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One Man Show: Islamic Party of Ontario an alt-right engineered scam
Alameen
1-09-2019
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One Man Show not a Muslim Political Party.
Islamic Party of Ontario, a Muslim political force, an alt-right engineered scam – source of fake news – to perpetuate Islamophobia against Canadian Muslims?
During the holidays a new provincial political party, Islamic Political Party of Ontario emerged. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Only time would tell. However, what has surfaced in terms of articles, mostly from the -alt-right wing websites and blogs, it is obviously attracting controversies. Nonetheless, if one dives into doing further research, it would learn that on one hand, from the party’s website’s stated manifesto, or policies it seems like a someone’s trying to flex its muscles to gather the Muslim vote bank under one flag to demonstrate the power of Muslim vote. On the other hand, one’s forced to ask, whether the formation of a new Muslim political party would lead to further attacks on Islam and Muslims – perpetuating Islamophobia within and outside Canada.
An article published by an online middle of the road media group, ipolitics, sums up the mood. “It’s not difficult to establish a political party in Canada. A few forms and signatures, a handful of supporters, and any of us can pretend to be aspiring premiers and prime ministers. Some parties matter, while others simply don’t. I’m reminded of Monty Python’s “Election Night Special” with its Silly Party, Sensible Party, and Very Silly Party. Now we have something called the Islamic Party of Ontario, which, according to the usual suspects on the political hard right, is an existential threat to all we hold sacred.”
Don’t take us the wrong way. We are not against Canadian Muslims trying to advance the cause of Islam and Muslims in Canada. However, we have always advocated that it must be done so in a fashion in which it projects the true Islamic teachings and a comprehensive manner that would bring accolades, and appreciation from the mainstream Canadians. Thus, garnering supports for the Canadian Muslims. It could only be achieved if it is done so with consultation among various leading Muslim organizations with a lengthy track record. Otherwise, we end up being projected as someone as backward religion from the stone-ages. Basically, it does more harm than good to Canadian Muslims.
Nowadays, unfortunately we have too many self-described, and self-appointed Muslim leaders whom have managed form and register societies, with less than handful of members and have managed to become the pall-bearers – Official Spokespersons – of Islam and Muslims in Canada. Since media thrives on controversies and politics of fear, these individuals allow themselves to become the pawns in the hands of the media to perpetuate fear and hatred against Islam and Muslims. As we always state, the only reasons this continues is due to lack of coordination among leading Muslim organizations as well as the nonchalant attitude of most of the Muslims to speak out against these self-appointed Muslim leaders. The price we all pay collectively is not a secret.
Toronto area’s local newspaper Now Toronto, is pegging this newly formed party for having Conservatives connections. It along with ipolitics points out, “In the case of the Islamic Party of Ontario, there are questions about its legitimacy. The name has been reserved with Elections Ontario, but whether it has enough support to gather the 1,000 signatures needed to officially be considered a political party in Ontario is another story.”
The founding father of this so-called Islamic Party is Jawed Anwar. “It’s also significant that Anwar and his party seem to be largely anonymous within the Muslim community, and when Muslim leaders have been informed about the new organization, they condemn it, not support it.” Writes Michael Coren of ipolitics.
He adds, “Anwar had a mere 60 followers on Twitter, most of them conservatives, anti-Muslims and bots. That number has gone up to 187 as of this week. Again, many are harsh critics of Islam – like Georganne Burke, a former member of Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer’s leadership team – and others among them are the very same people who have been writing of the peril the party allegedly poses to Ontario.”
Toronto Now points out, “In fact, according to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, Anwar previously used the Islamic Party of Ontario website to support the Ontario PC party, in particular former leadership contender Tanya Granic Allen’s efforts against the province’s sex-ed curriculum.” And, “Various social media posts also reveal that in February 2018 Anwar delivered a speech at an event in support of Doug Ford.”
When one visits their website, it is not difficult to conclude this is more of a “One Man Show.” It features six posts. Four articles, all of them written by Mr. Jawed Anwar, and two posts, one encouraging voters to support the Conservative Party of Ontario, and the last one urging Muslims on “What and How to respond” Ontario’s Conservative Premier Bob Ford on parental consultation. Once again, authored by Mr. Jawed Anwar.
The website contains no other names of office holders, Board of Directors, contact information, not even team behind this so-called political force.
Their website, under “Policy” their manifesto tab presents the extreme right-wing Muslim agenda – a haven for the Islamophobes to perpetuate hatred against Islam and Canadian Muslims – stroking fears of imminent threat of Sharia Law coming to Canada. When in fact it is nothing but a “Fake News.”
All of this makes one wonder is this a truly a political party trying to secure the rights of Canadian Muslims or is it just merely a brainchild of the right-wing Conservatives think-tank to perpetuate hatred against Islam and Muslims by utilizing some pawn who is willing to volunteer himself as a self-appointed leader and founder of the first Islamic Political Party with one director, founder, and leader. However, the poisonous views he presents under the name of Islam and Muslims that could be used to fuel hatred, fear, and anxiety against Canadian Muslims.
Let’s be frank, these days, an era of “Fake News” no one has time to check facts. All one needs to do is point some engineered source, make it seem bigger that it is, and make it go viral. All this damage could be done by one individual sitting in his pajamas in his or her basement, and it makes headlines. This is precisely the case here.
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