Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Al-Arabiya Article Ponders "The Curious Case" of Stephen Harper's Iftar Dinner

Let's just say the event has boggled lots of Muslims' minds:
The staunchly-right wing leader of the Conservative Party invited Muslims families to break their fast at his official residence, 24 Sussex Drive in the capital Ottawa. 
At Sussex Drive, Harper told a crowd of 40 people that “this house belongs ultimately to all Canadians.” 
“And I hope all Canadians, especially our Muslim friends and neighbors, share in these blessings tonight,” he continued. 
The move, however, surprised Canadian Muslims who grew accustomed to what they deem as Harper’s anti-Muslims diatribes, including the latest conservative bill to ban niqabs during citizenship ceremonies
“This event certainly came as a surprise to many given the government’s record of action that has alienated, marginalized, many Canadian Muslim communities,” Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, told local news site iPolitics
He added: “Given that it is election season, we hope that this event is not merely a vote-soliciting tactic but a real sign of change of tone and attitude.”...
Sorry, Ihsaan, for now at least it is merely a vote-soliciting tactic, a tacit acknowledgement that, due to the Tories' own calamitous open door immigration policies, 
there were 1,053,945 Muslims in Canada or about 3.2% of the population, making Islam the second largest religion after Christianity and the fastest growing religion in Canada.
Given that, you can expect prime ministerial Iftar dinners galore in the years ahead.

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