Don't really know the details of this bill but seems kinda ironic that you would question secularism especially when you are enjoying its fruits while living in the UK. If UK wasn't secular you wouldn't have been able to freely and openly practice your religion. Seems like you want a different set of rules for Pakistan and a different set of rules for the actual place you call home.
I strongly disagree with that.. We enjoy the fruit of our hard work, nothing has been handed to us. You live in Canada, you know that full well.
The first generation who came to the UK came as migrant workers, it was quid pro quo - the UK needed workers, these people needed jobs - it was not a favour for anyone. These people worked and paid into the system. When they then got married and had kids, those kids took out of the same system their parents paid into. This is no different to anyone else who lives in the UK.
The only thing we should be greatful for is that we live in a country where condesending attitudes of how you owe a debt to a social construct do not exist. Society exists to enable the citizen, it is created by citizens for citizens, it is a service, nobody owes it a debt. We live in a country where anyone who exists contributes into society one way or another, that's all that's required of them. Nothing is a golden cow, not democracy, not secularism, not religion.
Also the success of British society aren't built on secularism alone. The attraction of this country to anyone is the economy (nobody comes for the weather). That was built on Empire and capitalism. The good living conditions and workers rights are down to socialism, we can thank the emergence of the modern Labour party and the unions for that. Also we can than the UN and the human rights acts too, as well as the EU and it's expansion.
The fact of the matter is, the state for the most part has always been a tool of the elites, everything the common man has, was hard fought for (including by our immigrant parents and grandparents).
I think a lot of the North American brothers lose sight of this. Correct me if i'm wrong but most of you guys (and the older generations who migrated) were from educated and upper or middle class backgrounds. A lot of people move to America for better lifestyles or having higher aspirations (there is nothing wrong with it). You just need to get that the majority of the UK dispora are here because they were hungry, literally and practically. They started at the bottom and some people aren't too far from there even now. It's not secularism they went to the UK for, it's for bread - which they work hard to earn.
I've got no beef with secularism, in fact i consider myself politically closer to the liberals and socialists rather than the conservatives, but you have to aknowledge there is a trend in our Pakistani community to be fully fledged in whatever they do. The desi secular is no different, they'll step on your throat if you say anything they don't agree with, same way the crazy mullah will.
