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Is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau words enough to tackle Islamophobia in Canada?
10-13-2021
When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vows “No place for Islamophobia in Canada.” Does he really mean it? Or is it just a ploy to cow Muslim voters into voting for his Liberal party which has managed to position itself as the “only” option after the nightmarish four years of Stephen Harper. To progressive Muslim voters, the latter seems to be truer as more and more disenfranchised Liberal Muslim voters realize that Mr. Trudeau and his Liberals are just toying with Islamophobia only to gain advantage during election times. Those Muslim voters whom they do manage to frighten, do vote for them while holding their nose. As Senator Ataullah Jan mildly states: “Words are not relevant anymore. Do something!”
Let’s examine the facts. Canadian Muslims represent little over two percent of the Canada’s overall population, approximately around one million. However, residing mainly in large sub-urban centers in and around Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton. Therefore, large concentration of Muslim voters, where Muslim voter’s population surpasses five percent, capturing Muslim vote could determine a majority or a minority government. In 2019 federal elections there were forty-eight seats that was won by less than five percent margin. Liberals had the largest share of twenty-seven, barely capturing the riding by small margin. 2021 general election results where Liberals lost other two percent of the popular vote, down to 31% from 33% in 2019, the gap is widening even more, and it must be making them nervous.
The problem with the Liberals is that their gig around Islamophobia is wearing off. Liberals want to have their cake and eat it too. While the progressive Muslim voters have become the biggest impediment for them from forming a majority government, and they will continue to do so, moving forward.
The only way out of this conundrum for the Liberals is to stop toying with Islamophobia as a vote grab. Stop the lip service and start taking measurable actions that demonstrates that they are serious about combatting Islamophobia and start passing legislations – Not meaningless Motions to misguide and mislead Muslim voters during election time on opposition voting patterns on meaningless motion in the parliament to woo Muslim votes – Legislations to eliminate Islamophobia from the Canadian society.
Since 2000, after PM Jean Chretien’s departure, there has been seven federal elections, five of them have led to a minority government. Clearly, this was because of Liberals under PM Paul Martin the Liberals lost its place amongst Muslim voters as their preferred party due to shift in its Canada’s long-standing Palestine-Israeli policy – “Honest Broker and a peace-maker” – to pro-Israel.
Hindsight is 20/20. What exactly have Trudeau’s Liberals have done to combat Islamophobia. During its first term when the Liberals had an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons, the only thing they were able to muster up was a controversial, “NON-BINDING” Motion M-103. One of the three things surrounding M-103 was to “Compel the Commons heritage committee to develop a government-wide approach for reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia.”
In 2018, the heritage committee concluded a report with 30 recommendations which included the creation of national action plan, improved data collection on hate crimes, and the development of new education and training programs. Three years later, Jennifer Mustapha, a political science professor at Huron University College in London, told CBC News, "We see a lot of talk and not enough action or implementation" – much a do about nothing.
Similarly, a reporter from Toronto Sun calls “Trudeau stance on Islamophobia confusing.” For all intense purposes, that just about sums it all. On one hand Mr. Trudeau claims “Islamophobia has no place in Canada.” Yet, Mr. Trudeau remains mum on Quebec’s controversial Bill 21 “that prohibits many public servants from wearing overtly religious symbols and clothing” writes Mr. Gunter.
“You can’t work at a subsidized daycare (and almost all of Quebec’s daycares are subsidized). Or be employed by a school board.”
“You even have to uncover your face to receive public services as basic as riding a bus to work.”
“We’ve all heard the federal Liberals drone on about the former Harper government’s proposed ban on niqabs (veils) at airport security and citizenship swearing-ins. It’s a common way for Liberals to prove how much more “woke” they are than the Conservatives.”
After the London incident back in June 2021, Global News wrote, “Trudeau vows to combat Islamophobia, critics say start with Quebec's Bill C-21. Prime Minister position is that he opposes the Bill but won’t fight it in the court.
Furthermore, Mr. Trudeau has continuously ignored the simplest request from the National Council of Canadian Muslims to declare January 29 the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia. The day when Alexandre Bissonnette killed worshippers at Quebec City mosque. This even though the PM had called the act as an “act of terrorism.” In all Parliament has designated more than 70 days in a year to commemorate fallen police officers to fiddle day. However, one thing Mr. Trudeau is not prepared to designate is the day for an action against Islamophobia.
Mr. Trudeau told a Radio Canada, a French channel morning show, “I think it’s important to underline intolerance directed at people of faith, but we want to avoid that type of backlash that we’ve seen when we take these kinds of actions, because, unfortunately, there is still a small intolerant minority.” By not declaring such day Mr. Trudeau seemed to be winking and would prefer to hand victory to the “small intolerant minority.”
So far all Canadian Muslims have witnessed from the Liberal government over the past six years is rhetoric, rhetoric and more rhetoric but no concrete action on the part of the government to combat Islamophobia.
The only time Canadian Muslims get to hear that parliament might have tried to tackle Islamophobia is during election time when Liberal candidates start releasing voting records of oppositions party members on meaningless “NON-BINDING” Motions presented by “private member” and not as an official party stance to combat Islamophobia.
During the last election a WhatsApp message was being circulated which showed that 89 Liberals voted in favour of some motion and all opposition parties voted against it. what that message did not highlight is that out of 156 Liberal MP’s only 89 voted in favour and 67 Liberal MP’s – 43% of Liberal Caucus – also voted against it along with the opposition parties.
So, in short, we can conclude that over the past six years the only thing Mr. Trudeau and his Liberals have done to address the rising Islamophobia in the country is bring meaningless, non-binding private members Motion to trap the opposition with confusing and non-agreeable language so it can be used during the election to make themselves look good and fish-hook Muslim voters into voting for them.
Next time if you plan to Vote Liberals – Next time if you plan to Vote Liberals – Remember, it is time to hold them accountable.
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