Re: How stupid is John Tory's faith-based school funding?
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Posted by Abubakar Kasim on 08:03:36 2007/10/07
In Reply to:
Re: How stupid is John Tory's faith-based school funding? posted by Shelley
Racism against Muslims is the primary factor over the fuss and outcry towards the idea of funding faith based schools in Ontario as proposed by Mr. John Tory, the Ontario Conservative leader, who is running to become a premier.
It was reported in the Globe and Mail, Sept. 28 that, "several Conservatives campaigning for Mr. Tory say they have heard repeated concerns that publicly funding faith-based schools would direct tax dollars to Islamic schools that foment terrorism."
This idea has helped to reveal the ugly form of racism that exist out there specifically towards the already besieged Muslim community.
I don't believe there would have been a similar outcry if Muslims were excluded in the proposal. Since Muslims would benefit from the funds, hate mongers have taken every opportunity to vehemently attack the idea from all angels.
They used fear mongering tactics to create panic and apprehension as if the world would come to an end if this proposal becomes a reality.
Religious schools, particularly Muslims, will be producing young Taliban hardliners who will eventually spread hate in Canada and the consequences will be disastrous for the well being of the country and the globe at large. This is the real message the opponents of the Mr. Tory's initiative are indirectly trying to convey to the public. It seems that they are winning the battle in the public relations arena and many people are buying their arguments out of ignorance and fear of the unknown.
According to their wild predictions, the province would no longer be the place we all used to. The plan would suddenly divide Ontarians. Premier McGuinty had weighed in the debate to score political points in warning that the plan would "separate rather than unite people of diverse backgrounds" as reported by the Canadian Press, Aug. 22. Others have alleged that the idea would drain teachers from the current public system and eventually it would eventually collapse.
The notion of funding religious schools is not something new as the opponents are trying to portray it. According to a report released by the CBC, Sept. 17, almost five provinces in Canada already fund religious based institutions and the world still did not come to an end.
According the report, Alberta has full funding to faith-based and charter public school boards, and 60 per cent funding to private schools delivering provincial curriculum.
Saskatchewan funds historical high schools and schools associated with school districts. It provides partial funding for others.
Fifty per cent of the funding in Manitoba is provided to private schools for operating costs if they comply with provincial standards. In Ontario, however, full funding is for the Catholic board only and no else.
Quebec on the other hand has partial funding to the established religious schools that follow the Quebec curriculum and British Columbia, according to the report, has partial funding system.
Ever since the Sept. 11 tragedy, Muslims have been the target of all kinds of open discrimination and the world is slightly moving towards accepting it wholeheartedly. The community can be deprived from their basic rights and no one hardly raises eyebrows let alone protests the mistreatment of the community.
Several years ago there was an attempt to initiate a religious form of arbitration system to settle family related issues within the community in Ontario. No one would be forced to enter the system at it was solely based on personal choice who choose the system to settle their disputes.
Other faith communities were already using similar system and no one said anything about it. It was freedom of choice anyway and no one tried to protest against it. Only when Muslims wanted to attain this right did the world came to a standstill and they were finally refused to enjoy what other communities already did.
What makes one wonder is why did the same opponents have kept silent all these years and throughout the history of the country over the idea of funding the Catholic schooling system in Ontario. Where were their concerns and outcries over this discriminatory practice as indicated by the United Nations years ago? Why didn't they speak up against this clear injustice as they are doing now when Mr. Tory tried to do the right thing in funding all instead of one system?
The fuss was only when Muslims entered the picture. It was alright before but not when Muslims are going to be included to take a bite of the bread.
The way Muslims are judged in today's world makes one wonder what would happen next. Will a time come when it would become normal to deprive the community from their basic rights without seeing anyone doing or saying anything as what happened recently to the fourteen terror suspect?
Surprisingly, the government has abruptly and without prior warning has cancelled the normal preliminary hearing against the so-called "homegrown terror suspects" and no one had protested from such a miscarriage of justice.
According to Mr. Faisal Joseph, the legal counsel for the Canadian Islamic Congress and former federal prosecutor, these suspects have been deprived from their basic rights that have been guaranteed in the judicial system. "Justice has not been served by the Crown abruptly halting Monday's preliminary hearing against 14 Muslims suspected of terrorism," said Mr. Joseph.
According to the globe and Mail, defense lawyers were not given advance warning of -- or a specific reason for -- the Crown's decision to halt the preliminary hearing. "One wonders if politics is helping to create a two-tier system of justice, it is not the first time we have seen this," Joseph added as indicated in a media Communiqué published by the Canadian Islamic Congress Sept. 28.
Shame to those who play double standard and change their principals when it only suits them. Same to those hypocrites who never protested when the province funded one system throughout the history and said nothing about it. If they were indeed concerned about justice, equality and fairness, they would have spoken before and not now when Mr. Tory tried to do the right thing
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