August 11, 2010

---

Today's guest host was Mike Finnerty.

It's Wednesday, August 11th.

The head of coalition forces in Afghanistan says the fact that the Taliban are responsible for an increase in civilian deaths is a public relations opportunity.

Currently, Or at least it was until he said it out loud.

This is The Current.

Ground Zero Mosque - Raheel Raza

We started this segment with some sound from a rally protesting against plans for a Muslim community centre and Mosque very close to Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. A cause taken up by some prominent American conservatives -- including Sarah Palin, and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Many other Americans are outraged that there's a controversy in the first place:. We aired a clip from satirist Sam Seder. And the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, is a vocal supporter of the proposal.

New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission has sided with Mayor Bloomberg. Last week, it approved the proposal. But despite that, some Muslims worry that the proposed Mosque is a problem and shouldn't be built.

Raheel Raza is a member of the Muslim Canadian Congress. She was in New York City.

Articles: Ground Zero mosque bad idea: Canadian Muslims / Where In The World Is Imam Feisal?

Ground Zero Mosque - Sheema Khan

Sheema Khan has a different take on the issue. She is a columnist with The Globe and Mail and the author of Of Hockey and Hijab: Reflections of a Canadian Muslim Woman. She was in Ottawa.

Articles: Across Nation, Mosque Projects Meet Opposition / Muhammad Ali Hasan: Why I Support The Ground Zero Mosque

PART TWO

Young Drivers - Kevin Wiener

Two years ago, Tyler Mulcahy spent an afternoon in Ontario's cottage country, drinking with three of his friends. Hours later, Tyler -- who was 20 -- and two of his friends were killed in a car crash. Tyler's father Tim Mulcahy set out on a mission to change the province's driving laws.

In November of 2008, his lobbying paid off and the province introduced a new law that addressed many of his concerns. The new legislation came into effect 10 days ago ... on August 1st. It makes it illegal for drivers under 22 to have any alcohol in their blood when they're behind the wheel. Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia also have zero tolerance laws targeting young or inexperienced drivers.

Although groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving say Ontario's is the most comprehensive and effective. Kevin Wiener has a different take on the law. The 20-year-old university student says it's discriminatory - and unconstitutional. And last week, he took his argument to a provincial court. Kevin Wiener was in Toronto.

Young Drivers - Kathleen Wynne

Kathleen Wynne is Ontario's Minister of Transportation and she was in Toronto.

Young Drivers - Frank Furedi

The larger issue in this case is how far governments should go to keep us from doing things we shouldn't. Frank Furedi calls it a culture of rule-making. He teaches sociology at the University of Kent in England. He is also the author of The Politics of Fear.

CBC does not endorse content of external sites - links will open in new window