Journey of Faith

Organizers "are not responsible for materials or opinions expressing views contrary to Canadian and international laws."

"Promotion of any materials deemed illegal by Canadian federal and provincial laws is strictly prohibited."

So those seen to be engaging in these activities will be on their own recognizance, presumably.
The organizers of what has been billed as the continent's largest Islamic conference, thus exculpate themselves from responsibility for what they have themselves produced. Their purpose being merely to re-awaken young Muslims to their ancestral faith.

On the one hand, espousing peaceful coexistence; on the other reminding followers that they are indebted to the precepts of Islam and must concern themselves with following them for the salvation of their souls.

There are, needless to say, other ways of saving their souls through sacrifice to Islam, but these are not deemed to be iterated at this particular conference, which will be reported upon, in polite society, outside the dominion of the Muslim gathering. Life is a journey, and however one makes that journey as a pious Muslim is highly dependent on absorbing the requirements of the faith, and reflecting them throughout that journey.

The emphasis has latterly been on the heritage, the history, the obligations of Muslims to face the necessity of engaging in jihad, and when spiritual jihad does not suffice, then it is meet to engage in violent jihad. This is known as Islamism. And classic Islamism, spear-headed by the Muslim Brotherhood, calls for rejecting of Western secular values. It calls for the literal interpretation of the Koran, without respect to historical context.

Islamism is politically active, adept at using Western tools of public relations, soft words and hard actions; carrying a big stick and using it to whack the obedience of sacrifice into recalcitrant Muslim youth, scarifying them with the guilt of non-observance as apostates. But then there is no universal need within the community to dwell on those abject deniers, since there are more than ample recruits willing and eager to take on the challenge of jihad.

Of course Tariq Ramadan, the Islamic scholar and explainer of Islam to the West - the highly respected academic whose vision of Islam is that of side-by-side strength and veracity of vision with that of Western democracy, calming the fears of suspicion, and the darling of the liberal left - is following in the footsteps of his father Said, son-in-law of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood; more subtle, attuned to the nuances required to quiet Western fears.

This is not quite the message being delivered at the Journey of Faith conference in Toronto. Their chief guest speaker having been denied a visitor's visa delivered his message via teleconferencing techniques, a lecture yet to be reported on, and possibly not reflective at this particular time of his usual hate-filled lectures condemning Jews and Christians and cleaving to the agenda of Osama bin Laden.

All seemed to be sweetness and light as thousands of attendees absorbed rhythmic Koranic recitations in the only language that the Koran recognizes. Female attendees, presumably Canadians all, garbed in hijabs and niqabs as befitted the occasion. Now this is really refreshing. Lectures of brotherly forgiveness alongside the imperative of closely following the messages of the Koran.

By which kind of interpretation, now that's the core issue.