Jagmeet Singh Won't Intervene In Bill 21 Saying His Presence Is The Best Way To Change Minds

7 posts / 0 new

Tue, 2019-10-08 17:07

Mighty Middle

"One thing I want to make really clear is I don't believe in interfering with the court decision right now," Singh said Tuesday morning when pressed by reporters to clarify what appeared to be a shift in his stance.

"This is just a repetition of facts. When there is something that ends up in front of the Supreme Court, the government has the right to review what is going on. My position has not changed."

"I'm going to Quebec on a regular basis, using my platform to say, 'Hey, this is not the way to go forward.'"

And he says it is his presence as a someone who wears a turban, and getting Quebeckers more and more comfortable with that, is the key to change people's attitudes and minds about people wearing Religious Symbols.

Wed, 2019-10-09 00:12

voice of the damned

Mighty Middle wrote:

"One thing I want to make really clear is I don't believe in interfering with the court decision right now," Singh said Tuesday morning when pressed by reporters to clarify what appeared to be a shift in his stance.

"This is just a repetition of facts. When there is something that ends up in front of the Supreme Court, the government has the right to review what is going on. My position has not changed."

"I'm going to Quebec on a regular basis, using my platform to say, 'Hey, this is not the way to go forward.'"

And he says it is his presence as a someone who wears a turban, and getting Quebeckers more and more comfortable with that, is the key to change people's attitudes and minds about people wearing Religious Symbols.

I'm thinking Singh has been watching too many socially-conscious TV sitcoms if he thinks that just having Quebeckers see him in a turban is going to change their attitudes on this issue. Are turbans THAT much of a rarity in Quebec that his mere presence will be some big epiphany for everyone?

That said, I do agree that there isn't much that the federal parties should be doing about this issue at the present time, given that the relevant cases will soon be making their way through the courts.

Wed, 2019-10-09 00:44

bekayne

Also, aren't Muslims the main target?

Wed, 2019-10-09 05:58

lagatta4

Not many turbans in my neighbourhood, but many in nearby Parc-Extension, the poorest and most multicultural part of Papineau. Villeray is multicultural too, but has a francophone Québecois majority and the ethnic mix is different.

Yes, a lot of the prejudice is fuelled by a discourse about the danger of Islamist fundamentalism, but does also affect other religious and ethnic groups. Sikhs are often taken for Muslims. By the way, the majority of Muslim women here don't wear even headscarves, unless they are attending Mosque.

I think Singh is taking the right attitude of combatting the outlooks that led to the CAQ and the PQ supporting the law (remember that QS opposed it), but at the same time recognising Québec's right to self-determination and that what will be seen as interference in our affairs from outside will not help build opposition to Law 21.

I haven't seen the debates; it seems as if Singh has great charisma.

Wed, 2019-10-09 10:42

Pondering

I agree with Lagatta. It isn't just Singh's presence as in a cardboard cutout but the manner in which he responds to racist attacks. Always calm, patient, non-combative and even friendly. He saves his anger, and even that is expressed in an emotionally restrainted manner, for the extreme wealth being concentrated at the top.

Letting it wind its way through the courts for the moment while expressing sadness makes sense. We can't pretend his race doesn't make a difference. And on another note...

https://election.ctvnews.ca/singh-swarmed-by-cheering-students-at-ryerson-university-day-after-debate-1.4629957

Singh’s visit to Ryerson University was planned by campaign staff, but the students who came out didn’t know in advance about the “mainstreeting” event. In fact, the leader was supposed to walk around campus and meet people as he went but the student mob was so big he didn’t move more than a block in his nearly two hours on campus.

“Thanks for being patient everyone. I’m coming up there,” Singh said to the hundreds of students who gathered around him.

“I’m very excited to have you on campus,” another man told Singh. “You did an absolutely fantastic job last night.”

Young people represent a major voting block and Singh, like the other leaders, is trying to tap into that power. In 2015, 58.3 per cent of newly eligible voters turned out, an increase of roughly 17 per cent from the 2011 general election. According to Elections Canada, the greatest change was among voters aged 18-24. Turnout in that age category increased 18.3 per cent.

https://election.ctvnews.ca/singh-swarmed-by-cheering-students-at-ryerson-university-day-after-debate-1.4629957

Thu, 2019-10-10 10:55

lagatta4

Let's just hope they vote! I wonder if the cut-off-yer-turban elderly man will indeed vote for Singh...

Thu, 2019-10-10 18:51

(Reply to #6) #7

kropotkin1951

lagatta4 wrote:

Let's just hope they vote! I wonder if the cut-off-yer-turban elderly man will indeed vote for Singh...

I think he was actually trying to be a helpful supporter in an Archie Bunker way. My Dad always reminded me of Archie. He was a Diefenbaker Tory who thought of the Bill of Rights as one of the "Chief's" accomplishments. Ingrained societal attitudes make for very mixed messages from people who have no understanding of racism and truly don't think they are racist even though their words belie that notion.