Muslims across the western world in general and in Canada in particular blame media for creating an environment of Islamophobia.
They think western media -- including Canada’s -- have orchestrated a campaign to call Islam and terrorism the same thing.
But also in Canada, on the other hand, some progressive Islamic circles think Canadian media are too caught up in political correctness and don’t dare air issues that question Islam in public debate.
Why is there a dire need for open debate within Islam?
The answer, simply, is that we Muslims are still part of a closed community.
Canada’s model of a multicultural mosaic would give us the opportunity to mix with all cultures in Canada. But instead Muslims are encouraged to stay aloof from the multicultural blend.
Let’s be frank. That’s the reason Muslims seem the most alienated populace in our society. That alienation is generating a sense of incompatibility between Muslims and other communities. Everyone feels it, but nobody wants to talk about it at the academic and institutional levels.
Despite having a heavy feeling about this alienation at grass-roots levels, Canada’s intelligentsia exhibit political correctness at all forums for fear of being labelled as racists.
Canadian society should help Muslims become integrated with the core values of Canada rather than encouraging their religious alienation.
This country’s society is based on a separation of religion and state. But when it comes to applying this core value to Muslims, policymakers start mixing religion with state affairs.
It is sad our secular colleges and universities are allocating special facilities to growing Muslim student groups to promote their religious services. Unfortunately, these religious services on campuses eventually lead to or are dominated by fundamentalist ideologies.
Why don’t campuses make clear to all religious groups that campuses promote harmony and secularism, not religious segregation? This is not racism or a bad message. It’s a more appropriate direction.
By keeping our core values intact in our institutions we may help to maintain our secular position with all growing communities.
In a secular environment, we can expect all kinds of open debates to flourish. When that exists, a community may not be paranoid about such things as “media conspiracies.”
But if we keep meeting Muslims’ religious demands in non- religious places, society indirectly harbours Islamic radicalization. And when that happens, we shouldn’t complain about alienation of Muslims.
Unfortunately, the current alienation or incompatibility between communities is resulting in attacks on freedom of expression, causing uproar at each and every debate and enhancing radicalization in our country.
Canada’s intelligentsia, and Muslim leaders, need to review their strategy. They have to look beyond their vested interests.
There is a contradiction of ideas and actions in the way Canada’s Islamic organizations and their leaders are advocating detachment from society at large and the way they are pushing themselves into the arena of national politics and policy.
That contradiction -- that paradox -- may push Canada and its Muslim communities into a state of pure alienation.
Tahir Aslam Gora is a Pakistani-Canadian writer living in Burlington. goratahir@yahoo.ca