Stockwell Day – Minister of Public Security


After being muzzled during the federal election, Stockwell Day is back in the media spotlight with a roar. In the May 28 edition of the Edmonton Sun, Day is quoted as saying:

“I haven't seen the clerics order that the movie studios be destroyed or that the newspaper places be burned down," he said. "Isn't it great that the message of Jesus Christ is one of love and tolerance?”.

To put the quote into context for you, a little background. Day was speaking at a Prayer Breakfast in Edmonton last week and he was commenting on the controversy surrounding the movie and the book “The Da Vinci Code”. The quote above is making indirect reference to the behaviour of extremist Muslims during the recent cartoon crisis. Day’s obvious lack of knowledge of Islam and its tenets shines through when he makes remarks like this and yet he holds the position of Minister of Public Security. Worried yet? No? You should be. This man is obviously not aware of the fact that the cartoons played directly into the hands of the repressive Syrian and Iranian regimes and the protests in those countries where embassies were sacked and burned could never have happened without the approval of the governments.

If a man who is so completely lacking in knowledge and awareness, so utterly disdainful of the many religions and cultures that make up Canada is holding such an important position in government, what does that say about the government we have in power? Day’s bigoted views about women, ethnic minorities and the Native population are not unfamiliar nor are his brushes with the media over those views yet the Prime Minister still appointed him to the most important position in Cabinet. What does that say about the Prime Minister? Does that mean he agrees with his comments? Does he disagree?

For a Prime Minister who is controlling every aspect of media spin that comes out of Ottawa, Harper has failed miserably to keep Day on the very tight leash he so desperately needs. That is not a bad thing for Arabs and Muslims; it is good to know what the Minister of Public Security really thinks of us. It is comments like that by elected officials that tell us who to vote for and why. If the Prime Minister wants the Muslim vote, he better think very very hard about the type of comments coming out of the mouth of his Public Security Minister. Do Muslims and Arabs really want a government in power who has people that are so disdainful and rude about religions and beliefs that differ from their own? I think not and in the next election, perhaps we should be teaching the Conservatives a nice lesson they will never forget when we vote in droves for the Liberals, the NDP or the Green Party.