A message to Canadian politicians from Muslims
by S N Smith — July 19, 2023
If you are not going to listen to what our community has to say but expect us to listen to what you have to say, then where is the reciprocal relationship in that? We have concerns, worldviews, deeply held convictions and sets of practices which we hold dear to our hearts. If you are going to summarily dismiss those things with a wave of your hand and then instead expect us to quietly acquiesce to your point of view, then let it be known that that is not going to happen. There are lines which we are not willing to cross because doing so would compromise who and what we are as a community.
We are not dupes of some alt-right ideology, nor are we invested in left-wing politics. We have our own set of teachings which give shape to our values and worldviews. We are not interested in falling into right/ left political camps because, from our vantage point, these categories are useless when it comes to explaining the world around us and they are mere labels that people have attached to themselves or to others.
You must know, despite what you may have come to believe, that our faith is a middle path between extremes and we are proud of that fact. We are most certainly aware that there are people in our midst that act and speak in an extreme way and we try to call them out and correct what they are doing. But you should also know that we cannot control what other people do and say.
Instead of trying to get everybody on board on a particular issue so that there is a consensus within society, it would be more reflective of reality if you were to accept the fact that there are people who are not going to agree with you or come on board your social and political agenda. You have to learn to live with that and stop seeking to label or disparage those people who happen to disagree with you.
If our point of view is unpopular and even appears to be politically incorrect, we are not about to change that point of view just because you don’t like it. We live in a free and democratic society, or at least we are told so, and since we live in such a society we should have the freedom to embrace those views that may not be so popular.
That does not mean, of course, that we espouse violence or violate the rights of others, which is anathema to our beliefs and worldview, but that we take a principled stand on issues even if that stand is not appreciated or popular.
You also should not come in through the back door and seek to indoctrinate our children so that they will turn against us and look upon us with disdain and label us as being backward and narrow-minded. We see this taking place, but we are fighting back. We are not fooled by all of your trickery. We are not as naive or gullible as we were in the past. You cannot take our support for granted any longer because we are becoming more politically aware and examining your positions with much greater scrutiny.
We are not a threat to society when we respectfully disagree with your positions. In fact, we hold the view that seeking to enforce one’s point of view on others has a deleterious effect on a free and democratic society.
Many of us have escaped countries which are neither free nor democratic and speaking out on a variety of issues will get one arrested. We have come to this country to escape this, but we fear that we are falling into the same trap and that those in power are seeking to force their views upon us and that if we do not acquiesce we will find ourselves either being stigmatized or possibly incarcerated.
This state of affairs cannot stand if we want to live in a society that is free and democratic. We are citizens of this country and we have a vested interest in making it a better place in which to live. But forcing us to give up our beliefs and values in order to please those who hold the reigns of power and pacify the wider society does not fit into our definition of a better place in which to live.
You must show a willingness to live up to the values that you publically espouse, ie free speech and the right to adhere to one’s convictions, and not have one standard for us and another standard for everyone else.
Finally, we feel blessed to live in such a country as this and possess one of the most coveted passports in the world, but we most certainly are not willing to sell our souls in order to keep that privilege.
So the bottom line is, don’t take us for granted, don’t be dismissive of us and don’t ask us to compromise those beliefs and values that define who we are as a people.
