And These Are The Moderates

When Canadian security and intelligence agencies become aware of a cadre of young men involved in decidedly illegal activities they maintain a careful watch, assembling information and evidence before determining the time is right to intervene, to arrest the activities of those people, and in the process avert a disaster-in-the-making. Home-grown terrorists. Who might have imagined that Canada would become the breeding ground for terrorists?

It happens, we're told, more than we might imagine. Foreign elements enter the country on a visitor visa, or are given permanent resident status because they are clerics, and they mingle with the community with which they are most comfortable. Those who have emigrated from countries where the worship and practise of Islam is the majority, and often the only way of life. And at this time in history Islam sees itself troubled by the suspicion of the West.

Not surprising, given the current situation where fanatical Islamists have sworn themselves to avenging whatever slights and insults - predatory colonial practises consonant with free market capitalism most particularly included - upon Islamic ideals. The kind of burning idealism that binds its practitioners to their religion through minute control of every aspect of their lives. But the fervour that goes well beyond religious practise and edges into the bleak realm of religious violence.

And while there is nothing whatever amiss in the practise of any religion, as long as it does not impinge upon the human rights of others, events have somehow escaped rationality and crept into vicious terror strikes against all vestiges of the perceived oppressor's standards and representations, expressed by violent attacks against institutions and populations of the infidel West. Which West reciprocates, as human beings are wont to do, by relating Islam with violence, given the impressive evidence on view.

Canadians have the quaint idea that people migrating to that country from abroad will shed all the troublesome elements of contrary cultural attributes, traditional grievances, ethnic strife, in embracing and taking full advantage of the new freedoms of which they are invited to avail themselves, as new Canadians. Living in a multicultural society with its guarantees of egalitarianism and freedom of expression.

Instead, from some disaffected ethnic and religious groups comes turmoil and disaffection expressed for the presence of others within society whose values, culture and traditions are not seen to be agreeable to them. The mischief to society being done by groups such as The Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab Federation is not readily countenanced as adding to the value of Canadian citizenship.

In launching their viciously anti-Israel agenda by sponsoring an essay contest for students, with a cash award offered to the successful essay winner, these groups are teaching scorn and hatred for others within society. The purpose of the essay writing contest is to extract from willing contestants written opinion attesting to "the ethnic cleansing of Palestine". If this loaded topic isn't heavily weighted to produce racial tension and hatred, then what is?

If Canadians of Arab descent feel comfortable in pursuing their overseas agenda within Canada, to paint a wide-screen picture of Israel and Zionism and Jews in general as genocidal opportunists, then the lesson of Canadian citizenship has been irretrievably lost. These groups speak of themselves as moderate Muslims, yet they busily foment hatred against others.

They do this by presenting a skewed frame of historical fiction as fact, by encouraging their youth to accept the imbalance of interpretation of the historical record of cause and effect. And by making claims of invention as truth, to be swallowed whole by their youth. From libel to violent action is but another leap of faith.

Canada cannot afford to be rent asunder by yet other bitter dissenters, refusing to become a part of the Canadian identity, picking and making careful selection of those benefits and attributes of Canadian-ness that suits their purpose, while practising the same kind of tribal vengeance and blame in Canada that was current in the countries from which they emanated.

These initiatives present as a handy launching pad for any who wish to take up the battle with the identified foe further. It suits the purposes of jihadists and their hangers-on. It does no justice to those who claim their Islam is a religion of peace.