Never Too Many

Ordinary, law-abiding Muslims who feel no animus toward others and feel affronted that they are besmirched with the notoriety and fear that the world has assumed in the wake of countless depraved and deliberate acts of violent bloodshed by vicious jihadists resent that they are expected by non-Muslims to verbally and forcefully reject the tide of violent extremism that has coloured their religion's reputation a deep, dark black.

In a sense, they may be right, for they are by and large eager to be part of the society they have chosen to adopt as their own in Canada, one long familiar with an admixture of languages, cultures, ethnicities overlaid on the original English and French and Aboriginals who together founded this country.  But without that unequivocal condemnation, and with the knowledge that among them live supporters of extremism, there will never exist trust.

So that when individuals like Tarek Fatah and Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Raheel Raza, influential Muslim intellectuals and writers, take up their pen and their human rights banners and reject Islamism making it abundantly clear where their sympathies lie, there can never be too many who follow their example, renouncing and denouncing the will to violate others' human rights in the purported practise of their religion.

Raheel Raza, author of Their Jihad, Not My Jihad: A Muslim Canadian Woman Speaks Out, though she was a member of the Muslim Canadian Congress, founded by people like Tarek Fatah whose campaign to reveal, condemn and delegitimize violent Islam where it nestles itself covertly in Canadian Muslim society, has now decided to found another anti-extremist group to supplement the work of the Muslim Canadian Congress.

She sees a need and a purpose in holding workshops and conferences to bring young Muslims uncertain of themselves into the fold of people like herself whose love of Islam has not led them to despise other religions, the heritage of other ethnic groups and cultures, but rather to embrace them for the greater good and honouring the diversity of humankind. She has invited into her new Muslims Facing Tomorrow group, like-minded groups existing elsewhere.

She has also created an advisory board comprised of both Muslims and non-Muslims, all of whom have a vested interest in moving forward with an inclusive agenda, one that seeks to further the interests of true pluralism, rejecting narrow-minded bigotry, and above all, conflicts between people.  When asked in an interview to describe her reasons and her intentions she was clear and forthright:

"The youth are our main interest because they're the future of Canada.  In fact, if you were to ask me what my personal interest in this organization is, it's the future of my children and grandchildren.  What we want to do is set up workshops, panels, conferences - that sort of thing.  To the best of my knowledge, the Muslim Canadian Congress hasn't really done this.  The MCC does wonderful work, don't get me wrong.
"What [congress founder] Tarek Fatah has done to set the foundation of this voice against the extremists is absolutely phenomenal, and that's why I was among the people who helped him set it up.  But there comes a time when you feel it's important to have more voices.  When people ask 'where are the voices of the moderate Muslims?' we want to be able to say there is more than one organization working toward the safety and well-being of Canada."

More power to this courageous, determined woman and all those who feel and think and commit selflessly as she does.