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Canada's "War on terror" - Under the Prism of Suspicion
3-12-2014
On February 25th, Roxanne James, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Public Security and Emergency Preparedness Minister, met with the Muslim community leaders in Toronto for their input to strengthen the national security. Time has arrived where the government needs to put their money where their mouth is, rather than making Canadians feel like that the Canadian Muslims are under the prism of suspicion.
It is high time where government needs to start allocating resources, provide appropriate funding to the Muslim Communities to fight terrorism and strengthen national security, if it does so feel that such a threat exist.
We are about to enter the fourteenth year in this Global “War on Terror” and Canadian Government officials are still at the preliminary stages of holding “Dialogues” with the Community leaders.
Holding meetings, and dialogues, with handful of community leaders and issuing press releases afterwards to demonstrate government is “Concerned” is not the way to combat terrorism and strengthening national security. The correct way would be to allocate meaningful resources.
Frankly speaking, from a Canadian Muslim perspective such efforts bring more harm than good to the Canadian Muslim Communities across the country. As it further demonizes Muslims, raising suspicions about them, thus further fuelling, which Stats Canada confirms, and reflected in rising hate crime. Especially this rise is attributed to an increase in hate crimes targeting Canadian Muslims. We hope this is not what the real intent of the Government officials are.
This is simply not limited to the Muslim Communities, rather many other ethnic minorities, whether it is to deal with gang violence among notable groups, such as: Indo-Canadians, Chinese, and Filipinos.
The news release issued by Ms. Rozanne James office, on February 25th, 2014 stated, “Our Government is keeping our streets and communities safe. Part of that work includes engaging leaders from various communities across Canada in an ongoing dialogue on public safety issues and hearing about their concerns.
Today, I spoke with the Muslim communities from the Greater Toronto area and Southern Ontario, in order to examine a number of issues of importance related to community safety, including national security. Community input and engagement are key to our efforts to strengthen national security. These communities have shown a great willingness to work with law enforcement and desire to take an active role in keeping their community safe.”
This is a commendable effort by the government, but when an average Canadian Muslim learns about such meetings numbers of questions are being raised in their minds. Questions such: what is the intent? Simply because, so many such meetings have taken place across the country by between government officials on various levels, and Muslim Community leaders, yet bearing no fruits. So exactly what is the purpose and intent of these so-called meetings? There is no “Action Plan” presented, and no “Resources have been allocated to address the concerns which the government views it as “concerning” or have been highlighted by the Community leaders.
In fact what these meetings project or reflect is that Muslim Community as the ones who are in need of assistance, where crime is rampant, and presents the biggest threat to the national security. The facts are far from it. The reality is, Muslim community is not in any greater need of assistance than the rest. In fact, what the government should be concentrating on is the rising hate crime statistics, targeting Canadian Muslims. Finally, the fact remains, no act of terrorism has been carried out by Canadian Muslim in Canada, ever.
Some meetings, where AlAmeen editorial staff has even participated could be deemed as productive, just to the extent of getting to know the government wants to help. However, in what terms has never been made clear. It seems as if the government officials are completing the formality instituted upon them to meet the community leaders, once a year or so. Therefore, the government official invite Muslim leaders, provide halal lunch, put a tick mark besides Muslim Community on their calendars – Done – and that’s about the extent of it.
It has been established by virtue of facts that since no act of terrorism has taken place in Canada by a Canadian Muslim that Canadian Muslims are not really posing the threat which the media can sometime project. Nonetheless, it cannot be ignored. No one understands this better than the Canadian Muslims and the negative impact it may have overall. Mosque management usually remains vigilant about it. Since it cannot be ignored, Muslim community cannot fight it alone. It requires expertise and allocation of resources, which can only come from the government. Thereby, the government needs to provide more than just lip service “Community input and engagements are key to our efforts to strengthen national security.”
It’s time to allocate meaningful resources towards “engagement.” Mosque Management committees just do not have the financial resources to snoop around fellow Muslims to prevent next terror attack.
For the past so many years after numerous meetings the government has yet to commit a dime towards providing programs for the community – Only “Dialogues” – “Dialogues” which have gone nowhere beyond the conference rooms.
Valuable time, energy, and resources are wasted in bureaucracy rather than prevention strategies among minority communities.
Government needs to demonstrate their determination and commitment towards elimination of threats to national security, both internal and external if it so feels where one group might be more vulnerable to fall in the trap, and the way to do it is by allocating meaningful resources whether it’s a gang violence, drug war, or war on terror. Holding a meeting once a year, and issuing a press release, amounts to nothing more than racial profiling, which the entire community ends up paying the price for it.
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