New 'religious freedom' office raises questions

[rug]

Office could be based on American model, critics warn of potential backlash

CBC News Posted: Oct 3, 2011 4:09 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 3, 2011 3:54 PM ET

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is hosting special closed-door consultations this week about the creation of an "office of religious freedom" at his department as questions swirl over its purpose and value.

Prepared remarks posted on the Foreign Affairs website suggest Baird pledged that "whatever the circumstances, Canada will continue to speak out, and take principled positions."

"We will not just go along to get along," Baird continued in the posted speech text. "We will stand for what is principled and just, regardless of whether it is popular, convenient or expedient."

During the election, Conservatives cited the example of Coptic Christians in Egypt as a religious minority in need of better protection, and proposed creating a special office at Foreign Affairs to promote the cause of religious minority rights.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/10/03/pol-office-religious-freedom.html

[cleanhippie]

1. Religious Conservatives in Canada have begun the same campaign that OUR Religious RIght

undertook when Reagan took office.


The latest is an assault on the right to abortions, via attack on Planned Parenthood International. They are feeling emboldened by the recent Conservative win in the elections.

IOW, their wingnuts are just like our wingnuts.

[dmallind]

2. Religious minorities....or majorities?

I'm fine with some government attention to discrimination against religious minorities, even if as usualthey exclude and ignore the minority who answer "none". But all too often these things just serve as an official imprimitur for the religion that already has the hegemony (although in Canada's case, far less overwhelming and far less aggressively imposed than here).