For complete text of summary of Wednesday Night #1215 see: http://www.wednesday-night.com/Wed1215page2.asp/b> The application of Sharia law for arbitration in family law is sanctioned in Ontario but not in Québec. Those not in agreement with Québec’s stand see it as a binding contract between parties, with religion playing an important part but not changing the contractual nature of the process. Further discussion was prompted by two recent events related to Muslim practices in educational institutions. The first, McGill University's refusal to continue to provide a prayer space to Muslim students; the second, a new legal opinion by Québec's Human Rights Commission stating that private, not-for-profit schools have the same obligation as public schools to make reasonable accommodation for their increasingly diverse student bodies, and students' religious beliefs, which bolsters the case of Muslim girls who want to wear the hijab in private schools - a demand that stirred controversy in the past. In the first case, it is deemed that McGill has no obligation to provide prayer space to any religious denomination. If the Institute of Islamic Studies wishes to do so – and has space available – then, let it do so. Experience in CEGEPs has indicated that by providing prayer space, the students left class for shorter periods of time. However, many believe that separate prayer space for men and women is a contravention of certain fundamental Canadian principles. Those favouring or opposing wearing the hijab or other religious symbols fail to see the validity of the opposing argument. Opponents argue that travellers or students in Muslim countries expect and are expected to follow the customs of the host countries, with women covering their arms in deference to the dominant culture. An interesting extension of this argument arises in the consideration of what is or are the dominant culture or cultures? And what will be dominant in the future? Historically our workweek has been Monday to Friday in deference to the religious belief of our traditional cultures. It is claimed that practicing Muslims currently outnumber Roman Catholics in Québec; if not, they may do so in the future. One must then question the nature of the dominant cultures and perhaps, our attitudes may change as a consequence. Incidental intelligence on the Ukraine A recent visitor to the Ukraine (and a well-known technical analyst), offered some random statistics on that country B Birth rate, Pregnancy: very low. “How are we going to support them”? Very few baby carriages E Economy: 5% top class; 80% very poor; 60% shadow economy. F Food: pork=$6/k, beef=$4-5/k, chicken=$3-4/k, milk=$0.50/l, cheese=$5-6/k, oil=$1.50/l, rent= $20/m (incl. elect. phone, hot water) G Gypsies: some; beggars: a lot: old ladies at churches H Housing: still ugly; Hospitals are old and free, but badly equipped. New ones: high cost. I Income: Average wage: U$159/m J Jews: Babi Yar: 175,000 Jews in Ukraine before the war. 33,711 killed in TWO DAYS (29-30/9/41). In 1943: 43 inmates were ordered to dig them up and burn the bones to destroy evidence! 14 survived to give evidence. K C(K)ossacks still exist. L Language: all want to speak English; P Pensioners: 14 Million state pensioners earn $77/month. R Religion: the youth is back in the churches. Monks have cars T Tax (income): 13% of earnings, but “big” guys pay no tax (double bookkeeping). U Unemployment: 8.1% officially, 10% really REPORT ON THE ECONOMY http://www.wednesday-night.com/Jacques-Report.asp#1215