Islamic Council in Canada Calls on Community to Sign Petition Condemning Islamophobia
"We have to take every step possible to make sure that we live in a very inclusive, tolerant Canada,” said Chairperson of the WIC Maher El-Masri.
The petition, which is sponsored by Liberal MP Frank Baylis, explains that Islam was founded more than 1,400 years ago and is the religion of 1.5 billion people around the world.
The petition began in June and closes Oct. 6. It states that Muslims have played a major role in the "positive development of human civilization” in areas including arts, culture, medicine and literature.
"Recently an infinitesimally small number of extremist individuals have conducted terrorist activities while claiming to speak for the religion of Islam,” the petition reads. "These violent individuals do not reflect in any way the values or the teaching of the religion of Islam.”
So far, the petition only has about 53,000 of the 100,000 signatures El-Masri said are needed before Parliament will consider it. "People are signing to testify that radicalization and terrorism is not part of Islam and Muslims, it doesn’t define them,” he said. "But they are also condemning Islamophobia.”
According to El-Masri, recent terrorist events around the world have prompted the petition as a way to encourage Canadians not to give in to fear and instead to recognize their Muslim neighbors as loving people who have nothing to do with the attacks.
"With this way of radicalization and terrorism, we find ourselves always having to defend who we are against those terrorists who act in the name of our religion with no right and rightful excuse,” he explained, adding that rejecting Islamophobia is another way to battle terrorism.
"When we promote Islamophobia, when we subject ourselves to our fears, we play into the hands of the terrorists and radicals,” he said. "That’s what they want to divide us.”
The petition is the latest in a local effort to battle bias against the Muslims. In July, Windsor signed a charter along with six other communities across Canada calling for an end to Islamophobia and all other types of discrimination and bigotry. El-Masri said the WIC condemns all acts of terror and asked that people remember all of the positive contributions Muslims make to the area.
"Unfortunately, sometimes bad deeds go very loud,” he said. "There are lots of good deeds that happen and come out of the Muslim community that go unheard of.”
"Any decent, loving person is not only welcome, but encouraged to please sign this petition,” said El-Masri. "That’s the thing that will preserve our identity as a tolerant country.”
Source: Islamic News
