Muslims should reach out to fellow citizens to counter rise of Islamophobia in Canada

By MOHAMMED AZHAR ALI KHAN | Source

Canada is a model country that operates under the rule of law and respect for human rights and diversity. But in these harsh times signs are mounting that it is not immune to the Islamophobia that is sweeping through Western countries.

Ottawa’s Carleton University has become the first university in North America to offer courses in defense against terrorism. Engineering students will study, among other subjects, national security, intelligence and terrorism.

The government has also decreed that passengers at Canadian airports must show their faces at boarding gates in addition to producing passports and other photo identification.

These actions follow the arrest of some Muslims on terrorism-related charges — and the conviction, in recent years, of some Canadian Muslims for planned terrorism in Canada or Europe.

A recent poll, commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, showed that 55 percent of Canadians did not think Muslims shared their values.

Suicide bombs that target innocent Muslims and non-Muslims, terrorism and niqab are among the factors fueling distrust of Muslims. Ayman Al-Yassini, executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, said the situation is getting worse and Canadian Muslims should counter it by reaching out to their fellow Canadians of other faiths. Polls show that Canadians who have Muslim friends view Islam more favorably than those Canadians who do not know Muslims.

Some Muslim organizations and Muslims have started to do that in recent years. But the Muslims of Canada are hugely diverse — ranging from highly educated professionals to traumatized refugees who found safety in Canada from persecution or death in their own countries but who have little understanding of the West. The absence of a national Muslim umbrella organization in Canada has also prevented joint action or strategic leadership.

The bickering in some Muslim organizations and their preoccupation with building mosques but neglecting vulnerable Muslims — such as refugees, disgruntled youth, women victims of domestic violence, new immigrants, those in jail, ill and mentally ill, etc — has produced an underclass of vulnerable Muslims.

A Christian friend of mine recently sent an e-mail to his friends saying he is sick of all Muslims being blamed for the actions of a few criminals. Most of his friends agreed. But one wrote back saying that Muslims hate non-Muslims and their goal is to rule the world.

Such views also stem from the Islamophobia being spread by sections of the Canadian media. Canada’s national magazine, some radio and TV stations and print journalists level baseless accusations against Muslims. For example, a columnist wrote in Ottawa’s major paper, “There is no question during Muslim rule non-Muslims were regarded under Shariah law as second-class citizens.” He added that “Islam’s holiest of holy, Kaaba, in the Saudi Arabian city of Makkah, was a pagan shrine for hundreds of years before Muhammad and his army slaughtered the residents in 630 A.D.” He later published a correction that the city had surrendered without a fight. He did not state that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forgave his tormentors. Nor did he say that the House of God was originally built by the Prophet Abraham to worship one God before it was converted to a temple of idols.

In fairness, some media give Muslims the chance to express their viewpoints. These include Muslims who lack credibility among Muslims but whose Muslim-bashing has turned them into media darlings. For example Canadian Muslim imams issued a declaration clearly condemning violence and terrorism. Their views got some coverage — along with the interviews of media darlings who chastised the imams for not banning jihad, or self-defense, outright.

Islam also gets tarnished by suicide bombings, sectarian killings, and persecution of non-Muslims, corruption and oppression in some Muslim countries.

In Canada, Muslims are mostly disorganized and the majority of Muslims, including the youth, keep away from mosques, except for Eid or Friday prayers.

Now Canadian Muslims must teach their own community about Islam’s emphasis on compassion, justice, brotherhood and human dignity. They must also reach out to fellow Canadians of other faiths, including the media, and participate in all aspects of life. They must also uplift disenfranchised Muslims and help them to become productive, respected citizens.

Canada remains a great country. But minorities in the past had to strive mightily to gain respect and equality and to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Now Canadian Muslims face that challenge.

— Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a journalist, retired Canadian civil servant and refugee judge. He has received the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his work as a journalist, his leadership of Muslims and efforts to promote better understanding between Canadians of different faiths