Rex Brynen is a professor of political science at McGill University:
First, it is important to recognize there is a risk that a small number of extremists might infiltrate refugee flows. Advocates for generous asylum policies — of which I am one — should acknowledge this. Addressing it calls for appropriate resources to be devoted to the challenge. Moreover, screening will never be 100% successful. It never is.
The broader question, however, is whether fear of a few evil men (or women) will lead us to sacrifice our basic moral commitment to fellow human beings fleeing war, oppression and deprivation. I, for one, am not prepared to grant ISIS a veto over refugee policy or humanitarian obligations.
I am equally confident that the overwhelming majority of refugees will, if given a chance, prove to be productive members of their new societies who are grateful for the asylum they have been granted. Almost all of the research on Western refugee absorption shows net, long-term positive effects.
Goodness knows that multicultural Montreal, for example, is a much better place for having accepted those fleeing war and instability in Lebanon, Haiti, Rwanda, DR Congo and many other places besides. There certainly wouldn’t be such an excellent choice of shawarma restaurants without them.
During World War II there was also a real risk that among those fleeing war and Nazi oppression there might be spies and fifth columnists. Indeed, some were.
COMMENTS:
* Montreal wasn’t always so multicultural. Canada took in only 8,000 Jewish immigrants/refugees during the Third Reich, a record worse than Chile (14,000), Japanese occupied Shanghai (25,000), Bolivia (12,000), Switzerland (16,000), Brazil (25,000) and Argentina (50,000), among others. The numbers come from Martin Gilbert’s data published in 1978. The Province of Quebec was staunchly opposed to Jewish immigration during Third Reich period. The province’s French language policies starting in the 1970’s led to a significant departure of Jews from the Montreal area from 1976 on.
Israel is strongly opposed to immigration by non-Jews, especially Muslims, including refugees from war torn Sudan. Given the bad relations between Israel and its Muslim neighbors, I can understand Israel’s position.
* The population that is threatening Jews in Europe is Muslim It is bad that leading rabbis in France, Holland and the UK have said that there is no Jewish future in these countries. Comparisons to the Holocaust refugees are not valid because Jewish refugees did not commit violent acts against the countries that welcomed them.
* Letting these people in to your country is suicide. only left wing Jews seem oblivious to this.
* Holocaust, holocaust, holocaust ……………….. for ever!
Always and for ever, turning every story to put light on your own issues, no matter how unrelated the topic is to make yourself the center of attention, an excuse, any excuse to invoke your holocaust, as if your are not directly responsible for the Arab holocaust that does not have memorial centers in major cities of the world. If the topic was mosquitoes, I can see you jumping in and start talking about how Jews were bitten by mosquitoes during the holocaust. Don’t you know when to stop? Look up the word ‘grace’.
* Yes, enough already with this Holocaust garbage — maybe it happened maybe it didn’t — we Gentiles are tired of hearing this over and over again !! Please stop — it’s not wonder why we Europeans don’t like you.. Be like all other people.
* We’re not obligated to allow known radical islamists who hate us and our culture continued residence in our western nations. Surveillance is not enough. Radical Islamists, once correctly identified, must be legally interned pending deportation.
* Google knows more about my personal life than I do. Every one of my phone calls are recorded by the phone company for homeland security/the Patriot Act. Everyone of my e-mails are recorded by. Western Government have the technology to know when the last time you scratched your sweetbreads.
The FBI took down all members of the KKK that were in positions of authority, and did it when they only had the use of illegal wire taps. I am sure you were against it.
* I want immigration stopped from Islamic countries. I want them to stop patting down marines at airports and letting the guys in kafffiyehs sail through. And if you make a lot of phone calls to Teheran or Tripoli it should be flagged. Let’s start there. Forget Europe. Europe is done. Merkel took care of that.
