Spit Take: Here? In Canada?

Thursday, July 8, 2010: I pick up this morning's National Post and read the front page article about the OPP being set to charge a Muslim extremist.

Over the past three years, Salman Hossain has openly called for terrorist attacks in Canada, cheered the killing of Canadian troops in Afghanistan and urged fellow Muslims to "exterminate" Canada's Jewish population.

What? This is Canada. We don't do such things; we don't say such things; we don't even think such things. What the hey?

I've never heard of this guy so I sit down at my computer and do a search on the name. I find all sorts of entries from media outlets but I also turn up entries written by this gentleman himself. He apparently has a web site, which according to one source was taken down, but I discover it's up.

Spit Take

The home page comes up on the screen of my computer and... I very nearly spit my coffee out across my desk. Holy c**p!!! Gee-sus H. K. Ryest! Over the line? This guy has gone over the line, drawn a new line then gone over that!

Can't we just all get along?

I grew up in a non racist, non sexist environment. Intellectually, I understand that some people hate other people but emotionally, I just don't get it. When somebody expresses anger, frustration, whatever against somebody based on race, colour or sex, I quite honestly draw a blank. I look at the target of their hate and shake my head. What the heck is the big deal?

A friend is the principal of a public school in an area where the students come from all over the world, from all sorts of backgrounds. The school board publishes a school calendar on which is noted every religious holiday and celebration for everybody: Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddha, Bahá'í, etc. and all students are always made aware of everybody else's observances. In fact, ofttimes the entire school celebrates various festivals so that everybody is observing Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali or Ramadan. This friend always gives me a copy of the calendar and I take it to work to share it with my colleagues amongst whom I find Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu.

Folks, this is Canada. We are multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious. We do not have room for Salman Hossain any more than we had room for Enrst Zundel. If we stop talking to one another; if we slip into differentiating ourselves based on race, colour, sex or religion, all is lost, anarchy will prevail; we will not have any peace.

I am Canadian. I am proud of my country. I am outraged that another Canadian is dragging all of us through the mud, defaming our name and ruining our collective reputation. This isn't freedom of speech, this is bullshit.


Reference

National Post: OPP set to charge Muslim extremist
http://www.nationalpost.com/charge+Muslim+extremist/3248369/story.html

Google search: "Salman Hossain"
http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&source=hp&q=%22Salman+Hossain%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=12d854179172b838

Ernst Zundel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Z%C3%BCndel

2010-07-08