Just reading how anti-Moslem actions in Quebec have apparently increased following the release of the PQ’s so-called charter of Quebec values. A man upbraids a burka-clad woman on Montreal bus, yelling at her to remove her ‘hat’ and that government will soon force her to do so; a Turkish bathhouse in Lasalle is vandalised with the words “Go B to your country ” and “PQ” spray painted on
its facade as well as the so-called “pig’s blood” incident which saw a Quebec mosque in the Saguenay region vandalised with a red liquid of some kind, possibly pig’s blood, approximately two weeks ago.
To show that ignorant bigots are equal opportunity idiots, vandals attacked the St. Lawrence Anglican Church last week, and spray painted the words “GO HOME GREEK PQ”
on its doors regardless of the fact that there are only a couple of Greek members in that particular congregation.
While I was teaching in an adult education school, the Pearson Adult and Career Centre (PACC) in the summer of 2005, there were two or three Moslem women in my English class as well as at least one Islamic man. The latter left our class never to return after the following exchange of ideas with me, their English teacher. We had been discussing religion – I don’t remember the context – when he said something to the effect that Islam was/is the best religion. I immediately responded that we have to be careful when we say things like that, otherwise we can create a psychological environment where it is hard for people of diverse religious persuasions to coexist peacefully. I added that in more extreme cases, saying that any one religion is the superior to all others provides a fertile ground for nurturing conflict, terrorist activity and other acts of violence often implicating innocent victims. I also added that all religions have something positive inherent in them with none being better than its ‘rivals’. Like I said, that was the last time I saw this guy. Quite frankly, I have trouble believing that he would choose not to come back due only to this incident and hope that there was a better reason for him dropping out.
On some later date, I asked a couple of burkha-clad women how they felt about being covered up from head to toe except for their faces. (There were some women in that school who wore face-coverings, niqabs, but none of these were in my class.) Their response nearly knocked me on my ass. According to them the Koran doesn’t say that women should cover up and that they were forced to do so anyway by their men, who according to them were – and I quote – “crazy” and this from two Moslem women!
That’s it for today except to say that I am making progress on my blog, AJuicyLessonperday.com but still cannot say when it will be up and running. I am not a very patient man but that doesn’t make patience any less of a virtue.
This is eleventh (11th) lesson. I am aiming to produce AJuicyLessonperday six days a week for a full year with no interruption no matter where I find myself and no matter what I’m doing. This blog is another reason for me to avoid illness at least for the next year or so. 🙂
Can I do it? Only time will tell.