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CANADA JOINS ARCTIC FRAY

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Re: Ethno-Politics Can Lead To Negative Stereotypes, letter to the editor, Aug. 3.

Letter-writer David Koschitzky's earnest misreading of Naresh Raghubeer's article leads him to argue with a straw man. Mr. Koschitzky condemns the "suggestion that ? organized [faith and ethnic group involvement in the political process] is a threat" -- something Mr. Raghubeer neither stated nor implied.

All legitimate groups --including religious or ethno-cultural ones -- should participate in the political process. But their involvement should not be privileged by public money from overburdened taxpayers. Hence, Mr. Raghubeer's objection to the Ontario Liberal government's crass vote-buying among ethnic and religious communities and to provincial Conservative leader John Tory's promise to pay for private faith schools.

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Extremism and hatred have a harder time taking root when students of all religions and cultures learn, socialize and play together in public schools. The divisiveness of parochial schools has proven, in certain tragic cases, to be fertile ground for breeding extremism, and a threat to national security.

Mr. Koschitzky falsely assumes that educational authorities have the inclination and vast resources for thankless enforcement efforts against the radicalism likely to flourish with state funding. Does he seriously believe that the same politicians trading in religious votes today could be counted on to restrain growing radical religious voting blocs tomorrow?

Yes, it is settled constitutional law that Ontario Catholic schools alone must be state-funded. Yes, this is unfair. But we deceive ourselves if we refuse to see expanded state funding for what it is -- the path to sectarianism, division and danger.

Salim Mansur, senior fellow, Canadian Coalition for Democracies, Toronto.

© National Post 2007