Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan

Canadians will celebrate Eid Al-Adha with gratitude but also with uncertainty.



The reasons for the gratitude are manifold: Canadian Muslims enjoy security, opportunities, full rights as citizens, freedom of speech and religion, prosperity, excellent education and health systems and are governed by the rule of law. They enjoy excellent relations with their fellow Canadians.



They are concerned, however, because of the uncertain times in Canada and in the world. Some Muslim youth have attempted terrorism but were apprehended before they could harm innocent Canadians. Overseas, some deranged people are committing horrible crimes and are doing so invoking Islam. This is neither new nor is it confined to Muslims. Throughout history, people of various faiths and countries have indulged in killings and looting. But these were horrors in the past. In the global village, Muslims and others expected that people would be bound by their common humanity and would work together to build a better world.



Instead, atrocities in the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa have made the modern age a replica of past brutalities and threaten to perpetuate violence.



Muslims flocked to Canada to escape persecution in Muslim countries, or to seek opportunities in a rich, welcoming country. But now they are seen as a potential threat by those who attribute the crimes of some to Islam and to the Muslim psyche.



Muslims in Canada number more than a million. Most are productive citizens. Some have served in the Parliament and in provincial legislatures and cabinets. They have distinguished themselves in every field.



But it’s the relatively few troublemakers who garner attention. There have been several terrorism attempts in Canada. The most notorious were the Toronto 18, who schemed to storm Parliament, kidnap politicians and behead some, including the prime minister.  



The authorities charged 18 youth in 2006. Seven pleaded guilty, four were found guilty and charges were dropped or stayed against seven. The guilty received various jail terms. In August this year, the courts found  pathologist Khurram Sher to be naïve but not guilty of planning an Al-Qaeda type attack in Canada. He became the first Canadian to be tried on terror charges and to be acquitted. Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh was sentenced in September to a 24-year jail term. He was accused of smuggling 56 circuit boards, to trigger bombs, from Afghanistan in 2009. Ironically, this happened just two years after the Kurdish refugee had been granted Canadian citizenship.



Why would people who found refuge and safety in Canada turn against their benefactor and their own faith and plan to harm innocent people? The answers differ. Some Somali youth chafe against the African forces who are in Somalia to preserve peace and security. Others resent the presence of Western troops in Muslim countries or that the US helps Israel to keep Palestinians under brutal occupation. Canada is not responsible for such situations. Canadian citizens can, in any case, participate in political activity and seek popular support for their views. But many youth have no experience of democracy at work. They come from war-ravaged countries and often from torn families. In Canada some also face a degree of racism, especially if they are from Africa and are Muslim, which prevents them from getting good jobs and building their lives.



Such youth often avoid imams, scholars or the Muslim community. They rely instead on the Internet and malcontents who push them toward hate and extremism.



The revolts against the Assad dictatorship in Syria and the US invasion of Iraq have produced a disastrous situation that is creating ripples in Canada as well. Some Canadian Muslim youth have gone to Somalia, Iraq and Syria to fight in what they believe are just causes. The government has said that more than 130 Canadians are involved in fights abroad. The government has started to revoke the passports and possibly the citizenship of such people, fearing that these fighters could return to Canada and initiate terrorism there.



Moreover, the leaders of the so-called caliphate have called for attacks against Canada and also on non-Muslims. They have persecuted moderate Muslims, women, Christians, Yazidis and others. These leaders have been denounced by the Canadian Council of Imams and by almost all the major Muslim organizations in Canada and the US. Indeed, Muslim scholars throughout the world have denounced the so-called caliphate for violating Islamic teachings of tolerance, compassion, justice and respect for diverse religions and views.



Still, the attempted terrorism in Canada shows that though only a tiny minority of Muslims here have turned to extremism, the authorities must remain extremely vigilant to ensure that Canadians are not harmed. Muslim organizations have offered to help Canadian officials in trying to keep Canada safe. This is both a religious and a civic duty. But it is a far cry from the time when Canada enjoyed full peace and security and when hate, turmoil and violence seemed to be happening far, far away.



These are dangerous times everywhere. Muslims will have to remember the lesson of Eid Al-Adha: Have faith and act righteously as the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) did. That is all we can do.



Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a retired Canadian journalist, civil servant and refugee judge.