E-MAIL THIS LINK
To: 

North American Muslims meet in Toronto to discuss concerns
Thousands of Muslims from across North America are in Toronto attending a conference designed to spark discussion around the issues of Muslim identity. Since Sept. 11, 2001, many Muslims have said they feel isolated and unfairly singled out by society and law enforcement.
Hey, wotta coincidence! Since 9-11 many of us infidels feel unfairly targeted by Muslims...
Aisha Khan is one of the thousands attending the conferences. "A lot of times you’re mostly like the only one wearing the hijab. You are a minority. But when you come here you feel like you’re not a minority and you’re making a statement in the community," she said.
Don't get any illusions. You're still a minority. The hijab's been out of fashion since about 800 A.D.
The conference is designed to talk about religious isolation and the Muslim culture in the post-Sept. 11 world. Lobby groups have long complained about unfair arrests of Muslims and how they are labelled as terrorists without supporting evidence.
Evidence that you haven’t seen. And if they don’t let you see it, you assume it isn’t there. And just how many Muslims have been arrested, without evidence???
Another concern is the assimilation of Muslims. Last month, French President Jacques Chirac asked the country’s Parliament for a law banning Islamic head scarves and other religious insignia in public schools and the workplace. The suggestion has outraged members of the community.
That was France, and this is Canada. Where’s the problem?
Jeewan Chanicka, one of the conference organizers, says Canadian Muslims can sometimes feel like second class citizens.
I sometimes feel like a third class citizen, especially when they make me pay $5000 a year for auto insurance even with a perfect driving record.
"A lot of Canadian Muslims feel that they are Muslims, but they need to justify being a Canadian. To live your daily life feeling that you have to apologize for events you are in no way connected to, that can carry its own amount of trauma."
You don’t have to apologize for something you didn’t do. Saying the 9-11 attacks were wrong would be nice though.
Key Muslim leaders and police representatives will spend the next three days addressing some of those concerns.
I eagerly anticipate the final report.
Posted by: RW2004 2004-01-04
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=23764