"A cosmopolitan and polyglot society is a wondrous development in Western civilisation."
Yes, I agree heartily. In Canada we enjoy one of the world's leading cosmopolitan, peaceful, and decent societies. I wish the blessing on all people.
"It involves a single category of citizenship and equal rights under the law for everyone, regardless of national origin or race or creed."
Fine words there too, but what about Israel? It violates these principles every day. And it is precisely the West's reluctance or cowardice to push Israel in the correct direction that helps generate so many of the grievances we see between Moslems and the West.
"The often feeble Western response to the fatwa two decades ago was a terrible precedent...."
And just so the Western response to Israel's bloody excesses. Israel's insistence on a half century of the policy of an "iron wall" towards its neighbors is the source of great instability and injustice in our world.
1,500 people killed in Southern Lebanon and a million hideous cluster bombs dropped to kill innocents for years to come - all done on a flimsy, contrived excuse.
A siege of the 1.5 million people of Gaza and dozens of mafia-like assassinations - all because a free election failed to elect the government Israel wanted?
Has Iran done anything to anyone to compare? I don't think so.
You can't be selective in these human-rights matters, as I detect a regular tendency in your columns.
You are either for civilized values or you are one more obstacle against them.
