Magic Statistics

Today's Toronto Star carries an interview with Mohamed Elmasry, Chair and President of the Canadian Islamic Congress. Asked about the reaction of Canadian Muslims to the Mohammed cartoons, he said Canadian Muslims have been "controlled and calm".

Why have Canadian Muslims reacted the way they have?

That's because they are amongst the most highly educated Muslim minorities in the world. It's because Canadian immigration policy only accepts people with certain qualifications and university degrees. So, a majority of Muslim households encourage their children to attend colleges and universities. As a result of that, the standard of education remains high.

Doesn't that imply that rioting Muslims over in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Indonesia, etc., are not as brainy as the ones in Canada? Better be careful, Dr Elmasry, or someone may take that the wrong way.

The next question and response really caught my interest:

What is Islam's stand on depictions of the Prophet?

Islam forbids two- or three-dimensional images of any prophet, including Muhammad, Moses, Jesus and Abraham. All the prophets are considered messengers of God.

Whoah! Islam forbids images of Jesus?! Christian churches around the world are full of images of Jesus. Does that mean they're all fair game for attack and destruction by offended Muslims?

Christians have pictures of our Lord in their homes. I have a few myself. I hope no publicity-seeking imam issues a fatwa.

Last year it was Penelope Leach; now it's Steve Biddulph who has changed his mind on daycare. ("Daycare" is the North American equivalent of the British "nursery".) He used to believe that "quality" daycare was good for infants and toddlers, but the many recent studies showing long-lasting ill effects on children have persuaded him that he was mistaken.

One of the world’s most popular parenting gurus is to warn that placing children younger than three in nurseries risks damaging their development.

Steve Biddulph, whose books have sold more than 4m copies worldwide, says that instead of subsidising nurseries, which do a "second-rate" job, the government should put in place policies to enable mothers to stay at home with their babies.

The advice signals a reversal of views for Biddulph, an Australian with more than 20 years’ experience as a therapist, whose previous bestsellers include Raising Boys and Raising Girls.

In his new book Biddulph will admit he has changed his mind because of growing evidence of increased aggression, antisocial behaviour and other problems among children who have spent a large part of their infancy being cared for away from home.

Mr Biddulph says that nannies can be an acceptable substitute for parental care, but it is not easy to find a good one. In most situations, children are better off being cared for by a parent or a close family friend.

I blogged a Canadian study on daycare less than two weeks ago.

Angus-Reid Consultants, one of Canada's leading public opinion research firms, reports on a poll indicating that, because of the Cartoon Jihad, Norwegians are taking a more skeptical view of Islam.

Has the uproar over the cartoons changed your opinion on Islam as a religion?

Yes, I am more sceptical today	47.8%
Yes, I am less sceptical today	6.5%
My opinion has not changed	36.7%

Source: InFact / Verdens Gang Methodology: Interviews with 1,006 Norwegian adults, conducted on Feb. 7, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

The full article includes a summary of events in the cartoon controversy that directly involved Norway.

via Infidel Bloggers Alliance.

The collect for today, Septuagesima, or the Third Sunday Before Lent, from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:

O Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
The Gospel: St Matthew 20:1-16