The Many and Undying Expressions of Hatred
Canada is a wonderful country. The opportunities for human and social advancement it offers its citizens and the many immigrants who continue to flood the country are unparalleled. There is firm protection for all under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Those fundamental rights include freedom of expression, mobility and democratic, legal and equality rights. Those rights also extend to the protection of Canada's multicultural 'heritage' its commitment to those whose national extraction, culture, tradition is other than that of one born within the country.There are many who increasingly insist that Canada has not been sufficiently responsive to her own traditions, culture and social mores to ensure that immigrants understand that they too have an obligation - to fit themselves into the country, to accept its laws and social universality, its egalitarian respect of others. Yet we've seen over the past few decades that whereas earlier waves of immigrants respected the traditions and the culture which welcomed them to their new country by absorbing new expectations and assimilating into the general stream while retaining vestiges of their original cultures, later waves of immigrants felt less disposed to do so.
And in so doing, they brought with them social and cultural animosities and burdened their new country with their unambiguous rancour against other segments of society. Canada is yet fortunate that most of her population, whether home-born or first-generation from abroad, do appreciate the freedoms and opportunities available to them and live in harmony with others. Yet Canada has not been free of the shackles of humanity's penchant for nurturing grievances against perceived enemies. We've had our own shocking episodes of terrorism.
Canada has dealt successfully with issues of discrimination against vulnerable groups. Gays in Canada have assured rights to equal those of any other group, and laws enacted to protect those rights. Discrimination in the workplace, in housing, in the social sphere once directed against people of colour are legislated against, and to practise such discrimination is unlawful. The pernicious age-old practise of anti-Semitism had, we thought, been laid to rest as generations of Jews found their comfortable place in Canada.
Yet lately, along with an upsurge of virulently active anti-Semitism seen elsewhere in the world, it has raised its ugly head in Canada as well, with a series of violent acts directed against Jews and Jewish institutions. Canada has always had home-grown proponents of racial division, has been internally and externally embarrassed by incidents such as a well-regarded native chief publicly expressing the most odious condemnation of Jews, echoing Nazi Germany's extermination intent.
We've had incidents of well-liked and regarded educators actively teaching their students the basic tenets of anti-Semitism. We've had imported products from abroad come to live in this country bringing with them incendiary anti-Semitic tracts and founding movements with eager followers. But it is only lately that explosively violent physical attacks on Jewish schools and community centres have occurred in the expression of dire hatred of Jews.
"Most Muslims would never even think of doing something like that. It's horrible." According to Sarah Elgazzar, of the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations, expressing her personal dismay that the accused in two high profile attacks on Montreal's Jewish community. "Religiously speaking, Jews and Muslims should be so close," she said. "Sure there are differences, and there are problems in other parts of the world, but that doesn't justify these kinds of attacks."
And right she most certainly is. Omar Bulphred, 21, and Azim Ibragimov, 23, both Muslims, born in Canada to immigrants from Russia have been charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to forcibly confine someone. Other charges listed are possession of explosives in connection with the fire-bombing of the Skver-Toldos Orthodox Jewish Boys school and community centre in Outremont, and an explosion at the Snowdon Y.
So, one must ask, what is it exactly that would inform two young Canadian-born Muslims that the Jews in their midst represent an object of hatred? A hatred so intense that they would conspire to carry out acts of deliberate sabotage of private Jewish property. Theirs, needless to say, is not the first incident of this type where Muslim youth have seen fit to attack Jews and Jewish property. These acts that so terrify the Jewish community, and horrify the Muslim community must act as a warning.
This should be a catalyst to inform the Muslim community that they have a good deal of remedial work before them. It is their obligation as Canadians, as neighbours, as good citizens, as Muslims.
Labels: Religion
posted by Pieface @ Monday, April 16, 2007
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