tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17300290.post117115435049840599..comments2024-03-28T05:14:02.776-04:00Comments on Sketchy Thoughts: Secularism, Women's Liberation and Intervention: More on the Racist Reasonable Accommodation "Debate"kersplebedebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08148717542412439319noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17300290.post-1171206107709079422007-02-11T10:01:00.000-05:002007-02-11T10:01:00.000-05:00Speaking of anti-patriarchy and women oppression. ...Speaking of anti-patriarchy and women oppression. While we know that the conservative forces beind the backlash are anti-women, they are using the argument of men and women equality. When Dumont said that we must reaffirm that the equality of men and women is a core value of Quebec, he is striking a chord. When Martineau (a left-wing turned right-wing colomnist in the populist press) is asking where are the feminists and the left in general, he is striking a chord. <BR/><BR/>What should leftist do when faced with "accomodation" that weaken the equality of men and women? In the SAAQ (a government agency) apparently that their is a policy that when religious people ask to have an driving exam by a men, it is granted. What should the union do? Well, the chair of the union asked for a meeting with the direction and clearly said that this situation was unacceptable. Was he playing in the hand of anti-immigrant racism? I dont think so.Nicolashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15916064435601366244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17300290.post-1171205007172678662007-02-11T09:43:00.000-05:002007-02-11T09:43:00.000-05:00Actually, my perspective is not to put a priority ...Actually, my perspective is not to put a priority on the anti-god struggle. My preoccupation is how to efficiently fight the rightwing populists.<BR/><BR/>What I see is that they use this religious argument. They are trying to turn a disgust over islamic radicalism into anti-arab racism. Just as they are using an unease over (religious) reasonable accomodation into anti-immigrant racism.<BR/><BR/>This argument is having an echo, a huge echo and not only among the right wing masses. It does have an echo in the progressive camp. It does disarm us to a certain extent.<BR/><BR/>But they are not just pushing the argument as a racist anti-immigration argument. At the same time they are using it to pursue a larger conservative agenda. Dumont (the ADQ leader) is also pushing for a recognition, celebration and eventualy reactualisation of our catholic roots. Many people are arguing that the only way out is to get back to catholicism. Kind of our own version of the born again and christian right. <BR/><BR/>Finaly, they are using our silence on this issue (and our anti-war activism wich is made in solidarity with middle-east communities) as a way to attack the left wich is more and more refered to as islamo-gauchiste...<BR/><BR/>* * *<BR/><BR/>(Religious) reasonable accomodation do disturb me (and a lot of people). Just like the general coming back of religion disturb me. I am not ready to ally with the sections of the various communities that are asking for (religious) reasonable accomodation because (I may be wrong) they seem to be coming from the most conservative sections of these communities.<BR/><BR/>Furthermore, living in right-wing populist land, my priority is to fight the populists. Here they have an issue wich is having an echo. How do we react to this? What is our line? How do we cut the grass under their feets?<BR/><BR/>This is where I am coming from.Nicolashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15916064435601366244noreply@blogger.com