Alberta - Community Digest

Recommendations

Info

2 COMMUNITY DIGEST Feb. 1-8, 2013 EDITORIAL by John Carpay Free society should be able to tolerate Christian-based law school The dean of the faculty of law at Queen’s University, William Flanagan, argues that Trinity Western University (TWU) should not be allowed to set up its own law school because the Christian university is guilty of “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.” Flanagan should know that a free society tolerates a wide range of opinion on all topics, including sexual morality. No law compels anyone to agree with Flanagan’s opinions about sex and sexuality, nor is he compelled to agree with Christian teaching about sex and sexuality. For Flanagan to suggest that all Canadian law schools must comply with one, single government-enforced ideology about sexual behaviour is the opposite of a free society. The imposition of one world view on all institutions is the hallmark of totalitarianism. Further, Flanagan is wrong in accusing TWU of “discriminating” against gays. Consistent with over 2,000 years of Christian teaching, TWU’s “community covenant” imposes a range of penalties (including expulsion) on heterosexual students who engage in sex outside of marriage. This community covenant applies to all staff and all students, regardless of sexual orientation, prohibiting adultery, pornography, promiscuity, etc. Any student, whether gay or straight, who does not wish to abide by TWU’s code of conduct is free to attend another university. Nobody is required to abide by these rules, unless a person voluntarily submits to them. For Flanagan to characterize these rules as “anti-gay” is misleading. Canada has indisputably the most monolithic body of law schools in the western world. They are all of the same model, promoting a politically-correct world view which rarely if ever questions the progressive orthodoxies of radical feminism, socialist economics, aboriginal entitlements, and libertine sexual politics. Those who shout the loudest for “tolerance” and “diversity” are in fact the most intolerant of any real diversity in opinion, as can be seen by the Canadian Council of Law Deans opposing the creation of a law school which might be different from all the others. Whatever Flanagan’s views about sex may be, he is free to persuade other people of their correctness. Apparently not content with this freedom, Flanagan seems to believe that every law school in Canada must comply with and teach his ideology. This hostility to authentic diversity runs counter to the fundamental freedoms of expression and association, both protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A free society protects atheists and agnostics from government coercion as much as it protects theists. To insist that all law schools (or other institutions) must subscribe to a particular set of beliefs about sexual behaviour threatens the freedom of everyone – including Flanagan’s freedom. Calgary lawyer John Carpay is President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (www.jccf.ca). (Troy Media Corporation) COMMUNITY NOUVELLES DIGEST COMMUNAUTAIRES A unique North American multicultural magazine for the promotion of cultural trade, bilingualism, world friendship and harmony 660 - 3545 32nd Ave. NE, Calgary AB T1Y 6M6 Advertising only: 403-271-8275 e-mail address: digest_news@yahoo.com Subscriptions: $49 per year (plus G.S.T. ) Publisher N. Ebrahim Managing Editor S. Bowell Business Manager G. Jiwa Ontario Bureau Chief S. Juma (Toronto) Alberta Bureau Chief A. Thobhani (Calgary) Production M. Lamey QUEST FOR CULTURAL HARMONY, DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM EN QUÊTE D’HARMONIE, DE DIVERSITÉ ET DE PLURALISME CULTURELS Advertising N. Ebrahim Finance & Admin. M. Juma Operations Co-ordinator H. Rajani (Ottawa) Correspondents M. Juma (Orlando, Fla.) T. Sharif (Los Angeles) Distribution A. Thobhani Overseas Correspondents S. Merali (E. Africa) N. Murji (U.K.) Circulation 216 - 1755 Robson St. Vancouver BC V6G 3B7 Published weekly by Community Digest Multicultural Publications, Inc. ISSN 1923-1024 Agreement Number: 40010154 Publications Mail Registration No.: 6189 Second-class postage paid at Vancouver BC NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Every effort will be made to meet the wishes of the advertiser. However, all advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. The publisher does not guarantee the insertion of any particular advertisement on a specified date, or at all. Placement of an advertisement on the desired date is dependent on the receipt of an insertion order on or before the appropriate deadline, and the receipt of the advertisement itself, by e-mail and camera-ready, on or before the appropriate deadline. The publisher does not accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of an advertisement, beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. nouvelles.communautaires@facebook.com
Feb. 1-8, 2013 COVER STORIES Kerry Clarke, artistic director of the Calgary Folk Music Festival, in its new home at 12th Ave. & 12th St. S.E. Continued from page 1 (“Calgary Folk Festival opens new...”) workshop. Or we could have an artist play that sells more than 150-200 tickets over several nights.” Clarke doesn’t intend the building to be reserved for Folk Festival-sponsored activities alone, but to be an available venue for Calgary’s entire artistic community. “We want it to be a centre for music and art, so even if we’re not curating it, we want to be able to work with people, encourage people that are doing really interesting art that helps define this space,” she said. Already, some of this past year’s Fringe Festival performances were held there, and the idea is to see the building host everything from theatre groups and film screenings to spoken-word events, corporate parties and lectures. For its part, the folk fest plans on putting on an average of one show or event a week, programming as concerts are made available to them, such as an upcoming string of shows by Justin Rutledge (Feb. 23), Hayden (March 27) and the inspired, stage-sharing pairing of Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin (April 22). To facilitate the enjoyment of such offerings, the envirofriendly hall was designed by “award-winning Vancouverbased Peter Cardew Architects” with auditory perfection foremost in mind. The building has been almost eight years in the making, and comes with a price tag, including the purchase of the land, of $7.1 million, with $4.7 million coming from three levels of government and the rest from the festival’s fundraising and own contributions. COMMUNITY DIGEST 3 Continued from page 1 (“3 Edmonton employers charged...”) When the two workers arrived in Edmonton to start work in January 2010, their new employers told them the prearranged jobs at the coffee shop were no longer available and they would work instead at a Marble Slab Creamery location for less money. Jespersen said the pay at both places was around minimum wage, which sat at $9.40 an hour prior to an increase in September 2012. The two men were threatened with deportation if they complained to government officials that their terms of employment were different from the original arrangement, RCMP say. Jespersen said the employer took advantage of the language barrier to abuse the situation. The two workers speak Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines. The workers took their concerns to Edmonton police four months later, around the same time they were fired. The police alerted RCMP. Immigration then stepped in to help the two workers find other work in Alberta. Yassin Hamdom, 45, and Wendy Sawa, both directors of the Marble Slab Creamery, and Ahmed Baalbaki, 36, owner/ operator of the undisclosed coffee shop, were charged with unauthorized employment of a foreign national, counselling misrepresentation and a counselling offence. All are scheduled to appear in provincial court Feb. 19. The alleged offences took place in the first six months of 2010, court records show. “The RCMP is committed to dealing with this type of situation, whether they are international or domestic,” said Jespersen, who wouldn’t release the specific addresses of the businesses involved in this case because the locations may face threats. He said both the Marble Slab and the coffee shop are open for business. “This is another example of exploited innocent people who want to make a life for themselves and come to work to Canada from abroad,” said RCMP Staff Sgt. Jim Gamlin of the immigration and passport section in Calgary.
Page 1: $1.25 (GST included) ISSN: 1923-102
Page 5 and 6: Feb. 1-8, 2013 ALBERTA by N. Janmoh
Page 7 and 8: Feb. 1-8, 2013 PEOPLE by Bev Betkow
Page 9 and 10: Feb. 1-8, 2013 COMMUNITY DIGEST 9 C
Page 11 and 12: Feb. 1-8, 2013 FRANCOPHONIE-OUEST U
Page 13 and 14: Feb. 1-8, 2013 PREMIÈRES NATIONS D
Page 15 and 16: Feb. 1-8, 2013 LES ARTS par A. Thob

Alberta - Community Digest

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?