"Being A Muslim"

Haroon Siddiqui at a PEN Canada event.
He was past president of PEN.

In 2006, the Toronto Star journalist Haroon Siddiqui was already preparing the way for Canadian schools by writing his book "Being a Muslim. (Groundwork Guides)".

Getting the population young is the smartest way for ideologies to pass on their message. Why not try that for religions as well.

The premise of this book is clearly outlined in the first chapter of the book:

Contrary to the popular belief that the West is under siege from Muslim terrorists, it is Muslims who have become the biggest victims of the attacks of September 11, 2001, as inconceivable as that would have seemed in the aftermath of the murder of 2,900 Americans. Since then, between 34,000 and 100,000 Iraqis have been killed by the Americans or the insurgents. Nobody knows how many have been killed in Afghanistan. In the spots hit by terrorists – from London and Madrid to Amman, Istanbul, Riyadh and Jeddah, through Karachi to Bali and Jakarta – more Muslims have been killed and injured than non-Muslims.

The approximately 27 million Muslims living in Western nations have been targeted in other ways. They have been victims of racial profiling and frequent identity mix-ups at airports and border crossings, where they may be harassed and sometimes detained. Monitored by both the secret services and the media, they must be careful about what they say in emails, phone conversations and in public. They must think twice about keeping a beard or wearing overtly Muslim clothing and be mindful of their behavior in public. They must keep proving, in school and at work, that neither they nor their faith fit the caricature of Muslims and Islam drilled into the public consciousness.

Two high school teachers from Manitoba review this book and both find "Being a Muslim":

...a highly-accessible guide to the faith, an exploration of the social and economic challenges faced by Muslims living in societies (both European and North American) founded largely on Judeo-Christian values,

One elaborates even further by saying:

As a social studies teacher, I look forward to taking the entire first section of the book as a study of current events and of the effective use of persuasive style in nonfiction writing. . . Siddiqui is unequivocal and effective in exposing double standards and inconsistencies in contemporary media coverage of news stories in which Islam plays a part. One can only hope that a publisher sees the value in taking Siddiqui’s research and clear style and expanding the work into a more comprehensive contemporary treatment of Islam for high school students...”

In other words, what these young students are hearing about Islam is all wrong and that Siddiqui counters all the negative reports about Islam in his brilliantly persuasive book. Forget about 9/11 and the 3,000 that were murdered, think about all those Iraqis and Afghans that have been killed by American (and now Canadian) forces. And let's not forget the Muslims targeted in Western countries, those countries founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and whose prime purpose is now to oppress these poor Muslims.

And just like I mentioned earlier, this seasoned teacher was struck by the "effective use of persuasive style in nonfiction writing." This is exactly one strategy that writers like Siddiqui would need to cultivate in order to falsify the information even his ultra-left newspaper reports as true.

Just the way to reach the young Canadian minds.

One more thing, this is a writer who has received the Order of Canada, the highest civilian order, for his "journalistic contributions as well as his voluntary work in helping to forge the new Canadian identity." I suspect in Siddiqui's world, Western civilization is a threat to his Islamic culture, and has no place any more in the "new Canadian identity" that he is forging.

Eid at the Roger's Centre

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

The past Eid Al Fitr Festival was celebrated in the Roger's Centre.

I had perviously noted that the Roger's Center and the CN Tower have been used to look like a mosque and a minaret.

Well, here is the progression of that intuition (observations?).

The huge sports complex interior was fittingly used to celebrate one of the most important Muslim festivals.

Of course, people will say that the center is often used for large community, multicultural, events. But, that's besides the point. One by one, we are getting used to our buildings take on different functions. And it is in the interest of the Muslims that this is the case, since they can camouflage their increased presence in the West as part of the multicultural reality.

"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.