Recently, a journalist on CBC wrote and posted online a story about Sesame Street, the long standing, respected and loved children's educational program, featuring Jim Henson's Muppets, having been given permission to air in Afghanistan. But there is a catch; the show will not be permitted to have singing or dancing or even the barking of dogs. The story invited comments. Having gotten tired of Islamic countries enforcing martial law on its citizens, even more increasingly in the last two or three years, despite intervention and aid from outsiders, I posted a comment I knew full well would upset some Muslim here in North America. I have removed the other person's name because I do not have legal permission from her to print her name. Incidentally, I did some detective work and discovered the other person also whose account on FB I looked at, has as her FB network, York University. Which means she is either an alumni, student or staff member there. She also subscribes to a Muslim teaching FB page, based in southern California. So I have to assume she is educated and lives here in Canada and, most likely, is of middle east origin (based on her name which I referred to earlier) and actively practices Islam.
Here is what happened:
Ellen Christine Smith · Holland College
How sad that children are not allowed to sing! It seems to me, any faith that supports deliberate suppression of honest joy is missing out on something fundamentally necessary to human existence! No WONDER they are all so anxious to get to "Paradise"!
Person with Arabic name:
Thats a fairly ignorant comment you just made. You have to understand the culture is different. Afghans celebrate expression and "honest joy" in other ways. Afghans do sing and dance, its just not something that is encouraged on television.
Ellen Christine Smith · Holland College
Why? Media and entertainment has, historically, reflected cultural characteristics...if you take offence at this, perhaps you should direct your comments to the journalist who wrote the article...I can only base my opinion on what I read...fair enough? Read it through, carefully, and I think you will have to agree that it does not give any information like what you suggested above in your reply...maybe this is a good opportunity for you to expound and explain your perspective, instead of knocking others who have read this article too...and please try not to use such inflammatory language when you feel a need to correct some mistake or oversight...it makes you look unnecessarily confrontational and oppositional...and I imagine you would NOT want to give that impression, would you?...rather, let's discuss these things as civilized human beings. :-) This is how we do things in Canada...
Person with Arabic name
No WONDER they are all so anxious to get to "Paradise"!
That above statement is a racist comment. Read a book about the country and learn about its history and culture, then base your opinion.
That above statement is a racist comment. Read a book about the country and learn about its history and culture, then base your opinion.
Ellen Christine Smith · Holland College
tsk tsk tsk...you are in Canada, young lady...it is high time you started to honour OUR culture! If I behaved in your country the way that you are in mine, I would be put to DEATH!! Or, at the very least, kicked out! The last time I checked, we have freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Canada. Maybe you should start to appreciate the diversity of where you live instead of calling "racism"...the way I see it, Islam has produced national policy in the countries where it is practiced, that puts women at risk and has extremely little tolerance for the religions and opinions of others...case in point; recently Iran has begun a blatant attack on Christianity within its borders, to the point where individuals have been tortured, raped and sometimes put to death - not to mention losing their civil rights - I mean - ARE YOU KIDDING ME? :-) That kind of behaviour you are displaying lost its credibility with North Americans a LONG time ago. And for your information I have read MANY books about Islam and the history of the Middle East...in fact, my husband has read the Islamic holy book from cover to cover and his take was, it's a good thing that a good deal of Muslims practice their faith liberally, because if they did not, the rest of the world would be dead! So, yeah, if you want to call that racist, go ahead. I, for one, am tired of all of the abuse of other belief systems at the expense of Islam...and I am tired of the politically correct climate that insists we not expose truth for what it is! As I suggested above in my first reply to your comment, perhaps you need to get to know someone before assuming something about them...I believe in the protection of the unborn, in the sanctity of the family and I live a moral life...BUT I do NOT insist on my rights, because MY faith and my God protect me! I do not have a deep seated need to do that...but when I see others being abused, I will always stand in the gap and do and speak on their behalf...I also believe in the separation of church and state, even though, perhaps like yourself, I realize that any government without divine direction, is bound to flounder...but that is what prayer is for, wouldn't you say? So, stop calling "racism" each time you run into North Americans who have had it with suicide bombers and religious fanatics who refuse to honour or dignify human life...THAT is what I strenuously object to here...I am normally a woman who minds her own business and has, very much, a live and let live approach to all things...but THIS truly angers me!! Look, it comes down to this...if you want to practice your religion here in Canada, you have that privilege - be thankful that the majority of people who live here only express their frustration for the atrocities that are going on in our world with WORDS! Cause, young lady, perhaps if you were at home, you would not only not have this freedom, but your life may be forfeit!!!
Person with Arabic Name
And now you are trying to justify your racism. Tsk tsk.
Ellen Christine Smith · Holland College
....How sad...that is all you have to say after what I wrote above? No defense of Islamic actions? No acknowledgement of the gross injustices going on? Or even some kind of explanation or rationalization of them? I have news for you - if what I said above can be legitimately classed as racism, then human rights organizations are obviously racist too!! Give me a break! LOL...I won't comment further, just simply could not resist the opportunity to make some necessary obvious points...for those of you are reading this, notice the crafty avoidance of providing information that would otherwise enlighten us all...and prove me wrong. Instead, you used this very good opportunity to call names. What a shame. We would have listened too...
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