Irate Conservative Party of Canada supporters are threatening resignation today after the Tories posted a greeting on Facebook to mark the Hindu festival of Diwali.
“Where does Diwali come from?” Gary Hillman from Red Deer, Alberta asked. “It has no place in Canadian culture.”
“This makes me want to resign from this party now,” Arlen Bourque of Vancouver, BC wrote.
Other supporters complained about Hindus celebrating the festival in their neighbourhoods.
“Too many Diwali days in Surrey,” Anne Kehler of Surrey, BC wrote. “Fireworks were going off last night too. People who have to go to work get waken up middle of the night. There should be a time limit of when to stop. Have some consideration, people.”
Many others were upset with the Tories for not wishing supporters a Merry Christmas, even though Christmas is still a month and half away.
“Happy whatever!” Lynn Keall-Price of Nelson, BC wrote. “Why can’t they post Merry Christmas??”
“Very tired of ‘coping’!” Keall-Price added. “I have no problem wishing anyone the best on their religious holidays but wish to have the same respect for mine.”
Other used the occasion to accuse Canada’s new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being a Muslim out to destroy the country.
“Is there any way possible that we can do some sort of lack of confidence vote with Justin T? ” Jason Friesen Saskatoon, Saskatchewan asked. “He is destroying this country even faster than I thought. There has to be a way to get him out.”
“I’m afraid that he is sending terrorists here and using my own tax dollars to do it,” Friesen added. “This is a guy that partook in a Muslim ceremony that converts him to Muslim.”
Many other Conservative Party faithful had never heard of the word “Diwali”.
“ I have never heard of Diwali, what is it?” Carol A. Dudeck of Calgary, AB wrote. “ What is it?”
The Conservative social media team, who usually deletes comments unfavourable to the party and bans critics, has not removed the comments critical of the Diwali greeting.
Elsewhere on the Internet, the reaction of the Tory supporters were met with concern.
“It is sad, and ultimately dangerous for our civic life, that the smouldering ruins of the CPC look more like the tea party with every passing day,” Reddit user Gargatua13013 said. “Ignorance, bigotry and jingoism… elevated and cultivated as virtues.”
“An articulate and inclusive Conservative Party is a required counterweight to the Liberal Party, and it has a role to play as an effective opposition,” the Redditor add. “Currently the Conservative Party we need doesn’t exist. Opposition is a real active role when done right, not a time out between election bids.”
