Tolerance
The National party believes that the bedrock values of this country are religious and personal freedom and sexual equality.* One of their MPs, Bob Clarkson said that "Muslims who wore burqas because of deeply held beliefs should "go back to Islam or Iraq".**
Does this strike anyone else possibly a little bit problematic, maybe even slightly contradictory.
*Michelle A'Court was great on Kathryn Ryan the week after this came out - she wasn't sure that sexual equality was a bedrock value of this country given our history - rather it was a balcony added on recently when we came into a little money.
** It's a good thing that knowledge isn't one of this country's bedrock values. Leaving aside the location of 'Islam' - Iraq is hardly the epicentre of Burqa wearing.
But let's not forget that Bob Clarkson is basically an idiot. When asked if he'd have a problem with Catholic nuns wearing body-concealing garments, he thought they were called "habitats." I'm kind of disturbed that someone so patently stupid gets to be an MP, but on the other hand, I hardly think anyone takes him seriously.
ReplyDelete*shudder*
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing bothers me. Why is he getting any media oxygen anyway? Seems to me that journos go to him for sensational titbits and he delivers his own homespun brand of idiotness. If journos have time for this tripe then can't we have some proper political analysis instead?