The news that a new political party unambiguously calling itself “the Islamic Party of Ontario” may soon be an option at Ontario’s ballot boxes has triggered precisely the sort of commentary you would expect it to. Tarek Fatah highlighted some of the unsavory aspects of several of the would-be founders. Michael Coren used the opportunity to insinuate that conservatives with reservations about this party are probably racist. And interestingly, the real story here was missed.
No sane person actually thinks that the Islamic Party of Ontario is going to sweep to power, install minarets at Queen’s Park, and take away your booze. But if this new party turns out to be a viable political vehicle for a significant percentage of Ontario’s Muslims, it could begin to expose the inherent absurdity of the ongoing electoral alliances between many socially conservative immigrant groups and Canada’s hardline progressive left-wing parties. Justin Trudeau in particular has pandered hard to Muslim groups, and so I’m sure he would find the section on “social policy” on the Islamic Party of Ontario’s website to be absolutely appalling—despite the fact that many of the Muslim leaders he hobnobs with hold these precise views:
Family System has to be restored to protect the generations to sustain human beings on earth until its natural ends.
Marriage is a sacred union between a man and woman. The birth of babies of next generation and survival of human species depends on this institution. Majority of Ontarians and Canadians living as single moms and dads are affecting the sound and healthy growth of children. If the situation continues, this society will rely hundred percent on immigrants and from the nations where the traditional family system is protected. The Canadian family system and marriage institution must be restored for the survival of coming generations.
The sexual relationship is only between men and women. This relationship should be protected with a marriage contract by clearly defining rights and responsibilities of both man and woman. They must have to take responsibility for family care and children nourishment. The government should be supportive of this responsible family. They should be given privilege and affordable housing for healthy living and nourishment.
Allah has created two genders: men and women. Any physical defect in any organ of a person doesn’t change one’s gender identification and sexual orientation. All the communities of all the faiths believe in it; modern science proves it. The concept of “gender identity” or “seven-colour gender” is a false concept.
The relationship established under a marriage contract is a sacred union between a man and a woman. God made Adam and Eve –not Adam and Steve.
No artificial and irresponsible approach to stop the birth of children at any stage should be allowed. We believe in a complete ban on abortion except in a situation when a mother’s life is in danger.
Measures should be taken to stop suicide, including doctor-assisted suicide of patients. All life is precious and trust of God. No one has the right to take his own, or another’s life due to depression or disease. It is only God who gives life and can take back the lif whenever He wants.
Obscenity, vulgarity, nudity, and perversion must be checked.
You can bet that if some new Christian or Catholic political party showed up on the scene with that sort of policy list, Trudeau would be scrambling for a microphone in order to indignantly condemn the possessors of such ideas as “unCanadian.” He would never, of course, use the sort of language he uses on Christian social conservatives on Muslim or Sikh social conservatives.
One of the strange facts of Canadian politics is that many of the blocs that make up our multicultural patchwork will vote Liberal en masse despite the fact that they are religiously as well as culturally opposed to abortion (as illustrated by many of the non-Christian leaders voicing outrage at the Liberal values test for the Canada Summer Jobs Program) and “progressive” sex education (as evidenced by the fact that the majority of those protesting former Premier Kathleen Wynne’s sex-ed curriculum were from immigrant communities) as well as same-sex marriage and assisted suicide.
Left-wing politicians have studiously avoided recognizing this fact, and instead have created mutually beneficial transactional relationships between the leaders of (largely religious) socially conservative blocs around issues like immigration and the funding of various pet projects. Most new Canadians are not even aware of the status quo on issues like abortion and assisted suicide, and thus they never become ballot-box issues come Election Day, which suits the Liberals just fine. Additionally, progressives have made the (largely accurate) calculation that the children of traditionally-minded new Canadians can be divested of their views via the secularizing vehicle of the public school system.
But if the Islamic Party of Ontario is actually a serious enterprise—something that remains to be seen—it will be very interesting to see what sort of impact it has on the current political landscape, where conservative political parties largely get Christian social conservative votes and progressive political parties generally get large chunks of the socially conservative voters from other religious groups. Trudeau and his progressive pals are used to kicking Christians around, because Christianity is to some degree their own heritage and thus they feel comfortable with this sort of self-flagellating denunciation. Christian social conservatives are even handy for the purposes of whipping up the base with dire warnings of misogynist knuckle-dragging homophobes coming for your abortion rights.
But condemning another religious group for holding nearly identical views on a wide range of social issues would be something else entirely. That would shift from the self-righteous condemnation of one’s own ancestors to committing a sin against the first commandment of multiculturalism and diversity: Never criticize someone who isn’t of a European or Christian background. If you are a Christian, your opposition to same-sex marriage is evidence of deep-seated homophobia. If you are a Muslim, your opposition to same-sex marriage is evidence of Canada’s diversity and tolerance—but it would be nice if you could avoid saying stuff about those beliefs during photo-ops with progressive politicians who like to frolic at Gay Pride Parades and attend solemn ceremonies at mosques in full Islamic garb.
For the time being, these relationships are convenient for both sides. Progressives get to keep styling themselves as the guardians of diversity and collect large numbers of votes, often facilitated by community leaders. The leaders of these communities get politicians coming to genuflect to their traditions at various cultural ceremonies as well as support for any number of pet policies. And everyone ignores the fact that this marriage of convenience is absurd when you consider that these religious groups are as socially conservative as traditionalist Christians on nearly every issue of importance, and in many cases far more conservative. Nearly everybody knows this.
Perhaps the Islamic Party of Ontario will force an awkward discussion that will expose the hypocrisy inherent to our current electoral alliances.
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For anyone interested, my book on The Culture War, which analyzes the journey our culture has taken from the way it was to the way it is and examines the Sexual Revolution, hook-up culture, the rise of the porn plague, abortion, commodity culture, euthanasia, and the gay rights movement, is available for sale here.
