SURESH KURL
LINK COLUMNIST
I, an immigrant, who has been enjoying the merits of the Indian and Canadian values, consider them as my destiny. That is theway I see them, foster them and nurse them. They are my guiding mission statements. They help me meet my obligations to society.I have come to believe that no matter where we come from – there comes a time when one’s values becomes a bias against someoneelse’s values.
Since the beginning of February andMarch, I have been attended several conventions,conferences, and roundtableson Inter-faith, Multiculturalism andRace-lations. Maybe, the soggy winterweather has something to do with it.Besides, there is no Diwali, Hanakah, Eidor Christmas to look forward to untilalmost the end of the year. Even Baisakhiseems far away. So, that gave me an ideato write up and share my views on culturalvalues.Be they be the first-world countries, likeCanada, USA, Britain, or developingcountries like India, Brazile or China orunder-developed countries like Somalia,Uganda or Zimbabwe, there is no country,religon or ethnic group on this planetwithout its cultural values. There valuesare their foundation stones. They aretheir driving and motivating force. It is adifferent matter that their values mightnot be good enough to help them keepup with the Olympic race of economicprogress.I, an immigrant, who has been enjoyingthe merits of the Indian and Canadianvalues, consider them as my destiny.That is the way I see them, foster themand nurse them. They are my guidingmission statements. They help me meetmy obligations to society.I view my destiny as a product of a collectivevision of the national leaders.They mirror history and growth of democraticprinciples and debates. There areno fatwahs. If there are any, they are onpromoting hate crimes and bullying.I have come to believe that no matterwhere we come from – there comes atime when one’s values becomes a biasagainst some one elses’ values. Here issomething for your entertainment thathappened to me on a bright summer day.”Knock…knock.” I heard a knock at mydoor. I answered it and found a Hindupriest with one of his assistants, wantingto come in and talk to us about Hindureligion. Their heads were shaved andthey were dressed in long loose shirts anddhoties — plain white material wrappedaround their loins and covering and legs.Out of respect, I invited them in for tea.Hardly a few minutes might have passed,the priest saw our 14-year-old daughterdressed in jeans and a sleeveless whiteblouse. When my wife entered the livingroom with tea, the priest happened tonotice her in pants, a full sleeved blouse,and in short hair.The priest looked at them and completelyflipped his lid. He first questioned mehow could I allow them to dress up likethat and then he started lecturing usabout the Hindu code of ethics. Hisassistant looked nervous. I respectfully,just as I had invited them in, asked themto leave.Another summer story. Kitsilano beacheswere flooding with men, women andchildren. Men were in shorts and womenand girls in bikinies. There I met a gentleman.He was the father of a friendfrom Pakistan. We greeted each other.Just after that, as though he had beenwaiting for someone trust worthy tounburden his grief, he told me that hecould not stay there any longer.”Are you feeling OK? Is your healthOK?” I asked.He looked at me and said that he wasOK, but he could no longer tolerate thenakedness of those women. “be-hayayi kibhi hadd hoti hai.” There is a limit toshamelessness.This third story is not about me. It isabout Sheena Khan. She is an author.Her mother, until she immigrated toCanada in 1965, had never entered amosque in her adult life. Recently she wrote, “Here inCanada, women are not bannedfrom mosques, although theyare welcomed somewhat grudingly.…Mosques often havegender-segregated entrances.…The physical barriers faced byMuslim women are part andparcel of institutional barriersthat prevent their full participationin community affairs…”The article, “The mosque needsto evolve,” notes that fordecades the B.C. MuslimAssociation, despite its charitablestatus, openly discriminatesagainst women by stipulatingthat its executive must be allmale, which can only be electedby male members. (The Globeand Mail; Feb. 18th).Quebec is proposing to curtailthe religious freedoms by banningthe display of religioussymbols by employees in thepublic sector despite this rightto wear them being protectedunder Quebec law, the CanadianConstitution and internationalhuman rights law.So far I had only experiencedsome of us, individually or collectivelyattempting to violatethe equity and freedom of religionrights. Now, Quebec isattempting to climb on the listof violators. Maybe, it is just aploy to win the next provincialelection.Suresh Kurl is a former universityprofessor, a retired Registrar of theBC Benefits Appeal Board, and aformer member of the NationalParole Board.
