“I REMEMBER” “JE ME SOUVIENS”
I would liked to have gone to meet the Muslim women in Hérouxville to share in their culture and recipes, but primarily to explain our provincial motto “Je me souviens”
I REMEMBER – that when I was young we could not enter a church without having a veil or hat on our heads.
I REMEMBER – it was also a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays.
I REMEMBER – during the same era my mother was kicked out of church because after having four children she didn’t want any more.
I REMEMBER – for this reason the church refused to forgive her sins unless she gave her body unconditionally (with or without consent)to her husband at the risk of having a dozen children.
I REMEMBER- she refused and left the church like many other women of her generation.
I REMEMBER – that later on she left my father and we became the target of finger pointing and demeaning gossip.
I REMEMBER – that after her separation we saw the priest’s collar on her nighttable.
I REMEMBER – in the last century my mother’s cousin obtained her divorce and at the same time her excommunication form Rome
I REMEMBER – that a few years before my mother was born, women got the right to vote and the right to be considered citizens of our society.
I REMEMBER – that my mother and her mother-in-law experienced delays in getting urgent surgeries while waiting until their respective husbands, from whom they were separated (considered not legal by the church) could come and sign the consent forms (some refused).
AS AN ADULT
I REMEMBER – that because of the pressures exerted by the previous generation, I got access to the first contraceptives that allowed me to decide the number of children I could have.
I REMEMBER – it was not a sin anymore to eat meat on Fridays. I wonder what happened to those who went to hell. I hope they were pardoned!
I REMEMBER – that after I had my son I did not want any more children because I was afraid they might be “girls”. There was still a lot of work to be done before we women could achieve equality.
I REMEMBER – the efforts and sacrifices a lot of women made to be recognized as good enough to obtain high level administrative jobs.
I REMEMBER – the militancy of many women who worked relentlessly to obtain equality in our country so they could be in the Chamber’s of Commerce, unions, member of the Council for the Status of Women etc.
I REMEMBER – it took 50 years of collective effort to free us from the strangle hold of the church and religion.
I REMEMBER – it took 60 years (1940 – 2006) to obtain equality of salaries and it is not over yet. My present age of 60 has taught me that nothing in life is guaranteed and that we must redouble our efforts so as not to loose all we have gained to date.
I am not racist, bit when I see people of other ethnic groups heavily indoctrinated and controlled by their religion trying to impose these beliefs on our society, I am afraid.
I AM AFRAID – because those men and women do not know the road we have travelled. In addition young Quebecers who embrace this religion that veils women “do not remember”. The excuse for their choice is ignorance.
THERE ARE NO ANIMALS IN NATURE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAN, THAT HIDE THE FEMALE FROM HEAD TO TOE.
I am a grandmother of four beautiful granddaughters, I am afraid.
I AM AFRAID – when I see a veiled women working in a day care center, in our schools or allowing the Kirpan.
We got rid of all religion symbols but now they are being brought back in the same places, where the education of our new generation is crucial and at a time when we must instil in our children the fundamental philosophies of society.
Tolerance toward religions symbols like the veil, Kirpan and turbans in child care centers, in our schools and institutions in general is a complete lack of respect for the past generations that worked so hard to break the strangle hold religion had on our lives.
YOU DO NOT REMEMBER
I REMEMBER and due to struggles I have no tolerance and I do not accept “accommodations” in respect for my mother, my aunt and my granddaughters.
I REMEMBER the Charter of Right and Freedoms gave everyone the right to practice the religion of their choice but for heaven’s sake keep it in the family.
The wearing of the veil in the Muslim religion demonstrates to us the importance of the subjugation of women and that scares and anger us because WE REMEMBER.
WE REMEMBER WHAT THESE SYMBOLS MEANT TO US 50 YEARS AGO AND WE DON’T WANT THEM BACK.
That we pray to Jesus, Mohamed or Buddha is not important, but we fought so that our society could be secular. We fought for the right of speech between men and women as well as equality and the chance to work.
Remember that you immigrated to CANADA and particularly to QUEBEC to partake in our “open society” that gives you, on a silver platter, everything that past generations have fought for, especially the rights of women.
I also want to believe that this is in ignorance of our tradition and customs, and not due to a lack of respect that Muslim women wear the veils(habib) in public and are inturn trying to impose the symbols of their belief unto our society.
Maybe our society has gone too far with freedoms and liberties. A middle ground must be found so that we do not regress to the past.
WE MUST REMEMBER
Integration into a society begins with respect for its traditions and customs, as well as a respect toward the citizens who fought for these improvements.
Maybe our history books “do not remember” or maybe they have not been kept up to date.
It is the responsibility of our government to apply our motto “Je me souviens” to our history and include in this history the struggles of past generations who strived for the secular society of today. They must also insure that future generations REMEMBER.
I am also responsible for many organizations welcoming immigrants to explain our motto “I REMEMBER”/”JE ME SOUVIENS” so that new arrivals do not think that we are racist but simply “We Remember” and that we do not want to hand down to our youth the job of fighting these fights all over again.
I REMEMBER!
Grandmother Johanne Chayer
Montreal, Quebec
I would liked to have gone to meet the Muslim women in Hérouxville to share in their culture and recipes, but primarily to explain our provincial motto “Je me souviens”
I REMEMBER – that when I was young we could not enter a church without having a veil or hat on our heads.
I REMEMBER – it was also a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays.
I REMEMBER – during the same era my mother was kicked out of church because after having four children she didn’t want any more.
I REMEMBER – for this reason the church refused to forgive her sins unless she gave her body unconditionally (with or without consent)to her husband at the risk of having a dozen children.
I REMEMBER- she refused and left the church like many other women of her generation.
I REMEMBER – that later on she left my father and we became the target of finger pointing and demeaning gossip.
I REMEMBER – that after her separation we saw the priest’s collar on her nighttable.
I REMEMBER – in the last century my mother’s cousin obtained her divorce and at the same time her excommunication form Rome
I REMEMBER – that a few years before my mother was born, women got the right to vote and the right to be considered citizens of our society.
I REMEMBER – that my mother and her mother-in-law experienced delays in getting urgent surgeries while waiting until their respective husbands, from whom they were separated (considered not legal by the church) could come and sign the consent forms (some refused).
AS AN ADULT
I REMEMBER – that because of the pressures exerted by the previous generation, I got access to the first contraceptives that allowed me to decide the number of children I could have.
I REMEMBER – it was not a sin anymore to eat meat on Fridays. I wonder what happened to those who went to hell. I hope they were pardoned!
I REMEMBER – that after I had my son I did not want any more children because I was afraid they might be “girls”. There was still a lot of work to be done before we women could achieve equality.
I REMEMBER – the efforts and sacrifices a lot of women made to be recognized as good enough to obtain high level administrative jobs.
I REMEMBER – the militancy of many women who worked relentlessly to obtain equality in our country so they could be in the Chamber’s of Commerce, unions, member of the Council for the Status of Women etc.
I REMEMBER – it took 50 years of collective effort to free us from the strangle hold of the church and religion.
I REMEMBER – it took 60 years (1940 – 2006) to obtain equality of salaries and it is not over yet. My present age of 60 has taught me that nothing in life is guaranteed and that we must redouble our efforts so as not to loose all we have gained to date.
I am not racist, bit when I see people of other ethnic groups heavily indoctrinated and controlled by their religion trying to impose these beliefs on our society, I am afraid.
I AM AFRAID – because those men and women do not know the road we have travelled. In addition young Quebecers who embrace this religion that veils women “do not remember”. The excuse for their choice is ignorance.
THERE ARE NO ANIMALS IN NATURE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAN, THAT HIDE THE FEMALE FROM HEAD TO TOE.
I am a grandmother of four beautiful granddaughters, I am afraid.
I AM AFRAID – when I see a veiled women working in a day care center, in our schools or allowing the Kirpan.
We got rid of all religion symbols but now they are being brought back in the same places, where the education of our new generation is crucial and at a time when we must instil in our children the fundamental philosophies of society.
Tolerance toward religions symbols like the veil, Kirpan and turbans in child care centers, in our schools and institutions in general is a complete lack of respect for the past generations that worked so hard to break the strangle hold religion had on our lives.
YOU DO NOT REMEMBER
I REMEMBER and due to struggles I have no tolerance and I do not accept “accommodations” in respect for my mother, my aunt and my granddaughters.
I REMEMBER the Charter of Right and Freedoms gave everyone the right to practice the religion of their choice but for heaven’s sake keep it in the family.
The wearing of the veil in the Muslim religion demonstrates to us the importance of the subjugation of women and that scares and anger us because WE REMEMBER.
WE REMEMBER WHAT THESE SYMBOLS MEANT TO US 50 YEARS AGO AND WE DON’T WANT THEM BACK.
That we pray to Jesus, Mohamed or Buddha is not important, but we fought so that our society could be secular. We fought for the right of speech between men and women as well as equality and the chance to work.
Remember that you immigrated to CANADA and particularly to QUEBEC to partake in our “open society” that gives you, on a silver platter, everything that past generations have fought for, especially the rights of women.
I also want to believe that this is in ignorance of our tradition and customs, and not due to a lack of respect that Muslim women wear the veils(habib) in public and are inturn trying to impose the symbols of their belief unto our society.
Maybe our society has gone too far with freedoms and liberties. A middle ground must be found so that we do not regress to the past.
WE MUST REMEMBER
Integration into a society begins with respect for its traditions and customs, as well as a respect toward the citizens who fought for these improvements.
Maybe our history books “do not remember” or maybe they have not been kept up to date.
It is the responsibility of our government to apply our motto “Je me souviens” to our history and include in this history the struggles of past generations who strived for the secular society of today. They must also insure that future generations REMEMBER.
I am also responsible for many organizations welcoming immigrants to explain our motto “I REMEMBER”/”JE ME SOUVIENS” so that new arrivals do not think that we are racist but simply “We Remember” and that we do not want to hand down to our youth the job of fighting these fights all over again.
I REMEMBER!
Grandmother Johanne Chayer
Montreal, Quebec
