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Say “NO” to a Day of Action on Islamophobia in Canada

03/13/2018

Dear Free Speech Patriot,

The last newsletter promised to keep you updated on the fight against M-103 even as the related Heritage Committee Report hit the streets.

The Report was panned by the left-wing media as less than promised as it held back on recommending new laws to forcefully "quell" a "rising tide of fear and hate". This, I believe, was the direct and successful result of everyday Canadians registering their displeasure with the whole exercise through protests, surveys and, yes, participation such as yours in nation-wide petition drives.

The Report, however, is still very problematic as it recommends several wasteful and expensive national programs even as it proposes two recommendations that keep the "Islamophobia" canard alive in Canada. The first forces the Government to actively condemn systemic racism and religious discrimination "including Islamophobia" (Recommendation 22) while the second proposes the institution of a "National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia" (Recommendation 30). Obviously, for reasons they only know, the Liberal Party just will not let the divisive and free speech-crushing term "Islamophobia" die.

The False Notion of a "Rising Tide of Fear and Hate"

The fact that the Heritage Committee "cherry-picked" witness testimony to perpetuate the false notion of a "rising tide of fear and hate" in the nation is evidenced by the Conservative Party's "dissenting Report". The latter stated that, over the period 2009 to 2016, incidents of hate in Canada had actually dropped 13% on a per capita basis. More than this, a comprehensive analysis of all witness testimony confirmed the negligible incidence of hate crime incidents in Canada and it debunked the statistical methods used by proponents of M-103 to create the aura of such a problem.

Islamophobia - a "canard" ("a false piece of information intended to deceive")

The analysis rebutting the Heritage Committee's Report differs in that it is impartial and uses all of the witness testimony presented before the Committee. Experts, many of them Muslim, confirmed the danger that lies in the usage of the term "Islamophobia" and its known tendency to curtail and "chill" free speech.

Most certainly, the Committee's call for the active condemnation of "Islamophobia" and the creation of a related special day of "remembrance and action" is not justified.

This is particularly the case for the institution of a "special day" that memorializes Canadian hatred. This call is propped up by the Quebec City mosque attack of 29 January, 2017 - an attack which has not seen the levelling of hate or terror changes and in which the motivations of the alleged killer remain unknown. The declaration of a special day of "remembrance and action on Islamophobia" is an unsubstantiated affront to all Canadians and needs to be rejected. Certainly, our political leaders need to know how we feel about the insult.

What to do?

What to do? Start with letting our political elites know how you feel. You did this with great effect when you participated in the original petition against M-103. After all, it was this initiative that got the ball rolling and created a national debate that eventually took most of the air out of the M-103 push.

Now, a new petition has been commissioned to register your displeasure with the Government's consideration of efforts to condemn the false notion of "Islamophobia" and memorialize your alleged hatred. The premises and resolutions of the petition are:

  • Whereas the term "Islamophobia" remains undefined and potentially affords one religion protection from criticism over all others in Canada;
  • Whereas Canadians have shown themselves to be against the use of the term "Islamophobia";
  • Whereas statistical Canadian evidence reveals that levels of systemic racism and religious discrimination, including against Muslims, do not warrant special measures;
  • Whereas the claim that "Islamophobia" is causal in the case of the Quebec City mosque attack remains unsubstantiated with the alleged killer's motives unknown;
  • Whereas all Muslims are not blamed when Muslims are convicted of committing an atrocity against non-Muslims and all Canadians should not be characterized negatively through a "National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia" due to the actions of one person; and
  • Whereas other attacks perpetrated by Muslims against non-Muslims in Canada, including the killings of Patrice Vincent and Nathan Cirillo and many averted attacks including, among others, those of the Toronto 18, the "Millennium Bomber," the Via Rail bombers, and the Strathroy bomber were not proposed to be commemorated by "days of remembrance."

Be it resolved that:

  • the Government of Canada ignore Recommendation 30 of the Heritage Committee's Report on Systemic Racism and Religious Discrimination Including Islamophobia and not institute a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia as requested; and
  • the Government of Canada modify Recommendation 22 of the Heritage Committee's Report on Systemic Racism and Religious Discrimination Including Islamophobia to remove "Islamophobia" as grounds of religious discrimination. The recommendation should then read "...the Government of Canada take a strong leadership role to actively condemn systemic racism and religious discrimination."

If these thoughts resonate with you, please consider signing the petition, "Say 'No' to a Day of Action on Islamophobia in Canada" and register your discontent formally. Aussi, une version française de la pétition est incluse avec l'anglaise


The Future

It is readily apparent that the Liberal government is fully dedicated to the prospect of labelling you as an "Islamophobe." This undeserved insult misrepresents the witness testimony submitted to the Heritage Committee and needs to be challenged and rebuffed. Allowing this insult to slide risks not only the good name of Canada and its citizens, but also their ability to express themselves freely in related matters. Are such limitations on Canadian free speech acceptable for your children? Your grandchildren?


Fighting these potential curtailments of fair comment and free speech will require C3RF to go beyond this petition to include operations in the areas of education, public advocacy and even legal proceedings.

If you have not already, please consider joining Canadian Citizens for Charter Rights and Freedoms (C3RF). It is an organization that I Co-Chair and can attest to. You can join by clicking here or through the button below to keep up to date with C3RF activities and M-103 developments. We are in for quite a ride and want you to join us on this journey. Please follow C3RF on Twitter, on Facebook or on our Web Site and share with friends for great content and a realistic outlook on the continuing battle for Charter rights in Canada.

Best,

Major (Ret'd) Russ CooperFounding member, Co-Chair C3RF
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