Concerned
Youth!
Soumaya ElSolh
I am a Canadian
Muslim raised to respect my fellow citizens, regardless of their
religion and ethnic background. Muslim values are centered on respect,
tolerance, solidarity and peace .I am now in my first year of college;
major in law. I have been exposed to many criticism and offending
comments immediately after the terrible tragedy of NY and Washington.
As Quebecer have never felt insecure in my life. My insecurity is
based upon my fear where my freedom of expression and my integrity
is threatened by offending comments and down looking stares from
some of my fellow citizens. Muslim Quebecers and Canadians have
been subject to acts of prejudices and finger pointing. Despite
the fact that we have been assured from our Canadian prime minister
that we wouldn’t be subjected to racisms anymore. But alas, we are
still facing a lot of racism, campaign of stereotyping and smearing
from certain media outlets inciting people into hatred or acts of
violence.
I would like to bring the attention of every citizen that
our civil rights can be threatened is specific circumstances if
we allow any political, racist or extremist view to prevail at the
expense of any society. And in this case, Muslim Canadians and Quebecrs
are facing this kind of behavior by our fellow citizens.
I invite
my fellow Canadians and Quebecers to raise there voices so we could
all together, regardless of faith and race, to stand for and hold
on our basic democratic values of respect, peace, solidarity and
justice. Instead of directing our feelings of prejudice and acts
of violence, our energy should be focused on supporting the victims
of this tragedy and to question ourselves why this act of violence
has occurred in order to prevent further similar acts from occurring
again.
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