Quebec's ‘values’ debate sows seeds of intolerance

By: Lal Khan Malik Published on Wed Feb 05 2014

Since the summer of 2013, Quebec’s now-infamous Charter of Values has made countless headlines across the country. Initially, I wondered: “Why would the Parti Québécois propose something like this?”

Fast forward to early January, when a student’s request at York University sparked a firestorm of controversy after he asked to be excused from working with females for religious reasons, and I again wondered at the inordinate amount of controversy.

But after last week’s tragic death of a Muslim woman in a Montreal Métro station, when her scarf got entangled in an escalator, it has now become very clear what all the fuss, in all of these cases, is about.

In a word, this is all about Islam.

The Charter, essentially, seems as though it’s primarily concerned with exterminating what has become the strongest symbol of Islam in the west – the hijab. And after the recent tragedy in Montreal, the hijab has come even further under fire.

I was present last year when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the highly anticipated Office of Religious Freedom. I remember in his opening remarks, that he had called Canada a “country whose hallmark is toleration of diversity and respect,” a beautiful fact as true now as it was then.

And yet regretfully, I must point out that there now seems to be an increasingly vocal antagonism in Canada towards Islam and Muslims.

But why?

While it’s true that the scars of 9/11 in America, and the 7/7 bombings in the U.K. are stark reminders that we must remain vigilant against militants here in Canada as well, we can’t forget that this handful of twisted people do not represent Muslims in any way.

So while we start to see the suspicion and fear of Islam slowly grow in Canada as it has in America and Britain, we can’t forget that Muslim Canadians are loyal, proud, and law-abiding citizens who make valuable contributions in communities across Canada.

That’s why, ultimately, in Canada, there’s really no reason for an overly antagonistic or suspicious view of Muslims.

For example, look at ultra-popular Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, a devout Muslim.

And it’s not just a one-off case.

As the president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Canada, I can tell you that I have seen the character and passion of Muslim youth across Canada up close. They want to make a positive difference in this country they love.

Just recently, thousands of Ahmadi Muslim youth across Canada canvassed for weeks to raise over $60,000 for Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines.

Similarly, many other Muslim groups are engaged in activities and endeavours to help shape their youth into contributing members of society.

And I think there’s an onus on the media to highlight the positives, too – the truly representative face that shows Canadian Muslims for the positive force they actually are, a much needed and refreshing outlook on a tired narrative

What’s more is that highlighting some of the positive contributions of Muslims in Canada would increase goodwill between Muslims and other communities, removing mistrust and debunking negative stereotypes.

That’s important, because this country is a tapestry so diverse, that the very idea of Canada is a miracle. No other place on Earth has such a varied collection of people gathered in it from all across the world who have no cultural, religious, or ancestral connection, and yet still live in such harmony.

And the reason it functions so smoothly is simple: we all like each other. For that, we need to think positively about one another and respect each other as good people.

But ultimately, the biggest reason it all works, is that Canada treats everyone with such inclusion, dignity and magnanimity that their hearts are won, and so they reciprocate the type of pride and commitment that “coerced integration” can never foster.

The Charter is a perfect example of this coerced integration. Only time can tell just how negative the consequences of such a policy would be.

But perhaps even more dangerous are the seeds of intolerance being laid in the Charter’s anticipation.

Following the first glimpse of it, there were multiple attacks on hijab-clad Muslim women, and mosque vandalisms. But most disturbing, has been the rapid proliferation of general anti-Muslim sentiment – not just in Quebec, but across the country – as evidenced by the anti-Muslim vitriol on the discussion boards of many Canadian news websites.

But continued proliferation of anti-Muslim sentiment, with continuous media-born controversies, could damage our harmony, because negativity and intolerance often fester into hatred and division.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. Instead, if we let Muslims live and grow in this country as citizens who are valued, accepted and free from the shadow of constant stereotyping, and unfair suspicion, then they’ll continue to flourish as patriotic and positively contributing Canadians. It’ll only make our country all the stronger, and ultimately, all the more Canadian.

So as a Muslim, my message to my fellow Canadians today is the same as President Kennedy’s message to Canadians so many years ago:

“Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder. What unites us is far greater than what divides us”

Lal Khan Malik is National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Canada.