Constructive Accommodation...?

Depends, one supposes, on how that might be categorized. The Canadian Islamic Congress is mightily put off by the Government of Canada's lack of accommodation toward its concerns.

On the other hand, it might also be said that the people of Canada are rather concerned about the Canadian Islamic Congress's steadfast attempts to coerce the larger society to accept what is felt to be unacceptable, while ignoring the expectations that they behave as Canadian Muslims of moderate temperament, deploring the vile activities of Islamist fascists.

The Islamic Congress complains that all its attempts to meet with government ministers have been set aside. There is no obligation, in fact, for Ministers of the Crown to meet with lobby groups, and the Canadian Islamic Congress with its very precise and particular concerns verging somewhat on the civil society's unorthodox, while celebrating orthodox Islam, presents as an unhelpful conundrum within Canada.

It has been left to emphatic, albeit more reasonably moderate Muslims to attempt to undo the harm the Congress seeks to impose on the larger society.

It is the Muslim Canadian Congress which goes about, despairingly, attempting to explain their position as practical, yet theistically devout members of Canadian society, casting aspersions on the illogic of a religious, cultural, social group seeking to impose its rigid message within a liberal democracy.

In a secularly-governed country like Canada's there is no need for a single-purpose group to espouse a need for Sharia law to dispense justice within the Muslim community.

Canada has its own, all-encompassing and equality-protective laws that guarantee protection to all Canadians. Nor does the country require the good fellowship of a special-interest group seeking to undermine the fundamentals of freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Nor, further, is it appreciated that the Muslim community, through the intervention and supervision of the Canadian Islamic Congress, seeks to persuade government on its stance on international affairs.

Least of all it is not appreciated that the Muslim community appears incapable of introducing themselves to the quaint notion that Canadian laws and freedoms are extended equally without distinction of ethnic origin, cultural traditions, and religion; we are a pluralist society agreeing in principle to living together in harmony and with full co-operation. And no apologies need be tendered for that simple fact.

Yet, declaims Mohammed Elmasry, president of the Canadian Islamic Congress: "We gave up on having a constructive dialogue with the current government on any foreign policy issue". For the very purpose of attempting to guide Canadian foreign policy "constructive" dialogue was sought with two successive foreign ministers, as well as other senior ministers within the Conservative-led government.

"We tried to communicate our position on Afghanistan, on the Middle East, on U.S. interference in Lebanon, the threat of the U.S. on Iran", Mr. Elmasry explains. According to him and his cohorts, the Government of Canada has suborned its national interests by slavishly following the lead of its American allies: "It is either following the lead of the U.S. or it doesn't have a policy of its own".

Their collective understanding of world events clearly are superior to that of the collective wisdom of those whom the Canadian electorate has brought to governance in a position of trust in guiding Canada through the shoals of international diplomacy, let alone internal rule. That the government has chosen not to lend its ear to the complaints and recommendations of the Canadian Islamic Congress is, according to Mr. Elmasry "...really bad for Canada".

The Congress is sturdily prepared to discontinue lobbying government, in favour of awaiting the fall of this minority government, and then their electoral clout will be brought to bear. Within Canada the considerable and growing demographic representing Arab and Muslim interests continues to grow, although their adherence to the message of the Congress and their allegiance to the group is certainly anything but monolithic.

The claim is that Canada has abandoned of late its traditional role of neutrality in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, in favour of unquestioning support for Israel. Whereas in reality, support for both entities is current and balanced, with the government position stated as encouragement for the eventuality of a Palestinian state existing alongside that of Israel, in peace and co-operation.

A state that the Canadian Islamic Congress would do well to emulate right here in Canada.