What Have We Here?
Canadian Arab and Muslim groups threatening to campaign against the Conservative government in Canada during the next election? The new government of Canada has unsettled and annoyed Canada's Arab and Muslim population? That's unfortunate. They're a sizeable and influential minority within the country. They do have influence. Canada is comprised of many such minority groups all of whom have equal rights and a respected presence within the country.Has the Harper government been rash enough to indicate they are considering a ban on head coverings for Muslim women? Has someone within the new Cabinet been musing aloud that there are too many mosques being built in Canada, and it makes them nervous? Wow, don't tell me that some underhanded sneaks have accused this community of aspiring to bring Sharia law into the order of things in Canada...as an underhanded attempt to usurp Canadian law...? Hmmm, has the Conservative government been musing about implementing a special tax for Muslims?
No on all counts? What then?
Ah, the Canadian-Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab Federation claim that Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay's first Middle East tour has been lopsidedly inclined, and unfair to Muslims. Um, a pro-Israel stand. Yes. Well, I'm happy. It made me feel pretty good that our new Prime Minister Harper had the moral courage and the fortitude, and the ethical vision to declare this country's support for another country whose values and democratic systems very closely resemble our own - against deadly incursions by an implacable enemy whose stated purpose is to destroy Israel. Sounds fair enough to me.
Wonder why Mazen Chouaib, executive director of the Ottawa-based National Council on Canada-Arab Relations has informed the news media that he has met with Mr. MacKay twice since last August. Mr. Chouaib claims that he has "seen some progress on the minister's level of understanding" of issues related to the Middle East. What's that all about? Perhaps Mohamed Elmasry of the Canadian-Islamic Congress could get together with Mr. Chouaib and they could compare notes, discuss their own disagreements.
Before they go about their stated intent to "punish the Conservatives at the polls". I can, though, understand why they preferred the previous Liberal governments' attitudes and behaviours as expressed through the media and on site at the United Nations. These previous governments fell handily into line with Arab-sponsored UN condemnations of Israel, all the while declaring themselves supporters of Israel.
I wonder too why it is that so much valuable time has been lost in a marathon of festering grievances. Decades upon decades during which Palestinians, having left the confines of the borders of the newly-declared State of Israel might have made a decent life for themselves, either among other Arab states or by settling themselves permanently in the territory allotted to them, rather than agree among themselves to inhabit "refugee camps" which the UN and other member states have unflinchingly supported over the years.
Why aren't these Canadian Arab and Muslim groups angry over the stupidity of clinging to enmity and blame leading inevitably to wars one after another, all of them resulting in more of the same. And the status quo of a miserable life in refugee camps was never identified as life-denying, opportunity-stifling, degrading to those people who clung to their refugee identities, clamouring forever and a day for retribution and return. What a colossal waste of time, energy, funding.
Instead of embarking on opportunities for a new life, embracing the helping hand offered now and again, Palestinians preferred to hunker down on their bedrock of aggrieved anger at their deprived lot in life.
Choices, choices.
Labels: Middle East
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, January 25, 2007
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