Washington File

I have to admit a bias towards Muslims: the several dozen I've known in my life were mostly highly-educated, high-achieving types. Mostly doctors, engineers, academics or small businessmen, active in the community and with a highly developed sense of hospitality. I've only seen the best of what their culture has to offer.

There's large pockets in both Canada and the US where speaking what you believe is very highly respected, no matter what you believe. Probably, in the same "xenophobic" rural area where Mr. Goode has support, a Muslim doctor or businessman would be strongly welcomed.

Capital cities tend to be a million miles away from many parts of the countries they govern in terms of understanding and culture. A lot of rural areas need someone brash and outspoken to get their needs addressed.

If more moderate and progressive politicians had the same strength of their beliefs, than perhaps there would be less need for extremists like Goode. Kudos to Keith Ellison for standing up for his beliefs as well, and risking the backlash from bringing his chosen religion into a mainstream, revered American institution. He is astute enough to have obtained a copy of the Qur'an owned by Thomas Jefferson. And congratulations to those Minnesotans who were brave enough to vote for Muslim convert.

On his website he writes about Quebec and Canada, arguing that in bilingual countries, where there is "a lack of a common language, there is more discord and often attempts to split up the country."

He may be a beer short of a six pack but on this he may have a point. If Canada wasn't forced into bilingualism by fare weather Canadians and spineless politicians we never would have had a referendum. And like it or not it is still a sore spot to a vast number of Canadians. Not caving into the majority doesn't make you xenophobic, it means you disagree. And to ridicule someone for thinking different than you is proof that your freedom is a mask and a lie.

Perry,
Henry is the Washington correspondent so it is his job to report on the US. However there is plenty of critisim of other countries on the CBC including Canada.

Sure Saudi Arabia is very extremist when it comes to religion, however it doesn't have a constitution that is based on freedom of expression like the US. US citizens should be outraged with the comments of Goode. As should all of us.

Free countries like Canada and the US should set an example for the rest of the world, not sit back and say well they do it so should we.

Perry: you want balance? Just look around cbc.ca for 10 seconds and you'll see that CBC isn't critical of just the U.S.

Here's a link on Saudi "justice" http://www.cbc.ca/national/rex/rex_030910.html

or quotes like this.."If Shariah is the system you want then I challenge you to live in Saudi Arabia. I challenge you to give up all the freedoms you enjoy here. No more freedom of movement, to go and live where you please. No more freedom to read or write or say what you like in public. No right to challenge authority."
from http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_fatah/20040401.html

You do not need to read Manii’s or Steyn’s books to know Islam. All you need is to read little history to know the real Islam.
If we go to the recent time, Every time you speak about freedom of worship you talk about Saudi Arabia, I want to ask if the Vatican would allow some Moslems to practice there worship over there in the Vatican?!!! The Saudi Arabia considered by the Moslems the same as the Vatican to the Christians. So, leave it alone!! For Comparison purposes I challenge to discuss the freedom of religion in any other Moslem country!! If you make your study you will find Islam is the most tolerant religion in the world.

The second comment is ‘The Radical Militants’!!! Who are they? Who created them? Before the Afghan war at 1980’s we did not have militias! We did not know or hear about the radical Moslems. It is a fact. The CIA who created those militias to fight the Russian in Afghanistan for defending the interests of the USA. It is history. They were supported logistically by the Americans and financially by the Saudis according to the wishes of the Americans. The Americans who wrote books for the militants, in the American universities, telling them you are the defendants of Islam against the devils the infidels Russian!!! Now they are using the militia again to establish fake war against terror.

All what you sea or hear now is politically motivated, PERIOD.

Oh Perry, I cry for you poor persecuted (extremist) Christians. You stole the American elections and have lorded over our country for six years - get me a tissue!!

My peaceful Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan and Native American friends are constantly harassed by the extreme right, don't give me that nonsense about persecution. You have no idea.

"I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States."

He's worried for nothing. Muslims are as capable of being greedy, deceitful and exploitive as any other American, so all the key "traditional values" are perfectly safe.

I wonder if Henry Champ will ever do a similar story on Saudi Arabia and how Christians aren't even allowed to have their own church? Or how about persecution of Christians in Muslim countries?
Probably not, the Americans are a much safer and easy target.
More unbiased and courageous commentary Henry.

This is great coverage that, typically, is not found on anyone's front page, but this is a front burner issue. The entire thrust of US government policy has been about "protecting" something from those who have a right to it. Immigration policy in Canada and the US and xenophobic sentiment can hardly be separated. The absence of wisdom that Goode, Allen and the radio talkshow hosts have displayed is matched by Ellison's attempt to invest Islam with a respectability which it will never have because of its xenophobic and misogynist provisions evidenced by the treatment of non-Muslims in Islamic States. Who does Ellison think he's going to impress by swearing on the Qur`an? Does he think the next wave is the Islamic State of America and is he not aware of the human rights violations and assorted atrocities taking place in Islamic states? Obviously not. Muslims just don't get it either!

Mark Kawabe mentions Irshad Manji's book "The Trouble with Islam" and Mark Steyn's "America Alone". Both are well worth reading, as also is Bernard Lewis' "What Went Wrong".

I'll suggest that reading extensively about western and islamic history and travelling a bit in the mideast might qualify a columnist (or anyone else) to have a meaningful opinion. Bottom line, Islam is NOT a "religion of peace". It never was, not since dozens of muslim invasions of europe between 700 and 1600 AD. And certainly not nowadays. I'd suggest that CBC's columnists should read some history and think critically rather than unquestioningly parrotting politically correct pablum. And if the burgeoning muslim populations in our western democracies were truly integrated and practiced an islam that truly was tolerant and peaceful, well we wouldn't have nearly as much to worry about in terms of our future. Immigration is going to be a necessity because Canadians (and Americans and Europeans) aren't having enough babies. Period. But in a world where Islam is increasingly radicalized (using Saudi cash and Wahabi doctrine), only a fool would cling to his rose-coloured illusions of peaceful harmonious islam...

Of course we in the west have been largely responsible for the mess - at some point over the past 20-odd years we could have reined in some of Israel's more excessive impulses or even forced some sort of "fair settlement" with the palestinians. We could have intervened when the Serbs were mass-murdering the bosnian musim men and mass-raping their women. Those sort of things have helped to radicalize a generation of muslims. We could have defied the vested interests of big oil and weaned ourselves off the petro-addiction that puts billions into the wababi jihad-spreading coffers of Saudi Arabia.

But all that would take clear-headed thinking, and courage to state that a problem is a problem. And that's in short supply among all our western democracies.

Perhaps Virgil Goode should change a coupla letters in his name to reflect his sanctimonious purity?
I would recommend building a wall around his community, both to keep the xenophobic, one-size-fits-all bigots in, and the educated masses out. Isolate them, like you would any other infectious disease carrier.
Oh, the Great United States!!! What a source of sick humour.

Gary Dare sez:
'human beings, in the US or Canada or Europe or Asia, are not as advanced socially as we would like to think. Muslims (and Mexicans in the US) are just the latest to receive the brunt of ignorant hatred.'

It is _not_ ignorant hatred to insist that those who present themselves in your country do so in a lawful fashion. To think that one can ride roughshod over the customs and laws of the society one has adopted, particularly if that society is characterized by democratic institutions and a republican form of government, is evidence of social regression in that society, not advancement.

I'd just finished reading Irshad Manji's book "The Problem with Islam" and Mark Steyn's book "America Alone" before coming across this post.

While I have a problem with anybody lumping all Muslims into the same boat (i.e. suicide-bomber-wannabes), I'm concerned about the radicalization of Islam and the effects this has on the beliefs of Muslim populations worldwide.

Mr. Goode states his concerns about the future number of Muslims in America. What is more concerning is the number of radical or extremist Muslims in America who reject the values of the country they live in. These "radicals" or "militants" are the ones who participated in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, organized the London and Madrid bombings, and were recently arrested for their alleged plot to storm Parliament Hill and behead the prime minister of Canada.

Radical Islamic teachings which influence the beliefs of the world's Muslim population represent a real danger to Western societies. It's this conflict of ideologies we should be worried about.

Is my take on radical Islam religious bigotry? I suppose that depends on your point of view. However, I would suggest you have a read of Ms. Manji's or Mr. Steyn's book (preferably both) before drafting a comment pegging me as some right-wing racist apologist.

Unfortunately after 9-11 most of the Americans look to the Moslems as terrorists. I am Canadian born in Jerusalem where Moslem , Christian and Jews used to live in peace with each other until 1948. Until now I say as I use to in Jerusalem, I say to the Christian fellow: Merry Christmas and to the Jew: Good Hanokah. I can assure you over 95% of the Moslem are peaceful and love their neighbors. They do not like to kill any body, like what you see in Iraq. There are very few who are doing this. We have to ask who have created the circumstances for those to do so in Iraq. It happened in Serbia with the Christian as it happening now in Iraq!!!

...And I always thought the PILGRIM FATHERS came to N.America to escape from religious bigotry....Seems I an mistaken.

I have to wonder if this simple man knows some people carry the Torah during this ceremony. After reading his comments and hearing his attempts at defending his position on CNN, I worry even more about American xenophobia. I recall when the term “land of the free” wasn’t just an expression.

I am not promoting physical actions, just a figure of speech.
This Virgil Goode dude needs to be slapped and woken up.
yo , earth calling Virgil...
wakey , wakey dude.
snap out of it.
chill out and get a grip.

Tim, these attitudes are not beind Bush admin policy (it has its own inherent flaws) but do reveal that human beings, in the US or Canada or Europe or Asia, are not as advanced socially as we would like to think. Muslims (and Mexicans in the US) are just the latest to receive the brunt of ignorant hatred. In WW II, it was people of Japanese ancestry even of born and raised in North America. In Canada, we still have people who rationalize the detention of Japanese-Canadians or the rendition of Maher Arar. What is sad is that many of them are under the age of 40.

A great many of my American friends and acquaintances have already got the laughter out of their system. For some of them, it's a tad more bitter than usual, though.

As to the complaints re: Qu'ran(?) vs. Bible...well, if it helps him to take his oaths to us all seriously, and to behave honourably in office to have the Qu'ran for his swearing-in, so be it. The same goes on this side of the border for our own crop of politicians.

There's an article on Salon.Com about a right wingnut "journalist" in the Exited States drawing attention to the fact that Barrick Obama's middle name is Hussein (much like half of the Arab world), and that his first name is one letter removed from "Osama". Some of the responses are hilarious ("Bush" sounds like "Lush" and "Tush")

When we read this sort of lunacy, we don't need to wonder why many Muslims feel that elements in the Bush Junta have it in for the Islamic world.

It is this sort of bigotry that needs to be eradicated if the US is going to regain its position of leadership in the world. With any luck, the vast majority of Americans who have a brain will be able to laugh the latest insult to their reputation.