Islamaphobia M-103 [Stop Playing the Victim Card]

In the House of Commons, a Liberal Member of Parliament is in the process of fulfilling Andy Warhol’s prophesy that each person, at some point in one’s life, they will possess fame for at least 15 minutes.

Andy Warhol, the renowned graphic artist actually said “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes” almost 50 years ago by implying that in his view of a rapidly evolving world on instant telecommunications, it would be reasonable to expect that each mortal could avail him/herself of instant publicity.  However, Warhol cautioned that fame is short lived.

Warhol also stated that, “Everyone should like everyone.”

In my mind, Warhol’s most relevant statement informed us that if we really wanted to understand him, we merely had to accept the face value of his artistic works.

The recent dash by Mississauga-Erin Mills Member of Parliament, Iqra Khalid to grab her very own famous fifteen minutes is wrapped up inside a Private Member’s Motion (thus probably not an official government (read Liberal) bill) in Canada’s House of Commons.

Silence is never a suitable answer when something or someone is wrong-minded.  I have grave difficulty accepting Ms. Khalid’s action as genuine, sincere or in the best interest of all Canadians.  In fact, it is divisive and disingenuous.

Islamaphobia?  What is this?

Therein is the first TWO problems.  I flipped through the three dictionaries in my library and was unable to even locate this word!  Therein is a giant problem as Ms. Khalid is asking Canada’s parliament to contemplate criminalization of something not yet defined.

A neologism   is the term used when a person invents a new word.  Shakespeare is credited with introducing almost 1,800 neologisms.  Shakespeare was brilliant enough to recognize verbal boundaries and adapt a new word (or neologism) to suit his purposes.  With all respect, I have listened to Ms. Khalid’s rhetoric pertaining to this “islamaphobia” and can  find very little similarity between her pedestrian and crude logic and the works of Shakespeare.

 

Khalid’s grasping of fame, occurring as it did amid the hyper-sensationalism of the Ste. Foy mosque shootings smacks of opportunism and it is a shame that a Member of Parliament would choose to use sensationalism to tie up the workings of Canada’s parliament to debate something that is as un-Canadian as terrorism or racism.

At its heart, Khalid’s motion (M-103) does more harm than good by citing one faith group or one set of  beliefs as requiring “special protection” in a country that has become multi-cultural.

For anything to be considered a criminal act, it needs to first be defined.  Islamaphobia is defined nowhere. Thus, it can be something or it can be everything failing that; it is nothing.

A phobia?

A phobia is an unfounded fear of something.  I dare say that most Canadians have no such “unfounded” fear of Muslims.  On the other hand, there are deplorable actions carried out by Muslims daily throughout the world.  Thus, a fear of evil actions largely by one faith group anywhere is not an “unfounded fear”.

I have spoken with several Canadians and landed immigrants here in Canada who professes to follow the teachings of Muhammad.  Rest assured, Ms. Khalid does not speak for the majority of Muslims – in Canada; in area code 905 or in Mississauga.

The Muslims that I have contacted in the past three days share these two things: (1) a genuine, well-founded fear of evil events that did (and still) occur in the name of religion in their former homelands and (2) a genuine worry that fanaticism in the name of religion is following them here to Canada.

It is much more worrisome to the majority of Muslims in Canada that they must fear retaliations from extreme members of their own faith group should they even dare to speak out against fanaticism.  It must be heartbreaking to see and feel the tennicles of religious policing attempting to rob them of even one of the freedoms they sought by immigrating to Canada – a democratic land of laws.

I truly came to understand why it is that GOOD Muslims remain silent to carnage incorrectly conducted by fanatics in the name of Islam.  I have been convinced that silence towards domestic fanatics (here in Canada) is based on a genuine fear.  Canada’s political correctness an unwillingness to safeguard the interests of non-fanatical Muslims is not a phobia – it is a genuine reality that these folks are being forced to condone inside a country that promised much more.

Why a Special Law?

Iqra  Khalid is a parliamentarian and by definition is a “law-maker”.  As such, it is a reasonable expectation that she first understands Canada’s laws before launching into her own attempts to create law.

Canada already has tried and proven laws on the books pertaining to hate crimes.  Moreover, there are volumes of case law examples showing what happens when a hate crime is proved (in court) to have happened.

The Criminal Code of Canada states:

Public incitement of hatred

• 319(1) Every one who, by communicating statements in any public place, incites hatred against any identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace is guilty of
  • (a)an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; or
  • (b)an offence punishable on summary conviction.

(2) Every one who, by communicating statements, other than in private conversation, wilfully promotes hatred against any identifiable group is guilty of

(a)an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; or

(b)an offence punishable on summary conviction.

In fact, laws already exist that protect minorities from discrimination even if such discrimination is not a hate-crime.

Her biographical information indicates that Ms.Khalid studied law at a USA University.  She would “do well” (as a barrister ought) to at least become familiar with the Keegsra case (R v Keegstra, [1990] 3 S.C.R. 697).

Keegstra was a school teacher who was found guilty (Supreme Court) of hate crimes.  Keegstra’s failed defense was that he was relying of Constitutional based freedoms including freedom of expression.

Keegstra’s defense failed and the Court found that the right of shelter from “hate crimes” even prevails over one’s right to free speech.  While I am free to use the word “fire” I am not free to shout “fire” in a theater filled with patrons.

Blasphemy Laws

Section 318-320 of Canada’s Criminal Code does not make specific reference to Antisemitism.  Yet that section of the Criminal Code ws more than sufficient to find Keegstra guilty by way of his Anti-Semitic rantings.  To create (as wished by Ms. Khalid a special set of rules pertaining to Muslims creates a secondary bother/concern for ordinary/everyday Muslims living here in Canada. Several of them pointed out to me that Ms.Khalid’s efforts amount to attempts to bring into Canadian law something that the majority of Muslims opposed in Muslim majority countries: Blasphemy legislation.

In its annual religious freedom report, the USA  State Department singled out Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Pakistan and Mauritania as being among the countries where deviating from the religious norm carries harsh penalties.

I did something quite unique. I actually read the entire Quran as well as the 6 Hadiths. I genuinely doubt that Ms. Khalid has given the same respect for the Judeo-Christian holy books.

If one needs explanation as to why it is that the majority of Muslims living in Canada have genuine cause to fear the true motives behind Iqra Khalid’s ill-conceived attempt to foist a preferential law dealing only with Islam into existence here in  one needs to spend some time reading the Quran and Hadiiths.

— Quran 33:57

Those who annoy Allah and His Messenger – Allah has cursed them in this World and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating Punishment.

— Quran 33:61

Truly, if the Hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up sedition in the City, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbors for any length of time: They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy).

In the Muslim dominated homelands that many have fled, the imposition of anti-blasphemy laws is referred to as the CRIME of apostasy.

Among the literally thousands of perceived offences to Alah and/or Muhammad as such things as :

speaking ill of Allah.; finding fault with Muhammad; slighting a prophet who is mentioned in the Qur’an; or slighting a member of Muhammad’s family; claiming to be a prophet or a messenger; Visual depictions of Muhammad; writing Muhammad’s name on the walls of a toilet or naming a teddy bear Muhammad.

Punishment is death.

This attempt by Iqra Khalid to promote/incite division by way of race-baiting has no place in Canada and puts the majority of Muslims living peacefully inside of Canada at extreme risk to being accused apostasy simply because they attempt to be reasonable citizens of this country.

Shame on Trudeau and shame on the entire Liberal caucus for condoning Khalid’s actions. Shame on all of you!

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