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Make an informed Decision before you Vote
8-17-2015
Did you know that Prime Minister, Harper, announced that the government is working on legislation, which could take effect as early as Tuesday, October 20th, 2015, making it a criminal offence for Muslim Canadians to visit their elderly parents, siblings, friends and family members in their respective nations? Sounds outrageously dramatic and downright scary, well it is.
On Sunday, August 9th, Prime Minister Harper certainly gave Canadian Muslims a wakeup call, when he announced an election promise in Ottawa. “A re-elected Conservative government will designate travel to places that are ground zero for terrorist activity a criminal offence.”
This just about sums up majority of the Muslim Countries on the globe, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, and everything in between. Let’s not mince words, facts are facts, whether it’s true or artificial, whether we like it or not, whether these terrorist organizations are local or outsiders injected into areas of the world consider terrorist flash points to ignite the fire is a separate story.
PM Harper has not only given a wakeup call, rather placed three clear and concise choices to Canadian Muslim Voters.
Choice number one, participate in the upcoming federal elections, and vote for the candidate that will best represent your interests.
The second choice, confine yourself in Canada and never ever think of returning back to your country, ever not even for a visit, or attend to an sick elderly parent, without fear of being arrested upon return.
Finally, if you still don’t wish to fulfill your civic duty, and do not wish to be imprisoned for visiting family than the choice is clear, pack your bags and leave Canada for good.
Although, the PM Harper did not quiet put it this way, the message is clear when one reads between the lines, and knowing the Conservatives track record on making Anti-Hijab, Anti-Niqab Policies, first trying to get Supreme Court to rubber stamp their discriminatory policies, when failed then trying to legislate discriminatory policies into Anti-Muslim, Anti-Human Rights Bills. Therefore, no one should pass Mr. Harper and Conservatives not to deliver upon an election promise which involved Anti-Muslim Theme. They would lose all credibility among its core voter bank.
For the first time people are witnessing a renewed optimism among the Canadian Muslim population in regards to elections, voting, and politics. Volunteers lining up with candidates, lawn signs being passed, people have even witnessed party membership forms being distributed and exchanged at the mosques encouraging people to become party members.
There is not only renewed optimism, there is also renewed determination among Canadian Muslims to participate in the election process in various aspects.
Nonetheless, the energy level in political involvement is rising. NCCM Ottawa promoting hashtag #ElectionEnergized on Twitter, which is becoming synonym to Canadian Muslim issues.
Then there is official website uniquely dedicated to Canadian Muslim Voters, www.canadianmuslimvotes.ca encouraging Muslims to participate, which has also been gaining some positive media coverage.
Surveys are being conducted to gauge Canadian Muslim voter’s temperature. It is important for all of us to be aware of these efforts and results of such surveys to be able to make an informed decisions and choices.
First and foremost, Why do Muslim Canadians Don’t Vote? Overwhelmingly thirty eight percent responded, they don’t know enough. Yet thirty four percent are not eligible to vote, and that’s a large number. Equally divided, making up the majority of the weight, at twenty one percent each, Don’t Care, and No Time!
Of those who do vote, the majority felt it was their civic duty, followed by belief in democratic process, religious duty, and finally fear of the opposition party.
Muslim Voters political affiliation weighs heavily in favour of the Liberals at forty three percent, followed by 15 percent towards the NDP, almost thirty eight percent None, followed by Green Party supporters at two percent and less than one and a half percent for the Conservatives.
It is not which party you may vote for. The important thing is to participate. Vote! For any party you feel comfortable with. Thanks to the Conservatives, seventy nine day election campaign, Canadians have plenty of time to prepare, research, register, get to know the candidate, become informed, and seek advice.
As of today, based on polls and projections, and data available on CBC website, if the elections were to be held today, on average, NDP would form a minority government with 126 seats, followed by the Conservatives opposition with 120 seats, Liberals at 91 seats.
However, it is too early to predict any outcome, but Canadian Muslims generally have a very good idea which parties are working towards maintaining harmony among all Canadians and which party is trying to capitalize on global terror threat to its own advantage, thriving on creating fears at the expense of Canadian Muslims.
The choice is simple, clear and concise. Are Canadian Muslims going to sit by idly and allow politicians to continue allowing them to use their community as a piñata to gain core base voters’ attention, or are they going to take their destiny into their own hands and end this non sense once and for all.
We shall find on October 19th, 2015, whether we will be allowed to visit our home countries next morning without being afraid of getting arrested or not!
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