November 6, 2011
Honourable PM Stephen Harper, Am I a Threat to Canada?
Shawkat Hasan
More by this author...I am one of the 1.4 billion Muslims around the world who is extremely saddened by what you said in your interview with Peter Mansbridge about Islamacism / Islamicism. You said loud and clear that "the Islamacism is the main threat to Canadian security" and that "the truth is that Islamic terrorism exists all over the world." By making these statements, your Honour has accused all Muslims on this planet including one million law-abiding Canadian Muslims of being warmongers and bloodsuckers waiting at every dark corner to harm innocent people.
Your Honour, please allow me to say that you are promoting hate against Muslims. I write to challenge your mindset and to let you know that you may find yourself owing the Muslims an apology.
Many Canadians welcomed your overdue apology to the Native Nations the wrongdoing that took place against them by your ancestors, in the early days of immigration to this land. The new immigrants at the time denied any wrongdoing but you, honestly and after decades, admitted it. It may again take some decades before future Canadian generations will realize the damage you have inflicted against Canadian Muslims.
I was born in Palestine, but was chased out of my home in 1948 along with three quarters of a million (by United Nations count) other Palestinians who became refugees. A Canadian family from North Vancouver moved in to my father’s home under the newly established state of Israel.
It happened that after years of living in a United Nations run refugee camp, where I obtained my elementary and secondary education, I left to the United States to complete undergraduate and graduate studies. Soon thereafter I joined the work force at the United Nations and was given the United Nations lassie passé, which enabled me to travel. I visited the new state of Israel on assignment.
There, your Honour, I went to visit my birthplace, which I never forgot, but I was chased again. This time, I was chased away by the Canadian Zionist family who lived in my home and called me terrorist, exactly as you are now saying. That family is very well aware of your commitment and support of Israel’s endeavour to have hundreds of thousands of Zionist families occupying the homes of the native Palestinians, Muslims and Christians alike. That family, called for the Israeli army to come and arrest me for the crime of visiting my birthplace.
I did not hate Canada or even Canadian Jews. On the contrary, when I retired, I immigrated to Canada since my father’s home was forbidden to me. This is an example, your Honour, of a Muslim that committed no wrongdoing but was forced to leave his birthplace and who is still a terrorist in the vocabulary of the Zionist, whom you love to support.
Are you still not convinced of my innocence? Do you still believe I am a threat to Canadian security? Do not rush your Honour, you may still owe me an apology.
Canadian Muslims are the second largest faith community in Canada. They are patron citizens who consider Canada a home and a country of theirs to protect. There are plenty of examples of Canadian Muslims who have taken that extra mile to protect and defend their country, Canada.
Today, your Honour, I am becoming very worried for the safety of my children and for myself from being harassed by your multi-security apparatus. Today, I am no longer safe. Today, you have forced me to keep looking over my shoulder until I, and the million other Canadian Muslims, receive an apology.