Seems like one of us is wrong about what a Canadian is.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been seething about this "niqab" situation. For those who aren't in the know, the reigning conservative government here in Canada has been fighting (and losing) to have the niqab banned from being worn during citizenship ceremonies. As the PC party is also behind in the polls with an election only days away, they have now decided to make their stance on the issue part of their election platform.

Before getting into the root of the issue, I first want to describe WHY the conservatives have done this. Both the niqab issue and the rhetoric against refugees are the brainchild of Lynton Crosby, an Australian political PR specialist who is an expert in "wedge politics". Wedge politics focus on using divisive social issues to garner votes, usually by prioritizing these issues with voters in place of the more important parts of their platform. In short, it's smoke-and-mirrors. Intentional misdirection. The conservatives know that they don't have voter confidence based on their track record. For details on why this is the case, Read this piece by Lester Lee. In short though, the PCs have had 7 years of deficit, all while weakening our global image, demolishing veteran's benefits, and moving towards dismantling our national health care system. Not to mention several instances of corruption, back-door corporate handouts, and pushing ahead with a controversial Pacific trade agreement. The Tories don't want you focusing on all of that. They want you talking about head gear.

The sad thing is, it's working. I see support of this littered over my Facebook wall, and in parts of the media. "Lose the niqab or go home!" and similar statements. There is a general anti-Muslim sentiment that says, if you come to Canada, you aren't allowed to bring your culture and beliefs with you.

I say to that..... SINCE WHEN?

Do all the people who feel that way forget that, at one point, their families were new here too? Regardless of what your last name is, your family didn't start out Canadian. First aboriginals obviously, but every Canadian has ties to another nation. Another culture. The blending and acceptance of that is the very thing that makes us Canadian. Our cultural identity has always been, and hopefully will always be, fluid.

The arc of a new Canadian citizen from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq or any other Islamic region will eventually be the same as any other. A century or two ago, as people from all over Europe and Asia came to Canada in hopes of a new and better life, they still identified heavily with their homelands. Germans, Italians, Chinese, Ukranians and more formed close knit groups where they could share their heritage together. Speaking their first languages at home and in their communities, they were often slow to embrace the myriad other ways of life Canada offered. But then they would send their children to school with kids from other cultures. Those children would learn to speak English or French to fit in with their new friends. Slowly the barriers between these different groups fell away. Their children, or their grandchildren, started marrying each other. Now, generations later, those people don't call themselves Polish-Canadian, or Irish-Canadian. They are just CANADIAN. The reason this happened is that these immigrants weren't pressured into adapting to any particular lifestyle. They were welcomed by this nation, and given the freedom to discover what being a Canadian is organically, and in their own way.

Is that something we don't do anymore?

People say, "we can't go over to their country and act however we want! They should have to conform to us!" But that's exactly the point. That's why they left! Canada has always been about tolerance, acceptance and understanding. Many parts of the world aren't. We have always been respectful to the beliefs of others, and value freedom over all else. Sure, you're free to say you don't agree with the niqab. But the wonderful thing about Canada is that they are also free to wear the garments of their choosing. The conservatives are trying to change that. I hope we don't let them.

Feel free to disagree with me on any of this. It's a free country after all. Right?

B