Here is the section of Robert Fowler's incendiary speech, given this morning at the Liberal-organized Canada 150 conference, in which he takes on the Harper government's approach to the Middle East and its overall foreign policy stance. This is my transcription:
When will we come to accept the reality and importance of the iron clad link between non-peace and continuing turmoil and volatility in the Middle East and the rise and growing strength of international terrorism, terrorism which is inflaming fundamentalist Islamic diasporas throughout the world, very much including Canada and very directly threatening Canadians.
What does it take to get that to sink in? It is there for all to see but apparently politically incorrect to draw attention to it. It seems that anybody who presumes to acknowledge this blindingly obvious linkage is immediately labelled anti-Semitic, somewhat akin to anyone criticzing the Afghan folly facing accusations of being disloyal to our troops.
I guess we are supposed to presume that the allure of jihad will inexorably dim as Israel builds more settlements in illegally occupied territories in contravention of a myriad of international judgements. And hope that 10 million Palestinians will just forget about it, and decide that being homeless and stateless and living for a fourth generation in impossibly squalid refugee camps is an outcome that they'd just better suck down and accept.
Where is the measure which for so long characterized Canada's policy towards the region? Before, that is, Canadian politicians began using foreign policy exclusively for domestic purposes? Before the scramble to lock up the Jewish vote in Canada, meant selling out our widely admired and long-established reputation for fairness and justice in this most volatile and dangerous region of the world. And before such wanton squandering of Canada's reputation disqualified us from being able to use Canadian diplomatic skills to offer the long-suffering Israelis and Palestinians the prospect of a durable peace.
I have no reason to love Islamic extremism or indeed terrorism of any stripe, jihadi or political, but I do deplore the abandonment of our hard-won reputation for objective analysis and decency as a result of our reckless Middle East posturing and I have to acknowledge here that it did not being with our present government even if the extent to which radical voices within domestic constituencies are being indulged has, over the past few years, been taken to a whole new level.
Of course, the endorsement of an 'Israel: right-or-wrong' foreign policy stance is not so very different from the other forms of courting special interests so favoured these days by politicians of every stripe in Canada as they compete to corner the ethnic vote.
Look only at Liberal politicians falling over themselves to celebrate supporters in Toronto of the Tamil Tigers, one of the world's more unpleasant terrorist organizations. Or consider the ethical and international implications of politicians of all parties attending the Surrey, B.C. spring parades to mark the anniversary of the Sikh religion, where photographs of Sikh terrorists, like the leaders of the Air India bomb plot and Free Khalistan separatists, are prominently displayed and venerated.
Does anybody wonder why I suggested that the Liberal party was losing, or perhaps selling, its soul?
May I make a correction to your heading?
“Fowler: On political pandering to ethnic voters”
In other words, Harper does not have a monopoly on the pandering department.
That kind of pandering was implanted on Canadian soil when “multiculturalism” became official government policy, and will continue to spread like a noxious weed until politicians have the courage to say “All those who enter here — Canada — leave your old quarrels behind.”
What a brave man.