Issues with Sharia (and other problems) in Canada

Recently, CBC News has been discussing the implementation of the Islamic Sharia law here in Canada for Muslims. There are advocates for both sides, muslims who do not like the current penal system and those who support it. The second group is usually led by muslim women who feel that the Sharia law marginalizes the rights of women to certain freedoms enjoyed by women of other faiths living in Canada. These women come from countries that are ruled by Islamic Law and where they have experienced harsh prejudices and have had their voice marginalized by the ruling government.

These women are right to be concerned. But this problem, like many others, lies with the people who wish to impose the Sharia, not with the law itself. Muslim countries, like that of the Iranian Republic, draw stern accusations of violating the human rights of women in the name of Islam. And this attitude of careless violation is what women in Canada fear will happen if they let Sharia be implemented.

Most people will not spend time actively learning what is involved in Sharia Law, its justifications, its precedents, or what situations warrant what punishment. These muslims are usually those who are not integrating well with their societies and feel that their rights and values are not spoken for in our current legal system. They are not familiar or comfortable enough with the law to work to amend it. Instead, they prefer to institute a law that they don't understand and that will further divide our country.

Sharia law is the quickest and most efficient method to solving a problem. This is how it should be viewed. If the current law fulfills this, then it is Sharia. People with manipulative agendas love to use foreign words like sharia, jihad, etc., to scare the general populace who hasn't the slightest clue as to what these terms mean. The fear that muslim women will lose their rights in this country if sharia is implemented is not true. Though this is a concern, the real issue here is that what is to be implemented is not Sharia, if it marginalized the rights of women.

On the flipside, we may think that in this country have democracy and that women have certain liberties and a true voice. But the way this voice is manipulated is truely disgusting. We live in a democracy, but numerous ads with scantily dressed women, some who've starved themselves to death, really is a form of sexism. It tells women that this is how you need to be to make it in this world. And even though this idea has been propagated to every female ear, it still hasn't had much of an effect. We do need to change the perception of women in this country, and it should begin with the arraignment of companies that exploit women.

Freedom of Expression, or Freedom of Opression.

Where Have All The Muslims Gone?

The days of Eid are fast approaching as the pilgrimage to Mecca will soon be underway and hundreds of people around the world will be celebrating this joyous event. Eid al-Adha seems to bring out the best in Muslims as people pour their hearts out (and their wallets) to donate to causes throughout the country to help our fellow Muslims. This year with Eid falling in the same season as Christmas, it looks as if we've got some healthy competition, as charity drives are pushing forth to help the homeless and poor people stay up on their feet with money and other handouts. Then we've got the talks in Annapolis, where there is another theatrical display of a feigned attempted push for peace. This show has been playing for the last 20 years, but it's amazing how people think this will be the year.

Which brings me to my point. Why is it that Muslims have to rely on the Western world to settle our conflicts? Why is it that we can't step in and solve our own problems anymore? People seem to like being lied to, it's become a drug that we can't resist. Throughout the years we've seen all sorts of these 'Push for Peace' conferences take place, and fall through, and yet year after year when a new one starts, we think it will be different. The Muslim world has the means to fix its own problems. Why haven't we implemented this?

The average Muslims likes to sit and tell the youth of stories about how great the Muslim empires of old used to be, about how against insurmountable odds, we were victorious. But they fall short of asking the question of why? Why were we able to accomplish such feats? Because we had a genuine caring for one another, because we wanted to help others succeed. We used what we had to help our fellow Muslims. But today there exists such a gulf between the rich and the poor in the Muslim world, with very little regard on either side for the other. We have countries that have huge amounts of resources, money, oil and then nations that are struggling to survive, living under occupation. Why aren't these two sides talking to each other? Is it greed, is it pride? One things for sure, it is a problem. Other nations don't care about us because we don't care anymore about us. Let's begin to redefine what the Muslim is, not give it a new meaning, but take back what it used to be.

This season, let's re-establish ourselves as what we want our kids to see, to become. Creative rhetoric may not be everyones strong point, but teaching each other about Islam is something we can all do.

Ignorance may be bliss, but being Muslim is something else entirely.

Redefining the treatment of Detainees

President Bush and his WhiteHouse clique are in the process of trying to pass another controversial bill, this time on redefining the harsh treatment of its detainees at Guantanomo Bay, Iraqi jails, and I suspect all its other secret dungeons throughout Europe.

For the most part, the bill seems like any other we can expect from an administration like that of Mr. Bush's (terrorists, Al-Qaeda, freedom, Iraqi children, we will fight, Iraqi democracy, blah, blah blah). But deep within the bill lies an astounding preposal, one that would pardon Bush and his administration of any wrong doings in the torture of all detained 'prisoners' in the War on Terror. The level of torture inflicted on these POWs is in conflict with the regulations set out by the Geneva conventions; a war crime that the administration would rather be absolved of. Now there's a rush to try and have the senate pass the bill (the House already has) before congress adjourns for the week. The reason for the rush? If the bill is not passed now, and the Democrats get control of the house this November, the president could possibly face prosecution from his enemies in congress- although with the level of impunity the president has already enjoyed, I doubt this will be little more than a slap on the wrist.

The thought that the United States government thinks that it has the authority to do something like this, the fact that the House could see nothing wrong, shows the pitifull level to which the country's moral standard has degenerated to. It seems like after President Carter left office all those years ago, the country has continued this downward spiral into nothingness. It's shamefull that the citizens of a country as prosperous as the United States have said nothing as of yet to strike a crippling blow to their illegitimate government. Is it that people just don't care about who runs the country, or are the distractions of today's fast paced modern lifestyle holding a veil over reality. Whatever the cause, Americans need to step up to the plate and think about where this attitude of inaction towards injustice will lead there country in the near future.

Little Starlet to fight the Occupation

A surprisingly new twist on the resistance against occupation in Palestine comes from Rafah, where a young 11 year old girl, a mouse, and a honeybee are making headway in establishing a metality amongst the the children of Gaza in their struggle for freedom.

Saraa Barhoun, a cute little hijab clad Palestinian girl, is the star of a children's program on Al-Aqsa TV. This young 'spirit of the youth' promotes understanding of Islam in the West, discusses political issues with callers, and promotes brushing your teeth everyday. The young tv personality definitely has staying power. With her near perfect annunciation of Arabic and adult like maturity, it is no wonder this child star is being watched by hundreds of young people and their parents in Gaza.

The ethics behind using a child star as a means to promote hate against Israel is another issue being brought to the fore by critics of the show and of Hamas (who own the station). In an article in the Observer by Conal Urquhart, the girl states, in response to her mother about giving up her life for the resistance, 'We love life, but we are happy to be martyrs.' The use of the word 'martyr' has now become commonplace in many Muslim dominated countries, though it's meaning becomes more vague with each use. It used to be someone who would stand firmly for their beliefs even when faced with persecution, jailtime, or death. But it seems now that more and more young Muslims are taking this to mean the ending of their own lives in kamikaze missions in Israel, with the promise of heaven - (Actually the Quran explicitly says not to kill yourselves).

Hamas needs to rethink its tactics that it's employing here. It needs to spend some time properly educating the youth of Gaza and the Bank in order to set the proper mentality of the resistance. Instead of providing material for the West to exploit, it should be concentrating its efforts on pressuring the other Arab and Muslim nations for help, starting with the Saudi government. The means are there, but the direction is lacking. If the war continues the way it is, Palestinians will continue to drown in their own blood, a reality that we all would like to avoid seeing. And after that, because of the uneducated youth, Israel will write whatever history it sees fit, of how they conquered the Palestinians against all odds. Hamas needs to bring more attention to its plight through the proper Arab channels, not through the US, and not through Abbas, whose method of applying pressure seems non-existent at present. When Hamas sits down and rethinks its policy, then the Palestinians will see reform. We need less brain-washing and more brain-storming and need to allow Saraa Barhoun to live out the few more years of teeth brushing promotion she has, leaving the politics to the big boys.

End the Occupation of Jewish Lands by Arabs

Today I was browsing through the Haaretz when I came across an opinion poll entitles, “The new Hamas reality: Opportunity or calamity?” I decided to read some of the opinions and what I found was that people around the world still don’t have a factual basis for the events in Palestine and the State of Israel. One American citizen’s comments stood out among the rest. Part of the comment read:

Look what Hamas is doing in Gaza - destroying it and murdering innocent people: Fatah will do the same in the West Bank, and Hamas and Al Qaeda will take over there too if Israel lets them.

Al Qaeda? I wonder how they got into the West bank or the Gaza Strip. Not by conventional means I’m sure, what with Israel’s control of border crossings and screening processes. Maybe it’s one of those Al Qaeda inspired groups, the ones that the American News machine likes to talk about and then equate with the real group. It seems one of the goals here is to use any available opening to mention the words Al Qaeda, even if they don’t have a hand to play. And what happened to the other groups? Islamic Jihad is sure to be taking a blow when Al Qaeda is mentioned and they are not. They’ve spent years orchestrating attacks against the IOF and getting their message out, but it seems they are still not big enough to be engrained into the minds of the average American. This omission will only encourage them further.

But wait, the commentary gets better. Here’s my favourite, where the author offers his resolution to the problem.

Here's the only solution: end the occupation of Jewish lands by Arabs, capture or kill all Hamas leaders until they return Gilad Shalit and all Israeli prisoners, make a state for Palestinians in Jordan, and outlaw any organization that suggests harming Israel in any way.

Thank you. Finally someone lays it out for me. All this time I was sitting here like a fool, thinking that it was the Israeli military that was occupying parts of Palestine, when in fact the Palestinians were the ones implementing the segregation, the sanctions, the closing of Israeli schools, and the degradation of an economy.

There is no need for barriers, checkpoints, bulldozing houses, assassinations, or fighting anybody if Israel would only do what the world's most popular book of all time, the Bible says clearly: "Remove your enemy". Simply remove any Arab (or other dangerous person) that is an enemy of Israel and the Jews.

I agree with the opening of this part, but the solution method is a little bone chilling, if not misleading. Simply remove any Arab (or other dangerous person) that is an enemy of Israel and the Jews. This is the part I have an actual problem with, as the Israelis are being equated with all Jews. Without blatantly saying it (because problems would ensue if he did), the commentator has told you that hating the state of Israel or being critical of it, is the same as hating the Jews and being an anti-Semite. With that mentality, they have asked all Jews critical of the Israeli regime to shut up and hold their tongues. Being opposed to Israeli policy does not mean you are opposed to Judaism. There are many rabbis that do not support the state of Israel in its endeavors, but are very Jewish. There are also Israeli supporters of the state that are not even religious. So the equating of the two is not being done in the best interest here, but you can decide that for yourselves.

Alan Johnston: Free at Last

After four months in captivity, BBC reporter Alan Johnston was set free in Gaza yesterday. Hamas militiamen surrounded the compound of the Army of Islam who had held him for 114 days. Johnston relates, "it was an appalling experience, being kidnapped, occasionally quite terrifying and I didn't know when it was going to end." He is currently in the care of the British Consulate General in Jerusalem. He plans to return to Scotland and take some time off to come to terms with his ordeal. Alan Johnston is well known for his comprehensive and direct coverage of the events in the Occupied territories and throughout the Middle East.

Layalee Falasteeniyeh

Last night I had the pleasure of attending "Layalee Falasteeniyeh" at the University of Waterloo in Kitchener, Ontario. The evening gala showcases Palestinian talent in music, poetry and other cultural arts. The show was produced by the Students for Palestinian Rights (SFPR), a student group at the University that spreads awareness of the ongoing events in Palestine in an effort to educate the local youth.

Though the show's venue changed from one building on campus to another, and started about an hour late, no one seemed to mind when the music started and everyone was singing and clapping along to the rhythm of the Oud and the Dumbek, an Arabic Tablah. The show featured Palestinian celebs like Bassam Bishara, born in Ramah village (north Galilee, Palestine), the lead vocalist for the Arabesque Dance Company Orchestra. Other notables included Jawqet El Sheik Imam, and a number of local students who enamoured the audience with beautiful and comedic poetry that they penned themselves. But the most notable persons in attendance were a group of young men, Palestinian, Lebanese and some others, who were definitely larger than life. This cheering squad of students made some of the songs their own when they began singing entire verses of some of Bishara's songs and became louder than the singer's microphone enhanced voice. Though the professional entertainment was a pleasure to here, these were the true stars of the night.

I spoke with one of them during one of the breaks, amid the bustling mini-bazaar that was set up, selling posters, paintings and keffiyehs. He said rarely do him and his friends find time to get out and live this life where they can appreciate thier heritage. Though being from Lebanon, he said he still felt an emotional attachment to the people that are fighting the fight and wanted to meet more of 'his people'.

Many came out to the event from all over southern Ontario. People from Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, and other areas brought entire families and many children to the evening production making the shows third run in as many years, a complete success. Hopefully, the next show will be even bigger and draw more people to come out and live the experience that has made Layalee Falasteeniyeh a huge hit.