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Muslim Vote Matters.
7-10-2019
At no time in Canadian political history it is truer than now, that power of a Muslim Vote Bank could determine whether a party will form the government or sit in the opposition benches. We must acknowledge the fact the politician who really gave the meaning to the power of Muslim vote was Honourable, Jack Layton. It is unfortunate that he did not live to see the day to capitalize on his efforts and for his unwavering support for the Canadian Muslims.
The second politician who also deserves almost an equal credit for giving meaning to the Muslim Vote bank in Canada is our current Prime Minister, Honourable, Justin Trudeau. He, with his unwavering support for the Canadian Muslims with his punch line, “A Canadian, is a Canadian, is a Canadian.” Ultimately, in 2015, won the hearts and minds of the Canadian Muslim Voters, capitalized on Muslim Vote Bank, resulting in forming a Majority government.
As we move towards the fall season, Canada’s political parties are busy planning out their strategies to win the hearts and minds of Canadian voters, and ultimately their approval at the ballot box. One issue, which is on each parties’ mind, is the power of the Muslim vote. Muslim Vote Matters!
The one party however, that is still spinning its wheels in gaining any grounds due to its own excess baggage of Harper Era’s divisive Anti-Muslim agenda making any headways into the Muslim community is the so-called Conservative Party of Canada (CPC).
Than again what can one expect from a so-called “CPC.” After all, it is just another fancy name for a repackaged, Reform Party of Canada. During 1990’s was merely a fringed party from the western Canada, mainly Alberta, with its central Anti-Immigration agenda capitalized on poor fortunes, and voter’s backlash against the real Conservative Party of Canada in a post Brian Mulroney’s era for signing of NAFTA and for its Introduction of Goods and Service Tax (GST). Just as Bloc Quebecois did in Quebec. Leaving the entire open field – Canada – for Mr. Jean Chretien, and Mr. Paul Martin’s Liberal to play with.
It seems as if there is a serious lack of intelligence that reigns the CPC elections planning and strategy department. They are unable to realize that they need to abandon their divisive approach and their Anti-Muslim rhetoric. In a multicultural country like Canada where one if five Canadian is born outside of Canada, and where two of its major cities, Toronto and Vancouver one in two Canadians are born outside a country a rhetoric against any minority group is an attack against every minority community, sending shivers down their spine forcing them to think what kind of Canada do they really want? A repackaged Reform Party with its anti-immigration anti-minority agenda courting populist votes with targeting Muslims and sowing the seeds of mistrust among minority vote banks who are thinking that they could be the next target of this repackaged Reform Party’s anti-immigration anti-minority agenda.
Clearly the CPC has not learned its lessons form the 2015 defeat. Rather than making themselves as an inclusive party for the upcoming fall elections appealing to all Canadians, regardless of race, religion, colour, or creed. It is desperately trying to cling on to its populist agenda.
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For instance, recently, the National Candidate Selection Committee of the CPC disallowed the nomination of long time CPC member, Professor Salim Mansur. According to an online conservative journal, Clarion, “the party was concerned that his writings and presentations against Islamism and radical Muslims could be painted by opposing parties as Islamophobic.”
What a lousy and pathetic excuse, which highlights equally lousy and pathetic efforts the CPC has made attempts to Muslim Voters. CPC’s best strategy to attract Muslim voters is not to come across as an Islamophobic – Really? They somehow feel, that in a post Harper era, they don’t wanna give their opponents a fainting chance to paint them as Islamophobic. The Muslim voters will miraculously flock to the polling station by busloads and vote CPC. These guys must be living in a wonderland of who knows what.
They have no idea how much time and effort Mr. Jack Layton invested building his relationship with the Canadian Muslim communities from coast, to coast, to coast.
They do not even have faintest clue – although right in front of them every day – how many leaps and bounds the current PM, Mr. Trudeau has gone, not only in winning the trust of Canada’s most influential and powerful Muslim Organizations.
After all, winning an election under First Past the Post (FPTP) may seem like a complicated science. However, it is reduced to no more than a numbers game, which the current PM has superbly mastered, and has done everything in his power to hang on to. Rest assured it is this very reason why the CPC this fall will once again be sitting in the opposition benches as Mr. Trudeau walks towards the Rideau Hall once again to be sworn in as the next PM.
CPC needs to understand that an average seat in Canada, under FPTP, is not won by thousands of votes. It is normally won by few hundred votes. Few hundred Muslim voters in each riding, especially among the urban areas like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, St Johns, Victoria, cannot and do not trust the repackaged Reform Party with its anti-Muslim, anti- minority agenda as the one who could safeguard their rights and dignity. Whereas, the Liberals and NDP have a long-standing history of doing just that.
If Mr. Andrew Scheer and his repackaged Reform Party’s best tool in their tool box is not to come across as an Islamophobic party. The only thing we could say is Good Luck – you will most certainly need it. Hopefully, sanity will eventually prevail at CPC and may be after losing several elections some wise guy in CPC’s strategy department will realize that their best chance to forming government ever is to become a Pro-Muslim party like the Liberals, or they can continue doing what they do best – sitting in the opposition benches and whine – we can provide the cheese if they want.
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