"How You Live in Canada"

"If possible could your organization please inform me if you do secure a location and date/time for the potential screening of this film.
"As you are aware this film has caused controversy and we would appreciate your assistance so that we may plan for any potential demonstrations here in Ottawa."
Ottawa Police Intelligence Service detective

Canada girds itself for a backlash if and when a group calling itself Canadians United Against Terror, inspired by the head of the Canadian Hindu Advocacy, whose original brainstorm it was to air the film Innocence of Muslims in Toronto sets a date and secure a copy of the film for public show.  Toronto police will be placed on notice, and police in other areas of the country will also like to be informed ahead of the event.

There are those who deplore this seemingly misguided attempt at 'teaching' Muslims toleration by prodding them once again to outrage.  It doesn't seem a very good idea to heat up an ungovernable exchange in Canada when we look at what's occurring in the outside world with Muslims gathering their collective rage in assaults on foreign embassies, in destroying symbols of the West, in looting, torching and killing.

But, one could argue that it's just that berserk reaction that itself leads rational minds to feel that the only way to bring such primitive reactions to the reality of the modern world is to expose that collective mindset time and again to cultural shocks through become accustomed to Western freedoms that may eventually turn violent emotions toward civility.  It's not going to happen. 

On the other hand, an entire civilization cannot govern itself tentatively on the assumption that what it treasures in the way of free expression cannot be practised because less civil, more primitive societies will react violently.  In an attempt to placate what appeared on the ground to practised diplomatic minds as a vicious visceral response to news of the U.S.-produced video on the Egyptian public, the U.S. Embassy produced an immediate mea culpa.

Instead of supporting its democratic values unequivocally by appealing to rationality, the statement catered to bruised sensibilities by insisting that the embassy condemned "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims".  The U.S. Coptic Christians were responding to their historical persecution as Egyptians by the majority Muslims, by relating, however crudely, their vision of the Prophet Mohammad: free speech.

John Baird, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs stated Canada's position with some clarity: "People should be respectful of others in the case of religion.  At the same time this is Canada.  We are a free country where people enjoy freedom and liberties.  I'm not going to apologize for those values that Canadians hold dear."  

In point of fact, Muslims broadly have not been practising the Golden Rule to 'Do Unto Others', and have taken to violent reaction when others do unto them as they have been done.


In Pakistan ravening mobs have filled the streets, shouting "death to Americans!", and echoing the sentiment for Jews as well.  "An attack on the holy Prophet is an attack on the core belief of 1.5 billion Muslims.  Therefore, this is something that is unacceptable", Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashram proclaimed in an address to a religious conference in Islamabad.  Evidently, wild rampaging mobs are acceptable.

And in Canada, two Canadian Coptic Christians now fear for their lives after being placed on an Egptian-compiled list of those who have been linked to the production of the infamous video.  Nader Fawzy and Jacques Attala, named and sought by Egypt for involvement in production, distribution or promotion of Innocence of Muslims believe they have been named to silence their activism that embarrasses official Egypt.

The two men, now under police protection, have been advised to keep things quietly under wraps.  "I'm not sure it does anyone any good to discuss these issues publicly", said a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.  To which an infuriated Nader Fawzy responded: "Why I should be quiet?  Is the Canadian government, because they are scared from those people, they are going to change the way how you live in Canada?"