finally: leftists start to see the reality of Islam

On Instapundit, I commented that I never understood how leftists could ally themselves with Muslims, most of whom are socially conservative. Responses I got basically centered on the idea that leftists and Muslims both want to tear down Western civilization, which is pretty hard to deny. But if you've got gay people being tossed off roofs in certain Muslim countries, and men who interpret Islam as allowing a husband to beat his wife on occasion, you have to wonder whether Muslims and leftists who think they're working together really understand each other. American feminists and pro-gay activists have been infamously silent when it comes to critiquing the human-rights abuses in Muslim countries; this hints at a certain lack of courage. American conservatives, especially Christian conservatives, are docile and used to taking insults from the left, so they're easy to pick on. But what about a culture that will cut your head off if you protest too much? Where's your spine then, lefties?

Well, it's Pride Month, and in one Canadian school, this issue is finally coming to a head. In the video below, a Canadian teacher dresses down her Muslim students for not wanting to attend school-mandated Pride events. She even goes so far as to say that, if they immigrated to Canada with no intention of integrating with Canadian society—values and all—they should never have come. She's obviously a Canadian leftie herself, yet she sounds suspiciously (and hilariously) conservative because telling people "you shouldn't be here if you don't share our values" is a conservative line. It's hard for me to decide whom to side with. I don't think anyone should be forced to attend Pride events if they don't want to, but at the same time, the teacher isn't wrong to suggest that, if you immigrate to a pluralistic Western country, you should be willing to accept a more pluralistic worldview. I am truly torn.

The official title of my Master's degree is "Religion and Culture," so I'm supposedly equipped to deal with issues like this, but it's going to take me some time to unpack what exactly is happening here (and, I imagine, elsewhere in Canada and probably the States). So expect more commentary on this situation after I do some research. For now, I'll express satisfaction that some lefties are finally seeing socially conservative Islam up close. I get the impression they've ignored Islam's harsher realities up to now. Whether this will lead to the realization that Muslims might not be the best partners in the Tear Down the West project is another thing entirely. Can the left learn from its mistakes?