"Ethnic politics"---the Liberals would never have stooped to such shenanigans.

Why is it that the Liberals feel that they should hold a monopoly where 'new' Canadians are concerned?

'New' Canadians come in all political stripes ranging from the 'liberal' to the 'conservative'---they should vote according to their political tastes rather than to one party alone out of some misplaced gratitude for having allowed them in.

It's bs politics in the world of bs politics. It means nothing either way...and history and voting patterns have proven that 'ethnic' voters are like any voter...they like to be pandered too.

Ask yourself why we've had so many successive liberal governments despite them being corrupt etc....

Tarek Fatah's thesis falls down entirely when he himself asks:

"And if the visit to the Golden Temple was an act to show respect to the religions of Indo-Canadians, then why did PM Harper not visit the city of Banaras that is holy to Hindus or to the shrine in Ajmer that is sacred to Muslim Indians?"

But the reverse question is equally valid: If the PM were primarily interested in currying favour with Indo-Canadian voters, why not visit those places as well?

Fatah's conclusion that the PM wants to impress Sikhs but cares not a whit about about the millions of other Indo-Canadian voters is too preposterous to be taken seriously.

As a born Caucasian Canadian I thought it strange Harper would visit the Golden Temple, when I know there are different religions with in India of whom many immigrated to Canada. They should not visit any temples, but once again Chretien is to blame for starting these stupid moves. I agree with the author of this article, stay away from religion in Politics.

I am no fan of Harper but his visit to India, one of the emerging powerful economies, is absolutely essential to the economic interests of Canada. Canadian business could use more of such visits. Not making such a visit would have been simply malpractice. What is wrong with going to Golden Temple or seeking ethnic votes? They pay their taxes, unlike you, and have the same rights as anyone else. Tarek look yourself in the mirror and see who you are? You are ethnic and may be you may ashamed of the color of your skin and if so that is your problem. Most ethnic minorities are who they are and proud of themselves and want to be judged by their actions and not the color of their skin. You should be ashamed of yourself for continuously badmouthing your own people or other minorities. Obviously you have a chip on your shoulder, get over it and get a job and stop being a leach on the society, or else you can simply go to hell, you are one of the most disgusting things, I won’t call you a person because you are not.

Who cares. Don't make things out of nothing.

Maybe he was asked to visit there and not asked to visit the other locations.

As the USA goes down the tubes and places barriers between itself and Canada such as the 'Buy America' policy---the PM is doing the right thing in beating the global bushes for trade agreements to mitigate the damage caused by the financial buffoonery to our South.

The answer to is easy, Harper is showin way too much ankle, The Muslims would never approve of such immodest dress, that's why he didn't visit their Holy site.

Easy Outlaw. You're confusing Tarek Fatah with Mohammed Elmasry.

I'm glad Harper's in India, and I hope lots of economic cooperation ensues. Better a partnership with India that benefits both parties than Obamaesque kowtowing to China.

But I cringe when I look at that picture. Sure, Chretien and the Liberal vote-buying ethnic panderers started it, but why not rise above it? As Mr Fatah pointed out, Manmohan Singh did not even participate.

Mr Fatah says "they are insulting us by treating us like imbeciles and as B-grade Canadians who would be swept off our feet....". Right on. We want mature Canadians participating in our coutry.

Harper reminds me of Guiness Ale in a way. He doesn't travel well. Having said that, give the guy a break, he's sucking up to some strategic voters back home. What leader doesn't do that?

Fatah and his friend Taggar in India make the same mistake when it comes to religion and politics mixing.

There is not a single person on this earth that is value neutral. Politicians, like the rest of us, including journalists and bloggers, come to the table with a set of values i.e. worldview. We simply cannot function (societally) without one.

The bigger question is who's worldview works best for us individually and corporately.

With the Brampton area becoming the new Sikh homeland, I'm not sure Harper could do anything else. The next step will be reducing the wait time for OAS for the thousands of senior Sikh immigrants who are pouring into the area tying up health services.

Why is it that every time Harper and his minions make an error (a relatively small one in this case - a large one in deciding to use only a single supplier for the H1N1 vaccine) that the comments invariably turn into a Liberal-bashing opportunity?

Could it be that many of the so-called “independent” voices posted here are actually Tory neo-con flunkies who are “encouraged” to proffer the party line and anti-Liberal rants on these sorts of opinion pages, blogs and message boards - no matter how egregious the party’s missteps may be?

Why is it that every time Harper and his minions make an error (a relatively small one in this case - a large one in deciding to use only a single supplier for the H1N1 vaccine) that the comments invariably turn into a Liberal-bashing opportunity?

Could it be that many of the so-called “independent” voices posted here are actually Tory neo-con flunkies who are “encouraged” to proffer the party line and anti-Liberal rants on these sorts of opinion pages, blogs and message boards - no matter how egregious the party’s missteps may be?

Well said Observer45 and Mr. Fateh doesn't seem to have deep understanding of many issues in this article. I am not voting him just because he went to our sacred place of worship.

Mr Fateh writes 'One aspect of India is its secularism, which guarantees religious freedom, but keeps religion and politics separate as best as it can. It is this secularism that PM Harper should have embraced as an Indian value.'

Mr. Fateh, I hope that Mr. Harper doesn't embrace the Indian secularism. It is only symbolic but reality is entirely different.

More than 5000 Sikhs were burnt alive in New Delhi and other parts of India in 1984 with the blessings of the ruling Congress party. Police was asked not to be interfere and let this carnage go on for three days. Interestingly, no one has been charged yet. Mr. Fateh, let me tell you one thing that if the culprits would belong to a minority group, they would have been hanged within two years. Truly Secularism!

Exactly the same fate met the unlucky ones from Muslim minority in 1996 in Gujrat state and the Christians couple of years ago including some nuns beings raped. Some Hindu ruled states have passed laws barring people to change their religion which is a fundamental right of every human (what freedom you are talking about?). Mr. Fateh, this is the only country in the world where so called untouchables are treated at levels way below the animals.

I am proud to be a Canadian and happy to be alive. This is the best country in the world and appreciate the efforts of our heroes who laid their lives for the freedom we all enjoy today. India should be the last country in the world from whom any Canadian leader should take any lesson.

It was the Liberals who signed the sole source supplier agreement, not this government.

The contract stands until 2011 or maybe even later.

It cost $330 million and guaranteed vaccines when required. Chretien signed it, and we paid for it. And are still paying.

So the Libs seem to approve of the visit. No skin off my nose.

Icon: I'm sure there are Conservative party members on this site, maybe even 'paid-to-post' ones. But not too many.

Why is it that every time Harper and his minions make an error (a relatively small one in this case - a large one in deciding to use only a single supplier for the H1N1 vaccine) that the comments invariably turn into a Liberal-bashing opportunity?

Could it be that many of the so-called “independent” voices posted here are actually Tory neo-con flunkies who are “encouraged” to proffer the party line and anti-Liberal rants on these sorts of opinion pages, blogs and message boards - no matter how egregious the party’s missteps may be?

The information I have contradicts your information. I just contacted a Tory MP and (at least the Tory mouth-piece that I talked to) was not aware of this so-called guaranteed supplier agreement.

The information I have is that there is an opt-out clause if the supplier cannot supply what they guaranteed to supply. The Tories had the option of looking to other suppliers, but so far have chosen not to. Meanwhile people are getting gravely ill and dying.

If the Tories were on top of this file, they would and should have re-negotiated, or sought additional supplies elsewhere. They chose to sit on their hands.

And true to form you choose to blame the Liberals for an issue that occurred three years into Harper’s Tory interregnum. You are engaging in precisely the sort of activities suggested generally happens here. Blame someone else. Never step up and admit you could have done better.

Kevlarman:

The information I have contradicts your information. I just contacted a Tory MP and (at least the Tory mouth-piece that I talked to) was not aware of this so-called guaranteed supplier agreement.

The information I have is that there is an opt-out clause if the supplier cannot supply what they guaranteed to supply. The Tories had the option of looking to other suppliers, but so far have chosen not to. Meanwhile people are getting gravely ill and dying.

If the Tories were on top of this file, they would and should have re-negotiated, or sought additional supplies elsewhere. They chose to sit on their hands.

And true to form you choose to blame the Liberals for an issue that occurred three years into Harper’s Tory interregnum. You are engaging in precisely the sort of activities suggested generally happens here. Blame someone else.

I suppose you'll blame the deficit on the Liberals, even though the Tories inherited a budgetary surplus?

Well ironclast to use your own logic, sic, then most of the posters at CBC must be paid to post pro-Lib crappola. It was the Liberals who signed the sole source contract, what now you want a redo again and blame Harper. Do you libs ever man up? What other Canadian suppliers? Opps there are none, so we should just vaccine hop over to Europe and use a vaccine that hasn't been tested by Health Canada nice and if people got sick enmasse what then?

India isn't a Muslim Nation yet thus why should Harper go to their holy sites? Considering Islam is waging war on non-Muslims in India why whould the PM risk his saftey?

Lol Iconoclast you Liberal hack, we are well ahead of other nations in the swine flu vaccine program. Not to mention, we could have rolled it out faster but we played it safe and made all our regular flu vaccine first (takes a long time to switch over).

And yes the single supplier was a Liberal signed deal, good job putting your foot in your mouth you lefty fool.

That said, I agree with the basic message of the article, get religion the hell out of politics and don't pander to it especially.

I am not a "minion", party "hack" or paid poster you dweeb. Just a regular

citizen with an eye for corruption and failed policies that refuse to admit to their failure.

I suppose you'll blame the deficit on the Liberals, even though the Tories inherited a budgetary surplus?

Well, actually yes.

It was corrupt US Liberals that were behind the Fannie Mai/Mac fiasco and it was Liberals here that forced the deficit spending on Harper.

So who do YOU blame for the Ontario deficit ??

Like their slow response to the recession (the last G8 to initiate a stimulus package) the current government is short on taking responsibility, but long on blaming others.

They blame the drug company because they don't have an adequate supply;

they blame the territories for botching the delivery and the long lineups, and if in doubt blame the NDP and the Liberals.

Richard Schabas, Ontario’s former chief medical officer of health:.

“Part of it is bad luck, but part of it is probably poor management, too,” Dr. Schabas, now head of the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties health unit, said of the problems. “With better decisions, we could have had the vaccine much sooner.”

Dr. Schabas goes further back in analyzing the current shortage, however, and suggests the federal government ought to have instructed GlaxoSmithKline this summer to scrap its line of seasonal-flu vaccine...and switch immediately to the pandemic strain.

(From the National Post)

Of course the PM and his handlers are pandering for "ethnic" votes, particularly those in ridings where those votes could make all the difference in the next election.

The PMO is a nest of message micro-managers and control freaks.

www.theglobeandmail.com/.../article1354447

*************

Rhino, if the CPC has paid posters here, the party ain't getting its money's worth.

BTW, Rhino, off topic but . . .

Further to our patriotism pissing contest around Remembrance Day and our respective communities' cenotaphs:

An update from unpatriotic New Brunswick . . .

www.cbc.ca/.../nb-cenotaph-damage.html

Another reminder to examine all the evidence before jumping to conclusions. Will keep you posted. It may have been vandals. Then again, it may not have been vandals.

Good luck with combatting vandalism in your own town.

Harper needs to do some more ethnic tripping. He needs to go to Warsaw in order to get the Polish-Canadian vote. After, he can attract the German-Canadian vote by making a couple of sidetrips to Stettin and Breslau.

"[C]urry favour with Indo-Canadian votes"--That's punny!

The PM is Sikhing a majority . . .

Africon noted...

“It was corrupt US Liberals that were behind the Fannie Mai/Mac fiasco and it was Liberals here that forced the deficit spending on Harper.”

It is my considerable hope that you work for the Conservative Party of Canada.

PS Did you enjoy Sarah Palin's new “book”?

For anyone who is interested, I have NEVER been a member of any political party in Canada. I have at one time or another voted for each of the three main parties. And I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that donated money to only one party in the last federal election - the Tories!

Alex Roberts (Halifax)

Sorry to disappoint clast, not even a party member and I've no interest in the Palin book.

Is anyone seriously naive enough to have their vote decided by a simple photo-op?

PS re: Africon and Iconoclast - as I understand it, the federally mandated bad loans in the US amounted to a walloping 2-3% of the subprime losses in the US. Houses for the poor sure didn't help, but it was hardly the leading cause of American banking's troubles.

And Iconoclast, it makes perfect sense that Canada would be the last to initiate deficit spending, on account of how our economy was, by all reasonable measures, easily the least screwed in the G8.

Dear Mr Harper:

Kindly re-prosecute the suspects who brought down Air India Flight 182, now lounging in a Vancouver suburb. Give us justice for this atrocity. Then go visit any damn temple you wish to see.

Going to India to develop economic ties was great. dancing in Bombay was entertaining and showed the human side of our Prime Minister.

Going to a religious shrine was pandering to the lowest common denominator of getting a ethnic communities votes based on emotion. Not what I had expected from a PM whom I would like to act as a 'statesman' - a term much more respectable than "politician". Too bad his advisors fell for the old Liberal and NDP trip of "kissing ass" with the ethnics instead of starting the process of calling all of us Canadians without the hyphenation.

Great article Mr Fatah. However in politics whats an insult or two? There must be about 300,000 South Asians in BC. I believe the vast majority vote for their Temple's choice. They get out the vote, bus the people to the polls and end up with more clout than their numbers warrant. Other Canadians are too lackadaisical to get motivated. Quebec's position in Canada is inflated because of their block voting patterns. Harper couldn't buy their vote for long despite trucking in billions. So he is looking at other blocks. Thats how diversity works. Each chunk of the Mosaic looks after their best interest and not the national interest. Sometimes they do coincide.

"These days, where you fall on the crucial issue of Sarah Palin tells the rest of us all we need to know about your character. You're either A) a scum-sucking, terror-loving elitist or B) a radical, tea bag-loving simpleton. "

http://tinyurl.com/yzdok2u

>> When I read Iconoclast's supposed slur about reading Palin's book I figured she is in the "A" section.

Jerk.

What a sham, Harper promoted apartheid in SA and decried its demise. He will do and say anything but outside of a deep commitment to totalitarian power there isn't a sincere bone in the mans body.

Yeah Mike, the swastika on Woodstock's memorial turns out to have been caused by a lightning strike.

BTW, I live in granola wiccan lesbian Guelph now, and my kid sings the anthem every day at school.

Yocuz: Your mom is calling; she's got your spiderman pj's all laid out.

Harper is deturbaned to win votes.

1. On his this visit to India, Mr. Harper visited a Hindu temple in New Delhi, light a candle in a synagogue in Mombai.

2. Her Majesty the Queen and many other royal, heads of state and ambassadors of many European countries which do not have any Sikh population in their countries have paid visits to the Golden Temple. Unlike many other religions, any one regardless of religion race – ethnicity can visit deferring to the temple protocol. However, these countries did not have such an high status in the world as “Soviet Union” or the USA. So they don’t count.

3. Golden temple is accustomed to receiving Non Sikh foreign dignitaries. However, many religious office holders (not the photo op seeking politicians ) at the Golden Temple felt insulted by a foreign dignitary for the first time in their history. The security personnel practically took over the temple so much so that at the behest of Mr. Harper’s aide Ms Alisa Mohammad ( name sounds like ethnic ) had the temple’s information workers ordered out of their offices so that he could receive information – well, from whom? See the link below for the comments from the locals there.

www.tribuneindia.com/.../punjab.htm

Rhino . . .

Will blitzkrieg never end? Poor Woodstock.

And hooray for anthem singing schools in Guelph. So long as folks get to enjoy the freedom of speech (or, in this case, song) . . . which includes the right NOT to say or sing anything The State imposes on us . . . then I (and I assume the true libertarians in the room) will be satisfied.

(PS - "deturbaned" . . . good one!)

************

Anonymous66 . . .

"Is anyone seriously naive enough to have their vote decided by a simple photo-op?"

Uh, yeah . . . that's why Harper's Handlers are working overtime to fluff their boy.

Remember the photos of Robert Stanfield fumbling a football catch?

iconicphotos.wordpress.com/.../robert-stanfield-fumbles

Those were run against photos of a buff Pierre Trudeau doing slick dives and backflips into swimming pools.

Remember Stockwell Day playing Navy SEAL on his jet ski to launch his campaign?

Remember Gerald Ford falling down the stairs while disembarking Air Force One?

Sadly, those are the images that stick in the minds of voters . . . especially the ones who make their uninformed decisions based on image rather than issues.

I once heard an interview with a nice elderly lady who said that she had met the PM at an event and had decided to vote for him because (wait for it) . . . "He smelled nice."

Is it any wonder that the PMO has a full-time dresser / groomer following the PM around? ("Mr. Harper, I think we're going to need the man-girdle today . . .")

Harper actively supports aparthied in Israel.

When the Palestinian protesters demonstrated against the repression in Gaza they were joined by the white supremacist movement. How better to discredit their demonstration than a few swastikas.. White supremacists do not support the Palestinian and they do not demonstrate along side people of color. This has all the hallmarks of a political smear campaign. Now I wonder who in Calgary could mobilize the skinheads so quickly.

Why is it that only Taliban Jack, and the Tamil loving Liberals have the right to pander to the ethnic voters of this country, at least Harper doesn't attend their fund raisers. Poor Canada!

Tarek failed to understand the Sikh vote bank in Canada. Harper and his collegues are very politically calculative and know where the weekest links are.

They will come to other religious minorities as well, after making racial remarks and followed by an apology.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was a member of the ultra-right wing Northern Foundation in 1989, this Foundation was comprised of Neo-Nazi social Darwinist intellectuals.

The Northern Foundation of which Mr. Harper was a member, is a male-dominated and self-anointed "white brotherhood". Females are not excluded though, provided that they accept its highly conformist and male chauvinistic culture of fascism.