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In this mailing:
by Denis MacEoin
• January 26, 2017 at 5:00 am
- While it is not
surprising to find Muslims offended by certain words or images, it is
distressing to find Western courts and other bodies only too willing to
turn "Islamophobia" into a criminal offence in countries that
otherwise value free speech and open expression.
- When the Dutch
politician Geert Wilders was brought to court on a hate speech charge,
all he had done in fact was to ask a simple question about Moroccan
immigrants -- should the Netherlands take in more or fewer? That is a
question with many potential answers based on political, social, or
demographic grounds. It is a rational question that is, almost by
definition, one that could be asked in the Home Office of any state that
receives immigrants.
- "Forty percent
of Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands between the ages of 12 and 24
have been arrested, fined, charged or otherwise accused of committing a
crime during the past five years, according to a new report commissioned
by the Dutch Ministry of Interior." – Dutch-Moroccan Monitor
2011.
- We, and not our
opponents, must place ourselves in a position to define what is and what
is not real "Islamophobia." If we cannot do that, others will
conflate criticism and hatred, and clamp down on both at once.
Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, a former Austrian diplomat and
teacher, was put on trial for "denigration of religious beliefs of a
legally recognized religion [Islam]," found guilty twice, and ordered to
pay a fine or face 60 days in jail. (Image source: ICLA video screenshot)
If we had to choose one thing that has obstructed many Westerners from
understanding modern Islam and undermined our ability to handle its excesses,
it would be our perception of Islamophobia. How many times have fair and
honest criticisms of one aspect or another of Islam, rebukes of behaviour, or
literary and artistic expressions of Muhammad or other figures been loudly
shouted down or banned on the grounds that such criticism was
"Islamophobic"? In Europe, individuals have been arrested, tried
and sentenced for "Islamophobic" utterances. As Judith Bergman
recently commented, in Europe it is becoming a criminal offence to criticize
Islam.
by Maha Soliman
• January 26, 2017 at 4:00 am
- Radicalization is
not only manifested through the use of violence, but also through
desiring to live by and impose sharia law on society.
- One reason for the
increased popularity of sharia is the radicalization of second- and
third-generation Muslims in Western societies.
- The school board
said it believes that the checks and balances put in place will ensure
that the Friday sermons are not used for radicalizing Muslim students;
however, as laws against "Islamophobia" become a reality in
Canada, and attempts to raise a concern are labelled hate speech, one
should not count on it. With the passing of time, vigilance will be abandoned
and people who express concern will find themselves vulnerable to
bullying and defamation if they try to address an issue or crack down on
a violation.
- Saied Shoaaib, a
Muslim authority and expert on political Islam, points out that the
dilemma for Western societies is that the only version of Islam
available to them is the radical version, mostly in mosques and Islamic
schools, and also in public libraries.
- The ongoing demand
for the accommodation of Muslims in Western societies is a situation
worth understanding. In the documentary "The Third Jihad", Dr.
Zuhdi Jasser, an American Muslim who dedicates his life to fighting
radicalization, explains that it is a cultural jihad that is meant to
destroy our society from within -- slowly and gradually to impose the sharia
way of life.
Canadian police arrest some of the "Toronto 18"
terrorist plotters, in 2006. (Image source: CBC News video screenshot)
On January 10, 2017, I attended the Peel District School Board's meeting
where recommendations for allowing Muslim students to write their own sermons
(khutbah) for congregational Friday (Jumma) prayers in public
schools were received. For more than 15 years, students were allowed to pray
in the school but not in a congregational setting. In June 2016, the Jumma
prayer was officially adopted but the students were only allowed to read from
a list of pre-approved sermons.
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