How Arab Canadians, Muslims can protect their rights

WRITTEN BY LINDA BELANGER
MONDAY, 20 JUNE 2011
http://www.muslimlink.ca/in-focus/in-focus/how-arab-canadians-muslims-can-protect-their-rights

I have been passionately involved in the struggle for justice for Palestine ever since I discovered that the version of events in the Middle East provided by Canadian media is nothing more that Zionist propaganda. Lately however, I’ve been thinking of refocusing my activism. Canadian democracy is crumbling before our eyes and I feel that I must become involved in creating conditions that will ensure the defeat of the Conservatives in 2015. This decision is compounded by the depressing realization that after eight years of daily activism on the Palestinian issue, involvement from the Palestinian, Arab, Muslim (PAM) community is minimal, and if anything, has decreased over the years.

I realize there is probably some fear, justifiably so, of activism on Palestine since the Harper regime came to power. But often, it seems to me that the PAM community is unable to determine priorities, think strategically or dedicate time and money to getting its issues on the table.

If the last four years are anything to go by, the Harper government will continue taking shameful positions on foreign policy and go on excluding and de-funding any group associated with Palestinian, Arab and Muslim issues. However, there is much that can be done at a grassroots level. In fact, it is now more important than ever to begin building contacts with all levels of Canadian society. Ethnic groups that are active, organized and have friends in civil society organizations aren’t as easy to marginalize as those that are disorganized and inward looking.

Here are some suggestions:

Toronto has the Palestinian Film Festival. This is a wonderful initiative that will take place again this fall for a fourth year. The PAM community in smaller cities could undertake to have a Palestine-related film shown once a year at an independent theatre such as the Bytown or the Mayfair in Ottawa.

World Inter-Action Mondial in Ottawa is an organization that promotes “global citizenship through arts and education.” They organize a documentary film festival each fall and rely on recommendations from the community. Joining the WIAM Board would be an opportunity to give input to which films are shown at the festival and which educational activities are undertaken in the course of a year.

Did the PAM community make a concerted effort to volunteer for or donate to Liberal or NDP candidates running in the May 2nd election? Certainly not in my riding and I understand the situation was the same in other ridings with a significant Arab and Muslim population. As someone who worked for a candidate in that election I can attest to the fact that the candidates are very appreciative of people who volunteer to work on campaigns. People who work on an election campaign are far more likely to get the ear of the candidate should s/he be elected.

Even one person working to raise funds for a candidate within his/her community can have a powerful impact. Political contributions have far more impact if they are given in bulk, that is, if one member of the community goes to other community members to solicit cheques which are then presented to the candidate on behalf of the community. The first $400 in political contribution is 75 per cent tax deductible; a contribution of $400 will cost the donor only $100 as the remaining $300 will be refunded when they file their income tax return. Contributions will become increasingly important in the coming years as the Harper government is committed to abolishing subsidies to political parties based on the percentage of popular vote received during an election.

While the PAM community is great at pulling together and raising money in emergency situations such as the Israeli bombing of Lebanon in 2006 and Gaza in 2009, there seems to be a shortage of funds for activism in Canada. PAM organizations tend to be volunteer based and operate on a shoestring budget. Although there is realistically no possibility of raising the amounts of money raised by the Israel right-or-wrong advocacy groups, there must be some efforts made to raise money in support of PAM organizations and to pay to hire some staff so that a more consistent advocacy effort can be undertaken.

Political contributions have far more impact if they are given in bulk, that is, if one member of the community goes to other community members to solicit cheques which are then presented to the candidate on behalf of the community.

Arab Canadians must educate their young people on Palestinian and Arab history and develop programs to help them counter lies about Palestine and racism against Arabs and Muslims. Well informed youth will be better placed to advocate for justice. I can provide resources and names of people who would be happy to assist in such training, but it has to be initiated by the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim community.

Arabs and Muslims must ensure that they report incidents of racism and discrimination to relevant organizations. The Muslim Link frequently carries messages from CAIR-CAN urging people to report discrimination and hate crimes. I can understand that people might just want to forget these incidents and go on with their lives but this just emboldens racists and aggravates the situation. If racism is to end it must be challenged, and organizations engaged in this type of work must be funded to enable them to pay staff and lawyers when needed. There are many people in the Arab and Muslim community working very hard on a strictly volunteer basis but there is only so much anyone can do on top of having a regular job. Many initiatives require the sustained attention that only full time staff can provide.

Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims must put themselves in positions where they can build connections and gain influence in the wider community. The Ottawa Carleton District School Board for instance has a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and a Community Council for Ethnocultural Equity. These groups meet once a month during the school year. This is not a huge commitment but one that could lead to making important contacts.

Unions have historically been at the forefront of fighting racism, and a number of Canadian unions have made strong statements condemning various Israel’s atrocities over the past years. Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims can ensure that this work continues by becoming active participants in unions.

I know many of you have worked very hard and I did not want to withdraw from this cause that has consumed my life for the past eight years without explanation. If these criticisms seem harsh please remember that they were written in the spirit of solidarity and to advance the cause of justice. Please feel free to contact me if you would like clarification on any of these suggestions or further suggestions on what the Arab/Palestinian and Muslim community must do to demand the equality and respect given to other Canadians.

Linda Belanger is an Ottawa-based activist. She can be reached at belalin@rogers.com
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian