Hope, Fear and Refugees

Sorry this post was so long in coming, but there's been so much rattling around in my head over the last couple of weeks. I really wanted to talk about how good I've been feeling about my improv this month. That would have been a pleasure to write about. But eleven days ago, the world changed. Several tragedies struck the world that day, but none rattled the West more than a terrorist attack in the heart of Paris. Over 130 people were killed by what appears to be ISIS agents. Like millions of others, this event shook me deeply. My assumptions of safety were cast into doubt. I was afraid. Throughout the conflicts that have occurred post-9/11, I have always tried to separate the actions of a few extreme zealots from the rest of the world's Muslims. But with the Paris attack coinciding with the flood of Syrian refugees looking for solace in the West, I've had to reconsider what I believed.

Have I been too naive? Am I a fool for trusting basic human decency? Is the "religion of peace" actually just teaching hatred and violence? Should I be painting all Muslims with the same brush just as so many others have been quick to do?

For a couple of days these questions these questions haunted me. As a husband, a father, and a Canadian citizen, can I be comfortable welcoming foreigners from the most volatile region in the world into my community without reservation? Can I push my fears aside?

Yes. Absolutely. Because of the above reasons, I have to. Because I am a father and husband, and because I'm blessed to live in a place that can easily provide a privileged life for so many. Because I can put myself in the shoes of a Syrian man, who's left his entire world behind. Sacrificed everything to keep his family safe. Someone who has nothing to rely on but the support of strangers. I can only imagine how terrible it would be to give a smuggler the last of your money, just in the hopes of surviving the trip across the sea to Greece. And if you're lucky to make it, you must find a country that won't turn you down at the border without hesitation. A place that won't send you back home, not caring that certain death awaits back there. And if your luck continues, you get the chance to beg for support. "Please, save us. Please, feed us. Please, allow me to support my family. Please."

How can I not feel for that man?

Yes, I get it. We're all afraid. We're afraid that there are ISIS terrorists hiding amongst the refugees. We're afraid that if we let too many Muslims in our borders, that they will only drain our resources and burden our infrastructure. We are afraid that their culture and strange beliefs will infect us. I'll admit that those risks are possible. I understand those fears.

But that Syrian man is afraid for his LIFE. For his children's lives. For his wife. For that man, the Paris attack was something he had to fear daily. In Syria, you were always a moment away from the side of your house exploding away, or a man threatening you at gunpoint to join one of the four different armies fighting over the corpse of your country. Those are his fears. I can't hold my fears up to his and justify inaction.

 I've learned this month that fear is a tool. The reason they call them "terrorists" is that their tactics are entirely based around sowing fear in their enemies. They wield terror more effectively than any bomb or rifle. But they aren't the only ones. Fear is a powerful motivator for Western groups as well. "Journalists" use it to sell newspapers or bait more clicks. Right-Wingers use it to justify xenophobia and to take away your freedoms in the name of safety. Fear lets racists justify ignorance and nationalism.

All this fear from all these different places has become a vicious cycle. Extremists attack somewhere that the West actually cares about. The West reacts by bombing the hell out of the extremists region of origin. The terrorists are really good at hiding, leaving innocent civilians as the main victims of the air strikes. The extremists exploit the victims' grief, rallying them to fight the Western infidels. The newly minted terrorists jihad all over a carefully selected Western target. Rinse. Repeat.

If we truly want to stop ISIS, and actually want to make the world a better, more peaceful place, than we have to break that cycle. More hate, fear, division and violence will only keep the wheel turning. As cheesy as it sounds, what the world needs now is love, sweet love. Seriously. We, as Canadians, Americans, Europeans, everyone who can help, need to commit to a better way. We can't expect the refugees to make the first move towards openness. They are shell-shocked, starving and broken. They need us to open our hearts and communities fully to them. We need to show them how good things can be. If we treat these desperate refugees with distrust or outright hatred, if we tell them we don't want them, than they will be driven towards the groups WHO DO. We create more terrorists by giving them something to fight. Yes, obviously, the key figures of ISIS need to be eliminated, but we need to change the way we fight them. As hard as it will be, ground troops will be necessary. Sloppy, untargeted bombing isn't efficient.

More importantly though, we need to be the enlightened nations that we pretend we are, and stop thinking that every brown guy is here to either kill us or ruin our society. In every religion, there are people who interpret the words of their holy texts in ways that make them better, and there are people who twist those same words into justifying horrible thoughts and acts. Don't let fear dictate your actions. Be better, and others will follow.

Please.



Whew. That felt good to get out of my system. Thank you for reading this if you're still here. I know there are plenty of people who would fiercely disagree with what I've said here, and for the first few days after Paris, I was happy to argue with them. What I've found though, is that there's no good way out of that rabbit hole. "Experts" on both sides will cherry-pick facts to back up their opinions, and in many cases, refuse to listen to the other side at all. So I'm pulling myself out of that game. I plan on living the words I wrote above, but I'm not going to constantly shout them at others. I truly DO thank those who feel the same way, but I'm done trying to convert the rest. The world has enough conflict and division already. In fact, I plan on taking a break from the heavy stuff for awhile and to focus on the good and positive things I have in my life. Less political posts, more comedy sketches and stand-up jokes. More fun with my kids. The world has some issues, but life is still wonderful. I'm not going to let fear and anger blind me from that. 

Peace (hopefully)

B

Seems like one of us is wrong about what a Canadian is.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been seething about this "niqab" situation. For those who aren't in the know, the reigning conservative government here in Canada has been fighting (and losing) to have the niqab banned from being worn during citizenship ceremonies. As the PC party is also behind in the polls with an election only days away, they have now decided to make their stance on the issue part of their election platform.

Before getting into the root of the issue, I first want to describe WHY the conservatives have done this. Both the niqab issue and the rhetoric against refugees are the brainchild of Lynton Crosby, an Australian political PR specialist who is an expert in "wedge politics". Wedge politics focus on using divisive social issues to garner votes, usually by prioritizing these issues with voters in place of the more important parts of their platform. In short, it's smoke-and-mirrors. Intentional misdirection. The conservatives know that they don't have voter confidence based on their track record. For details on why this is the case, Read this piece by Lester Lee. In short though, the PCs have had 7 years of deficit, all while weakening our global image, demolishing veteran's benefits, and moving towards dismantling our national health care system. Not to mention several instances of corruption, back-door corporate handouts, and pushing ahead with a controversial Pacific trade agreement. The Tories don't want you focusing on all of that. They want you talking about head gear.

The sad thing is, it's working. I see support of this littered over my Facebook wall, and in parts of the media. "Lose the niqab or go home!" and similar statements. There is a general anti-Muslim sentiment that says, if you come to Canada, you aren't allowed to bring your culture and beliefs with you.

I say to that..... SINCE WHEN?

Do all the people who feel that way forget that, at one point, their families were new here too? Regardless of what your last name is, your family didn't start out Canadian. First aboriginals obviously, but every Canadian has ties to another nation. Another culture. The blending and acceptance of that is the very thing that makes us Canadian. Our cultural identity has always been, and hopefully will always be, fluid.

The arc of a new Canadian citizen from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq or any other Islamic region will eventually be the same as any other. A century or two ago, as people from all over Europe and Asia came to Canada in hopes of a new and better life, they still identified heavily with their homelands. Germans, Italians, Chinese, Ukranians and more formed close knit groups where they could share their heritage together. Speaking their first languages at home and in their communities, they were often slow to embrace the myriad other ways of life Canada offered. But then they would send their children to school with kids from other cultures. Those children would learn to speak English or French to fit in with their new friends. Slowly the barriers between these different groups fell away. Their children, or their grandchildren, started marrying each other. Now, generations later, those people don't call themselves Polish-Canadian, or Irish-Canadian. They are just CANADIAN. The reason this happened is that these immigrants weren't pressured into adapting to any particular lifestyle. They were welcomed by this nation, and given the freedom to discover what being a Canadian is organically, and in their own way.

Is that something we don't do anymore?

People say, "we can't go over to their country and act however we want! They should have to conform to us!" But that's exactly the point. That's why they left! Canada has always been about tolerance, acceptance and understanding. Many parts of the world aren't. We have always been respectful to the beliefs of others, and value freedom over all else. Sure, you're free to say you don't agree with the niqab. But the wonderful thing about Canada is that they are also free to wear the garments of their choosing. The conservatives are trying to change that. I hope we don't let them.

Feel free to disagree with me on any of this. It's a free country after all. Right?

B