From Their Respected Vantage

Here are two insiders; Muslim men who see it as their responsibility to explain Islamic verities to Canadians. Muslim men of moderate vision who see it as their responsibility to explain to fellow Muslims their responsibility toward the country to which they have emigrated, and which has welcomed their presence as new, trusted and appreciated citizens.

It is the question of accommodation. For Canada strives mightily to honour and accommodate the needs and sensibilities of other cultures, ethnicities and religions. In turn, yet not indelibly enough spoken of, is the response incumbent upon immigrants to honour and absorb the values and customs, traditions and mores of the country which has welcomed them.

Which has offered them a safe haven from strife and rigidity, both political and religious. Which guarantees them equality under the law and equanimity as their mind-rest. Which offers opportunities unparalleled to their children's futures. Which guarantees an egalitarian lifestyle to women, and opportunities which parallel those of men in the workforce, in the professions, in education.

These men, Raheel Raza, Tarek Fatah, both of whom represent the respected Muslim Canadian Congress, the rational, moderate and accommodating voice of Canadian Muslims, will have no more of political correctness which seeks to overlook embarrassing instances where too much is taken for granted and too little is given in return by immigrants seeking to impose their values upon that which the country has gifted them with.

They point out that new immigrants, racial minorities, are guaranteed ample access to successful outcomes as opposed to any other country on this planet. Certainly more so in comparison to the opportunities regularly denied non-Muslims in Muslim-dominated countries where freedoms are truncated and religions and cultural needs relinquished to the state's demands of mono-conformity.

On emigrating to Canada and becoming landed immigrants, it is their contention that Muslims realize the Canadian Charter of Rights offers them freedoms denied them in their countries of origin. Most immigrants make their decisions to join Canada as a matter of deliberate choice - requiring, they assert, that as the country takes genuine efforts to accommodate them, their obligation becomes to successfully adapt themselves.

The kind of assimilation that would require the laws of the land be respected, and that the cultural mores and practises of the country that has adopted them be respected as well, just as immigrants may anticipate that many of their own practises will receive respect. They aver that it is incumbent on immigrants to adopt a mien of impeccable integrity of character, instead of the insensitive flaunting of symbols confusing to the native population.

The onus is on immigrants to themselves accommodate their very particular needs, not require the society they have joined to make especial efforts to ensure their every whims and perceived needs are satisfied. Above all, the exercise of reasonableness in expectations, not entitlements in reflection of their singular differences of background and religion.

"Muslims", they write in their essay "should realize that citizenship in Canada is not based on inherited race or religion, but on a set of common laws created by men and women whom we elect and send to Parliament. Those who wish to introduce laws based on divine texts should try living in Saudi Arabia and Iran before they force the rest of us to embrace their prescription."