Canadian Values and Faith Journeys

Well bugger the Canadian dedication to egalitarianism, to a well-adjusted and well-functioning pluralist society where people from various ethnic backgrounds, different cultures, heritage, class and ideologies, not to mention religions, are meant to get along famously with one another. The wide open fresh-air spaces of the country, its guarantees under the law to all and sundry of its citizens, the capacious social welfare infrastructure and the wealth of its natural resources and its industry, just automatically seem to invigorate people with the hale conscience of brotherhood and sisterhood.

Once immigrants take up Canadian citizenship they become magically transformed - make that reasonably transformed - into accepting and becoming meaningfully-gracious citizens of the country. Equality under the laws of the land. The challenges to learn about one another, and appreciate the diversities that bloom within society, lending an air of exoticism to Canadian stodginess, makes us more well-rounded, more interesting, more challenging, more attractive.

That's the theory, isn't it?

It's an amazing transformation; all social, political, religious enmities left behind in the original societies and political cultures that fostered them. Once people reach the shores of Canada they relinquish the suspicions and the mistrust they harboured against other people. Simply because they become more reasonable because of the fact that they are now, within Canada, with its freedom-guarantees, part of a social culture that fosters amity between people.

So it stands to reason, obviously, that the Metro Toronto Convention Centre is set to host the third annual Journey of Faith Conference, organized by its chairman, Imam Saed Rageah of the Abu Huraira Centre and Toronto mosque to help Muslim youth find their way back to Islam. To more fully appreciate the roots, the values and the justice system, and the need for spiritual struggle to fulfill their obligations to Islam.

Inspirational speakers have been invited to loud acclaim from among the community for whom the Toronto mosque and its imam remain so highly regarded. And it is, under these faithful circumstances, disquieting to learn that the federal government of this country has become involved to disturb the serene proceedings of faith. Refusing to issue a visitor's visa to the featured speaker at the conference, Muslim televangelist Zakir Naik.

How utterly untoward. The organizers of the annual Journey of Faith are rather dismayed, but not deterred, for on their website for this grand event they bravely declare:

"The organizers of the 3rd Annual Journey of Faith conference regret to announce that Dr. Zakir Naik will be unable to attend this year's conference due to the uncertainty of his admission to Canada. The conference will go on as planned and Dr. Zakir Naik will be joining us via live video conferencing."

What a relief, he will be as good as there. Virtually there, as it were. What's up with the government? Oh, some unease with the presence of Dr. Naik just because one of the Toronto 18 terror suspects declared his appreciation of the sermons issued by this televangelist? Oh, just because the man preaches hatred and is a severely divisive figure? Hatred? As in "every Muslim should be a terrorist", that Jews are "our staunchest enemy", and support for Osama bin Laden?

Hmm, right. And the other featured personalities? Espousing violent jihad, right. Exposing the Jews as the "extremists of the world", right. Oh, and the correct way to go about beating one's wife, right. Yes, that does not quite seem to reflect Canadian values, to be sure. And the mosque, and its faithful, and its imam, are all aware of the controversy, and the fact that their version of the journey of faith does not reflect Canadian values or social mores?

Um yes, they're intent on 'spreading Islam'. Allah above all. And these are Canadian citizens? Canada has admitted these people, considering them to be capable of adjusting to Canadian values, and accepting the Canadian system of equality, and understanding that racism and bigotry are not commensurate with those values? This demographic, deeply immersed in their faith which they claim is one of peace, agitates for division and hatred?

That the very government that agreed to give them safe haven, and to guarantee them all manner of individual freedoms and legal protections under our system of liberal democratic governance rejects the admission of a hate-monger whose message appears to resonate with them, gives them no hint of their inattention to Canadian values? Their defiant disregard of those values appears, on sincere reflection to speak to their inability to adjust to universal civility.

Intriguingly enough the topics "Women in Islam", and "status of women in accordance with the Qur'an" and "What non-Muslim personalities say about Islam and Prophet Muhammad", speaks volumes about what the agenda is. Attesting to the unsuitability of these people to Canadian citizenship and residence. That's ten thousand young Muslim men and women in our midst who embrace a version of Islam that is obviously antithetical to Canadian values.

That's ten thousand too many.