By Sameh Selim: The People of Quebec or the People of the Cave?

Mr. Sameh Selim

 

The People of Quebec or the People of the Cave?

By Sameh Selim, a member of the American Press Agency

Yesterday's story is still being repeated in Canada, in the Canadian region of Quebec, where the people of Quebec have become like the People of the Cave of the past, who were isolated, living inside a cave far from the world in self-imposed isolation. They placed themselves in this isolation with their French culture, which isolated them from those around them in a completely open region enjoying complete freedom and federal laws. Despite the cultural, social, and human diversity on the ground, French culture is forcibly imposed on immigrants to this region, even if they are descended from other cultures. We see the contradiction between the calls for freedom, liberalism, and diversity across Canada and the isolationism and extreme exclusivity of this region in its cultural dependence on France.

Cultural contradictions are the basis for other contradictions, such as political, legal, educational, and artistic contradictions. Dependency is indivisible. A region cannot be both independent and non-independent at the same time. It must either be completely independent or not. This reveals the extreme suffering of both immigrants and the indigenous population of this region, who have been deprived of their most basic rights. A specific language, French, and a culture affiliated with France were imposed on them, not with Canada, the liberal mother country that embraces all languages and cultures, like the United States, the largest country in the world.

Cultural isolationism entails other dangerous consequences, such as the labor market's need for certain professions, the inability of some immigrant populations to integrate easily into Quebec society due to the Quebec government's obstacles, and the inability of businessmen to invest their money in this region. If the state boasts of freedoms and human rights, how does this extreme racism align with the policy of the Canadian state as a whole? How does it align with the policy of this region, which is part of a large federal state that enjoys security and military protection? How can the Canadian state relinquish its sovereignty over a portion of its territory in this way, rendering its sovereignty over this portion incomplete? Either the state has full sovereignty over its territory or it does not, due to the political, military, and legal implications of the situation. How can the federal state agree to allow this region to have a blue flag, a distinct color from the mother country's flag, a separate parliament, and a separate government, while simultaneously enjoying the military and political protection of the mother country? This is an unacceptable contradiction. Either this region must be completely independent, separating itself from Canada, or it must be fully subordinate to the Canadian federal state, with sole sovereignty over its territory. Otherwise, things will not be settled, and there will be no stability or development due to the turmoil in the political, economic, cultural, and developmental situation. This will make this region a deterrent to immigrants and an attraction to only certain people in the world, those with a French cultural identity. 

This racism is a form of intolerance and rejection of other cultures and languages, while all international institutions, led by the United Nations, call for the necessity of cultural diversity and integration. If Quebec declares full independence from Canada, it will provide an opportunity for anyone who dares to think about independence. The large federal state will be shattered and divided into small states, which will in turn lead to conflict over economic resources, water, energy, and other resources. Foreign hands will have interests in the region, such as control and influence, such as England, France, and others. We return once again to yesterday's story when the first explorers discovered this land. Will the English, French, and others rediscover this land once again? Or will the Canadian federal state grow stronger and impose its control over all its lands and the Quebec cave region?