"Islamic centers" as fronts for mosques

Toronto has a nostalgic view of itself as the city with a church in every corner.

Well, "a mosque in every corner" doesn't sit so well, does it? And that is just what's happening. But, once again to avoid the shock and antagonism that could occur if this infiltration into our street corners were unveiled, these mosques are being called "Islamic centers." And, some are braving the unresponsive (for now) Canadian psyche by using masjid, the Islamic name for mosque.

The above photo shows the corner Masjid Toronto - which has been "loosely" translated as "Islamic Center of Downtown Toronto." The building was originally a bank

Maid of Gouda Under Minaret

At an amateur art exhibition in Holland, there was a piece ironically titled "Maid in Gouda."

Maid in Gouda - Tom Diamant

The information is from a Dutch site, and it seems that the painter is Dutch, and not Muslim. What is even worse than Muslims infusing their presence into our environment is when naive Westerners help them do this, and participate in their own destruction. But, the painter still can't help himself. The interesting thing about this painting is that there is no interaction between the Dutch and the Muslim. A half gouda cheese is part of the dome of the mosque, and the red, white and blue of the Dutch flag is prevalent, but there is no connection between the two buildings and the two "maids."

In fact, the Muslim symbolism ominously dominates. The Muslim girl, draped in the Dutch flag, appears to be rising out of the white cloud of the flag, whereas a pair of eyes, which look male, are peering through the blood red background. There is no counterpart male Dutch, unless we count the invisible "creator"--the painter. Even the minaret is much taller than what appears to be a castle (why not a church?)

The young Dutch girl, meanwhile, stands huddled in the corner clasping the cheese in her arms.

Perhaps this was a distorted psychological rendition of the Dutchman who painted this. He may appear to like his Muslim counterparts, but somewhere along there, his smiling Muslim girl cannot help him hide his inner fear.

Now, if only it were less symbolic and more realistic. If only he were more aware.

The time bomb that is Islam

Shot of screen with the CN Tower and Rogers Center
looming over Toronto, clearly looking like a mosque.
From the Arabic program Omniyat TV.

CBC program Little Mosque on the Prairie
overshadowing the landscape

I recently reviewed a Canadian "sitcom" Little Mosque on the Prairie, and its incongruous setting. We'll be seeing a lot more of this kind of thing, since the Canadian public finds it amusing, quaint or not worth mentioning when Islamic imagery slowly start to seep into our landscape.

The latest casualties are the CN Tower and the Rogers Center. They are used as the final shot for one of Toronto's multicultural programs, the Arabic news show Omniyat TV. It is no coincidence that the CN Tower is made to look like a minaret, and the retractable roof of the sport center to look like the dome of a mosque.

The same subtle intrusions into our psyche (because that is the level of their intrusion) is happening on a more mundane level. For example, walking down Yonge street (not too far from the high-class Bloor and Yonge) one can hear Arabic music blurting from the storefronts, especially in the summer with doors and windows opened wide.

People better start paying attention to stories like this from Britain, where whole regions are becoming no-go areas for non-Muslims. Unlikely in Canada, you might say. But who would have thought that someone would transform Laura Ingalls' book (the title at least) of into a prairie full of Muslims? Out there in the middle of nowhere?

More mosque-like CN Tower and Rogers Centre

Here is another appropriation of the CN tower and the sport's dome conveniently photographed to make them look like a mosque and a minaret.

The whole idea of Muslims at this point is to furtively take over our visual vocabulary by putting their Islamic objects in familiar places.

The longer we see these places through Muslim lenses, then the less surprised and antagonistic we will be when bigger things start happening. As is happening with the London mega-mosque which still in the works.

But, the lesson to be learned from this London mega-mosque is that its opponents are not against other (smaller) mosques, but are against the size of the mosque, and some unconvincing worries about the "extremist" nature of the group that's building the mosque.

They don't realize that size doesn't really matter to get the Islamic messages across. That with enough smaller mosques, Muslims just keep getting the audacity to think of even bigger projects as a kind of triumphant arrogance that they are taking over.

Then they do something outrageous like the London mega-mosque to test the waters. And then, of course, they'll be back, more toned down, but progressively getting bolder.

Designer "hijabs"

Stylish Muslim Girl; Hermes designer style

In my article on Islamic imagery, I discuss a new magazine that is on the stands called "Muslim Girl Magazine."

The very first issue of this magazine showed a (real) Muslim girl with a head scarf-like hijab showing the stripes of the American flag. I suggested that this magazine, trying hard to popularize Muslim lifestyle and "fashion" to the rest of the world might already be winning some converts, at least in the fashion sense, of young girls wearing bandana-like wraps around their hair.

Well, designer stylists are also jumping in the fray. Dolce and Gabbana stated: “We wanted to revamp the headscarf...give it a new life and introduce it to a younger generation. Our aim was to give it a modern and cool twist."

There’s a lot of Islamic-style modesty going on in this “revival” of the headscarf. “Women wore headscarves in medieval times to maintain their modesty” says one design experts and continues that “sociologically, it's about escapism." Yes, the modesty of Muslim women to “escape” the dangerous fantasies of men.

Hermes has also admitted that they have a huge Muslim clientele. Although, they say that their headscarves are also about reviving the era of the Grace Kelly elegance.

Yes, but they chose an opportune moment to introduce their product when we’re inundated images of the hijab. One more way to make it acceptable.

Google Ads and Islamic Content

I used to have google ads on my blog, via blogger's Google Adsense. The way google ads work is by scanning the blog text for recurring key words, and using those as part of the advertisements. I used to get a variety of ads from "learn to draw" to Christian-themed ads. But, at one point, I was getting repeated hits for Muslim and Islamic advertising, mostly Muslim dating sites. I'm not sure if these groups are especially aggressive at getting their ads out, since I don't think my site dwells especially on such topics. The number of ad hits seemed to outweigh the number of times I've posted on that topic.

I have since stopped using google ads.

Apparently, it goes both ways. Google is fast to pull its services off sites it deems are involved in "hate speech", which also includes "negative" writings on Islam and Muslims.

Start small, and get bigger

By now, most of us would have become used to the "halal" signs which periodically spring up in shops we would not normally enter. After all, shop owners have the right to sell what they want, as long as it is legal. Although talking about legality, it was in one of those kinds of shops where Somalis were (are?) illegally selling their drug, khat, in various Toronto locations.

And as always with Muslims' presence, it gets bigger and more aggressive. They flex their muscles to see how far they can really go, withdraw slightly until they can spring back again.

Halal signs from small, privately owned ethnic stores, to signs of halal "certification", to billboards for fast food chains on highways. Then, take over the whole world, of course.

How ever did we get here?

So audacious have halal-proponents in fast food restaurants become that in two McDonald's restaurants in Australia, there were non-Muslim customers who were unaware that they were eating halal food.

Here's a quote from the story:

A Catholic Church spokesman said non-Muslims deserved to know if the food was halal before buying. But he said there was no biblical reason for Christians to avoid halal food.

Just how the Muslims like it. Plenty of koranic reasons not to eat non-halal meat, but we Catholics et al. will be happy to oblige our dear Muslim folk.



And we wouldn't even see anything unusual about huge billboards like this in Dearborn, Michigan. Another KFC? Well, let's just have some, the meat is even blessed. But first, start with the less conspicuous halal Subway sign on a wall in a food court (this time in Sidney, Australia), then you can supersize.

And by the way, the Arabic script in the Subway sign? That spells out "halal". That, and other words, will soon be part of our "vocabulary".

More wings, and authenticated halal fast food--including pizza--available in 150 restaurants in downtown Toronto.