Oops!:
In sharp contrast to the ubiquitous media image of alienated Muslims - young Muslims in particular - a lot more people from the Muslim community have been running for political office or encouraging and supporting others in their community to run for office, according to Dr. Kathy Bullock, Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto.
Speaking at a Canadian Charger fundraising dinner, recently, in Waterloo, Dr. Bullock indicated that Muslims themselves continues to struggle with the question of their identity.
“There are now eight or nine Muslims in federal, provincial or municipal office. It's difficult to give an exact number because some say: 'I'm from a Muslim family, and some say 'I'm a Muslim.' If they don't fully identify themselves, I don't count them.”
Dr. Bullock said that since 2011, when she and Dr. Paul Nesbitt-Larking published their report “Canadian Muslim Youth and Political Participation: A Willingness to Engage,” there has been a significant increase in Muslim participation in Canadian politics.
“The Arab Spring was a factor. A lot of Muslims who were arguing that Muslims don't participate in politics because Islam is incompatible with politics are now participating. When the Al Nour Party, consisting mainly of Salafi followers - a very conservative modern orthodox version of Islam - won 25 per cent of the vote in Egypt, I think that had an effect on Muslims in Canada. They saw that the Salafis had been saying, 'We don't participate in politics,' and then they ran candidates and won, so we can also participate in Canadian politics.”
Participation is important, Dr. Bullock said, because it leads to integration. “Once we started participating at the political level; it shows that we really want to be part of society. We are positive, contributing members of society.”...
Seriously, Kathy? Salafis aren't even positive contributing members of Egyptian society, much less Canada's.
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