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2015 will be remebered as the year of hope over fear
12-30-2015
As we usher in the New Year, 2016, we need to reflect back in the past 2015, what a year it has been. From Canadian-Muslim community’s perspective, it has been a year, which could be described as a wild ride on an emotional roller coaster. It had its highs as well as its lows, it had its fair share to ups and downs, turns and twists, leaping between hope and fear, while experiencing political activism at its best, simultaneously, witnessing a steep rise in Islamophobia. No matter what we as a community endured, our situation today as can be summed up in words of singer song writer Huey Lewis, “We’ve had some fun, yes we’ve had our ups and downs, been down that rocky road, here we are still around… all the same friends and the same address.”
Regardless of all the attacks on Islam and Muslims. The biggest achievement for us as a community was rising to the occasion to bring about a necessary change within the Canadian political structure to prevent the further spread of such Anti-Muslim, xenophobic sentiments within the Canadian society. In a process we as a community managed to have Muslim representation in the Ivory Tower of Canadian politics, reflecting our population. This was our biggest achievement as a community.
If we reflect back, we can probably say this was the year when Islamophobia in Canada really flourished. The most unfortunate aspect of it was that it was being fanned by our past Conservative PM, Mr. Harper, himself, as he miserably tried to position himself as the champion of Canadians safety, at the expense of Canadian-Muslims. At the end Canadians sent a strong message that Canada includes Muslims, and the true Canadian values are of tolerance and inclusiveness. This was our second biggest achievement, many thanks to fellow Canadians who are tolerant and understand that that Islam is a religion of peace, and majority of Muslims are not terrorists.
This despite the fact that Harper’s Anti-Muslim, Anti-Niqab rhetoric was too strong, especially in light of shooting at the Parliament, in late 2014, and the seeds of hatred and contempt that the Conservatives have sown will take years to eliminate.
As we also realize that we are not immune from rising Islamophobia around the globe, and events half way around the world, such as Paris Bombing, can unleash the ugliness in individual’s right here in our neighbourhoods, against fellow Muslim-Canadians - especially women in hijab, and our places of worships that become immediate targets.
Needless to say the Harper government took full advantage of the incident at the parliament, by turning their guns on Canadian Muslims. Neither he, nor did any other Conservative MP, utter a single word in support of Canadian Muslims. In fact, they collectively, intensified their Anti-Muslim rhetoric, declaring their crusade as the Conservative MP’s, Ministers, and even past PM making comments such as, "It doesn't matter what the age of the person is, or whether they're in a basement, or whether they're in a mosque or somewhere else," thus adding fuel to the fire of Islamophobia. Fortunately, the fire is out, at least for now, but little sparks remain and have the tendency to light up, now and then.
The biggest blow to Canadian Muslim community came as the Harper government introduced Bill C-24, the Dual Citizenship Bill, passed on June 10, 2015, a week later, Bill S-7, the Barbaric Cultural Practices Act, passed on June 17, 2015. All of it in midst of Harper Government previously declared crusade against the Niqab during Citizenship Ceremony, which was making its way through the appeal courts as the lower courts have already declared it “unconstitutional.”
Shortly after passing numerous Anti-Muslim Omnibus bills the Harper government announced the elections, and begin launching, literally, carpet bombing Canadians with their divisive politics of hatred clearly targeting Muslims. As Mr. Harper at the center of it all, hoping to cash in votes by Muslim Bashing, and just shave off enough votes and seats to form a slim majority government. It was too much for Canadians to bear, and the rest of the world to bear. New York Times, headline, “Canada has its Trump Moment.” The Economist, “Harper is Muslim Bashing as a Campaign Tactic.” UK’s Guardian, “Harper is using Islamophobia to make gains in polls.” Washington Post, “Harper is playing a dangerous xenophobic game.” The best one ever, Esquire Magazine, “What the f—k is going on up in Canada?”
It would take volumes to write on Harper’s xenophobic, Anti-Islamic rhetoric, and it would take decades to weed out the seeds of Islamophobia in Canada, sown by the Conservatives. The good news is the process has already begun.
The early present was handed by the courts, as they courts threw out Conservative driven Niqab ban at the Citizenship ceremony, as sister Zunera Ishaq took her citizenship oath with the Niqab broadcasted nationwide – a big slap on the face for the Harper government.
Fortunately, Canadians rejected his divisive, hate base, xenophobic politics with their highest level of political activism ever.
According to poll conducted by The Canadian-Muslim Vote (TCMV), nationwide, seventy-nine percent of Muslims voted in the past federal elections. It is important to note that the nine ridings in Toronto, Canada where at least one of the candidates representing a major political party was a Muslim, also had the highest Muslim voters’ participation, at eighty-eight percent. Compared to Vancouver, which in fact, according to TCMV, had the lowest Muslim Voters participation at seventy-one percent.
Nonetheless, the positive news is the increased political activism among Canadian Muslims led to an incredible increase in voter’s participation from previously, forty six percent. This is something to celebrate as a community as probably our biggest achievement as a community.
As a community we may feel that the year 2015 was the worst year to be a Canadian Muslim. However, the reality is, it was the best year to be a Canadian Muslim. The Canadian Muslims really highlighted their best and demonstrating the state of Taqwa – Living in state of Fear and Hope. Fearing Allah’s punishment and hoping in his mercy to forgive us. 2015 was the year that shows us what happens when we as a community work collectively, regardless of our differences, to achieve something. It is now up to us to ensure this spirit of cooperation and togetherness continues as we enter 2016. Let’s aim to eradicate Islamophobia in 2016 – United together!
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