Without trying to be overly dramatic, what is happening right now is a clash of civilizations, values, systems of government and freedoms. It’s vitally important to us all that we come out of this with these essential elements of our society intact. Pictured: Raheel Raza, Founder of the Council of Muslims Against Antisemitism. Photo Credit: Dave Thomas/Postmedia Network.
Just before International Women’s Day later this week, an event was held this past weekend entitled Women on the Frontlines: Muslim Leaders Speak Out Against the Sexual Violence of October 7. The event was co-sponsored by the Council for a Secure Canada and the Council of Muslims Against Antisemitism. The Council for a Secure Canada evolved from an earlier organization called the Canadian Coalition Against Terrorism, which had its beginnings in the aftermath of 9/11 and the fact that victims of terrorism are treated abysmally in Canada. Secure Canada has now branched out to combat threats to Canada’s national security and democracy and defend victims’ rights. The Council of Muslims Against Antisemitism is pretty self-explanatory, and was established relatively recently to represent the voices of Muslims whose views were not being represented by most of the other Muslim organizations.
There were a number of very interesting speakers at this meeting, including Muslims, Israelis and politicians with different perspectives on the October 7 atrocities and what they mean for Israel, Jews, Muslims, Canada and Western democracy. Needless to say, security was tight with the location of the event revealed just before the event and a police presence at all times. It’s appalling that we should be reduced to doing this in Canada, but the marauding bands of pro-Hamas “protesters” in Toronto and other Canadian cities have necessitated this security overkill.
The focus of the event was the impact on women of the October 7 attack. Women of course endure a particular kind of torment in these situations, as they are subject to sexual violence, humiliation, mutilation and sadism much more frequently than men. One of the speakers, Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, a lawyer and expert on family law and international women’s rights, was in Israel after October 7 and was a witness to the sexual atrocities committed by Hamas. She described the horrific, sadistic actions of the Hamas attackers and how they revelled in their evil. She deplored the fact that so many people, including so-called women’s organizations, claimed that the rapes, mutilations and other sexually related horrors inflicted on innocent women had not happened at all. For these groups, it seems that “believe all women” is only relevant if the women are not Jews. How disgraceful.
Other speakers were equally impactful. Dalia Al-Aqidi, who is a journalist, counter-extremism expert and a U.S. Congressional candidate running against the anti-Semite Ilhan Omar in Minnesota, spoke movingly of the poisonous impact of anti-Semitism in the U.S. and how it had been such a divisive force leading up to the U.S. elections later this year. Hopefully she will prevail over Omar, who has spearheaded campaigns to defund police while she spends excessively on her own personal security, attacks US allies and champions identity politics.
Ironically, this event was taking place at the same time that a synagogue in Thornhill was being threatened by a pro-Hamas mob. The Member of Parliament for this area, Melissa Lantsman, was in attendance at the event and was appalled by the fact this mob was effectively being tolerated by the police and that innocent people just going about their business on a Sunday afternoon were being told by the authorities to stay away from the area. The lunatics are surely running the asylum.
Lantsman was very explicit about the fact that a Conservative Pierre Poilievre government would immediately designate groups like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran as a terrorist entity and would defund the appalling UN affiliate UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees), which has recently been found to be complicit with and funding Hamas in many of the October 7 acts of savagery.
The Trudeau Liberals recently said they were suspending funding for UNRWA after revelations the agency was so closely tied with Hamas. Yet it was later revealed the Liberal government has been one of the most generous funders of UNRWA under Trudeau, who restored funding to this sketchy agency with a pro-terrorist track record after former prime minister Stephen Harper had ended it in 2010. U.S. President Joe Biden also resumed funding to UNRWA after former president Donald Trump had earlier defunded it. Funny how leftist governments seem to have no qualms about spending large amounts of our tax dollars on terrorists.
Another notable speaker was Goldie Ghamari, Ontario Conservative MPP. Ghamari is an Iranian-Canadian, and was very emphatic about how Iran was the source of so much terrorism in the Middle East as well as elsewhere around the world, and that the current theocracy in Iran must be defeated before we will see progress in reducing terrorism world-wide. She also emphasized how the average Iranian did not support the Islamic Khomeinist regime in Iran, and that after October 7 there were many Israeli flags flying in Iran despite the fact it was a crime punishable by death. Ghamari also noted how Trudeau should be ashamed of himself for not naming the IRGC as a terrorist group as has the US and other Western countries.
A speaker that spoke about the big picture implications of October 7 was Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a physician, former U.S. Navy Commander, expert on terrorism and foreign policy and a current Congressional candidate. He is also a co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement. His main point was that no matter what people may think, this battle is not simply one of Israel versus Hamas but of radical Islam launching an assault on Western values of freedom, equal rights for women, minorities and LGBTQ, free speech and democracy. In other words, this is everyone’s battle and if anyone thinks because they’re not in the Middle East or Jewish or otherwise directly implicated this doesn’t concern them, they couldn’t be more wrong.
Jasser also commented that up until now, the Jewish community had been playing defence against the radical Islamist cabal, and that it was time they began playing offense. Considering that multiple public opinion polls in both the US and Canada show that a large majority of citizens in both countries support Israel in this conflict, it’s time Israel and the Jewish community started to leverage this support and fight back against the radical Islamist minority that is very loud and aggressive but opposed by most citizens. The tail needs to stop wagging the dog. And we must all be demanding that our politicians instruct the police to do a much better job of defending us against the mob rule of the pro-Hamas crowd.
While all of the participants at this meeting were excellent with distinguished backgrounds, the true hero was Raheel Raza. Raza is the founder of the Council of Muslims Against Antisemitism and a long-time courageous advocate against radical Islam, racism and one of the most prominent Muslim supporters of Israel. Raza chaired the event and was instrumental in organizing this informative and inspiring meeting. Without trying to be overly dramatic, what is happening right now is a clash of civilizations, values, systems of government and freedoms. It’s vitally important to us all that we come out of this with these essential elements of our society intact.
What was also notable about this event was the upbeat attitude of the attendees, most of whom were Jewish. Despite all the challenges and setbacks, and some of the very troubling issues discussed, the Jewish community remains resolute and determined to prevail through this very difficult time. That is historically what they have done, and is why they will again.
She has published numerous articles in journals, magazines & other media on issues such as free trade, finance, entrepreneurship & women business owners. Ms. Swift is a past President of the Empire Club of Canada, a former Director of the CD Howe Institute, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, past President of the International Small Business Congress and current Director of the Fraser Institute. She was cited in 2003 & 2012 as one of the most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network & is a recipient of the Queen’s Silver & Gold Jubilee medals.
