Letters Accuses Harper of Racism

A letter signed by 185 groups and individuals charges that Harper is anti-Muslim.

Harper government anti-Muslim, letter charges.
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Signed by Muslim and non-Muslim lawyers, academics, and public policy commentators, the letter says Harper's silence and inaction on Khadr's case is much different than his approach to other cases, and suggests it is motivated by a lack of regard for Muslim Canadians.

I think this letter is deserving of comment, and I have to say I agree with the central charge of this letter. This is a serious allegation and for the first time in recent times the government of Canada has been accused of racism.

I have no sympathies with the Khadr family and I wish the US soldiers who captured him had put a bullet right and prevented us from dealing with this saga. However, he has been captured alive and it is Canada's duty to see justice prevails.

If he is guilty, punish him. If he is innocent, bring him home. To have him remain in limbo is not justice, and the "new" government of Canada has dragged its heels.

On the flip side, I am surprised the help provided to Lebanese-Canadians during the Israel attack on Lebanon in 2006 is not mentioned by the letter.

Dion wishes Muslims on Laylat al-Qadr

Today I was pleasantly surprised to see a statement from Stéphane Dion, the leader of the Liberal party and the Hon. Leader of the Opposition in Canada.

On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all of you who observe Laylat al-Qadr during Ramadan.

As this is the holiest night of Ramadan, when the Qur’an was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad by God, I know that you and your families will be taking this opportunity to pray, to reflect and to meditate.

I would like to highlight the important lessons that come from this spiritual evening. This night teaches values of sincerity and forgiveness which I believe should be a part of every person’s life. Your culture and religion, which espouses these principles, help to demonstrate the richness of diversity that Canada has and our country is a better place for it.

As you gather at your mosques or in your homes with loved ones tonight, I wish you a rewarding day.[source]

It's really reaching out to Muslims. I have seen politicians greet us on Eid before, but this is specific, man.

And then we have Walmart with Ramadan specials to know we have truly arrived!As an aside you gotta love how Walmart has 2-for-1 (Ramadan AND Eid Mubarak) on one banner - truly lower costs!).

One person is missing in action though - our Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

UPS and Skirts

I have been following these stories with some interest.

Muslims fired over long skirts, tribunal told

Worker hiked skirt to be safer at work

As an armchair critic I have to say UPS is wrong on this issue and they have to change their guidelines if necessary to ensure these women's religious guidelines are met.

There are no two ways about this - a Muslim woman HAS to cover to below her knees. It is not the case they they are applying to Hooters for a job - a job which is basically at odds with their religion. These women were applying to be line workers at UPS and those jobs should be open to everyone.

There is a line in the sand and the UPS guidelines cross it.

It is not the case that Harper can make about women needing to unveil their faces for identification - something not mandated by law by the way - the safety guidelines that exist are either outdated with today's society or exist for more malicious reasons - and need to be changed.

Sensitivity Training For Pearson Staff

The Toronto Star is reporting that Canada Border Services Agency is putting officials through sensitivity training so they can appropriately deal with Arab and Muslim travelers.

This is of course welcome news. As a manager we personally negotiate or deal with people of other cultures all the time - and thus we take cultural sensitivity training. For example, in North America when people negotiate, the terms are usually very clear and everyone is eager to get a deal and time is a constraint. We don't mix business with pleasure. However when you negotiate with the Mexicans or Indians, they like to take their own sweet time. This is NOT a delaying tactic - they have a culture of getting to "know" the person they are dealing with and cultivating relations. Time is fluid and "there is always tomorrow" and a deal may not be very specific in the details.

Once you KNOW this, then you know this is something you can always use to your advantage. Sensitivity training never hurt anyone. Thus I find the attitude of the union representative in the article very selfish, self serving and borderline racist (no pun intended).

I do think that once they become a Canadian and they live among us, that they should pick up our ways and not have us picking up their ways.

Let alone the fact that some Arabs and Muslims may be travellers and not Canadian, so they DON'T have to "act Canadian" (whatever that means). Sensitivity training actually helps border agents do a better job.

For one, they don't waste their time on nothing cases. To quote the example in the article, many Muslim women come from cultures where they don't look an authority figure in the eye as a sign of respect. So while she is respecting you, you think she has something to hide and pull her over for scrutiny. So of course she is going to feel discriminated again, while you merely did your duty by acting on a valid suspicion (which you SHOULD do). She will them complain and an inquiry will be filed against you and you will go through the whole rigamarole at the end of which you will be found not guilty and she will be unhappy and you will be unhappy at going through the ordeal. So in the end, having that piece of cultural insight would have been good and advantageous for all concerned.

Second, WHY in God's name would you object to being paid by work for NOT doing work? We used to love those courses our offices sent us on, as that meant taking a paid break while relaxing in a course and eating free food. Me thinks the border guards doth protest too much.

[the Toronto Star]

A Brown Man Fighting A Court Discrimination Case

My friend Liya's uncle is fighting a discrimination case today. Please head over there and give her your support.

This shit really pisses me off, especially after the Vancouver airport taser event.

And what pisses me off even more is the attitude of some people who then go "oh our police/security can do no wrong the guy must have deserved it, they get a lot of shit for doing their job".

Dion Wishes Muslims On Eid

Statement by the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Leader of the Official Opposition, on the Celebration of Eid al-Fitr

October 12, 2007
On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada and our Parliamentary caucus, I would like to extend my best wishes to all Muslim Canadians celebrating the end of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr.

Eid al-Fitr is a joyous occasion for Muslims around the world. It not only marks the end of fasting, but it is a time to express appreciation to Allah for the strength and perseverance he has given to help practice self-control during the previous month. It is a spiritual time that brings rejoicing and happiness.

As you gather with relatives and friends to partake in special prayers and festivities marking the end of Ramadan, please accept my warmest regards for a most memorable celebration.

Obama Oh Gone-a!

Today is the day the Obama campaign starts to head downhill. What a way to torpedo oneself! And I had such high hopes for him too.

From the Boston Herald,

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday that he would send troops into Pakistan to hunt down terrorists even without local permission if warranted - an attempt to show strength when his chief rival has described his foreign policy skills as naive.

The BBC has a slightly nuanced report:

US presidential candidate Barack Obama has said he would order military action against al-Qaeda in Pakistan without the consent of Pakistan's government.

Clearly whatever he meant, this policy is supposed to show that Obama is firm on terror, a tough guy and has balls.

It also shows how incredibly naive he is, a charge Clinton had levelled against him the other day when he said he would meet the leaders of Cuba, North Korea and Iran without conditions.

I won't even get into the contradiction of how Obama has accused Clinton and Bush of invading a sovereign country (Iraq) illegally and is now prepared to do the same. I won't even get into the fact that Pakistan is officially an ally of the U.S. and is doing what they can to fight radicals holed up in the north of the country. What I will get into is how this shows what I had feared true all along - despite his charisma, Obama is a very weak candidate and unsuitable for the position of the President of the United States.

First, even if this is just blustering and a bluff to rally around foolish voters who think military might is the answer to all problems - it's wrong to do so. Clinton so far has a lead over Obama because people believe the senator has the experience and maturity to fulfill the duties of a President.

Second, if Obama really believes this is how to solve the Pakistan conundrum, then he is even more foolish than I give him credit for. When your country is bogged down in an unpopular and energy sapping war in one country, while trying to do the impossible task of nation building in another, with your army stretched to breaking point, it's not the time to open yet another front and another war with yet another country.

Third, they can rest assured Pakistan is a different kettle of fish. It has nuclear weapons and from all previous statements of their leaders, will not be shy of using them if left no choice.

Fourth, if they attack Pakistan, the conflict will spread, very easily, far beyond the shores of Pakistan. A whole other set of countries will then turn against the US, if not so already.

Fifth, am I wrong or does Obama's position keep changing with the polls? One day he is a man of peace, the next day he is a man of war, one day he wants to meet everyone for a group hug, the next day he is shunting a key ally, one day he is calling Clinton "Bush-Cheney lite" the next day he is proposing an act even Bush didn't do.

Providing covert help for Pakistani forces (who are friendly to the US aim of eradicating radicals) is one thing, invoking war on a nuclear powered country is another. Obama has rightfully shown himself to be naive, irresponsible and immature.

The MCC Has No Importance

I was amused today to see both Warren Kinsella and Queer Liberal play up the MCC's lack of support for John Tory's plan for funding religious schools.

The MCC has zero credibility amongst most Muslims in Canada, as far as I can see. Many of us see them as left wing loons, with a few solid ideas, but so removed from religious orthodoxy that what they say has no weight. This is isn't to say that other Muslim groups are very credible (there is a crisis of leadership) but as far as the MCC goes, not many particularly even like them.

If the Liberals want to focus on education (and they should - no labour problems in last four years, class sizes down, etc.) they would do well not to remind ethnic voters about the Tory plan (most Hindu, Jewish and Muslims are in favour of funding faith bases schools AS LONG AS the Catholic system is also funded). Letters like the MCC's play no part in dissuading them from this fact - rather enforce the idea of discrimination that exists.

Little Blog Post On the Little Mosque

I loved the show.

As a Muslim it is a great feeling to have a show where the focus is on normal Muslims. Not the evil bad Muslim terrorist. Not the token patriotic Muslim. Not the token translator. Not the harem dancer.

Normal, everyday Muslims facing normal everyday issues.

Kudos to CBC. Kudos to Canada.

As for the show itself, while not laugh out funny, it was warm, cosy and left a hard-to-suppress giggle throughout. I actually found myself wishing it wouldn't end, and felt a pang of disappointment when 9 pm appeared. It did have a couple of really hilarious moments (the dead body in the laundry, the 'you do not choose which country we deport you to', to mention a few). I see myself buying the DVD for the set when it comes out. I hope they can contain to keep it fresh and tackle some issues while at it.

If anyone has any questions about an Islamic aspect of the show they did not understand, you can always email me/comment here..