The West is in danger, but we can still prevail. We begin the struggle by standing up for our values and telling the truth about Islam. Even when we are insulted, even when we are harassed and intimidated, even when we are marked for death just for stating an opinion—we must never be silenced ~ Geert Wilders
I remember when Jonathan Kay wrote a piece in the National Post calling those of us against the niqab racists, xenophobes, fear-mongers and Islamophobes. It seems those of us against the niqab are beyond the pale and we must stop this fearmongering.
Well, I never thought the day would come when I would agree with any of Kay’s positions but I agree about ending fear-mongering. It has to end. It is time for the Muslims in Canada and all over the world to stop threatening those of us who believe in tolerance, accommodation, inclusion and diversity with threats of terrorism if we do not succumb to their demands which they veil in the clothing of tolerance.
We are being blamed for lone wolf attacks and terror in the name of intolerance for an intolerant belief system.
Remember Salmon Rushdie and the Fatwa put on him? His book The Satanic Verses in 1988 provoked “peace-loving” death threats against him, including a fatwa calling for his assassination issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, on February 14, 1989. Is this tolerance?
And then there was Theo Van Gogh, murdered in 2004 in Amsterdam. Shot twice in the chest by Muslim, Mohammed Bouyeri, “Van Gogh howled: ‘Can't we talk about this?’ Bouyeri ignored his pleas and fired four more times. Then he pulled out a knife and slit Van Gogh's throat with such strength that his head was almost severed from his body. He used the other knife to stab a five-page letter on to Van Gogh's haemorrhaging corpse.”
The message was for the courageous author Ayaan Hirsi Ali to stop speaking ill of Islam. And a fatwa was put on her head-by intolerant, racist, xenophobic, fearmongering Muslims.
There were more attacks across the West. But we continued to remain willfully blind. Terror attacks against Jews in Europe and Israel were discounted. Then came the Charlie Hebdo Massacre and the attacks on a Kosher Market. A Muslim response to words against their Prophet. Then the Bataclan and Nice. There have been ten terrorist attacks in France since January 2015. And that is just France. Is this not fearmongering of the highest order?
And yet, we in the West declare ourselves guilty of a lack of tolerance for Islam. We flagellate ourselves religiously. It is our fault, our lack of tolerance for their belief system that is the reason that Muslims kill Westerners. We have accepted the fact that the root cause of terrorism is our intolerance.
Nonsense. And it is time that we wake up to the fact that we are too tolerant for our own good and the good of our children and grandchildren.
Let’s return to the niqab (burka) The niqab is not about religion or tolerance. It is the ultimate symbol of the oppression and suppression of women in Islam. Of “honour killings.” Of female genital mutilation. It is a reminder that not all people are equal in Islam. It is a reminder of the lack of tolerance in Islam for “the other;” the Christians, the Yazidi, gays, and Muslims for Muslims and most of all their visceral hatred of the Jewish people. And their lack of tolerance for “the other” is racist and xenophobic; and deadly. So why are we allowing this symbol into our country?
For that matter, why are we allowing other Muslim requests like: prayer rooms in our schools and public and private institutions despite the fact that Muslims can say all their prayers in the evening if they miss some during the day; demands for Halal food in schools is taking place in America. Why? Kosher food isn’t served in public schools in Canada.
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In Britain, 200 Subway Food chains have removed pork from their menu and serve only halal meat. In France Halal is spreading through the country-appeasing a minority and spreading Islam quietly; abducting western culture bit by bit.
And so the weak amongst us continue to capitulate to these intolerant demands while the elite blame the rest of us for being racist, xenophobic, fearmongering, Islamophobes which leads to more demands and accusations of racism, xenophobia, fearmongering, Islamophobia and…
There was a time when Canada was much more Christian. This country is based on the Judeo/Christian ethic. Stores were closed on Sunday- a day of rest. Slowly stores were allowed to open in the afternoon. After church. Then, over time Canada became a 24/7 country. Canada realized that we had to become a secular country-no one religion prioritized over another. We must not allow a different religion/culture demand that we accommodate their intolerant practices in our country.
Please, come here and be blessed with the freedom we offer, but leave your racist, xenophobic, fearmongering behaviours behind in the countries from which you fled.
Diane Weber Bederman is a blogger for ‘Times of Israel’, a contributor to Convivium, a national magazine about faith in our community, and also writes about family issues and mental illness. She is a multi-faith endorsed hospital trained chaplain.
