Why can’t we fight the Taliban at home? : Canadian Autour Tahir Aslam Gora

Opinion

Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

(Photo Inset) Canadian Authour Mr.Tahir Aslam Gora

Again, I received yet another anonymous email from someone who wants a story published. I checked out the authour Tahir Aslam Gora, who is a writer of Canadian prominence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahir_Aslam_Gora

Certainly what Mr. Tahir Aslam Gora has to say, certainly reflects what many Canadians and Americans are thinking, but because of Political Correctness in our Nancy Based Society, may hesitate to say in the media, of course, myself personally speaking have never been known to wear those Nancy Pants, here on Now Public or anywhere else.

I have contacted the Authour and asked for more on his perspective and comments.

Especially Mr. Gora’s comments would be a valuable contribution whereby Mr. Gora could dispel many of the innuendos and Myths which seem to paint every Muslim as a Terrorist, or Islam as a Religion of Death and Destruction, when the Bible can pretty much mirror the Koran, it is all about interpretation, in which some Islamic extremists and Imams take to the extreme to get their terrorist bent across to a disillusioned youth.

TheSpec.com – Opinions –

Why can’t we fight the Taliban at home?

By, Tahir Aslam Gora, The Hamilton Spectator (Aug 21, 2008)

”We are looking for a solution from people who are a cause of this problem.

” Such were the remarks delivered by Tarek Fatah, a progressive Muslim activist, in a recent Muslim community outreach event organized by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in co-operation with Peel Regional Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The event was aimed at addressing the radicalization of Muslim youth.

Some prominent imams and Muslim student leaders commented on the situation, and a group of progressive Muslims from Canadian Muslim Congress was also there to counter the radical thoughts.

Questions come to mind at times like this, such as: Do such events help in eradicating radicalization?

I don’t think so, because we don’t have clear laws to handle Islamists’ extremist ideologies.

That’s why we haven’t taken any action against a man and his fellows who suggested that Muslims should attack Canadian soldiers on Canadian soil.

We haven’t taken any action against many Islamists in Canada who openly support the Taliban and, despite being Canadians themselves, show their “hatred to Canada” because of its western values.

Is it not an irony that we are fighting the Taliban thousands of miles away in Afghanistan, but are unable to fight them and their ideology here at home?

Now the Taliban even dare to write an open letter to us, threatening Canada to stay away from the conflict. Is it too much work for our politicians to work on potential legislation that could challenge the hatred ideologies spread by Islamists every day?

Unfortunately, I haven’t heard anything like that from our political circles. On the other hand, Islamists in Canada seem pretty smart. They have infiltrated political parties, they are taking shelter from our feel-good media and human rights groups.

They are taking positions in government offices, intelligence institutions and campuses. And they are trying to distract a vast silent majority of Muslims who too often fall prey to their agenda.

So the question remains, how could our intelligence resources and law enforcement agencies bring radicals to justice without proper legislation?

They can’t, of course. CSIS chief Andy Ellis and RCMP Inspector Jamie Jagoe analyzed very well in their presentations about the evolutionary process of radicalization, but seem helpless to execute adequate measures against it.

They apparently seek help even from those circles which, in Tarek Fatah’s words, are “a cause of the problem.” If we were able to send back to their homelands some of the Islamists who openly hate Canada, there would be a clear message sent to rest of the group. Hasan Mahmud, a Bengali-Canadian author of a book on Islam and sharia, pointed out another challenge during his talk to the officers: The Muslim community and Canadian society both need a modern interpretation of Islam in order to combat radical interpretation of Islam.

He is right. Unfortunately our media, national, provincial and local institutes, government bodies, political parties and society in general consider Muslim groups who appear most fundamentalist and radical as the representatives of Islam.

So far the Canadian government hasn’t taken any steps to press Islamists to tolerate the values of a free society.

Rather, Islamists are pushing Canadians to tolerate their extreme hateful ideologies. Without recognizing and encouraging progressive Muslims’ roles and participation, our government and its intelligence resources won’t be able to fight Islamic radicalization.

Tahir Aslam Gora is a Pakistani-Canadian writer living in Burlington. [email protected]