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PM Harper's Iftar Dinner in Ramadhan – Time of Forgiveness
6-30-2015
As Muslims we are supposed to judge individuals based on their actions at face value, and avoid guessing their motives and intent behind their actions. Only Allah knows the true motives and intent of an individual. If an individual harbours ill intent – hidden agenda – what seemingly looks like an excellent action than it is between that individual and Allah. If these are the parameters, than we would like to acknowledge Prime Minister Harper’s act of inviting Muslims for an Iftaar Dinner (Breaking Fast during Ramadan) a gesture of good will on his part.
Whether you agree or disagree with our stance, the fact remains, by doing so, he becomes the first ever Canadian PM to host an Iftaar Dinner for Canadian Muslims, at his official residence, 24 Sussex Drive, Ottawa.
We fully understand and acknowledge the animosity and mistrusts that exists between the current Conservative governments, based on their past eight year records of, thriving on “Toxic Anti-Muslim Rhetoric.” Many also view this as an eleventh hour attempt – “Ploy” – to appease Canadian Muslims, as we head to the polls this fall, and one Iftaar Dinner will not wipe out eight years of demonizing Canadian Muslims, turning them into a second class citizens.
May we remind our readers, look at the bright side, PM Harper attempt to rub a soothing ointment on an open gouging wound of Canadian Muslims is a clear indication that the PM and the Conservatives can no longer “Ignore” the Canadian Muslim Bloc Vote. It is by far the largest ethnic Bloc Vote in the country – Yes – The Largest!
Undoubtedly, PM Harper and his Conservatives realized that they are skating on very thin ice. More than Half Million Canadian Muslims will be deemed eligible to cast their votes this fall. The magic number usually required to legally and peacefully change, replace, or discard any government in a Canadian Federal Elections.
However, keeping aside all guesses and insinuation. Let’s face it. A clear attempt was made by the PM to reach out to Canadian Muslims. Only two other world leaders, David Cameron, UK, and Barack Obama, US, has held Iftaar dinner regularly at their official residences. PM Harper becomes the third, so he is among top three now.
Does this signal a change of heart on the part of the PM, or some shift in policy on how the Conservatives have stickhandled Canadian Muslims over the past eight years. Only time will tell.
How each individual will vote in the upcoming federal elections will be dependent upon his or her choice. How much political mileage Mr. Harper may have gained with the Iftaar. For all intense purposes, may be not much, but as the saying goes, “It’s a thought that counts.”
Imagine a young Muslim doctor made call to prayers in PM living room, and people broke their fast, and later prayed their Salah. None of it could have occurred if the PM had not taken the initiative to hold the Iftaar at his home.
We are quiet certain the Conservatives had calculated everything before, such as how Canadians will react, how Muslim Canadians will react, and most importantly, how their own supporters will react? From all accounts it was a bold move on the part of the PM to hold this dinner knowing the negative implications this might have on him and his party. Yet he went ahead and did it anyways, and this is where the credit is due.
So whatever his motives might be, we don’t know, but for his act of inviting Muslims at his home for Iftaar, we feel that we should at least remember him in our prayers during Ramadan, and Pray to Allah to soften his heart, and guide him to the right path.
Anything is possible, we have an example of Dutch Parliamentarian, Arnoud Van Doorn, of Anti-Islamic Dutch Freedom Party of Geert Wilders. He not only accepted Islam, after closely studying the religion, he apologized to Muslims for spreading hatred towards them. Currently he is the president of European Dawah Foundation, and Ambassadors of Celebrity relation for the Canadian Dawah Association.
And we need to reflect back and back again, at the life of our beloved Prophet Mohammed PBUH, most of his staunches enemies accepted Islam due to his kind and forgiving nature. Whether, it was Omer Bin Khattab who was on his way to Kill Prophet Mohammed PBUH, who ultimately went on to become one the greatest Caliph . Then there is the example of Prophet Honouring Abu Sufyan on the eve of the conquest of Makkah, and forgiving all for more than two decades of injustices, torturing and killing of Muslims, some of the martyrs his closest relative. The height of his act of forgiveness is Akrama Bin Abu Jahl, the man who personally took the task of assassinating Prophet Mohmmed PBUH, living his father’s legacy, and at the end when he realized that it is not possible, thus surrendering before the Prophet. What did the prophet do, Forgive, Forgive, Forgive!
Allah has mentioned three times in the Holy Quran, but the most notable and the verses which most people have at one stage learned or heard, comes from Surah Fussilat “And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.” 41:34
There is an amazing power in forgiving. As demonstrated by act of forgiveness by our Prophet and confirmed to us in the Holy Quran.
Therefore this Ramadan we request our readers to accept PM Harper’s attempt of opening his home to Muslim Canadians for an Iftaar Dinner at face value, a gesture of good will, and pray to Allah that, may Allah guide him to the right path (Ameen).
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