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MUSLIM COMMUNITY NEEDS TO DO MORE ON HOMEGROWN TERRORISM
7-08-2014
The act of terrorism carried out on June 12, by a Canadian Muslim Youth fighting in Iraq, Salman Ashrafi, who also went by the nom de guerre Abu Abdullah Al Khorasani, and calls out Canada for its meddling in the Middle East, should serve as a wakeup call for every parent to realize how vulnerable their children really are to have been fallen in trap of would be recruiter selling the idea of express pass to paradise and an all-expense paid one way ticket to Iraq and Syria.
Muslim youth in western hemisphere are being drawn to extremism and violence in the name of Islam. A new group of Islamic fighters, ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, using extreme measure to enforce their supremacy and power, and they seem to be well funded, often even sponsoring travel cost for those who wish to join them, and apparently, gender is no longer an issue.
AlAmeen Editorial board in past have tried to address these concerns, in our September 2013 issue after a CBC Report about the Canadian Muslim Youth being conscripted to fight war in Syria. Situation since then has been worsening. More and more Canadian Muslim youth are being sold the idea of martyrdom by suicide bombing – the fastest way to enter paradise.
Finally, the Canadian Council of Imams have come to recognize the severity of the problem and its overall impact on Canadian Muslims and our society, thus taking a stand to prevent more Canadian Muslim youth falling in the trap of would be conspirator, and before signing the dotted line to join them. This welcoming news came last week, just days after CBC broke the story on several Canadian Muslim Youth from Calgary ended up being dead, by suicide bombing in Iraq.
However, much more need to be done, whatever efforts are being applied are merely a drop in the bucket. The Islamic leadership as well as Canadian government needs to recognize that we have a serious issue on our hand and no one group can tackle it on its own. If the government expects Muslim leaders and Imams to come up with the solution to the problem without any support it is a recipe for disaster because it simply cannot be achieved. Similarly, if Muslim Leaders feel that government has some magic wand which the can wave and this problem will disappear is also very unrealistic.
What is truly needed at this point to prevent more of Canadian Muslim Youth joining groups overseas fighting in the name of Islam is all parties with vested interests dome together and devise a strategy to prevent such reoccurrence as Salman Ashrafi, and Damian Clairmont.
Canada’s national post reported, “Drafted at a meeting two weeks ago, the decree issued by the Canadian Council of Imams says those who participate in overseas wars are breaking the laws of Canada and violating Islamic principles.”
“Canadian Muslims are law-abiding citizens and no one should get involved in international wars on the belief and excuse that they are helping their Muslim brothers,” reads the statement. “Canadian Muslims who might do this are promoting disloyalty to their government.”
This is well and good, however the question remains how many of the youths actually heard or read this statement? And even if those youth who did read or hear about it, what impact did it really have on them? Our point exactly! We need to be doing more than simply lip service, issuing statements, these are all well and good for two minute sound byte on TV or press release. Nonetheless, step in right direction, but not enough.
There needs to be classes, lectures, seminars needed to be held to change the mindset. Fortunately, Canada has not been as much of an attraction for would be recruiters as many other western nations, especially, UK, France, and U.S. has been. It is needless to state, according to CSIS report at least 30 Canadians youth have managed to make their way to Syria. That is a very large number, and it could be anyone of our children.
The chair of the Canadian Council of Imams, he said youths in particular need guidance. “If we are not able to approach them or to guide them in the right way, they may be tripped up by someone,” he said. “And it affects the whole community.”
Its time for the community to come together and approach this issue to protect our children; as we can no longer live in our comfort zone thinking our children could never be drawn into such notion, etc. every child, as far as we can see is vulnerable.
The Islamic Information Society of Calgary said it had been preaching against taking part in foreign conflicts, and called upon all Canadian Muslim organizations to do more to fight extremism.
“Our message to the youth has been crystal clear: if someone is telling you that you will go to paradise by blowing yourself up in a plane, a train or a public place taking your life and the lives of innocent people, then he is misleading you and committing a crime against the whole society and against the Islamic religion itself,” said Hacene Chebbani.
We need to educate our children and assist them in developing street smart on how not to fall into the traps of would be recruiter. The only way it could be achieved when various establishments, community, parents, leaders, law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, and government join forces to prevent next Salman Ashrafi or Damian Clairmont.
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