ssues & ideas EDITOR DUSTIN GODFREY THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 22, 2015 7 Identity divisions simmer on The federal election is over, but the conversation about issues of race and religion isn’t Wedge Issues may last Though wedge issues have been cast as an election tactic, some fear that they may stick around By KEVIN UNDERHILL campaign wrapped up on Monday but some worry that a culture of fear and xenophobia could follow due to the contentious language and tactics used by competing parties. Controversial religious, racial and cultural issues such as the ‘barbaric cultural practices’ legislation head- lined during parts of the campaign. Gillian Creese, professor and acting director of the UBC Institute for Gen- der, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, said language used in political debates and proposed legislation could have lasting effects. “We should be very concerned of the longer-term effects of this type of lan- guage,” said Creese. “It’s this type of language that drives a wedge in the community and leads to xenophobia.” She also said the fact that these is- sues arose does nothing to challenge discrimination. If anything, she said, it reinforces them. “The fact that it’s become such an issue suggests that there is a division and it appears that Canada doesn’t care about its en- tire population,” she said. The last-minute pledge by the Con- servative Party of Canada to set up Te marathon 2015 federal election STEPHEN PHILLIPS Langara political science instructor 66 an RCMP tip line to combat ‘barbaric cultural practices’ It really was another exam- seems to be ple of bringing race, religion and Qn elec- culture to the fore- ’ _ front of this elec- tioneer tion campaign. ing stunt Stephen Phillips, designed political science in- structor at Langa. to Shore up ra College, said he the govern- saw the tip line . 3 promise as a final ing party s attempt to galva- efectoral nize support from base a demographic sus- ceptible to being swayed by particular wedge issues. “It really seems to be an electioneer- ing stunt designed to shore up the gov- erning party’s electoral base,” Phillips said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we never heard about it again.” Creese is one of almost 600 academ- ics to sign an open letter condemning the Conservative Party’s campaign tac- tics such as the ‘barbaric cultural prac- tices’ hotline. She warned that this type of proposed legislation could have lon- ger lasting effects. “It’s an absurd and incredibly harm- ful initiative and it is based on legisla- tion that is appalling,” she said. By SERENA PATTAR Ihe Strengthening Canadian Citi- zenship Act, by the Canadian government has caused uproar, with many Canadians reconsid- ering citizenship, and what it means to be Canadian. Bill C-24 is touted as an anti-terror- ism method meant to protect Canadi- ans, but many see it as the catalyst in creating a two-tiered citizenship sys- tem, with dual citizenship holders, and naturalized Canadians in the second tier, and citizens born in Canada in the first. Majd Agha, a second-year bioinfor- matics student at Langara College, and future Canadian citizen has many doubts about the bill, specifically the ability to revoke citizenship. The implementation of Bill C-24 has created a division in how Canada is globally perceived as a destination for new immigrants. “Everyone before was like: ‘Whoa! Canada and human rights. Canada takes care of their citizens and their residents,’ but this is a huge violation,” Agha said. He also found it troubling that Bill C-24 could also limit the amount of time a naturalized citizen can spend outside the country without their citizenship potentially being revoked. He said this is something Canada-born citizens do not face. “Tt’s not only taking away something that should never be taken away from you, it’s also limiting your mobility,” said Agha. The bill is already under intense scrutiny from the Canadian Bar Asso- ciation, who released a document with their concerns regarding it. The most significant concerns are related “to the lack of flexibility by reducing residency to a physical residence test, requiring SERENA PATTAR photo illustration Critics say that dual citizens, as well as naturalized citizens have been placed into a secondary tier of citizenship. C-24 passport bill a ‘violation’ Student nearing citizenship takes issue with controversial Bill C-24 applicants to demonstrate intent to re- side in Canada if granted citizenship and the expansion of grounds to revoke citizenship.” However, Marius Alparaque, execu- tive director at Multicultural Helping House (MHH), a society that helps new immigrants and refugees settle in Can- ada states a ‘non-existent impact’ on those regularly using MHH services. “From an ethnic, cultural origin of the Filipinos for example, it will be very, very minimal,” Alparaque said. “But in so forth, the regular clientele, I don’t think any significant impact is there.” However, both MHH and Agha hope the incoming government will revise the bill. Bill C-24 is creating a divide between what a ‘real’ Canadian is, explained Agha. “Why is someone born here better than me? We’re all immigrants.” 66 Why is someone born here better than me? We’re all immi- grants. MAJD AGHA LANGARA COLLEGE STUDENT Restrictive policies fuel prejudice and bias: expert People naturally gravitate to their own kind; this can be exploited by those in positions of authority By JASON HAMILTON age, humans are inclined to like what is similar to them. And poli- cies that are restrictive —like the ban- ning the nigab in some situations — highlight cultural differences, according to a psychology professor. This can fuel prejudice and bias, said Andrew Baron UBC assistant profes- sor of psychology. “Tt can be behaviour like sexual ori- entation, skin colour, religion, class,” Baron said. “People think that there are groups of people that are funda- mentally different from them in the world in some deep, intrinsic way, and often clothing is a good indicator for what those groups are.” Baron said that policies that act on S=:: show that from a young cultural differences could cement divi- sions within a society. “When you have more restrictive policies, that’s just going to fuel preju- dice and bias at all periods in develop- ment,” Baron said. “Kids are going to pick up on it much earlier, it’s going to legitimize the proponents of those views, and they’ll feel more confident in spreading them.” Stephen Harper’s govern- ment attempted to block the niqab from the citizenship oath, promising to ap- peal a Supreme Court of Canada decision that allowed the gar- ment in the ceremony. Justin Trudeau said the Liberal Par- ty of Canada wouldn’t appeal the court. The issue, having headlined in latter weeks of the election, panned out poor- ly for the Conservative Party of Cana- da, however, when the Liberals were granted a majority. “As evidenced by the fact that people were going and voting in masks in soli- darity, I think that makes it clear that an awful lot of people thought it was a stupid thing to turn into an election issue,” Langara College history instructor Niall Christie said. The nigab is not first time a party has used cul- tural dress to create a wedge issue. In 1990, Baltej Singh Dhillon became the first Canadian RCMP officer allowed to wear a turban. The niqab was made an elec- tion issue in recent weeks — which may not have worked well for the Conservatives JASON