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The politics of Fear
3-10-2015
A recent Bollywood movie PK opening public's eyes about powerful people in authority exploiting average person's simplicity to their own advantage. PK, the main character was an alien astronaut, dispatched to earth to study humans. He landed in India. A diverse multicultural land of many ethnicities divided along the religious lines. His only contact with the mother planet was a remote control, which would allow him to call mother ship was snatched away moments after he landed. While searching for the remote he learned the only person who could help him get his remote back was the Bhagwaan (Hindu Deity), which he realized were more than one.
After failing to get back his remote through Hindu deities, he was advised to seek assistance in Christianity's Jesus, then to Sikh faith, and eventually with Allah. It took him a while to learn human's ways, and their mode of operation. He concluded, all denomination's deities were the same, their methods of approaching them was somewhat different.
He also concluded that in actuality, it was not the various deities that were wrong, it was their "Agents" or authorities in each denomination's that were creating confusion among people. Simply stated, these "Agents" were thriving by "Fooling" their followers with their weapons of mass deception, by instilling FEAR in their hearts against others. Something, the Conservatives are doing now as they prepare for the next Federal elections. Instilling FEAR in hearts of Canadians, especially, their core Vote bank by taking pot shots at Muslims in general.
The Conservatives have clearly intensified their attacks on Islam and Muslims on every opportunity at their avail, whether its the issue of Hijab or veil at the citizenship ceremony, to making generalization about Muslims in Afghanistan to Nigeria. The lead "Agent" in this propaganda of Fear against Islam and Muslims is none other than Canada's former Immigration as well as Multicultural Minister Mr. Jason Kenney.
As recently as March 11, 2015 Mr. Kenney regarding Canadian deployment against ISIL stated, "Obviously Canada has many concerns about the nature and intentions of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said, adding the government is worried about the sectarian divisions in Iraq, exemplified by the Iranian involvement.
To mark International Women's Day 2015 Mr. Kenney twitted photographs of Muslim girls in chains with a message thanking Canadian Forces for joining the fight against #ISIL's campaign to enslave women and girls. However, the picture he twitted along with the message was depicted a re-enactment that is part of the annual Ashura ceremony from various parts of Muslim countries. The Muslim groups across the country has spoken out denouncing Mr. Kenney's message.
Liberal Party leader, Mr. Justin Trudeau have equally spoken out against tactics being employed by the Conservatives to woo their voters as un-Canadian, stating, "Mr. Stephen Harper is pandering to fears about Muslims with his insistence that no one should be allowed to wear a veil while taking the Oath of Citizenship."
The Liberal leader says Harper's stance - which the Conservative party has enthusiastically embraced to rally support, raise money and pad its voter data base - is unworthy of a prime minister in such a diverse, multicultural country.
In another hard-hitting speech at McGill University, Mr. Trudeau, accused Tories of using the same kind of rhetoric against Muslims that sparked other "Dark Episodes" in Canada's History. Reference to "Second-Class Citizenship" of aboriginal people, interment of Japanese Canadians during second world war, Chinese Head tax, and "turning away" boatloads of Jewish and Punjabi refugees.
During March 11, question period Mr. Trudeau asked the speaker directing a question at the Prime Minister, "Can he please explain to Canada's half million Muslim women why he said their chosen faith is Anti-Women?"
During same debate, the Official Opposition NDP Leader Mr.Tom Mulcair chastised Harper and Trudeau Wednesday, accusing them of using inflammatory language in the debate over whether a woman has the right to wear a niqab at a citizenship ceremony.
"Mr. Harper specifically singles out mosques [in the debate]. That leads to Islamophobia and that's irresponsible," Mulcair said Wednesday on his way out of the NDP's weekly caucus meeting.
Whatever the objectives and aspirations of the Conservatives, the PM and Key cabinet ministers might be, one thing is certain as we approach the Federal Elections, Mr. Harper and his Conservatives have made it very clear that they have an issue with Islam and Muslims in general and everyone can see that. It is clear they are also thriving on creating fears about Muslims, confusing the Canadian public. The only problem with employing such a strategy in Canada is that Canadians are not naive like PK and it would not take them long to figure out what they are trying to achieve with their Islamophobic sentiment.
Mr. Harper good luck in the next federal election you'll certainly need it.
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