German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, claimed recently in a bizarre twist of logic that "multiculturalism" did not work in Germany. Really? When exactly did Germany have a commitment to "multiculturalism"? Does she really believe that their labour market strategy of getting cheap labour from Turkey without offering those workers a status, let alone equality, in Germany is multiculturalism?

Aqsa Parvez is a "Canadian" tragedy -- not an immigrant tragedy, or a Pakistani tragedy, or indeed a Muslim tragedy. In her formative years, Aqsa was raised in Canada; oppressed by her pathologically patriarchal father in Canada; failed by the family, the friends of the family, the education system, the student counseling services, the social service sector -- in Canada. To make her tragedy a case of "these immigrant types with their medieval cultures" is to insult her memory and even worse learn nothing from it so that we can prevent it from happening again in the future -- in Canada.

In the worst form of Orwellian logic, Jean Charest's government in Quebec has tabled a bill in parliament banning any form of facial covering when dealing with the Quebec government, whether in the form of employment or access to services. This has been done in the name of "...respecting the principles of equality of men and women, and religious neutrality of the state." Aimed specifically at Muslim women who don the "niqab," this legislation is defended as applying to "everyone" and meant to "stress the values that unite us..."

Three things come to mind:

The 20th anniversary of the December 6th Montreal Massacre was recently recognized as a grim reminder to Canadians that male violence against women is real. This violence takes a heavy toll on our mothers, sisters, friends, partners, neighbors and also on their loved ones.

Why do newspapers like National Post feel compelled to undermine and deny any attempts to highlight or discuss issues of marginality and race in Canada? As a mouthpiece for right-wing ideology, it is important to analyze how the National Post uses the logic of the right to deny, diminish and suppress some people's right to express their issues but does so in the language of freedom and democracy.

Canadian Arab Federation's (CAF) settlement programmes (that is Language Instruction to Newcomers (LINC) and settlement services to newcomers) are at risk because the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Jason Kenney, has decided that CAF is not a suitable organization to receive government funding.

It is instructive to note that this suitability or lack thereof is not being decided on the basis of CAF's service evaluation but rather the Minister's belief that CAF holds political opinions contrary to those held by him and endorsed by his government at the Federal level.

How the world changes when you leave the borders of North America! Watching Obama from Canada and then from Pakistan is quite surreal!

Part I - view from across the border

Watching Obama win the election last November in Canada I felt emotional, hopeful, excited to see a black American become the next resident of the White House. Given the importance of race in Canada and North America, it was significant to see a black man run for office and win. And yes race is important! It is important if you are Aboriginal, it is important if you are an immigrant of colour, it is important if you are in any way identified as a "visible minority." I should know I have lived it for the past 20 years in Canada.