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Oct 28 - Nov 4, 2001 |
Fear of racial tension in Toronto
The Muslim communities are feeling the backlash of U.S. attacks from neighbours
By Irene Zerbini
Originally Published: 2001-09-23
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Jehad Aliwiwi is the director of the Canadian Arab Federation
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Some Toronto kids were not in school this week because their parents feared that they could be targets of racial hatred. They are the children of Palestinians, Syrians, Egyptians and of other Muslim communities present in Toronto. They are very young Canadians that have suddenly come under threat for their parents' Middle Eastern origins. Sooner or later they will return to their desks, but will things ever be the same again?
Barriers between ethnic groups have suddenly appeared in the world's capital of multiculturalism.
Looks of hatred and suspicion are challenging tolerance and peaceful coexistence, a treasure that took years of hard work to put together.
The Canadian Arab Federation has revealed that it has been receiving threatening calls. "You'll pay for this" claim the voices recorded by the institution's staff.
"We immediately and officially condemned the terrorist attacks on the United States," explains the Executive Director of the Toronto chapter, Jehad Aliwiwi. He continues: "As far as the images of jubilant Palestinians in the streets of Jerusalem are concerned, we find them deplorable. However, we do not believe that these people can be said to represent the mood and feelings of the majority of Palestinians. We should also think of Yasser Arafat's heartfelt pain. I spoke with some relatives I have in Hebron. They have been living as if in prison, but now their horror and fear have been deepened. Those who get involved with terrorism must be punished. Nevertheless, we must avoid condemning an entire community. We cannot fall prey to a strictly emotional response."
Canadians of Arab origins, and particularly the Afghanis, are therefore in a state of alert. Mariam An, a student from Woodbridge born in Kabul, explains that "we are scattered all over the globe because our country has been war-torn for over 20 years. No one ever helped the Afghans fight against the Talebans. Nobody has helped the women who are victims of a repression that has nothing to do with Islam. Islam does not teach to treat women as the Talebani do. Everything has been distorted. And now we too will have to pay the price in human lives for Bin Laden's madness. He is a Saudi who does not belong in Afghanistan. Yet the Afghanis will have to pay the consequences of his actions. Have I heard from my family? They do not have money to buy food, how could they have a telephone line? The only money any Afghan sees is what he or she receives from his/her relatives living in Canada, Pakistan, Iran or Germany. All of us would love to get rid of Bin Laden and erase him from the face of the earth. The problem is that he will take many civilians and scores of people who hate him with himself."
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