MONTREAL — Quebec is no more a racist society than other jurisdictions in the Western world, but it faces problems integrating immigrants which it will need to tackle immediately, says a report on the reasonable accommodation of the province's minorities.
The report by sociologist Gérard Bouchard and philosopher Charles Taylor says there is no chaos in Quebec but rather a serious problem of perception. The academics insist that both the francophone and immigrant communities must come together in a moral contract where both have a responsibility in ensuring social harmony.
The full report is here in English, here in French. I haven't read it but the papers make it sound pretty common sense. No hijab ban, thank goodness, although Judges etc. may not be allowed to wear (any kind of(?)) religious symbols.
I'm going to try and read the thing tonight and have an opinion on it by tomorrow.
Seems pretty reasonable. I like the emphasis on secularism.
ReplyDeleteI think the h'English should have to wear little Union Jacks. I tried to bring that up at one of the hearings, but all the screaming meamies from Lac St-Jean, wailing about all the Muslims and Jews they would hate even more if any lived near them, took up all the time.
ReplyDeleteThere goes Stephen Harper's vote winning issue in the next federal election.
ReplyDelete