Last week I traveled to Pakistan to attend to my mother-in-law who was very ill. Although I visit my land of birth once a year, this was my husband’s first visit in 16 years.
Despite the emotional nature of the journey, what struck us both in a positive light was that although Pakistan is not a shining example of human rights (in that there is lack of law and order) and issues surrounding the blasphemy law still exist, security agencies are keeping a tighter control on the masses (for the most part).
However the general public, after three decades, now is keenly aware of the problems. Pakistan is coming to terms with religiosity, i.e., the orthodox are following their own path but there are people who are moderate, modern and even secular, and they are not crossing swords as often.
It seems are finally learning to live and let live, and this is an encouraging sign.
Meanwhile in Canada, my wonderful adopted land, Muslim matters are going from weird to absurd.
- Under the previous government, there was a move to revoke Canadian citizenship from known terrorists. The current government, however, passed a bill to restore citizenship to convicted terrorists.
- We saw fewer niqabs (face veils) and other face coverings in Islamabad and Karachi than we do in Mississauga and Thorncliffe Park, Ontario. Is our sense of accommodation going overboard?
- In the same vein, a recent case was brought before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), in which landlord John Alabi (himself an immigrant from Nigeria who became a citizen and worked his way up) was fined $12,000 for having discriminated against his Muslim tenants on the grounds of their faith. Alabai needed to show the rented unit to prospective new tenants and did not remove his shoes as requested. (He also did not wear his street shoes in the apartment but rather covered his street shoes when walking outside and wore clean, uncovered shoes inside the Muslims’ apartment.)
- Dialogue and discussion have also become the victim of M-103, the new law which now turns almost every issue into one of “Islamophobhia.” M-103 has given license to push unreasonable accommodation to its extreme.
Raheel Raza is an advisor to Clarion Project. She is an award-winning author, journalist and filmmaker on the topics of jihad and sharia. She is president of The Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow, and an activist for human rights, gender equality, and diversity.To invite Raheel to speak please contact us.
Fuck that bitch. Time to colonize their dirthole countries, take their women and make their men our slaves.
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