Québec’s unreasonable accommodation

In case you haven’t been following the multiculturalism debate up north, Québec has been embroiled for about a year in a debate over what it means to reasonably accommodate—their words, not mine—minority immigrants. It all started back in March of last year, when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that it was “reasonable” to allow ...

604240_kirpan_05.jpg
604240_kirpan_05.jpg

In case you haven't been following the multiculturalism debate up north, Québec has been embroiled for about a year in a debate over what it means to reasonably accommodate—their words, not mine—minority immigrants. It all started back in March of last year, when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that it was "reasonable" to allow a young Sikh boy to wear his kirpan, or ceremonial dagger, to school.

In case you haven’t been following the multiculturalism debate up north, Québec has been embroiled for about a year in a debate over what it means to reasonably accommodate—their words, not mine—minority immigrants. It all started back in March of last year, when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that it was “reasonable” to allow a young Sikh boy to wear his kirpan, or ceremonial dagger, to school.

The court’s use of the term “reasonable accommodation” has sparked a debate about how far is too far. One irate police officer in Montreal even penned a little ditty entitled “That’s Enough Already.” The tune, which is circulating on the Internet, includes the following choice refrains:

Reasonable accommodation, we’re no longer able”

“We want to accept ethnics, but not at any price… if you’re not happy with your fate, there’s a place called the airport.”

That’s a sentiment that the small Québec town of Hérouxville seems to be endorsing. They’ve recently published some town “standards” for “new arrivals” who might want to bring with them “the way of life which they abandoned when they left their countries.” Among other things, Hérouxville’s “standards” warn against publicly stoning women to death or attempting to burn them alive. And, just so you know in advance, women in Hérouxville, which has a minority population of one, are allowed to drive and vote too. Groundbreaking stuff, guys. Thanks for putting that on the record.

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