On Indian Immigrants Leaving Canada For Good

I have been watching a few videos of people who returned to (mostly) India after staying in Canada as PR for some time. Also watched a couple of videos of people who went to Dubai. 

Pretty much all of them had mostly good things to say about Canada:

• great summer weather
• everyone is punctual, nice
• law and order is good
• no corruption. School admission no hassle, etc.

Then, when they delve into why they left, it is usually:

• feeling lonely
• need a car, distances are vast
• no food options when you go outside (I mean one lady complained of salad as only veg option in a "Canadian" restaurant)
• drugs (weed) legal for everyone, effect on kids

But the most common reasons seem to be:

• you need to do everything yourself (no "jugad"), such as plumbing, assembling furniture
• fear of not getting proper healthcare
• rising costs

I feel many people today, especially Indian families, are not prepared to do the initial struggle that immigrants used to (and still) do in Canada. Whoever you are, from wherever you are, you will HAVE to struggle in Canada for the first 2-3 years. Your education and experience are not recognized, you will not have a car and need to take public transit, and you won't have a good job. Kids will be in school, extra curricular activities are expensive and so on.

This is also the worst time to immigrate to Canada. Things in India, for example, for upper class Hindu families are generally good. Why WOULD you immigrate to Canada if you are well settled in India with a good job? Canada is also going though one of the worst and most incompetent governments in their history. The federal deficit has given fuel to inflation (already a worldwide problem) making it worse in Canada. Lots of people have been brought into the country on dubious student visas, leading to severe housing problem in the country. 

Previously immigrants struggled because the payout was great - citizenship that is amongst the most powerful in the world, and living standard that is one of the highest in the world. Those things are still true, but there are enormous challenges such as declining standard of healthcare, declining quality of education in high schools. Previously governments used to give tax credits for kids extra curricular activities - those are gone now under current government, who is funding their own expensive programs. But these are temporary challenges.

The truth remains that Canada is still a great place to live - but perhaps this is not the right moment to immigrate for many people who are well settled in their home countries. Also, if you are not prepared to struggle, or you want to be lazy, don't come here. As simple as that.

Paul Bernardo's Shift To Lower Security Prison

Anyone who has lived in Scarborough, Ontario in the 1990s knows the name Paul Bernardo. His name symbolizes pure evil. He raped and murdered several women, often brutally. What was even more despicable was that his wife Karla Homolka helped him rape and murder her own younger sister. 

I arrived as a young man in Canada just after the trials in 1995. I can still tell you how fresh the news was in everyone's mind then, and had continued to remain in public consciousness even after nearly three decades. It was a shame that Bernardo's conviction happened as a result of a plea bargain with Karla Homolka - she was released from prison in 2005.

The recent news that Bernardo is being moved to a lower security prison is shocking on so many levels. I am from that minority of Canadians that thinks death penalty should be there for murderers, but even under today's law, this is a shocking lapse of common sense. This guy should rot in a high security prison for the rest of his life. 

What is very telling is that the ladies who are relatives and friends of the victims decided to approach the Leader of the Opposition for help. They could have gone to our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who actually HAS the power to move Bernardo back to high security prison, but they chose the Leader of the Opposition. The private member's bill, even though it's an Opposition Bill, has a high likelyhood of not passing. Even with all Opposition support, it cannot become law if Trudeau chooses to ignore it (as he did for the China interference motions). It shows to me that these ladies, and indeed many ordinary Canadians, have no faith in Trudeau especially when it comes to law and order. It is not just his famous incompetency, but Trudeau's ideology. This is a man whose bail reform releases violent criminals back into society where they commit crimes, again and again.

What this press interview (first part of announcement is in French, English begins at 4:25).

Link to Pierre Poilievre Presser: https://www.youtube.com/live/dWi0Hbos3bE?feature=share

As a Muslim, can I even justify voting for the Trudeau Liberals?

Let me wind the clock back twenty three years ago. We all know the horrific events that happened on that fateful day in September, and how four planes with criminals on board destroyed the lives of many people. GW Bush was the President of USA, and Chretien was PM of Canada. Chretien was a Liberal, and Bush a Republican.

Those of you who are too young to remember the times are lucky. We lived through a time where our faith was maligned every day, where charlatans like Tarek Fatah took advantage to ridicule the Islamic faith for money, and where sellouts were prevalent, helping foster a climate of Islamophobia, racism and extreme hatred. Laws would come out every other day targeting Muslims, and the very existence of Islam in North America was a question.

We survived. It wasn't easy. I remember the times USA started to discriminate against Canadians entering USA who were Muslim. It was Chretien who stood up to the Americans and gave them a stern warning. I remember the NDP leader in parliament saying Osama, Omar were all Canadian names as well. The Conservatives were conspicuous by their absence. In fact, Stephen Harper relished the environment. 

As the drumbeats for the war in Iraq started to intensify, it took all the diplomatic skills and integrity of Chretien to say 'No'. Britain couldn't do it, and Tony Blair became Bush's poodle. France said No, and were roundly punished by USA diplomatically. Canada said No, but somehow maneuvered around the diplomatic fallout by committing more troops in Afghanistan. We escaped Iraq, but I cannot forget Stephen Harper. He was the Leader of the Opposition, and was so angry we were not in Iraq that he took out an ad in Wall Street Journal, writing against Canada's decision. 

Times changed, and soon Stephen Harper became the PM. He did not change, however. In a famous interview with CBC, he said the greatest danger to Canada was "Islamicism". He scapegoated Muslims, and I have written about his Islamophobia here in an article - The Racism of Stephen Harper Conservatives. 

Harper led the country economically very well, particularly through the 2007-2009 crisis. However, when he finally got his majority, his true self came out. Who can forget the Niqab ban, the Second Class Citizenship rule, the Barbaric Practices phone line. Canadians had enough.

The election of Justin Trudeau in 2015 wasn't only a remedy to Harper, it was badly needed. Canada was slipping truly into a horrible place, and Trudeau and his sunny ways managed to course correct - a lot.

There was a very uneasy alliance between the political left in Canada (and USA), and the Muslim community. For the majority of Muslims are actually conservative (small c) in their values, but do not vote for the right because of Islamophobia and racism. It is still true in the USA, even though a third of Muslims there voted for Trump in 2020. This is an uneasy alliance because the main values that the left supports - LGBTQ, reduced role of marriage, gay marriage, trans sexuality, legalization of drugs, assisted suicide, extreme feminism, political correctness, cancel culture, ridiculous government benefits and large government programs, high taxes - these all run counter to Muslims and their values. Yet Muslims keep voting for the left in large numbers due to the main reason - Racism and Islamophobia by the right. It's an existential crisis versus a crisis of values.

Trudeau understood it well. On the election night of 2015, as he gave his winning speech, he spoke of the Muslim girl whose mother had asked him about Hijab (now we know the child was actually a boy). On becoming the Prime Minister, he did all the right things. He set the right tone, especially after the horrific Quebec massacre. He promoted diversity and spoke against racism and hatred. "Sunny ways", as he said, was dominating Canada. 

Yet, somewhere, those other uneasy alliances also started to creep up. For so long, Liberals had carefully walked the centre (which is why they are the West's most successful political party). Under Trudeau, the Liberals took a hard turn to the left.

Weed has been legalized all over Canada. It is now hard to walk in any major park in a city and not come across the foul smell of marijuana. It is everywhere, along with an opioid and drug crisis that seems to wreck urban centres, such as Vancouver.

Crime is out of control, especially post pandemic. Car thefts, random stabbings, house break ins, armed robbery all seem to be on the rise, along with gang violence. Many blame the Liberal's soft on crime approach, and especially their reformed bail laws, which let many violent criminals out of jail soon - only to re-offend. The right traditionally favours a tough on crime attitude (indeed many say Harper became PM because of the Boxing Day shooting in Toronto in 2005). 

LGBTQ propaganda is not just everywhere , it is in our schools and shoved down the throats of our impressionable children. It is no longer just OK to be tolerant and accept different values; we now have to renounce our own opinions and feelings about the issue. Trudeau passed the horrible Bill C16 which has led to teachers in Oakville who were born male wear giant prosthetic breasts, dress as a female and teach children, with the school board unable to intervene. Teachers are teaching rainbow coalitions to children as young as Grade 4, and in Ontario the Premier Wynne was booted after she tried to teach masturbation to kids as young as 6 years old. In British Columbia, a father has been prevented by the court from interfering with his twelve year old child's decision to undertake surgery to change gender. Puberty blocking drags and castration (called gender change surgery) are now prevalent. Trudeau even made a guest appearance on a drag queen show on TV.

Hard core extreme feminism is pushed everywhere, not least in the cabinet. You cannot write against it for fear of employment, as even licensing bodies are threatening your freedom of speech. And if you get past that, it is the government's bill C11 which is going to censure you. We should have gotten a glimpse when Trudeau forbid anyone from his own party from having any beliefs of abortion that ran counter to the main feminist view. That was an early sign which we all ignored.

It is no longer possible to have a single income family in Canada. Previously, a husband could work and earn and provide for his family while the mother took care of raising the children. This was the traditional model in Canada for a long time. Under Trudeau, his policies along with rising inflation has killed that ideal. Right now, you HAVE to work, and your spouse HAS to work, because simply there is no other option.

Trudeau is bringing millions of new immigrants to Canada without any plan. There is already lots of pressure on housing, on health care, on schools and on jobs. How can we accommodate the millions of new people while the ones here are already suffering?

As a Muslim, you may have been saved from racism by the Liberals, but they are attacking every aspect of your way of life. Your morals, the value of marriage, the reliability of good old traditional social values that made society work, the value of hard work, the value of your dollar - everything is under threat by Trudeau and his minions. 

So, the question is, can we still vote for the Liberals?

I will be voting for a man who has turned a blind eye to his own ministers giving their friends lucrative government contracts - in effect stealing from the public purse. He himself blew $30,000 on a luxury hotel in London for 5 nights. I will be voting for a man who comes after my children, my values, my religion, my speech, my worship and my wallet - every chance he gets. How can I justify voting for him?

It will all depend on the Opposition. If the Conservatives can get their act together, and show us that they have learned from 2015, and they do not intend to resurrect the racism and xenophobia, they may have a chance. After all, most of their values closely align with not only Muslims, but many immigrants.

The ball is in your court, Pierre Poilievre. 

How to win elections, Justin Trudeau style

 

Short answer: give lots of people money and create vote banks. Also, he has a nice smile.

In our community (Bangladeshi Canadians / South Asians), possibly 90% people here will vote Liberal. Think of why Liberals will win again (especially your vote):

• Make us dependent on government - Create conditions by poor economic planning, such that we will have record inflation (worst in 40 years), so that there is no choice but to hope for a handout from the government, rather than through hard work
• Empower a minority through laws such as Bill C16 and censor opposition through Bill C11 such that you cannot talk against said minority, who will consistently vote Liberal. Remember the teacher who wore prosthetic boobs, and all the weed smoked all the time at all the parks in Canada? They will all vote Liberal.
• Keep immigrants and minorities weak. This is very important. You cannot empower minorities and immigrants too much. Otherwise they become middle class and start to vote conservative. You must let them always be dependent on government for handouts.
• Gut the middle class. This too is important. Middle class people are swing voters who do not have party loyalty. In Canada, the rich people control most of the wealth and government, so they don't care who wins. The poor (and the lazy) and the disadvantaged tend to vote Liberal . So it is to the Liberal party's advantage that middle class is gutted - hence you see all the wealth transfers and the inflationary spending and the big government programs designed to take YOUR money and give to the struggling class.
• Final point - spread fear. Harper was a bad guy, we all know that. He has tarnished the Conservative image so much, and now Trudeau has a bonus in Doug Ford. All he has to do is point the finger at them, and scare people who ignore his other faults.

Tell me. You, the middle class, will never see a penny of the GST rebate. You will not avail the dental program, unless you commit fraud (which is being encouraged by the lax measures put in place). You will not get a place in the $10 daycare for your child. Yet, you will pay for ALL of these. As well, you will pay the banks and the rich people for your mortgage as your rates go up and up.

Now, think of all of these, and what you ignore simply because Trudeau is a pretty face:

• only PM convicted SEVERAL times of ethical violations.
• only PM to have admitted to GROPING a woman.
• only PM caught in blackface, multiple times.
• only PM who interfered in a LEGAL matter, and then FIRED the Attorney General (who was an Aboriginal Woman) because she wasn't as corrupt as him.
• only PM who used the death of a Queen to stay in a $6000/ night hotel , get drunk and sing at the bar and party on your money
• only PM to have created the LARGEST asset bubble in history, ANYWHERE in the world
• only PM to have presided over the largest rate hikes in the last 31 years.

Now, cost of everything has gone up, value of your money has gone down, your paycheque buys less -- in other words, you are rapidly being pushed out of the middle class.

And you will still vote for him because he says some nice things. Even as he outlaws your religious practices and curbs your right to teach your religion to your kids the way you want. All because of a smile.

This is how Justin will win.

Conservative Party of Canada - Great at Scoring Own Goals

 The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) is great at scoring own goals.

In the 2019 General Election, the Prime Minister of Canada was caught with pictures of him in blackface. He had just been found guilty of two ethics violations. He had interfered with a criminal prosecution of a Canadian company by the Attorney General. Under all circumstances this should have been a slam dunk for the CPC.

Instead, their leader lied about being an insurance salesman and an American, and could not give a straight answer, pun intended, on whether he would attend the Pride parade. 

Today: when you have such an inept government in Ottawa, winning an election should be easy. After all, the government is so inept that their solution to the passport chaos is buying chairs. Instead, the CPC shows its fantastic skill at scoring an own goal. 

Again.

The disqualification of Patrick Brown from the Conservative leadership race is unprecedented in Canadian politics. It is stunning and has made the front-page news everywhere. Any neutral Canadian will see this as a problem of the CPC itself.

Patrick Brown wasn't just any CPC candidate. He had signed 150,000 new members who had paid $15 to join the party (remember, Justin Trudeau had 100,000 when he won the Liberal leadership, and those weren't paid members either). Brown was one of the front runner in the race. Honestly, after the first ballot, it was going to be either him or Jean Charest that would have won the race.

By disqualifying him, the party establishment appear to have rigged the race to favour Pierre Poilievre. And to do so without giving any reasons? That's just bad politics, bad options - not to mention a hit job.

We can legitimately ask - What exact crime did Brown’s campaign do? What specific rule did they break? Were they given a proper hearing, as they allege they weren't? Brown's statement says they weren't given a full opportunity to defend themselves. And to complete the joke, the CPC isn't issuing any more comments.

For now.

Trudea 1. CPC -1.

How as Premier Doug Ford Affected Your Personal Life?

 How has Premier Ford of Ontario impacted you? This is how his government has impacted me:

• saved me $120/year on license sticker renewal
• cancelled tolls on 412 and 418, giving me more choices
• cut Toronto's city council in half, thus reducing the number of useless politicians
• rolled back 2015 sex ed curriculum which had lessons addressing same-sex relationships, gender identity and masturbation
• cancelled Cap and Trade, and Energy Green Act, which is saving me tax on gas I pay at the pump
• halted opening of safe injection sites, which means there won't be junkies loitering in my neighborhood
• lowered the hydro rate for me, which meant my utility bills are lower
• rolled back Pharmacare (OHIP+), which meant my kids' medicines were no longer free, but I get most of it paid through my work insurance; if I didn't have that it would continue to be free
• Scrapped the Drive Clean Program so I don't have to take my car to a useless emissions test that has nothing to do with the environment anyways
• Froze hiring in public sector and limited the wage raise to 1%, which affects my profession in a time of global record inflation

The Difference between Christian and Muslim Stances on Abortion

Since there appears to be a lot of discussion on abortion in recently, in light of the leak of US Supreme Court opinion on overturning Roe v Wade, a lot of people are saying the US is going to be a "sharia law" country. Comedians such as Trevor Noah made this joke, while a lot of Muslims are posting links to Ben Shapiro and using the same arguments that the Republican right uses in USA. What I wanted to emphasize is that US pro-life arguments come from their understanding of Christianity, which is different from the Muslim point of view, so using some of the Republican arguments is a non-starter.

1. Christianity believes life begins at conception. Thus their stance on abortion is tied to this belief. Abortion in Christianity is murder, plain and simple. If you are a believing Christian, you cannot reconcile support for abortion on a theological level, because you ARE killing a life.
   
   
2. Muslims believe by and large that the soul enters the fetus at 120 days after conception (majority opinion). Some minority scholars believe in 40 days. So almost unanimously, before 120 days the fetus is just a growing body of cells and tissue. Yes, it has the potential of becoming a living thing, but it is not LIFE yet.
   
   
3. Regardless, the Muslim stance on abortion is NOT based on when life begins, unlike Christianity (which is what Ben Shapiro, who coincidentally is a Jew, believes).
   
   
4. Can you terminate a pregnancy AFTER the first trimester (i.e. after 120 days, when it is now a living soul)? The unanimous verdict is that without a valid reason, NO. This is different from Christianity, which is a NO regardless of reason. In Islam, the life of the mother is held to be more valuable than the life of the fetus. Hence if the life of the mother is at risk, abortion at ANY MOMENT can be justified. The greater the concrete reason, the more lenient the verdict. It should be noted that nowadays, with modern science, you do not have to abort as we have lots of success with premature births.
   
   
5. What about before 120 days (i.e. the first trimester)? There is a valid difference of opinion. Some Hanafi scholars are very lenient, saying you don't need ANY valid reason. Other scholars from other madhabs are split on this. You can read more about it in the sources I will provide at the end of this article. Again, this is vastly different from Christianity, which is NO ABORTION AT ALL UNDER ANY CONDITIONS because it is MURDER. It is important to understand this distinction.

So if you are speaking from an Islamic point of view, and someone asks you what is the correct summary of Islamic position on abortion, this would be the correct answer:

1. In Islam, life begins at some point AFTER conception (120 days).
   
   
2. There is valid difference of opinion on the permissibility of abortion in the first trimester if done WITHOUT ANY VALID REASON.
   
   
3. There is unanimous consent that abortion is NOT ALLOWED after the first trimester UNLESS there is compelling valid reasons tied to the health of the mother.
   
   
4. At any point, the life of the mother is superior to the life of the fetus.
   
   
5. As a general point of note, abortion is not something that is the recommended option. Exceptional circumstances require specific judgements.

Thus you can see that the Shariah is actually more flexible, and more accommodating to concerns of society, the woman, the man, the family, the marital unit, the future child and keeps a good balance overall.

What about "my body, my choice" ?

In Islam, we are slaves of Allah. We submit to Him (hence the name Muslim). We do what He has commanded. We have the choice not to follow His rules, but then we will answer for it.

What about "only a woman should speak on abortion" ?

That is not the Islamic point of view. 

I hope this post can shed a light on some of the discussion where many people are bringing religious perspectives. Even if as a Muslim you believe in the strictest option in the first trimester, know that valid scholarly difference of opinion on this exists.

Sources:

1. What Does Sharia Really Say About Abortion in Islam
   
   
2. Islam and the Abortion Debate (Infographic)
   
   
3. Islam and the Abortion Debate (Article)

Why Ford is Going to Win the Ontario Election

Why Ford is going to win the Ontario election

Ontario's Premier Doug Ford is one of the best from all retail politicians in Canada. Remember how he used his own car and shovel to help dig out drivers caught during the snowstorm? It made the news, and got all the attention. It played to Ford's image - a man of the people. Liberals hate him, but he knows how to do politics. Here are four reasons why he should handily win the election:

1. Justin Trudeau is the Prime Minister of Canada

Ontario is a smart province. The people of this province want different parties in power in Ottawa and Queen's Park. With the Liberals winning federally, Ontario would want a Conservative in charge of their province. Besides, if Pierre Poilievre succeeds in winning the leadership of the federal Conservatives, and turns hard right, this just plays into Ford's image as a centrist (which he is). Ontario loves their moderates.

2. The NDP and the Liberals are fighting for second place

Ford's opponents are acting as if he has already won. Do you even know the leader of Ontario's Liberals? Or recognize his face? And the leader of NDP has lost more elections than she can count. Their ideas seem all over the place as well. Liberals blamed Ford for not shutting down the province early on during the pandemic, and then held a rally. NDP, despite being on the left, supported the people not getting vaccinated as a "Charter right". Their criticism was seen as criticism for criticism's sake, and not as valid opposition. When you are seeing "doing politics as usual" you are going to lose.

3. The pandemic handling

Ford has certainly done some mistakes (I have called him out on this many times). He famously told people in March 2020 to go for Spring break and "have a good time". He was late in getting the province ready for the vaccination drive. He was late in many of the restrictions that would come into play. Yet, despite those mistakes, which every government made, he generally handled the pandemic well. Almost 90% of the province is vaccinated. Ontario had strict lockdowns, and strict vaccine mandates. Ontario kept the mask mandates the longest. Ford generally listened to the science and to the experts, even if it went against his own instincts. 

The right was angry at him for the restrictions and lockdowns, and left angry at the lockdowns and restrictions not coming down fast enough. When both extremes are mad at you, you are probably doing something right. Ford also rightly called out Justin Trudeau and the federal government for their lax security and screening (or rather, NO SECURITY and SCREENING) at the border. The 2021 autumn wave of the virus was purely due to open borders - a federal fault - that Ford rightly called out. His government, despite being Conservative, handled the pandemic with smartness and caution.

4. Keeping his promises

Ford kept most of his promises. He got shovels in the ground on Ontario's notorious on again off again public transit projects. The Crosstown is going to open soon, the Ontario Line and the Scarborough extension is well on their way, along with LRTs in other cities. He has removed the tolls on highways 412 and 418. He kept his promises to reform the education curriculum, be it sex ed or Maths. He has kept public spending in check (too much, in fact). In his battle against the teachers, the people generally support him. 

All in all, everything looks rosy for Ford. Yet, he has challenges in his second term. Healthcare in this province is at a breaking point. It is almost non-functional, except the bare basics. Education is going to be a rocky battle, as he has to take care of bigger classes, lower tax base, and a teachers' union that is in the mood for a fight. Other public unions are coming up for negotiations. Ontario is facing a housing crisis - with buyers facing high house prices, rising interest rates and higher mortgages, not to mention higher property taxes and utility costs. All these add up in higher rents, which harm renters. And the LTB is a pure disaster.

So... much fun awaits. For now, all roads lead to Ford.

The Racism of Stephen Harper Conservatives

As we look at the ineptitude and incompetence of the current Liberal government, it is tempting to look at alternatives. We see Conservative leader Erin O Toole trying to "move his party to the centre" and coming up in polls. Perhaps this is a good time to remember why in 2015 Canadians overwhelmingly voted to kick out Stephen Harper and his Conservatives, many of whom still remain in Erin O Toole's party to this day.

Racism.

No political party or government in Canada is or ever will be overtly or blatantly racist. But subtle and indirect forms of racism did persist in the Harper Conservatives and PM Stephen Harper was an expert in playing dog whistle. Let us see some examples.

1. During the evacuation of Lebanese-born Canadians from that war-torn country during the Lebanon-Israel conflict in 2006, many of Harper's ministers including Immigration Minister Monte Solberg, criticized Lebanese Canadians for living abroad most of the time and allegedly returning to Canada only for health care and social benefits. The Conservatives questioned these people’s “loyalty” to Canada. No mention was made about Canadian celebrities such as Wayne Gretzky and Celine Dion, who also live outside Canada for extended periods while retaining their Canadian citizenship status.
2. “West of Winnipeg, the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by...immigrants.. who live in ghettos and are not integrated into Western Canadian society.” -- do you know who said this? Stephen Harper.
3. In unveiling Bill C-51, Harper singled out Canada's mosques as the place where people became radicalized. This drew widespread condemnation, as there was no basis for that statement.
4. Even as Canada's domestic terrorism (aka white supremacy) was being targeted by CSIS as a big danger to Canada, Harper and other officials repeatedly cited jihadi terrorism in speeches and comments about the changes proposed in Bill C-51. More on Bill C-51 later. In fact, during the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo incident, even as the suspects remained on the loose, Harper said "the international jihadist movement has declared war” and ascribes a hatred towards “anybody who does not think and act exactly as they wish they would think and act”.
5. It wasn't just Muslims who were targets. The Conservative Party ran an online petition asking for "more transparency for First Nations governments” — despite having already passed a First Nations Financial Transparency Act. The Conservative Facebook page was subsequently overrun by racist commentary from supporters.
6. Stephen Harper announced that he would appeal a court ruling allowing a Muslim woman to perform the citizenship oath while wearing her niqab (a veil covering her face). So much for those values of “freedom, openness and tolerance”. It is now a point of note that EVERY single argument their government had made is now destroyed in this era of covid19 and masks.
   
   But by appealing the ruling, Harper found a wedge issue he could ... harp on ... dividing Canadians. He himself began to exaggerate this divide, by famously talking about "old stock Canadians".
7. Who can forget the famous "barbaric cultural practices" hotline that Harper planned to institute? It was another wedge issued initiate to divide opinion against Muslim Canadians, who make up less than 2% of Canada, and play on their stereotypes. Indeed Jason Kenney tweeted a picture of Shia Muslims and mistakenly (I am assuming) labelled them as 'ISIL' .
8. Harper famously stated, "Islamicism is the biggest threat to Canada".
9. And who can forget the famous bill C-51 that would make a whole category of Canadians second class citizens? You could be stripped of your citizenship, based on the decision of a Minister (not a judge), and deported to a country where you have never been to and a country to which you are a foreigner.

This is not an exhaustive list. But the highlights. Yes, Erin O Toole is not Stephen Harper. But it is till the Conservative Party. Mr. O Toole will have to work a lot harder if he has to convince us that things have changed.

New links:

Muslim groups troubled by Harper's Mosque remark:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/muslim-groups-troubled-by-stephen-harper-s-mosque-remark-1.2940488

Harper racism timeline:

https://pressprogress.ca/a_detailed_timeline_of_stephen_harper_s_weird_racially_divided_vision_of_canada/

Niqab controversy:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/niqab-controversy-stephen-harper-justin-trudeau-wade-into-culture-war-over-the-veil-1.2989576

Barbaric Cultural Practices Hotline:

https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/senate-passes-bill-to-remove-mention-of-barbaric-cultural-practices-from-law-passed-by-harper-conservatives

Harper on Threat to Canada:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/harper-says-islamicism-biggest-threat-to-canada-1.1048280

In Favour of the PC Sex Education Curriculum Move

I actually don't mind the PCs reverting the sex education back to 1998. This is because:

 1. It fits in with what the majority of the voters want. Initially when brought in 2015, only 50% of the voters had a favourable view of it, and equal number was opposed. The opposition has only grown.

As per Globe and Mail, 50% of Ontario opposed the new curriculum. Given that Raymond Cho won a bielection in Scarborough with PC party promising to change it, and then Ford won the main election promising to change it, you can assume that more and more people are opposed to the new curriculum. We cannot just say ALL of Ontario are fools who are misinformed. People in general do not like the new curriculum and think it is too far out left.

2. I don't mind them teaching about consent and being aware of consent. No one should abuse anyone, especially a minor. Kids need to be taught these boundaries and to report any untoward behaviour. This needs to be kept in any new curriculum.

3. I don't think kids need to learn about gender fluidity at grade 4. At grade 4 you are pretty sure you are a boy or a girl. You don't even question it. Gender fluidity is more of a modern concept - a bit of social engineering from Wynn. Kids should go to school and learn math and science, and not come home thinking am I a boy or a girl.

4. Ditto about masturbation. Why does a grade 5 need to know about this? Maybe at grade 8 or 9. And even then, our society teaches us masturbation is healthy, and there is no warning given in the sex ed curriculum about the dangers of pornography. Grade 6 students being taught that “exploring one’s body by touching or masturbating is something that many people do and find pleasurable” is absolutely horrendous to teach at that age. Let parents be the judge of when the kid is ready and teach accordingly. And any curriculum that does not preach about the evils of pornography is catering to only one side of the issue.

5. Our sex ed curriculum comes from the view that any sex is good - here is how to do it safely. Whereas the moral point of view that sex should be with your married spouse whom you love is not taught because that is "too religious" and better left to parents. Why? If one view can be taught, why not other? i.e. Abstinence? That is after all being COMPLETELY safe.

6. The previous government says parents were consulted. When? Where? I don't remember any school notices or circulars given out widely when McGuilty first introduced (and then backtracked) and then when Wynn imposed her social engineering views on us.

The government has to be more transparent. When the majority of the province's parents oppose it - that means the parents they chose can NOT be the proper sample.

7. In Grade 1 (that's 6 year old kids) they wanted to teach body parts openly in the class. What is the need for that? This is better for later grades.

I agree there was SOME good in the 2015 curriculum. Sexting, gender based violence, consent, homosexuality was addressed. Those need to be re included in any new changes. But the 1998 one isn't so bad as people are making it out to be. We are a conservative society. Let us not try to use government to do sexual social engineering at a grand level.

The Power of Voice

Take a look at this picture.
For many of you, this might not be such a big deal. Here's a food booth at a cafeteria and they have halal meat. So common here in Toronto.

But this is not Toronto. This is a city way up in the north of Ontario. Now let met tell you the story of the power of the voice that leads to this picture.

When I moved here in Canada, not only were halal stores far and few in between, but food and religious services in campuses across Canada were not very minority-friendly. In the late 1990s, a major Quebec university actually went to court to prevent the Muslim students from booking a room and using it as a prayer space. And there was a scandal as one of the universities were serving "vegetarian" food but the gravy was beef based, which incensed the Hindu students.

Now there had been Muslim Student Associations (MSAs) and Hindu Student Associations (HSAs) in Canada for a long time, but they had often been neutral in student elections, existing merely to organize some cultural events. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, that started to change. Both the MSAs and the HSAs started to actively participate in student elections. They would field candidates and promote candidates. Often many of these organizations would collaborate and coordinate to create a voice. After all, it's nice to have a student president who is friendly to Muslims (or Hindus), but only a Muslim or a Hindu student would know the importance of dietary restrictions and ensure school functions would either cater properly to a diverse student body or at least label their food properly. In addition to prayer spaces. After all, in a Toronto university, a Hindu pooja function set off the fire alarm. Letters of request written to the university had no effect.

Suddenly, these candidates started to win. And ALL of a sudden, you could see the affect. UTSC first got a permanent prayer space in 2001. Suddenly other universities followed suit. Halal became widely available across student cafeterias, as did proper vegetarian, vegan and other options. Prayer space fire detection system at the University of Toronto Multifaith Building now cater for pooja that will have incense and fire, etc.

These are not just mere stories or the achievements not just mere trivial issues. They are important to those who take their religion and their lifestyle seriously. MANY of the things we take for GRANTED today came about because SOME people ahead of us chose to UNITE, ORGANIZE, and create a VOICE.

The first step is of course to vote.
YOU MUST VOTE.

The second step is to run.

Be a Candidate.

Get involved in the political parties here. Know the issues. Knowledge is power.

Why American Muslims Should Leave USA Right Now

My American Muslim friends and family.

Before I start, I want to tell you a little reality. It's something you can ask any Canadian, especially those who were immigrants to the Great White North, and they will verify this.

We often go the United States for little trips. Disneyland, shopping, tourism, work, visiting friends and family, and so on. The Americans are (usually) very nice and we have no complaints.

But ...

On the way back, as soon as our car crosses the 49th parallel back to Canada, we heave a sigh of relief. Just a few meters over the border in Canada, everything is the same as it was in US. The highway is equally good, the scenery hasn't changed much, the weather is the same. But something is different. We are in Canada.

We are home. We belong.

Now I ask you. Do you feel a sense of belonging in America? Is it your home? Is the government of America your government? Does it serve you? Are the people yours? Do they accept you as one of them?

These are not some bland questions. I want you to think about it deeply. What does it say when your country has elected a man who has openly villified your religion, talked about putting you in special registration programs, advocated a shutdown of people of your faith coming in to the country, and refused to apologize for his numerous racist, bigoted, sexist, ultra right wing comments?

In your country the police openly shoot unarmed black civilians without any fear. And this was under a black President.

This is the same country that elected Bush twice. An illegal war killing millions (and some of them Americans) did not stop a majority of the people from voting for him. And this is a country where the Muslim FRIENDLY candidate would talk about Muslims being on the front lines of the war against terrorism, would continue the drone bombings of civilians, would continue the PATRIOT act, amongst others. Not even the other guy. The other guy is far worse. And he is now your President, elected by half of your countrymen.

I don't need to go on. I know you KNOW the situation is bad. I am writing to tell you why you should LEAVE the United States NOW. Before it gets worse, and before your options dwindle, LEAVE NOW. While you still can.

I know this is your homeland, your place of birth. This is where you grew up. Went to school. Got married. Made a life. It's not easy to even think about moving.

There is some merit to the idea to stay, and fight, and make things better. Strive for your country. Try and make the society better. Help your country.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stayed in Makkah for 55 years - the vast majority of his life - trying to improve the society, help the people, strive for his place of birth. But at some point, you have to realize that things are not going to get better, ever. In fact, they will get worse.

The Clock Boy - Ahmed - was a genius and he was put in jail. And he was a KID! Sure, he then met the President, and the Faceook CEO, but what good did it do? Other future Clock Boys would still be put in jail. And there are no consequences. And this was under a black Democrat President. Things are not going to get better.

They are going to get worse.

We thought Bush was bad. 9/11 happened, and surveillance and overreach of power and so on. When you guys elected Obama, there was Hope that things would Change.

But has things changed? They only became worse. Obama never undid the Patriot Act. He made sure the US government could assisinate its own citizens. He never shut down Guantanamo Bay. Drone killings became a fact of life.

And now, what? The KKK approved guy is your President, with the House, the Senate and pretty soon the Supreme Court in tow. What more signals do you need to know things in America are not going to get better. Trump will not be able to make America Great Again, the way his supporters want him to. It's not 1950s any more. And then what?

I would urge you to consider Canada. It's right next door, and the culture is very similar. As part of NAFTA (until your new President dismantles it) you can get a job here easily before applying for Permanent Residence.

We are not perfect. We have healthcare, but it has issues (we are working on it to fix it, not dismantle it). We don't have racism the way you do, but we do have the French part of the country, Quebec, that ocassionally tries to ban the niqab or hijab. In fairness, our current Prime Minister also hails from Quebec, so there's a lot of good people there as well.

We have Muslims in the Cabinet, while you will now have a person in Cabinet (Ben Carson) who rose in the polls by saying US Muslims should never serve in Cabinet.

Sometimes our police do kill an unarmed civilian. But then we have an inquiry and an investigation. It's nowhere on the same scale as in USA, which is why Black Lives Matter gets far less traction here.

We had First Nations women being killed and missing for a long time. Our last Prime Minister refused to have an investigation, and prefered "old stock Canadians" (whatever that was). We got rid of him, and now we have an official inquiry into those missing women led by a lady who is a First Nations person herself.

Yes, things are not perfect (I mean there's our weather) but Canada is a far better place to be a Muslim than America, alhamdulillah. Our Walmart sells Halal stuff without any cries of boycott.

And we need you. We need you because the election of your crazy President will embolden the crazies here. You might remember our last Prime Minister. He's not there any more but there's people trying to become the leader of his party. Some of them are crazy right wing, and they will have noted the success of your President. We need you guys here so they don't succeed. We really like it here and don't want to move (ironic, eh?).

After 55 years in Makkah, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) realized things are not getting any better, but were getting worse. So he immigrated. He left his beloved place of birth and moved on. Your parents (or their parents) made the decision to move to this country for economic reasons. So you can't say you cannot move because it's your birth place - they did it and you can too.

Yes, some Muslims remained in Makkah because they couldn't move due to various circumstances. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always prayed for them, and helped them when he could.

So whatever your decision is, you will always be in my prayers. And may God be with you.

And may God bless your country with true justice.

Ten Thoughts on the Historic US Election

So America has done it. Elected Donald Trump as President.

(Picture courtesy: Rolling Stone)

Some thoughts (a postmortem, if you will).

1. The racists have won. 

There is no way to sugar coat it. The man ran on a racist platform, and was endorsed by the KKK, and won.

2. White people have nothing to fear.

Notice all the talks of losing Democrats about coming together, healing, congratulating the President and wishing him well. They are all white. People of color remember what Trump said about them.

3. Muslims in USA should seriously think about emigration.

Trump cannot target Hispanics or other immigrants as easily as Muslims. Immigration from Muslim countries will be curtailed. So it's really time to think about the long term future.

Also, kind of ironic to see famous sheikhs (you know who they are) who thought Clinton had it in the bag and couldn't resist a dig at her, saying how bad she was and why third parties deserve a look and how America was facing two bad choices. Now they are calling out to Allah for help and guidance. Should have done that before the election.

4. Trump did everything wrong, and still won.

No ground game, no significant ad buys, no support from the main party, no coalition of diversity, and still won. He proved in the US you can run on white supremacy and win a national election.

As Electoral-vote said, 

"Similarly, everything we thought we knew about campaigning was apparently in error. Conventions? Don't matter. Debates? Don't matter. Endorsements? Don't matter. High-profile defections? Don't matter. Missteps? Don't matter? Commercials? Don't matter. Ground game? Doesn't matter. An All-Star team of campaign surrogates, including one former president, one sitting president, and a wildly popular first lady? Doesn't matter. The "blue wall"? Not a thing."

5. All the polls were wrong. 

Like, ALL of them. This will have significant impact future elections. Why should anyone pay any attention to what the polls say?

6. Trump controls the House and the Senate. 

In the next 4 (or maybe 8) years he could appoint as many as 5 Supreme Court justices. America has really changed into a darker society yesterday.

7. Sexism, racist, and generally bigotry was always there, it just needed a champion and it found one.

Americans can't really say it's only a fringe minority who are racist. As a nation, yesterday they proved themselves to have no qualms about electing a racist bigot. 

8. Hillary cheated Bernie out of a nomination win in the Democratic primary.

Hillary lost in 2008 to an unknown called Barack Obama and did not want history to repeat itself. So this time around she made sure she was going to get the nomination by any means necessary. The Democratic primaries should have been a signal. Despite all the advantages of the party machinery, she had trouble beating an unknown old man from Vermont. 

When facing a choice between a fake and a real deal, voters usually choose the real deal. For all his faults, Trump was Trump, warts and all. No one knew what Hillary really stood for. 

9. For all our smugness in Canada, be prepared. 

Our Conservatives must have seen that being crazy, racist and a bigot can lead you to victory. Be prepared for more craziness from our right. And we thought Harper was bad.

10. Final thought:

If you as a white person feel frightened of a Trump presidency, then think of an immigrant, a Muslim, a Mexican, a person of colour, a gay, trans or marginalized person.

Why I am skeptical about the US led witch hunt on FIFA

By now it's old news that an US-led investigation has led to Swiss officials arresting seven top FIFA officials in Zurich, and the US fraud inquiry has already indicted 14 people. Loretta Lynch is the woman who took on FIFA. Amidst all of this, Sepp Blatter has just won re-election as the head of FIFA.

Pardon me if I am not amongst the majority who are 100% enthusiastic about the US led witch hunt into FIFA.

1. Blatter has been good for world football. For so long has football remained an Euro-centric game, with some token South Americans. It was Blatter who took the World Cup to Asia (in Korea/Japan 2002) and to Africa (South Africa in 2010).
2. It was Blatter who expanded the World Cup to 32 teams, and then changed the rules so that African and Asian teams have a greater chance of qualification.
3. It was under Blatter that a lot of investment has gone into football outside the traditional powers. Cricket could learn something from the way FIFA globalizes the game. No wonder Africa and Asia loves Blatter.
4. Everyone seems up in arms about the decision to award the games to Russia and Qatar (with allegations of bribery and corruption) yet no one bats an eye into the way Germany nipped the World Cup in 2006, right when everyone assumed it would go to South Africa. The media keeps bringing up the corruption of the Qatar bid, yet no one talks about how Salt Lake City got the Olympics from IOC in 2002.
5. When did the US start to investigate FIFA? Right after their failed bid in 2010. If they had been awarded the world cup, all things were then hunky dory?
6. US Senators repeatedly tried to pressure FIFA into dumping Russia as a host. Citing the occupation of Crimea and Russia's involvement in Ukraine, they conveniently forget all the wars and lands occupied by the US soldiers since the Second World War. The Iraq war alone has caused the deaths of far more civilians than any recent Russian military adventure.
7. All of this as FIFA was set to suspend Israel. The Palestinians have now dropped their effort after the corruption probe.

So yes, it does look like there was corruption in FIFA, but there's a whole lot more going on than it meets the eye.

RIS 2013 Day 2 - Review

There is a reason RIS is for younger people. The last session ended last night at 11 pm. I skipped the entertainment portion and reached home at about midnight. It took me about half an hour to transcribe the notes and then some more to format it properly for the blog. By the time I was ready for bed, it was 1.30 in the morning. And then I had to get up for Fajr (no use reviving the Islamic spirit if you are asleep for Fajr, is it?); and here I was, 10 am, already downtown at the convention centre, ready for Day 2.

A talk by Ustadh Abd al-Karim Yahya on taking care of our souls got us underway. We learnt how the Prophet pbuh used to pray for his ummah, and he told us to pray in the wee hours of the morning. Our religion should help us connect with others and also pray for others. We should be a people who summons others and engage with others. We have to take our strongest concern to Allah, and then the strongest concern of others to Allah. He gave us a touching personal anecdote of how he prayed for his own mother to come to Islam.

He was followed by sister Yasmin Mogahed who continued her good form from yesterday, speaking on the same topic. Highlights included

-          Islam has come to free you from the servitude of man and make you a servant of Allah alone.
-          Freedom is not where you are free to do anything you want. That is when you are a slave to your nafs. True freedom is where you can be free from your nafs.
-          She talked about Qalbun Salim and how a Muslim is like a bird whose head is the love of Allah (without the head the bird will not survive). The two wings are fear and hope. The fear of Allah keeps us on the straight path and the hope of His forgiveness makes us do good. When the two are in balance the bird is in flight.
-          Islam is not a club of perfect people but people trying to do the right thing who will slip up at times.
-          Someone asked the Prophet pbuh how to get Allah to love him AND how to get the people to love him. He replied that you must have zuhd (detachment from the world: defined by Ali as not that you do not own anything, but that nothing owns you) so that Allah loves you and you have zuhd in what people have and people will love you.
-          The more you run after duniya the more it will run away from you and the more you run after Allah, He will put the akhirah and duniya in your lap. This is where I wished she would have given the stories of some of the earlier Sahabah who didn’t care about this world but only of Islam, and Allah put the world at their feet.
-          She talked of the verse 3:189-190 “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” – that if we ponder on the creation of this world we will come to the understanding that there is a purpose to its existence and to our existence.

The next session was by Dr Seyyed Nasr on sacred sciences.  What is sacred science? Dr Nasr started by saying the word science has very limited meaning in the English language but other languages describe it better. In French science also includes moral sciences and in German it means organized knowledge. The Arabic world “ilm” is most complete in this regard, and the Arabic world Al Alim is an attribute of Allah. Dr Nasr reiterated that science without God is a bidah and how secularization of knowledge is a modern phenomenon (this theme would be touched upon again by Shiekh Hamza Yusuf later in the evening). He pointed out that ancient civilizations built wonderful scientific monuments (such as a damn in Sana or the pyramids) but didn’t cause an environmental crisis because they didn’t divorce the divine from science. The goal of science used to be wisdom but today it is power (remember, knowledge is …?). Modern science limits itself to quantitative elements. Islamic science was great and Islam doesn’t have the conflict with science that Christianity has because in Islam science is not an alternative to God but a way to understand Him better.

It was a great talk, and he had lots of examples – for example how Ibn Sina when stuck on a scientific problem went to the mosque and prayed, and how Al Haitham the father of optics used to have “Allah is the Light of the Heavens and Earth” in his lab, but at the end of it I had two questions that I didn’t get answered – perhaps this was good because a good talk whets the appetite so you can do your own follow up. My questions were:
What exactly IS sacred science? Is it just putting God in science?
And how do you practice scientific research differently in that case?

The following session was by Dr John Esposito. It was titled Get Up! Stand Up for your Rights! Now before I recap his talk I have to offer a criticism. His talk was very American. It was focused on US and US examples. Now while what happens in the USA does impact Canada, some of it is not the same. While 9-11 affected everyone, the Park 51 circus was a non factor here. We have our own issues (Quebec hijab laws) that should have been talked about. The talk should have focused on what we can do in Canada. Even some of the complaints about not having enough presence in the public square, the media examples (Huffington Post) - it was all about USA. Amongst the problems in Canada he could have mentioned Tarek Fatah and his ilk (the MCC). Another criticism of his talk was that he asked us to plug into the establishment way of doing things and to be involved with the movers and shakers and the levers of power, but he didn’t put any qualifications or restrictions here. Perhaps it was due to time.

He talked about the immigrant experience and how an immigrant group moves from other to being accepted. Muslims were on that path when 9-11 happened. We have to have greater media presence and contribute financially to organizations like CAIR and so on, and how we must avoid segmentation within ourselves.

He was followed by sister Dalia Mogahed on the same topic and she confirmed that yes, she is indeed the sister of Yasmin Mogahed. I LOVED her talk. She started by saying that Western societies are looking at Muslims like a tumor. They are wondering whether it is a benign tumor that is harmless, or a cancerous harmful one that should be removed. And muslims are saying we are harmless, harmless! No! Muslims should stand up and say we are a vital organ of the body and remove us, the body will wither and die. She then used the first verses ofSurah Muddassir to show how it is a guide to social activism.

O you who covers himself [with a garment].

Social activism and public work is a calling that you do because you have it in you – you don’t do it for fame or ambition or worldly benefits. It will put us out of our comfort zone

Arise and warn.

We have to rise and deliver the warning. We are not told to make everyone Muslim. That is not the aim. We have to divorce ourselves from the results – we will not be asked about the results. We will be asked whether we delivered the mail, not whether others read them.

And your Lord glorify.

Our work is for God alone. We should never let the ends justify the means. Our work is a way to achieve God’s pleasure. Don’t do it half hearted.

And your clothing purify.

And uncleanness avoid.

And do not confer favor to acquire more.

Do everything in the halal way and never be focused on just the results. Try to do it halal and Allah will give you barakah. Here I wished she drew on early history of the Sahabah and how they conquered the world with limited resources.

But for your Lord be patient.

Anyone in the public square will face brickbats and slander and hatred. They have to be patient.

Sheikh Mokhtar Maghraoui led the following session titled Light in the Midst of Darkness: Prophetic Guidance in Troubled Times. He said Allah has made both darkness and light and He is Light and all Light comes from Him, so if we want that Light, we have to come near him. Hardships can bring a mumin closer to Allah (no pain, no gain). We have to pray, salah, do zikr and prostrate to Him more often.

I skipped the following session for an extended bazaar break. So here’s my review of the bazaar.

It was TOO crowded. Now I haven’t been to RIS in the last few years so I don’t know if this was par for the course but it was packed and especially during the breaks it was really hard to move around (good practice for Hajj, I kept saying to myself). Moreover, there were only limited dining tables in the dining area (they were large and occupied by families all the time). Young people were eating by sitting on the floor outside the convention halls. My father and mother are senior folk who can’t sit on the floor due to bad knees, so I had to wait a while before we could find a free table (and it was a melee to get one!). So my advice to RIS would be to enlarge the dining area and get more tables there.

The bazaar wasn’t anything different. There were lots of books and bookstores had a large presence, along with the regular hijab, oudh and Islamic arts stuff. Overall the bazaar area seemed kind of small for me this time. Hamza, a character from a children’s series, made an appearance and was popular with kids. Eastern Toybox was another unique stall. Dawahnet and Soundvision too had their large presence (and they do a lot of good work in the community).

Back to RIS talks (it was now post dinner and the talks would be back to back). The next session I attended was Aspirations of a Believer by Sheikh Zahir Mahmood. He talked about how death was the end of all aspirations, and we all have to face death one day. The Prophet pbuh was one person who actually finished his work before his time was up, so we Muslims have to follow his example. We have to have aspirations and goals and have specific goals and ambitions. The Prophet pbuh gave the Sahaba aspirations and they conquered the world. For our life, we need visions, aspirations and goals. People with low aspirations will justify their life to themselves rather than try to improve it. Even in our prayers, for example, we have to ask for Jannatul Firdaus (2^nd best not good enough for Muslims). Too many muslims say they are ready to die for Islam, but they are not ready to live as Muslims. They should be focused on making society better, and their focus should start here, where they live. If today all the muslims of the world disappear, will anyone miss us?

He then concluded by that famous story of the three men stuck in a cave. Each man recounted a deed he did for the pleasure of Allah alone, and the covering rock of the cave moved a little. The first one recounted how he spent the whole night with a glass of milk in his hands waiting for his parents to wake up, the second one said how he avoided zina with his cousin, and the third one said how he gave the amanah of an employee back after years (with all resulting investments). The sheikh than asked us, if we were the fourth person in that cave, would we have any story to share?

He was followed by everyone’s (and my) favourite – Nouman Ali Khan. He actually had the audience stand up and stretch, and then facilitated a shahadah, before going on to his topic of Marriage. Key points include (with lots of humour thrown in):

-          Muslims in the west become isolated and the mosques where we meet people of different ethnicities we don’t spend a lot of time there, so we don’t get to know one another, especially for marriage and love.
-          Youth need to talk to their parents about marriage and their preferences.
-          Girls go on long academic tracks and the reality is they go past a cultural “expiration date” and have trouble getting married.
-          Parents are here, kids are here, no one is going BACK home. We don’t have a lot to pick from, so we shouldn’t judge a suitor by ethnicity.
-          The land isn’t perfect and is full of shamelessness of the worst kind.
-          Some people keep shooting down proposals because they are not perfect yet don’t see themselves in that light.
-          In desi culture your son is your retirement plan, so a girl is brought into the family as a “servant” and parents don’t look for an “intelligent girl” as she will mess up the insurance plan, and oppression happens in the house.
-          Youth, when you prematurely give your heart to someone, a heart which is a special gift of Allah, it has a spiritual impact. Don’t do it.
-          It’s OK to look for a spouse, but take a respective, responsible approach. The indirect approach is the best as satan gets involved when you get involved directly (late night text messages, flirting beyond control, skype sessions). Get to know someone, but get others involved. Deal with reality instead of cursing it.
-          There are two sides: the youth have to get more strict and the parents have to get less strict when it comes to marriage.
-          In Islam parents have to be obeyed, but they also have to be fair and just.
-          For guys, BE A MAN.
-          Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan shared that he himself got married at the age of 22.

The following session was by Ambassador Shahbazz and Tariq Ramadan on coexisting and behaving well with the “other”. I am summarizing Professor Ramadan’s speech below:

-          You don’t have to respect what someone does (his actions) but you can respect that person as an individual.
-          All the messengers could go to their people and say “Ya qawmi” – they were concerned about their people, even if they were mushriqs.
-          We are all neighbours in humanity.
-          About Nelson Mandela. Let’s take and learn from the good in his life. He was courageous and brave and didn’t sell his soul and forgave his enemies. As for his after life, we leave it to Allah and we remain silent on it.
-          We cannot isolate ourselves but must integrate in the society. We love everyone, but we love the justice in them and we oppose the bad they do.
-          Muslims must be the voice of the voiceless and they must stand up against oppression even if the victims are not Muslims, for example native rights here in North America. He brought up the example of Hilful Fudul from the seerah.

There was a nasheed performance by Outlandish, and I really enjoyed their track of Aisha.

There was also an address in video by the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau.

 

The best talk of the night was the last one – entitled When Worlds Wither: Guidance in the Latter Days by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf. If you could see one talk today, you should see this. I would urge everyone to buy a DVD or CD of this talk if you can.

He stated by asking us to pray for his mother who is 93 (he made a point that she was born when there was still a Caliphate). Sheikh Hamza Yusuf actually had a presentation on his topic that he incorporated into his talk. Again, I must stress that this recap will not do an iota of justice to his speech, it’s a speech about how we are raving our planet that should be read at the United Nations. I was so engrossed in the talk that I actually wasn’t taking notes as I should, so these are from memory as well. Again, PLEASE BUY THIS LECTURE.

Man is doing fasad (mischief) on earth when he is supposed to be its caretaker (caliph). The corruption is on land and sea and the sins of man have an effect on the sea.

“Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].” Quran 30:41.

The corruption in the ocean has resulted in fish diminishing due to our sins (and the sheikh was supported by statistics and facts). Fires are spreading across the earth and as global temperatures go up so do fires. 15,000 people died due to terrorist acts and we have a war on terror, but 1.5 million people died due to pollution and bad air yet we do nothing about it.

The Quran tells us the animals are communities like us and have equal rights to earth, yet we don’t care about them. Dogs are now getting depressed because they live with people who are depressed and this is not a natural order of things. The powerful animals (lions, tigers, elephants etc.) are on an endangered list and the cockroaches and rats are not. And humans are now aping cockroaches and rats in our behaviour and leaving aside the lions and tigers. The ocean is getting more acidic and the star fish are dying and as corruption spreads to the sea, 90% of big fish stocks have fallen (90%!!).

What is increasing? Jelly fish. They are spineless, mindless and consume all the time – just like us humans today.

In all facts and figures he was presenting credible sources and news articles. He talked about usury and the uncontrolled growth and the “war of Allah” that is coming (and it’s not just in the hereafter) the banking industry has been close to collapse and Allah WILL bring it down. The rulers in power are making billions from war when the average people have no hatred between them naturally.

As I said, it was a very powerful talk that deserves to be seen, not just read as a recap from some blog.

So that was Day 2. A very good day with lots of great speeches.