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Transparency and openness to on terror suspects

Aug 27-2010

While fair, balanced, and transparent media coverage of recent terrorism related arrests can only ensure ethnic and minority communities’ rights, a selective, biased coverage can start an unwarranted new wave of speculation and persecution against an otherwise peaceful and law-abiding Muslim Canadian community.

The media report that Mesbah-e-din Ahmad, Dr. Khorram Sher, and Hiva Alizadeh, a mechanical engineer of Iranian descent, are accused of terrorism related charges. This happens while the file on the eighteen youth individuals with similar accusations against them is till open.

Prime Minister Harper managed to explain away the situation by asserting that Canada is susceptible to terrorism because it is a free country. Harper’s assertion is only half true at best because terrorism does also occur in less free societies and is ironically sponsored by the world’s “free countries.” Harper’s reductionist explanation does nothing to get at the roots of terrorism.

Past evidence suggests that RCMP has shown bias against Canadian Muslims and Iranian Canadians- a case in point being the recent arrest and charges against Mahmoud Yadegari in Toronto. This calls for the need for transparency and raising awareness among the Canadian public including Canadian Muslims and Iranian Canadians in order to ensure building trust and national unity.

Government secrecy and blocking information under the pretext of “national security” undermines the trust among the police, intelligence agencies and the public and defeats the purpose of ensuring Canada’s safety and security. Fighting terrorism and violence requires multilateral cooperation among the Canadian government and the communities and draws on transparency and freedom of information maintained and promoted by the government.

National media such as CBC, which operates on tax-payers’ money, being selective and biased against Islam and Muslims does not set a good example to inform the public and build a culture of awareness. In the past, such media have only favoured the views of a few such as Homa Arjomand, Irshad Manji, and Ian Harris Ali as those opposing mainstream Islam and Tareq Fattah, from the Canadian Muslim Congress, as a supporter of Islam, while neither group necessarily represents the views and beliefs of one million ordinary Canadian Muslims who live peaceful lives, obey the laws of the land, pay taxes, and contribute to the civil society.

The line that should not be crossed is criticizing Israel, Tareq Fattah once held before being admitted to CBC. Now that he has decided not to cross than line, he is presented in the media as an expert on Islam espousing selective, biased views, which are unrepresentative of those of the average Muslim on the street.

Because we believe in the freedom of expression and condemn violence in all shapes and forms including state, religious, and ideological violence, we think that views of the ordinary, every-day Canadian Muslim should also be aired in addition to Tareq Fattah’s and the like.

Only by observing the fundamental principle of unbiased freedom of expression is building trust possible. Selective media coverage of events only benefits violent extremists and widens the schism between the government and the Canadian public. We hope the Prime Minster’s policies will change to ensure a better multi-cultural Canada.

Bayan Centre

Saeed Soltanpour

Dir.

bayancentre@gmail.com