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"Self-Reflection and Political Empowerment: A Path for Canadian Muslims"
4-24-2024
In our previous editorial, “Mobilizing Canadian Muslims: A Call for Proactive Action in Palestinian Liberation.” we discussed the urgent need for proactive political action within the Canadian Muslim community, highlighting the lack of political influence and unity among us.
The Canadian Muslims political activism is barely in its infancy and our collective political “influence” and meaningful engagement as a community is non-existent.
The Muslim community need to undergo a complete metamorphosis process, beginning with the having the entire community politically engaged and from that pool develop a team that can create the much-needed political influence in order to have our concerns and issues addressed and resolved. The alternative is not an option available to us.
The so-called Trudeau’s Liberal “Muslim Caucus” MPs have proven ineffective in addressing the issues facing our community especially in light of the genocide in Gaza just like a glass-hammer. However, in all fairness to them, we cannot really blame them for their deafening silence in face of blatant genocide of Palestinians unfolding before our eyes. Canadian Muslims, despite being here in Canada for more than half century have not been able to create a political “clout” which many other minorities, some of them have been in Canada even lesser time than the Canadian Muslims. Yet, they wield more influence, in various aspects of political domains from internal party’s decision to the backing of their respective party’s leadership, to having the media backing their narrative, etc.
Discrepancies in how controversies involving Muslim and non-Muslim politicians are handled underscore the systemic barriers faced by our community. Unfortunately, Canadian Muslim elected MPs and MLAs do not enjoy privileges of having such carte-blanche. Take for instance Hamilton, Ontario MPP, Ms. Sarah Jama, who was booted out by her party, and censured by the Ontario Legislature within hours of posting on her social media account, demanding ceasefire last fall.
This compared to BC’s Former Minister of Higher Education, Ms. Selina Robinson, removal from the cabinet took exactly three months when controversial tweets (November 5th, 2023) were brought to the attention of BC Premier, Mr. David Eby.
Since last November, many Canadians have raised concerns about another Liberal MP, Anthony Housefather, proudly posting his pic on his X account, posing with a former Israeli PM, Naftali Bennett, who’s known to have make genocidal statements in past, “I’ve killed lots of Arabs in my life and there’s no problem with that.” Yet, Mr. Trudeau, and the Liberal Caucus remains unfazed by their colleague, posing with Mr. Bennett.
We ended our previous editorial with some food for thought for our readers, highlighting the importance of building “capacity,” to “act collectively” and “the path forward requires unity, determination, and rejection of complacency.”
To address these issues, it is crucial to build capacity within our community to support elected officials who understand our needs and are willing to advocate on our behalf. This requires unity, determination, and a rejection of complacency.
One of the main reasons why our issues gets brushed under the rug is because elected officials and political parties seemed to be apprehensive in sticking their necks out over issues that concerns us is because they know that Muslim community lacks the “capacity” or the clout to counter the negativity they might face for taking up Muslim community’s issues.
Therefore, it is imperative that we as community need to build “capacity” for our elected officials, whether they be Muslim or even non-Muslims, but understands our communities needs and would be willing take a stand on behalf of their constituents.
“The path forward requires unity, determination, and rejection of complacency.” This could be summarized as developing a “Moral Courage” – having a Spine!
Unity within our diverse community is essential towards building a capacity for effective change. Yes, it is difficult to have a community as multicultural as ours to be on the same page, but it is not impossible either. Unity means having differences of opinions yet being able to see in the same directions, towards the same goal.
Much has been said and there has been a huge uproar and on-going discussions amongst our community members, and rightly so, for attending an Iftar party with Prime Minister Trudeau during the month of Ramadan. This despite the fact that Muslim leadership across the country had taken a stand not to entertain political leaders, especially those in the government inside their mosques.
It does not matter how one tries “packaging” being at the same table, whether be at the mosque or outside the mosque with those politicians, including with Mr. Trudeau, whom have thrown his unequivocal and unconditional support behind the genocidal regime that has annihilated an entire population of Gaza Strip into a small corner in the Rafah camp. The bottom line is such actions takes the wind out of collective efforts of wider Muslim community and it negatively impacts our collective influence.
This sends mix messages to the politicians as we all as political parties, and demonstrates that the Muslim community is not united behind their stated cause.
If we need to truly grow out of this political “infancy” phase than we need to look at the broader picture and our broader national interests as a community.
It is essential to prioritize our broader national interests as a community. In our pursuit of political maturity, we need to develop a political leadership that has a vision of seeing beyond the horizon on how we can build the “capacity” and avoid taking shortcuts. We understand some community members have all the good intentions, but unfortunately, fall into traps of such shortcuts in hopes of gaining something for the community.
Initiatives to identify and qualify individuals representing the community, along with rigorous self-evaluation, are crucial steps in this process. Some community members have raised the spectre of ending – free for all – self-proclaimed leaders making rampant decisions without consulting with the wider community. They’ve discussed ideas of identifying and qualifying individuals (i.e. Background checks, ensuring no conflict of interests” etc.) when representing, speaking and making such crucial decisions on behalf of the Muslim community. This we feel is long overdue.
Just like any successful metamorphosis process, perfect hatching requires extreme care and secure and undisturbed environment. Mobilizing our community towards political involvement and activism will require similar conditions and it is upon each and everyone of us to ensure we succeed. The best way to do it as many of the community members have already started doing – question everything and question everyone, coupled with ongoing self-evaluation both individually and collectively, will be key to our progress.
Umar ibn al-Khattab said, “Take yourself to task while things are easy before things get tough. Whoever does so will be in keeping with Allah’s pleasure and his matter will be in an enviable position. Whoever just lets his life distract him and his whims busy him, his matter will be regret and loss.”
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