by Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com
November 19, 2004
add to the Land of the Maple Leaf’s mounting politically correct garbage heap, the Maltese Cross badge on the caps of Department of Defence chaplains.
It didn’t take them long, the Canadian Department of Defence, which only a year ago hired its first Muslim chaplain, is stripping the Maltese Cross from the caps of its chaplains.
already tossed on the politically correct garbage heap, the practice of giving Gideon Bibles to new Canadians at government swearing in ceremonies, as announced by Canadian Immigration officials a few months ago; any reference to the Christian God at anniversary ceremonies for September 11, as proclaimed by Prime Minister Paul Martin and his predecessor Jean Chretien.
The Canadian government is hell-bent for leather on high road toward a multi-cultural, multi-faith society.
The Maltese Cross, a Christian symbol dating all the back to the Crusades, is being retired in the name of Canada’s fast-growing multi-faith society.
`Multi-faith-it-is’ seems to have replaced scurvy as a military disease in already ailing Canadian armed forces. "We are looking at seeing what developments there could be in that field because to have a Muslim or to have someone of another faith under that same cap badge–I think it wouldn’t be of service to them," Chaplain Jean Bourgeois told Sun Media’s Ottawa bureau chief Bill Rodgers.
although a majority of men and women in the Canadian forces identify themselves as Christians, the cadet corps in the Toronto-area are already seeing "a lot more Muslims…and a lot more Buddhists," according to Bourgeois.
It’s not as if the Canadian defence made an overnight decision. Talks to replace the Maltese Cross have been ongoing for the last two years.
"We’ve asked the chaplains in our branch and we’ve asked other people to help us in this field," said Bourgeois. "We haven’t come up with anything (to replace the cross).
One of the replacement plans under consideration is the use of some sort of denominational insignia.
an idea deemed "ridiculous" and "typical of political correctness" by alberta Tory Member of Parliament Jason Kenney.
"Pluralism doesn’t mean you eliminate symbols for every different community. It means you respect all the different symbols, whether it’s the Star of David for a Jewish chaplain or a (crescent) for a Muslim chaplain."
Ridding chaplain hats of the Maltese Cross is out of synch with Pat O’Brien, chairman of the Commons defence committee, who says he isn’t buying into the multi-faith nature of society as a good enough reason to make the change.
"I think we can carry that a little bit too far. Why shouldn’t you be able to embrace your own religious symbols?" O’Brien said.
The debate on removing the Maltese Cross will be up for discussion by a Commons committee before a final decision is rendered by the military.
The Liberal Canadian government has marginalized Canada’s military forces, and has shamefully taken a hard line against the dwindling number of the nation’s war veterans by imposing pension waits of more than 20 years for some vets and their wives.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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