A 'Setback' or a Matter of Having Second Thoughts?

An article in the Canadian Islamic Congress's Friday Magazine unpacks the history of Islamic History Month (which was going great guns until this year's Imam Delic hiccup):

...The Canadian Islamic Congress introduced the idea for Islamic History Month Canada after 9/11 as a way to teach Canadians about the Islam, according to Wahida Valiante, who is both the CIC’s national president and chair of IHMC. “We were having a hard time creating dialogue,” she said in a phone interview from Toronto.

The purpose of the month is to share Islam’s contributions to global society, including Western countries, she said, including inventions, scientific discoveries and art. “We share our heritage and take part in that,” Valiante said.

On Oct. 25, 2007, Mauril Belanger, MP for Ottawa-Vanier, presented a motion to designate October as Canadian Islamic History Month. Since then, “the response has been overwhelming,” Valiante said, adding there are 29 people on the IHMC advisory board.

The sponsoring Canadian Islamic Congress provides posters, literature for libraries, and sends out DVDs of documentaries on Islam, to be shown during the month.

Libraries have also approached her organization asking for resource material, Valiante said, adding that CIC’s approach to doing historical research has been popular. “People see a genuine benefit … It’s very appealing, which is why it is being adopted.”

There are IHMC events happening across Canada throughout October, including lectures and documentary showings.

However, the same government that endorsed IHMC three years ago has been part of a troubling setback in this year’s events. CIC executive director, Imam Zijad Delic, was scheduled to speak at the National Defense headquarters in Ottawa on Oct. 4, but the minister of national defense, Peter MacKay, cancelled the event...

I wouldn't call it a "setback" so much as I would the government figuring out--much too late in the game, of course--that maybe a CIC-helmed Islamic History Month wasn't such a brilliant idea in the first place.