Is Galloway– a Sitting U.K. MP– A Threat to Canada?
Asks CIC
TORONTO — “Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s decision to refuse British MP George Galloway entry into Canada seems to, once again, raise questions about the Minister’s ability to uphold the rule of law in Canada. Moreover the Minister’s decision seems to say that Canadians are unable to evaluate Mr. Galloway’s forceful arguments against war for themselves”, states Wahida Valiante, National President of the Canadian Islamic Congress. Valiante notes that “Minister Kenney’s spokesperson cites Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act as the legal basis on which the Canadian Border and Security Agency (CBSA) is refusing to allow Mr. Galloway entry into Canada and the reason that the Minister is unwilling to overrule that decision. Valiante asks, “Does the Minister expect Canadians to believe that Mr. Galloway’s provision of aid relief to Gaza constitutes engaging in an act of espionage or an act of subversion against a democratic government, institution or process?
That Mr. Galloway is engaging in or instigating the subversion by force of any government? That Mr. Galloway is engaging in terrorism? That Mr. Galloway is being a danger to
the security of Canada? That Mr. Galloway is engaging in acts of violence that would or might endanger the lives or safety of persons in Canada? Does Mr. Kenney think
that Mr. Galloway is a member of an organization that has engaged, or will engage, in any of the aforementioned acts?”
The bizarre interpretation of Canadian law with regard to Mr. Galloway – a sitting British MP and longstanding opponent of war — raises questions about the process by which the CBSA made its decision, given Minister Kenney’s ongoing political agenda to quash debate on Canadian Middle East policy. “The CBSA’s decision and the Minister’s response to uphold it strikes me as peculiar. This decision should be viewed in light of the Minister’s recent attacks on freedom of speech at university campuses and his decision to cut funding for the Canadian Arab Federation’s language training program because of its vociferous opposition to Israel’s attack on Gaza and continued siege and occupation of Palestinian lands,” Valiante states.
“It would seem Minister Kenney and his spokesmen are confusing the criminalization of terrorism with the criminalization of opinion – to quote, ‘free societies should not be in the business of criminalizing opinion,’ observes Valiante adding, ‘It would seem that if you don’t see the world the way Minister Kenney does, you get labeled a terrorist supporter. “It’s also unfortunate that Minister Kenney thinks Canadians need him to protect them from Mr. Galloway’s opinions — that they are unable to draw their own conclusions about the merit of what Mr. Galloway has to say,” observes Valiante adding, “I certainly think that given the facts on either side of an argument, that Canadians can reason for themselves.”
Planning for the Future: Disability Rights &
Responsibilities by Rabia Kdehr
We are all created equal by Allah, the Most Glorious, some of us with and some of us without disabilities. Some of us experience disability at different stages in life. Many of us indeed will experience some form of disability as we age. We are all the creation of the Sovereign, Allah, and therefore entitled to live and participate with dignity as a part of the local and global Muslim Ummah (society). In fact, inclusion was a reality for us at the time of Prophet Mohammed, may peace and blessings be
upon him. People with disabilities were a natural part of the community and the Prophet gave some of the highest positions to people with disabilities, one of whom was Abdullah
ibn Umm Maktoom.
Through the passage of time, we have allowed this reality to dissolve into cultural norms and values resulting in the exclusion of people with disabilities. It is time that we reflect and apply the traditions of Islam again. CAMD, the Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities, is not-for-profit federally incorporated organization whose vision is to create a global village that includes full access for persons with disabilities.
CAMD’s mission is to work toward an inclusive society by promoting principles of accessibility. It aims to: *ensure that persons with dis- abilities have access to spiritual and
social activities, events and programs in their places of worship,
*Resource and facilitate physical accessibility, alternative communication/ Sign Language interpretation, and alternative print formats for faith based institutions., *research and promote information about and needs of faith, spirituality and culture through the lived experiences of persons with disabilities to leaders, service providers, governments and communities, *facilitate networking opportunities for persons with disabilities and their families, *And lead and support the development of alternative respite and independent living opportunities that meet the requirements of faith and culture.
The founders of CAMD believe that we as human beings are all unique and perfect as created. Our ability and disability experiences are a natural aspect of life. We have the
right to make choices and take risks. We have the right to practice and experience our cultural and faith traditions. We have the right to be valued, respected and included in society and in our communities. With these goals and values guiding us, CAMD has launched a series of meetings with Muslim families and people with intellectual disabilities to
foster networking and long-term planning.
The CAMD Muslim Family Network will be formed at the “planning for the Future: Disability Rights and Responsibilities” Symposium. The symposium will be held on Sunday, May 24, 2009 at the ISNA Canada Centre in Mississauga and will feature a keynote address by The Honorable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. This is an excellent learning & networking opportunity for Families, professionals, & People with Disabilities to Hear about the Social, Legal and Financial realities facing people with intellectual disabilities from Islamic Scholars, Lawyers, Financial Planners and Families themselves.
For more information or to register, please visit www.camd.ca or call 416-252-8668. We gratefully acknowledge our funder, the Olive Tree Foundation, and our community partners,
Family Services of Peel and ISNA Canada.
Eastern Children in Western World
by Mehdi Rizvi
Immigrants to Canada in the 1950s and ’60s came mostly from European countries. Now the pattern has changed and, according to the 2006 census, 58.3 per cent of the 1.11 million immigrants who arrived in Canada in the last five years came from Asia and the Middle East. These immigrants came with their customs, traditions and religious and social values, and their children are trained in Canadian schools to practice the qualities of honesty, mutual respect and tolerance to become good citizens.
The blending of the noble values of the two cultures gives them the best of both worlds. Canada has one of the planet’s best educational systems and parents feel fortunate that
their children have the opportunity to get a good education. On the other hand, children also are more susceptible to unfiltered cultural influences. The parental generation
of Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants finds itself in a rare social predicament: the very quick assimilation of their children into a free society and, correspondingly, the fading of their own values.
Rearing eastern children in the western world is a great challenge, rather like growing a tropical plant in the Arctic, and requires determination,
maturity and tolerance. Many immigrant parents and their children have diametrically opposed views on important family and social issues, such as dress codes, moving out before marriage or mixed marriages. Many immigrant parents are careful about dietary practices – kosher, halal, vegetarian – but their children may not follow rigorous standards. Nor can it be easy for Sikh parents to welcome a clean-shaven, kirpan- and turban-less young man into the family, or for Muslim parents to be pleased with their daughter’s
Jewish boyfriend, or vice versa. They think these cross-cultural matches reduce the longevity of a partnership and subsequently produce more broken families, single parents and neglected children. A nuclear family needs common values to survive, they believe.
Asian and Middle Eastern immigrant parents do not generally accept sleepovers at a friend’s house, late nights out and returning home with the rising sun the next morning.
They are concerned about shootings, drug- and sex-related crimes and teenage pregnancies. Canadian parents are no happier with these phenomena and realize that too much
freedom and the absence of parental and social control are among the main causes.
After the release of Julian Falconer’s report presenting a scary view of life inside our schools, the Toronto District School Board recommended a stronger police presence to deal
with the situation. Is morality irrelevant to any generation or cultural group? Can’t we design decent parameters for moral and social practices? Aren’t our intellectuals and policy-makers aware of the social complications caused by teenage pregnancies and fatherless children? Out-of-wedlock births and the absence of fathers are normal in today’s culture but aren’t in keeping with traditional Canadian moral values or those of most immigrant communities.
Immigrant parents tend to believe that young people are not mature enough to know what really is important in life and want to shelter their children from certain influences. But the children feel their parents do not understand their problems; parents always seem to be telling old stories from the frozen past in a distant land. Facebook, cellphones and text messaging have opened new, unsupervised social circles for children. A hild who sends a text message or chats online while a parent sits nearby is actually disconnected from the family. Parents ignore this attitude and compromise.
Every generation has its own place on the map of history and it is important for both parents and children to see where they are. As a society, we need to help them find safe passage between the two points. Boundaries need to be redefined without prejudice to weave a new social fabric and maintain a virtuous balance between the diverse concepts of freedom, dignity and morality, with comfort zones for all age groups, genders and cultural traditions. This will help to build a better future for our coming generations.
[Mehdi Rizvi is a chemist who has worked in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, cement and UV printing products for the last 32 years. This article was first published in Toronto Star.
The Art Of Making Enemies
by Dr. Mohamed Elmasry
Universities around the world welcome new students every September by the scores of thousands. Having been a professor for more than 30 years and the father of four former university students, I feel qualified to offer some advice to the newcomers.
If you want to make instant enemies of your classmates, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and just about anyone else you may encounter, here are 13 easy ways that guarantee success.
1. Lying. — If you lie as often as you can, you’ll soon find this is by far the fastest and surest way to create a real enemy.
2. Always be “right.” — Consider yourself one of those gifted folks who are right — not just sometimes, or often, but ALWAYS. Communicate this fact to others at every possible
opportunity.
3. Never be “wrong.” — Try this one, in case the rest of the world doesn't’t understand your approach to No. 2. Don’t be discouraged in your determination to never be wrong; after all, it is not your fault that others can’t understand this simple fact.
4. Never apologize. — Just delete the word “sorry” (or any words that convey the same meaning, in any language) from your vocabulary. The same goes for expressions of regret, remorse, guilt, etc.
5. Remember, you are smarter than others will ever admit. — It is not your fault that you were born smart; you can’t help it. You can try to act stupid sometimes, but smart is
what you are — and don’t let the world forget it.
6. Believe that you are among the “chosen.” — You know you were chosen at birth as one of those destined to be the best and get the best ... unlike the masses of “ordinary” humans around you. Don’t listen to anyone who calls you arrogant. Be honest: if God had wanted to create someone else with your elite gifts, He could have. But God created
YOU instead. Let the “ordinary” others figure this out.
7. You know it all. — You know a lot more facts about a lot more issues than anyone else around you. This is no time to be humble. Make
sure others are aware of your mental prowess by telling them about it every chance you get.
8. Always have a personal victory plan. — In conflict situations you must be the winner at any cost. Others may hate you for it, but eventually they’ll have to just get over it
and accept your superiority.
9. Don’t waste time trying to “understand.” — There’s no payback in trying to understand your inferiors. It’s a waste of time.
10. You be the judge. — Since you are superior to others around you in numerous ways, take the initiative and draw attention to their faults. Be thorough and diligent in
listing everything that’s wrong with other people, especially those traits that are difficult or impossible for them to improve — like their height, weight, skin color, etc. After all, those who are so imperfect should know their place; they are not your equals.
11. Turn every bad situation into a worse one that will benefit you. — This is a subtle skill that requires much practice. You must learn to examine potential negative situations well and then work hard behind the scenes to make them worse — not a lot worse, but just bad Enough to prove that your way of doing things is (of course) vastly
superior.
12. Avoid gestures that could be interpreted as friendship. — This is perhaps the most difficult step in creating guaranteed enemies. Try to avoid body language and expressions that indicate kindness or sincerity. Smiling is a no-no; you must look miserable, even if you are not. Refrain from sending friendly or encouraging notes, greeting cards, or phoning someone up just to say hello. Never, ever, say “thank you” or “well done” to a colleague or employee. Never utter spontaneous compliments about another’s clothing, home, car, or talents. Gift-giving is another no-no, but gift-returning is absolutely mandatory. And when returning a gift, drop an unkind remark such as; “it’s cheap,” “not my taste,” “I already have one,” “I’ll never use it,” etc. Above all, avoid saying “thank you.”
13. Share these steps with your favorite potential enemies. Although this step may not seem necessary, it will speed up the process because it also ensures you will become the enemy of the other person(s). It’s a two way win-win situation. Depending on your situation and contacts, you can develop, adapt and apply your own strategies in addition to these. But any or all of the above steps will lead to success in the fine art of creating and sustaining genuine enemies.
The Believers Are Like One Human Body
by Jamal Khan
In the Qur’an, Allah has talked to Muslims saying: “O believers! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not but as true Muslims. All together hold fast to the rope of Allah
(Faith of Islam — Qur’an and Hadeeth) and be not divided among yourselves. Remember Allah’s favors upon you when you were enemies; He united your hearts, so by His favor you became brethren; you were at the brink of the fiery pit and He saved you from it.”
Also, He has given us guidance in the following words: “Let there arise from among you a band of people who should invite to righteousness, enjoin (direct to do) good and forbid evil; such are the ones, who shall be successful. Be not like those, who became divided into sects and who started to argue against each other after clear revelations had
come to them. Those responsible for division and arguments will be sternly punished.” (3: 102-105)
Allah has also said: “We have destroyed generations before your time when they adopted unjust attitudes. Then we made you their successors in the land so that we may observe how you would conduct yourselves.” (10:13-14) Having reviewed the Ayaat (verses from Qur’an) to remind ourselves of the significance of staying united, let us now discuss what our beloved Prophet (S) has said about unity.
Prophet Mohammed (S) stated that “the example of believers who show compassion to one another, respect and love one another is of one body. If any body part is week or
hurts, the entire body feels the pain and suffers with fever.” (Muslim and Bukhari)
In the light of this Hadith, believers, because of their faith, are like one body. If this body is strong, the entire community is strong. Just like if even a single part of your body is week or starts to hurt your entire body would get out of control and feels the hurt and pain, and you become sick and suffer with fever. Therefore, if any one of us is in need of help the entire Muslim community should feel the responsibility to come to the aid of the needy and fulfill the need(s). If any member of the Muslim community
faces danger or threat it is the responsibility of every member of the Muslim community to unite and mobilize to help alleviate the danger or threat by using legal means and not resort to illegal or extreme measures.
Believers are closer to each other than blood relatives, because of their faith (Iman). They cooperate and show compassion to each other because of their faith. They visit each other; they work on community based projects together to alleviate sufferings faced by other Muslims. Why? Because of their faith! They exchange gifts and visit each other when someone is not well. They congregate together in the Masjid for the sole reason that they have a common faith. Therefore, the faith must always be kept strong.
Faith is your identity and it unites Muslims. If you lose your faith you lose your identity. If you lose your identity you lose yourself, remember that!
|
Is Galloway a terrorist?