Archive for May 22nd, 2008
Écosociété ramps up its solidarity campaign
Les Éditions Écosociété, the small book publisher facing a $6 million SLAPP lawsuit from Barrick Gold (the world’s largest gold-mining company) over their book Noir Canada, is increasing its public appeal for support. Today they launched a new website, http://slapp.ecosociete.org calling on people to:
Bouchard & Taylor let it all out
Their report, that is. You can download all 300+ pages of the Consultation Commission on Accommodation Practices Related to Cultural Differences (CCPARDC) (French only) or the summary (in English and French) of the final report, as well as the research documents commissioned, via: http://www.accommodements.qc.ca/.
On the day the Bouchard-Taylor Commission is releasing its report…
…we have this from the Ottawa Sun:
Limit Muslims’ access to Canada, book says
By PETER ZIMONJIC, NATIONAL BUREAU
Large influxes of Muslims, the failure to integrate foreigners and an overrun immigration system make Canada a “threat to North American security.”
These are some of the findings published in a new book by the right-wing Fraser Institute called Immigration Policy and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and the United States.
The book says Muslims, as a group of potential immigrants, should be given limited access to Canada.
“It would be prudent, from a security point of view, for Canada to review its immigration policy in relation to the admission of immigrants from Muslim countries that are known to produce terrorists,” the book says.
Zimonjic goes on to do a good job getting quotes from the other side, with the head of the Canadian Islamic Congress rightly calling the book’s claims a ‘racist argument.’
I’m pretty sure the timing of the book’s release wasn’t planned to coincide with the Bouchard-Taylor announcement, since the commission’s report was originally due out March 31. But I think it goes to highlight that controversial – and racist – remarks about Muslims are not relegated to small-town Quebec, but are found across Canada. Not that the Fraser Institute in any way represents mainstream Canada – just as city councillors in Hérouxville don’t speak for Quebec.
Hopefully when the national media reacts to the Commission’s report they bear this in mind, rather than the caricature that was often painted of Francophone Quebeckers being more close-minded compared to their English Canadian compatriots.
P.S. The book is in fact a compilation of essays put together from a forum on immigration the Fraser Institute held last summer. You can read the full press release about the book here. The entire book is also available in PDF for free. And yes, that is the actual cover of the book above, looking like a game of ’spot the terrorist,’ but you only get it if you buy the book. If you feel like sharing your thoughts about the book with the Fraser Institute you can do so here. The contact information for the authors, Martin Collacott and Dr. Alexander Moens can also be found at the end of the release linked to above.
P.P.S. The think-tank has also announced that it will be holding a follow-up conference in Montreal on June 3 & 4.
