Lousy hosts?

[kimmy]

PM Paul Martin travelled to India to discuss tsunami aid and trade. Unfortunately, politics from back home reared its ugly head when the head of the Sikh religion declared same-sex marriage to be "the product of a sick mind" and called for all Sikhs to oppose it.

Pressed for opinions, Paul Martin cited a difference between civil marriage and religious marriage, and insists that no church, temple, mosque, or synogogue will be required to perform a ceremony contrary to its beliefs. India's PM, also a Sikh, was likewise uncomfortable discussing the issue in the presence of his guest, and said that he didn't feel it was appropriate to comment on Canada's internal affairs.

Here in Canada, there are also ramifications of the Sikh pronouncement on gay marriage, as 6 members of the Liberal caucus are Sikhs, including highly-touted rookie Ruby Dhalla. One MP interviewed said that he had to obey his faith; Dhalla said she hadn't decided.

Here in Canada, we've become quite used to Catholic politicians putting their beliefs on the back-burner when politics requests/requires them to do so. But, Sikhs are not Catholics; we'll see how this shakes out at a later date.

-kimmy

[Newfie Canadian]

Here's what Ujjal Dosanjh said:

I mean, Prime Minister Martin and [former] prime minister Chretien both were Catholics, the Vatican [stand against same-sex marriage] didn't have an impact on them. And therefore no other religious institution would have an impact on anybody else.