May 28, 2011
Toronto,
Canada
Homa Arjomand
Coordinator of
the International Campaign Against Sharia Court in
Canada
Children’s
Right Activists
homawpi@nosharia.com
416-737-9500
Speech at the conference, TEAR DOWN THE WALL – ONE
SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR ALL!
Listen to the Children
I would like
to thank everyone for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you
with respect to the universal rights of children and its direct relation to
one secular school system.
My discussion is on how in today’s modern and civil
society, the concept of equal and universal rights of the child has been
wrongfully introduced by legislation in various provinces of Canada. Further
more, I would pin point the effect of such legislation on the wellbeing of
children and their future social outcome. Finally I will discuss what can be
done to achieve one secular school system for all.
To describe the situation of education systems in
Canada, one needs to know the influence of various factors around this issue
first.
It is fair to say that laws and regulations in Canada
are being influenced by religiously inspired notions, making it easy to add
faith to the school curriculum, a task not hard for the advocators of
religions. As you all know separate Catholic schools funded by government
exists in provinces of Canada and North West Territories. These provinces
include Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan.
The State
should be in charge of the wellbeing of children, in all aspects of their lives
from their nutrition, health, education and recreation as well as ensuring
uniformity and the highest possible standard of welfare and development.
Instead of accepting 21st century standards for children in such a way that
children could grow up together, play together, learn together and achieve
their goals together, irrespective of their parents’ religion, culture and
ethnicity, according to The Constitution Act, 1867, the State has pushed the
responsibility of children on parents and civil authority.
In these
provinces Canadian educational system falls under the shared responsibility
of parents, civil society and the State. Based on this
piece of legislation and policy of multiculturalism, parents’ authority over
rules State power. What does it mean in practice? It simply means
parents have the right to separate children into cultural, religious, racial
majority and minorities,which
promote segregation, isolation, hate and racism next to gender apartheid.
In arguments
presented to the public and the federal government for placing faith in the
school system, it indicates that since schools are part of society, and society
is polarized, so should schools. This emphasizes how the school system must
become a mirror reflection of society.
What a baseless argument! Let’s study the reality of
this so called polarized society and its formation. The existed policy of
multiculturalism in Canada first divided the members of society into various
sets, cults, tribes and groups, then labelled them as Islamic, Jewish, Catholic
and Hindu; and legally placed them under religious dogmas, backward traditions
in invisible closed confines. The outcome is very obvious: the more
segregation and isolation, the less opportunity of associating with others.
That is a clear violation of children’s rights.
Now across entire Canada, one can distinguish a little
India, a little China, a little Italy, and a little Pakistan and so on. Not
only are these closed communities segregated from each other and the rest of
society but also their members are forced to follow their own rules and
regulations by community elders or head man when it comes to civil
matters.
The
segregation does not stop here; there exist smaller communities within a
community based on their faith as well. Therefore there would not be the
slightest chance for children of so called one faith to meet with the children
of another faith. As Not all people who come from a certain ethnic
group practise the same faith. To accommodate them all, it seems it is
ok to further divide the population into even smaller sections and have smaller
Hindu, Muslim, and Jewish sections within a little India. The law of Canada
will accommodate their faith schools too, as long as the minority establish
faith requests, “wishing to leave the public system” and create their own faith
separate school system. Just for your information right now the Mormons, Hindus
and Muslims are requesting their own publicly funded religious schools and if
it was not for the active members of OSS Network and other concerned citizens,
they would have gained it by now.
To further
understand the circumstances of children in these isolated communities, one
need not be a genius or know mathematics and statistics. Hopefully, everyone
can recall, as it was not long ago, that a wave of women involved in
polygamy fled from Bountiful (BC) and presented their case publicly.
Books and articles were written by these brave women. They
discussed the effects of polygamy on their lives and their children,
they talked about women’s oppression, sexual abuse and of men’s aggression
towards young girls as young as 12 years. They described child sexual
abuse concealed as a marriage and child trafficking for the purpose of
marriage. Some courageous women went even further and discussed the
effects of polygamy in society at large.
The inhuman
treatment of children growing in communities such as Bountiful in
British Colombia or in communities so called Islamic in Markham, Ontario must
become the concern of every global citizen. These communities still follow 7th
century traditions, and in case of Bountiful, their faith, tradition, and their
attitude towards children are hundred years behind the civilized world.
Women’s oppression, sexual abuse and of men’s aggression towards young girls
have been reported at the British Columbia Supreme Court just recently, in fact
2 months ago and still is on going. It is disgrace to society to witness
all this but do nothing to protect children and women under the notion of
freedom of religions and multiculturalism.
Yes
indeed, I have heard the other side of argument too. “Girls want to practice
their faith, they want to have a several sister wives” but who would really buy
that, if she had chance to be an active part of society as whole; if she had
immunity of body and mind against any violation, (emotionally, psychologically
and physically). If her childhood was not taken away from her, if she
would have access to necessaries of a normal life in the present-day society;
if she would have access to enjoy all the education resources available in
today’s society; had rights to socialize and had a social life away from that
confinement. And only if, she had opportunity to associate with others,
do you think, she would ever identify herself as a follower of 7th
century sect?
Naturally, in
these communities, children grow up accepting to be treated as property of
their parents. In particular, they would have to obey all the demands of their
father the most; after all he is the second God. Their parents will have to
follow their head man or so called leader, based on tradition and faith being
taught to them. Children are sent to religious school, are forced into arranged
marriages and forced marriages. They are expected to follow their parents’
footsteps in life and in every aspect. So if a girl is asked by her father to
stop school, and that is a faith school, and to become the fifth wife of a man
60 years old at the age of 14, there would be no resistance, no questions
asked, as it is her duty to do what she is asked to do. It is ok and has been
accepted as a norm in their community. Her future has been planned by her
parents guided by her parents’ religion. Her grand mother, mother, all other
females in her community followed the footsteps of their ancestors, so must she?
I am sure
everyone at this conference will agree with me that children learn, adopt and
practice the established customs, traditions and regulations of the family and
community as they grow up. They learn to accept their parents’ ideas,
traditions and customs as the norms. It is society’s duty to neutralize the
negative effect of this type of up bringing. And the secular school environment
will play an important role towards neutralization, only if the school system
stays totally secular; and only if all children gain access to these secular
schools. This means a ban on teaching religious subjects and dogmas or
religious interpretation of subjects in schools and educational establishments.
Only then will children develop personal autonomy, critical thinking and
reasoning. Only then the achievements of universal social values are
possible.
I strongly
believe that secular schools will help to counterbalance the ancient practice
of traditions in these communities. All laws and regulations should stay
secular; it is the responsibility of State to grantee modern, secular and
progressive school systems; allowing two different school systems permits two
different sets of norms one being progressive and other being tribal
norms especially in countries with shameful policy of multiculturalism.
The
question is, as an individual or member of group what can be done to establish
one secular school system for all.
I personally
emphasize that public awareness around this issue is an important tool. Once
the public realizes the negative effect of faith schools on children, the
campaign against it will gain its momentum, The campaign’s supporters need to
use every opportunity to bring awareness, we need to write and call the members
of parliament, we need to actively hand out flyers, we must set up information
tables in all universities, colleges and in all social and political
gatherings. We must reach people, as many as possible, whether directly or
indirectly through social media or media, we need to issue press releases
and participate in debates across the country and internationally.
We must organize conferences and workshops and rallies. We need to
have thousand activists and spokespersons that would volunteer their time and
skills in putting much more pressure on the government and demand for
progressive change. Finally join us, join One School System Net work and demand
for Amendment of Education Act for one secular education system for all. I
believe it can be done and must be done today as tomorrow is very late. This
dreadful system of education has already caused children lots of damage.