Bill C24: Are our children 2nd class citizens?
The Canadian government, with the passing of Bill C-24, has empowered itself to revoke the citizenship of any citizen that has been deemed undesirable and would not be left stateless in the absence of a Canadian citizenship. This law has already been applied to Zakaria Amara, who is no longer a Canadian citizen. The government has gone further to argue that anyone who can be assumed to be able to get another citizenship would not become stateless if their Canadian citizenship was revoked, and thus such a revocation could be made. This is the case of Saad Gaya, who was born a Canadian, but may not remain one. The government is arguing that his parent’s Pakistani heritage makes it possible for him to become a Pakistani citizen, thus his Canadian citizenship can be legally revoked.
The Rationale
Clearly, this law has absolutely nothing to do with the safety or the well-being of Canadian society. The Canadian prison system is more than equipped to contain any individual that poses a threat to Canada. In fact, the rationale behind this sinister power play is betrayed by Harper’s own words.
The Prime Minister, when asked whether this law would create a two-tiered model of citizenship, responded:
'Of course there are tiers…and one tier is that the ordinary immigrant does not in any way identify with the kinds of persons that are out to destroy this country.'
What the government is trying to make clear is that it is only interested in immigrants who are ‘ordinary’ inasmuch as they do not pose any kind of ideological threat to Canada’s elite ruling class. Notice, he does not say that the immigrant must not set out to destroy the country rather the standard he sets is that they must not identify in any way with such people. Couple this with bill C-51, which allows law enforcement to act against those who seem like they might commit acts of terrorism, and it appears clear where this is headed.
The introduction of Bill C-24 should be understood in the context of a series of changes to Canadian citizenship requirements that have made it more expensive and difficult for immigrants in Canada to obtain their citizenship. As Jason Kenney, Canada’s Minister of Defence and Multiculturalism said, “This is about respecting the value of Canadian citizenship.”
And herein lies the point: the Canadian government is drawing a clear line in the sand, boldly proclaiming that anyone who does no acquiesce to the ideology of the ruling political and economic elite in Canada are not welcome. And, as it currently stands, the target of this campaign is to silence the Muslim community and those Canadians who champion causes related to Muslims, such as Palestine.
In essence, the government is attempting to leverage the citizenship status of the Canadian Muslims, in order to coerce us to abandon speaking out against the oppressive policies conducted against the Ummah locally or abroad.
Ideology vs. Geography
This kind of oppression is in no way new. Rather, the Quran tells us that Pharaoh used a similar approach in trying to reign in the challenge posed by Musa (as). Musa had grown up in the household of Pharaoh, and only left after he accidentally killed a man. Once he escaped, Allah (swt) guided him and granted him Prophethood, commanding him to return to Pharaoh and challenge his false authority. Upon hearing the message of Musa:
[Pharaoh] said, 'Did we not raise you among us as a child, and you remained among us for years of your life? And [then] you did your deed which you did, and you were of the ungrateful.' [TMQ 26:18-19]
Notice how Pharaoh utilizes both the fact that Musa was raised in Pharoah society, and his criminal record as a means to discredit him instead of addressing the intellectual challenge Musa had presented to him in the form of a miraculous staff and accounting him for the crime of enslaving the Children of Israel.
From this incident there are two lessons we can take. First, there is the obvious parallel of how the only reason Musa was in Pharoah’s household was due to the destruction brought upon his people by Pharoah, much like how many of us are only in the west due to the destruction it has brought upon our lands. However, the second – and more important lesson – is that this attempt to coercion did nothing to stifle the call or dampen the efforts of Prophet Musa (as).
The Quran also tells us of As’hab al-Kahf and how they were in hiding:
“Indeed, if they come to know of you, they will stone you or return you to their religion. And never would you succeed, then - ever.'” [TMQ 18:20]
From this ayah we realize that there was a governmental campaign to hunt down those who believed in Allah (swt) to force them to give up their deen: those who resisted were killed. The youth chose to flee from their homes and remain hidden rather than give up their deen.
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These are reminders for us to internalize the fact that our connection to our ideology must always run much deeper than any geographical or circumstantial affiliations.
Assimilation – a pathway to destruction
The issue is not feeling a sense of connection to Canadian society. As the Muslim community in Canada matures, Muslims will naturally adopt the halal aspects of the Canadian lifestyle: we will speak English or French, eat hamburgers and drink coffee at Tim Hortons or Starbucks (both being American coffee establishments!).
The issue, however, is compromising our values in an attempt to normalize ourselves in the larger society.
As Muslims, we must understand that obedience is ultimately for the Creator alone, and that anything else is secondary. No coercion with the loss of wealth, opportunity or even citizenship is a graver matter than the loss of the Islamic aqeedah, which is our most valued possession.
The Halal and Haram – the Criteria of the Believer
Our loyalty and connection to the Creator of reality is cultivated through obedience. This is demonstrated by hastening to that which He has commanded, and abandoning that which He has forbidden – the halal and haram. This is the axis around which every thought, decision and action in the life of the believer should rotate.
This means Muslims must adhere to the rules of Islam, even when doing so is uncomfortable. We must strive to live by the Islamic notion of modesty, even when the way we dress or behave ourselves around the opposite gender opposes Canadian norms of freedom and free-mixing.
We must avoid interest and unjust financial transactions, even when the entire economic ladder is greased by riba, gharar, and every form of economic injustice.
Most importantly, we must always seek to convey the message of Islam, even if it is difficult. Islam is the only system for human beings that enables black and white to be brothers, allows for just distribution of wealth, and brings peace within the family. It is difficult for people to accept that democracy is an illusion and that the agenda driven politicians use freedom and the politics of fear to control the masses – just as the Christian Church used religion to control them in the past. However, this is how it was for RasulAllah (saw) and the sahabah (raa): their people found it difficult to accept that the way of their forefathers – tribalism, idol worship, interest, elite rule, racism, etc. – was unjust and that the only way forward for human beings was Islam.
Carrying the Call
Our numerical inferiority in Canada should not discourage or overwhelm us. As Muslims, it is our obligation to adhere to this deen and carry its call to all members of society, from the powerless who find shelter in it, to the elite who feel compelled by it. Our minority status is no excuse to break away from our contract with Allah (swt).
“Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah . Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration - that Allah may reward the truthful for their truth and punish the hypocrites if He wills or accept their repentance. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.” [TMQ 33:23-24]
During the time of RasulAllah (saw), he sent a group of the believers to Abysinnia, where they were to live as a minority under a just Christian king (Negus). Quraish were angered and mortified by the notion of their persecuted countrymen seeking refuge in another land, and so they followed them there to ask the Negus to return these ‘rebels’ to Quraish. But when Jafar ibn Abi Talib (raa), the spokesperson for the Muslim group, explained Islam, the Negus was impressed and felt no need to deport them.
Quraish were disappointed with this result, and tried a different strategy, they told the Negus that Muslims considered Jesus a slave of Allah (swt), not divine. The Negus became upset and called the Muslims. They discussed what to say to him, and Jaafar decided they would say as they were taught by Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw), and nothing else. Jaafar told the Negus: 'Our Prophet says that Jesus is the Servant of God and His Prophet, His spirit and His word which He cast into Mary the Virgin.' In other words, he was clear that Muslims believed that Isa (as) was a regular human being and prophet despite that this may displease the Negus, who considered Isa (as) to be a god. By Allah’s (swt) Leave, this pleased the Negus, and he granted protection to the Muslims in his land. They lived there peacefully, calling for Islam, staying away from the haram, and awaiting news from the Messenger (saw).
This example is the blueprint for the Muslims in Canada. We must never compromise the message of this deen no matter what is at stake. Rather, if we have any concern for the people of Canada, it is our responsibility to challenge the false notions and unjust structures that they are chained by – just as the Prophets (as) did before us. It is our duty to share with them what is better than what they have, a system of guidance revealed by the Lord of the Worlds.
To accomplish this we need to work as a community, where the Muslim leaders work with the civil leaders and convince them that bills like C24 are examples of retail politics, where opportunistic politicians are able to pit one group of Canadians against another for cheap political gains. The long-term cost is a disharmonious society. Furthermore, such politics of division distract from the more urgent issues, such as:
· The Eroding middle-class, which has seen its wages rise only 1.7% over a 15 year period (ending 2007).
· The Environment, which is under threat due to the toxic industrial processes. For example, the Mount Polley spill resulted in 38 tonnes of lead and 84 tonnes of arsenic being released into Quesnel Lake in BC.
· Health care. Nearly 50% of Canadians who died in 2011 died due to cancer or heart disease. Also, the 9th leading cause of death is suicide, which speaks to the issue of mental health. Consequently, the issues of healthcare are of paramount importance to ensure that the root causes of these issues are treated proactively.
And just like Jafar, we must remain connected to the affairs of the Ummah, doing our best to show support for those who are striving to revive Islam, establish Khilafah, and resume the Islamic way of life in the Muslim lands.
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