charter-monty-python-esque-1.1455568