Page 6 - DURHAM CITIZEN - JUNE 21ST 2021 - EDITION_Neat

6 DurhamCitizen.ca June 21, 2021

OPINION “ Almost every other week, someone’s cancellation becomes the subject of prominent
discussion on Twitter, Substack and cable news. Yet its exact meaning is up for debate.
What counts as a cancellation? Who gets to decide?

FROM PROSECUTION?
E
T
D
M
I
T T I M E T O D E B A T E
TIME TO DEBATE
T
B
E
E
A
O
R
E
L
A
L
T
U
U
N
C C A N C E L C U L T U R E THIS SECOND
CANCEL CULTURE
C
C
E
SHOT WILL
“Cancel culture,” as a concept, feels GIVE YOU
inescapable. The phrase is all over the news,
tossed around in casual social media IMMUNITY...
conversation; it’s been linked to everything
from free speech debates to Mr. Potato
Head, Dr. Seuss or Roseanne.
It sometimes seems all-encompassing, as if
all forms of contemporary discourse must
now lead, exhaustingly and endlessly, either
to an attempt to “cancel” anyone whose
opinions cause controversy or to
accusations of cancel culture in action,
however unwarranted.
Almost every other week, someone’s
cancellation becomes the subject of
prominent discussion on Twitter, Substack London attack a result of lost
and cable news. Yet its exact meaning is up
for debate. What counts as a cancellation?
Who gets to decide? opportunity to combat Islamophobia
Methinks, it’s high time to debate cancel
culture.
It’s time to take back this country from the in 2017: academic
vandals who would deny our history and
defame our heroes.
A statue of Britain’s wartime Prime Minister
Winston Churchill was defaced outside OTTAWA — The federal government has made investments to ensure that its
Edmonton city hall last week. For those hasn't gone far enough in addressing work is focused on recognizing the
whose pathetic grasp of world history Islamophobia in Canada despite the rise OPINIONOPINIONOPINION systemic discrimination that exists and
doesn’t include the Second World War, of anti-Muslim hate in recent years, a o n h i g h l i g h t i n g a n d n a m i n g
here’s a refresher. Wilfrid Laurier University professor by Maan Alhmidi Islamophobia.
Churchill stood up to real fascism when the said. He said there is more work to do and his
world was threatened by a totalitarian Jasmin Zine said the London, Ont., government will partner with the
regime that murdered millions in death attack that left four members of a provide some important calls to actions, Muslim community across the country
camps. Muslim family dead is another episode some important strategies that could to find out how to move forward.
In cities around the country, statues of
in a series of attacks that targeted specifically address Islamophobia." Trudeau said the government will
Canada’s first Prime Minister Sir John A.
Muslim Canadians across the country in Zine said the focus on Islamophobia was continue to fund initiatives to protect
Macdonald have been taken down or
the last few years amid lack of concerted also sidelined in Canada's anti-racism schools and places of worship of
covered up.
government action to tackle the rise in strategy. communities at risk. He added the
In Toronto, activists pulled down a statue to
Islamophobia. "It needs to be far more salient." Liberals will also continue to fight hate
Egerton Ryerson outside the university that
Zine said she is working with a group of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a online and off-line, which will include
bears his name. Some now call it X-
researchers on a study that will come out statement that the attack is yet another more action to dismantle hate groups.
University.
in the fall to document how a network of e x a m p l e o f t h e e x i s t e n c e o f "There is always more to do … whether
What we have now is mob rule. A person
associations, groups, activists and Islamophobia in Canada. it’s protecting mosques and churches,
with a pickup truck and a rope can decide
donors has been promoting anti- "This horrific situation shows how synagogues with extra investments in
which statues stand and which are toppled.
Muslim hate in what she calls an i m por t a n t i t i s to a ct a g a i n s t security which is heartbreaking to have
Give a coward a bucket of paint and he can
"Islamophobia industry." Islamophobia and to do so quickly," he to do but is necessary, whether it's
smear Canada’s brave WWII record.
"We're inspired to act, to do this kind of said. fighting online hatred, banning right
It’s not up to hooligans to define this
work because of tragedies like the "The Trudeau government promised to wing extremist terrorist groups like the
country. Millions of Canadians fought for
Quebec massacre, this horrible terror tackle online hate and we are still Proud Boys."
freedom in that war. Thousands gave their
attack in London, the stabbing of a waiting. It is crucial that we immediately Zine said the deep roots of Islamophobia
lives. They looked to Churchill as a leader. Muslim caretaker at a (Toronto) mosque implement measures to tackle online in Canada require more direct action on
That’s why he was honoured. (last year) and all of the other incidents hate including regulations to make dealing with anti-Muslim racism in the
Ryerson misguidedly provided the and issues of Islamophobia that happen social media platforms remove hateful country.
framework for residential schools, but it’s on a daily basis," she said. and violent content from their "There are networks of groups that
doubtful he envisioned the horrific abuse More than four years before the London, platforms." purvey Islamophobia and Islamophobic
that happened in them. He was also the Ont., attack, a gunman stormed a O'Toole's office didn't immediately rhetoric propaganda and discourses and
architect of Ontario’s public school system Quebec City mosque on Jan. 29, 2017, respond to a comment request. a lot of those kinds of sentiments
— one of the finest in the world. shooting dead six men and seriously Green party Leader Annamie Paul called underwrite (Islamophobic) actions."
Macdonald was a dominant figure in the injuring 19 people. on the Liberal government to create a She said there are policies in place in
creation of this country and deserves a Liberal MP Iqra Khalid tabled a motion national anti-Islamophobia strategy. Canada that create Islamophobic public
better fate than that dished out at the hands in Parliament following the attack Paul told a news conference that a sentiments including Quebec's ban on
of those who only tear things down. He calling on the federal government to comprehensive national strategy should religious symbols, also known as Bill 21.
built a nation. They destroy it. address Islamophobia and study it along include law enforcement, education and It prohibits public-sector workers who
We need a public debate about cancel with religious discrimination and identifying those who are promoting are deemed to be in positions of
culture. In the upcoming federal election, systemic racism. hateful ideologies. authority, like public prosecutors and
parties should tell us where they stand. The motion was adopted in March 2017, "A national strategy on Islamophobia … judges, from wearing religious symbols
Which statues would each party remove? although 91 Conservative and Bloc is something that the community has such as hijabs, kippas or turbans while at
Certainly, there may be some we agree to Québécois members voted against it, been asking for and is overdue," Paul work.
toss out. But many Canadians watch aghast including Erin O'Toole, who is now the said Muslims are characterized as a
as history is dismantled without their Tory leader. A national study and She said the government has a duty to particular kind of threat — including a
consent. Let them have their say on who hearings by the House of Commons i d e n t i f y, e xp o s e a n d ro o t o u t demographic one — in the white
should end up on the scrap heap and who heritage committee emerged from that m o v e m e n t s t h a t p r o m o t e supremacist and white nationalist
we should celebrate. motion. discrimination and hate, and to ensure circles, Zine said, and that thinking is in
This country is governed by the rule of law, "The report that came out of that, that those who promote such ideologies Canada too.
not by angry people with pickaxes. In a unfortunately, sidelined Islamophobia," know that there will be no safe place or " T h e i d e a s t h a t u n d e r w r i t e
democracy, issues of public policy are Zine said, noting that only two of the 30 dark corner where their beliefs will be Islamophobia are tied to different kinds
debated peacefully and put to the vote — recommendations in the report referred allowed to flourish. of ethno-nationalism, not just in
not to the sledgehammer.
explicitly to Islamophobia. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a Canada but abroad."
"I felt that was a lost opportunity to news conference that his government -Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
Dur am
z e tel: 416-301-9154 Ruskin Ramsundar CEO/Publisher Courtney McLaren Digital Media
Sylvan Naidoo CFO
email: ruskin@durhamcitizen.ca
Gerard Richardson Photographer
ruskinwr@aol.com
Robert Ranjitsingh Photographer
Riyad Mohammed Associate Editor