To the editor:
Re: “‘Barbaric practices’ legislation called racist,” Jan. 21.
Thank you for devoting a full page of your newspaper to the question of “Barbaric practices legislation.” It is a helpful reminder of the ongoing and necessary conversation we need and will always need in this country regarding questions of rights, values and Canadian identity in a globalized polycultural society.
There is no doubt that some cultural practices are completely incompatible with the Canada we continue to try to forge. It is important that those wishing to live in our country be made aware of the consequences of breaking the laws which protect these rights and values.
However, why the choice of the words “Barbaric practices” over “Unacceptable practices?” Words have a life of their own in people’s imaginations. For your columnist Pat Johnson, “barbaric” is “almost Victorian in its certainty of what constitutes barbarity.” For me, the word Victorian conjures up images and associations with the height of colonialism and the “White Man’s burden” to bring “civilization” (there’s another loaded one) to the dark- skinned races of the world.
The Greeks created the word “barbarian” to describe anyone who was not Greek. They echoed the unintelligible speech of foreigners with the sound “bar-bar-bar” much as someone might mimic the sound of a foreign language with the sound “blah-blah-blah.” So the Greeks came up with Bar-bar-ian to describe anyone who was not like them. Later historical images associated with barbaric are those of invading hordes, bent on destroying civilization.
So I think Ms. Kang from MOSAIC is on to something when she raises the concern that the title of this legislation is divisive and that it creates a sense of “us and them.” Can’t we stand on our principles without fostering division?
– Giuseppe Ferrara, via email
