Stay Strong My Fellow Canadians!

Last night I attended a panel discussion on the issues arising from All Souls, the 'omnibus film' made up of 16 short films responding to the brutal murder last year of Dutch film maker Theo Van Gogh by a Muslim fundamentalist. Which 'question' (and question goes in quotes because as anyone who has ever attended a public discussion knows, questions from the audience are just usually statements/mini-lectures which end with 'wouldn't you agree?') received raucous applause from the audience? The one in which a woman, who seemed to particularly enjoy the sound of her own voice, pointed out that in Canada we are under threat from the 'fundamentalists in the great elephant to the south'.

Is there no limit to the depth of the political discussion in this country? We are so wise.

One day I hope to be able to cycle through the streets of this city without fear that a Christian from Buffalo will ritualistically murder me. Until that day comes -- when the United Nations forces arrive to free us from our fundamentalist oppressors -- we must remain vigilant in our self-obsession!