Fred A. Reed – Informations biographiques / Biographical information

Adresse originale : http://www.cio-oic.ca/OIC/Francaisx/conference.html

Date : 27 février 2010 / February 27, 2010

À l’occasion d’une conférence du journaliste Fred A. Reed sur son livre Images brisées au Centre islamique de l’Outaouais (mosquée de Gatineau), les organisateurs de l’événement ont fourni des informations biographiques à son sujet :

On the occasion of a conference by Fred A. Reed at the Outaouais Islamic Centre (Gatineau Mosque) about his book Images brisées, the organizers of the event provided biographical information about him:

Titre original : Le Centre Islamique de l’Outaouais organise une conférence

Original Title (in French): The Outaouais Islamic Centre organizes a conference

Le Centre Islamique de l'Outaouais organise une conférence

"Images brisées: un voyage dans le temps, l'espace et l'esprit au cœur du Moyen-Orient"

par: Fred A. Reed

Auteur: "Images brisées"

Samedi 27 février 2010 à 19h30

Entrée libre à la salle communautaire du CIO

4 rue Lois, Hull, J8Y 3R1

Une séance de signature du livre suivra la conférence.

Fred A. Reed est un auteur musulman.

Résumé du livre

Parti à Damas pour étudier la querelle des Images qui secoua l'empire byzantin au VIIIe siècle, à l'époque des premiers contacts entre le monde chrétien et l'islam naissant, Fred A. Reed a vite vu que le conflit iconoclaste se prolongeait aujourd'hui dans les turbulences idéologiques et politiques du monde arabo-musulman, et jusque dans les rapports de ce dernier avec l'Occident. Les dissensions qui se sont manifestées il y a plus de mille ans sont toujours à l'œuvre entre les différentes sectes musulmanes, dont certaines demeurent très mal connues.

Au passage, il porte un jugement sévère sur le régime syrien du parti Baas. Ce récit d'un voyage dans l'espace et dans le temps amène le lecteur au cœur de régions ignorées des touristes, il présente des communautés qui entretiennent le secret autour d'elles et, par de nombreux rappels historiques, il aide à mieux comprendre un monde qui paraît bien éloigné de l'Occident, et qui est pourtant si proche.

Notice biographique

Originaire des États-Unis, Fred A. Reed s'est installé au Québec en 1963. Spécialiste du Moyen-Orient, auteur de sept livres et traducteur d'auteurs québécois comme Thierry Hentsch, Martine Desjardins et Monique Proulx, il a été trois fois lauréat du Prix du Gouverneur général. Images brisées, traduit par Salah Basalamah, est son premier ouvrage à paraître en français.

Fred A. Reed

International journalist and award-winning literary translator Fred A. Reed is also a respected specialist on politics and religion in the Middle East. Anatolia Junction, his acclaimed work on “the unacknowledged wars of the Ottoman succession,” has been translated in Turkey, where it enjoys a wide following. Shattered Images, which explores the origins of contemporary fundamentalist movements in Islam, has also been translated into Turkish, and into French as Images brisées (VLB éditeur, Montréal).

After several years as a librarian and trade union activist at the Montreal Gazette, Reed began reporting from Islamic Iran in 1984, visiting the Islamic Republic thirty times since then. He has also reported extensively on Middle Eastern affairs for La Presse, CBC Radio-Canada and Le Devoir.

A three-time winner of the Governor General’s Award for translation, plus a nomination in 2009 for his translation of Thierry Hentsch’s Le temps aboli, Empire of Desire. Reed has translated works by many of Québec’s leading authors, several in collaboration with novelist David Homel, as well as by Nikos Kazantzakis and other modern Greek writers.

Reed worked with documentarist Jean-Daniel Lafond on two documentary films: Salam Iran, a Persian Letter and American Fugitive. The two later collaborated on Conversations in Tehran (Talonbooks, 2006). He is currently working on a memoir. Fred A. Reed resides in Montréal.

WAMY-Canada stripped of charitable status

Original address: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/06/canadian-muslim-youth-organization-loses-charitable-status/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

NOTE: The article below is an updated internet version of the paper copy. Some information at the end of this article was added after the article was printed. Titles for both versions differ slightly.

Author: Sarah Boesveld
Source: The National Post, March 7, 2012, p. A1

Original title (internet): Canadian Muslim youth group tied to al-Qaeda stripped of charitable status

A Canadian Muslim youth organization has been stripped of its charitable status after a Canada Revenue Agency investigation linked it to a Saudi-based group that allegedly financed Islamist terror campaigns.

An audit of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth revealed the charity had developed ties to a number of organizations that allegedly helped fund al-Qaeda operations around the world and failed to comply with a number of standards required for charities to maintain their status.

In a warning letter to the Toronto-area organization last summer, CRA director-general Cathy Hawara said “our analysis of the Organization’s operations has led the CRA to believe…[it] was established to support the goals and operations of its parent organization, located in Saudi Arabia, which has been alleged to support terrorism.”

WAMY, known in Canada for running Islamic camps and pilgrimages for youth, was stripped of its status on Feb. 11. It failed to keep proper books and records, maintain a specific charitable purpose and distinguish itself from parent organization WAMY (Saudi Arabia), which had been alleged to support terrorist activity, the CRA audit said.

“The audit findings did not reveal any apparent separation between the activities of WAMY (Saudi Arabia) and WAMY, with all related financial and operating positions being made by WAMY (Saudi Arabia),” it reads. “This leads to a reasonable inference that WAMY has little or no independent function; therefore it cannot be concluded that it is carrying out its own charitable activities for which it is registered.”

WAMY in Canada also appears to have a director, contact information and bank account in common with the Benevolence International Fund in Canada, whose assets were frozen by the Canadian government in 2002 because it was linked to attempts by Osama bin Laden to acquire nuclear and chemical weapons. WAMY, which had been inactive since at least 2005, also funnelled $50,246 to the Benevolence International Foundation (BIF) in the U.S. in 2001 to boost its orphan program, the audit reads.

Both BIF-Canada and BIF-USA were added to the Consolidated List of the United Nations Security Council’s al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions committee in November, 2002, for having specific ties to al-Qaeda.

Under the heading of “Adverse Reporting on WAMY and its Affiliates,” the Canadian government audit cites testimony by counter-terrorism consultants before a U.S. Senate committee that says bin Laden identified three Muslim charities, including WAMY, as the “primary sources of al-Qaeda financial and fundraising activity” back in 1993.

The testimony went on to say these three organizations laundered money originating from bank accounts belonging to bin Laden and his associates in the Arabian Gulf, provided entertainment and travel documents to al-Qaeda operatives around the world and helped move funds to areas where al-Qaeda was operating.

Ties between WAMY and the BIF were inextricably close, even involving some of the same members, the CRA audit alleges: Mohamed Khatib was president of WAMY in 1999-2000, the same period of time he was listed as secretary to BIF-Canada, according to tax and government documents. The mailing address on WAMY’s November, 1998, application for charitable registration and documents submitted to Industry Canada when BIF-Canada incorporated in May 2000 matched up —both were Mr. Khatib’s home address, the CRA said.

The shared director between BIF-Canada and BIF-USA, Enaam Arnaout, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges a decade ago, admitting in his plea agreement that the “charity had provided financial assistance to individuals engaged in violent activities overseas,” the audit reads.

“Charities have to remember their obligations under Canada’s anti-terrorism legislation,” the CRA’s paper on guidance for activities outside of Canada reads. “As with all individuals and organizations in Canada, charities are responsible for making sure they do not operate in association with individuals or groups that are engaged in terrorist activities or support terrorist activities.”

In 2003, counter-terrorism officials in the U.S. said the WAMY organization there had been founded by bin Laden’s nephew Abdullah. Canada’s branch, which had an office in Mississauga, Ont., was operating under the supervision of the U.S. wing, according to the group’s own literature.

Toronto charity lawyer Mark Blumberg applauded the CRA for its thoroughness when it comes to auditing charities and revoking their status, if need be, but he says more can be done to prevent mismanagement of charities with respect to terrorism ties or money laundering.

“People think that because CRA approves an application that that means the registered charity is a wonderful organization and that it will not stray or do anything that’s wrong,” he said. “In fact all the CRA’s really doing is making sure all of the objects and activities and the information provided in an application is appropriate in terms of it being a registered charity.”

Profils / Profiles

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Articles

– Point de Bascule (10 décembre 2012) : Le collecteur de fonds du Hamas, IRFAN Canada, commandite à son tour l’assemblée islamiste de Toronto

– Point de Bascule (December 12, 2012): Hamas’ fund collector, IRFAN Canada, is added to the list of sponsors for the Islamist convention in Toronto

Références / References

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Profils / Profiles

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Articles

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Références / References

– Islam: A short history (2000): Karen Armstrong presentsYoussef Qaradawi as a moderate

Justin Trudeau a déclaré vouloir s’inspirer de Wilfrid Laurier qui avait établi des ponts entre catholiques et protestants pour expliquer sa présence à l’assemblée islamiste RIS 2012. Brian Lee Crowley, un expert de Laurier, lui réplique que l’ancien PM cherchait à rapprocher des modérés alors que Trudeau collabore avec des islamistes qui considèrent que la liberté occidentale n’est qu’une manifestation de décadence.

TORONTO RIS IV - 2005

Original address: http://www.muslimlink.ca/downloads/06jan.pdf

Source: Muslim Link, January 2006, p. 5
Author: Bedrria Charanek

List of speakers being identified:

Original title: TORONTO RIS IV - 2005

Successful civilizations are constructed together by individuals working mutually with the intent to reach progress in social order. The forth annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention has made Islamic Civilization its focus theme topic in an effort to revive the Islamic spirit of guests from all across North America this year. An estimated ten thousand people attended the successful three-day conference starting December 23^rd at the National Trade Center of Toronto.

Honored and welcomed were distinguished scholars who showcased Islamic leadership from all across the globe. There advice on how to better the characteristics of the people as Muslims was both an internal and external formula on how to attain the ideal “model” behavior.

Renowned scholars, professors and speakers such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Dr. Zakir Naik, Dr. Tareq Suwaidan, Dr. Omar Abdel Kafi, Ms. Shabazz, Imam Zaid Shakir and many more collectively spoke on the impact Islamic civilization has on the Muslim world today. Islamic civilization in the past and in the present is noticeable by the achievements of men and women who contributed in medicine, science and art. They also explained how the very foundation of the lives of Muslims is based on morals and ethics. In addition, the many verses mentioned in

the Qur'an describing how Muslims must be a community built on ethics were heavily addressed evenly throughout all lectures.

To expect good of the people when a person has forgotten to better one’s own character, “Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an ‘Why do you (humans) say that which you do not (yourselves) do? In regards to morals and ethics,’” said Imam Zaid Shakir in his lecture titled Reviving the Islamic Civilizational Model. “We have to look deep into our hearts if we want to contribute to the Islamic civilization.” Imam Zaid Shakir is one of the most respected and influential Muslim scholars in the West. He accepted Islam in 1977 while serving in the United States Air Force.

Ms. Shabazz, a producer, writer and lecturer, and one of the most sought after and captivating speakers in the United States, Europe, Africa and Central America, enlightened the mass audience with her topic on Marking the Past, Building the Future. She spoke on the detailed contributions of one of the most profound leading Muslim intellectuals of our times, her father and role model, Malcom X – Al Haj Malik Shabazz.

This detailed conference, which consisted of the revival of a diverse people and a contribution to humanity, also gave the opportunity of cultural awareness in the assembly of a “Grand Souk” marketplace. This brought together people of all ethnicities together in cultural merriment, followed by a delightful halal menu consisting of traditional meals conveniently available throughout the weekend. This unique youth effort once again has been written in history and has managed to leave its attendees satisfied and in awe with there successful and well organized hard work.

Controversial Islamic conference set for Toronto this weekend

Original address: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/23/controversial-islamic-conference-set-for-toronto-this-weekend

Source: Toronto Sun, December 23, 2011 (Internet version)
Author: Terry Davidson

Spokesman of RIS 2011: Farhia Ahmed

List of speakers being identified:

Original title: Controversial Islamic conference set for Toronto this weekend

TORONTO - As many as 20,000 Muslims will descend on a convention centre in downtown Toronto over the Christmas weekend for a long-standing Islamic forum.

The gathering has prompted at least one prominent critic to call it a cloaked attempt to teach hatred toward the West.

The forum marks the 10th annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS), a youth-driven convention to celebrate and shore up the unity, faith and identity of Muslims in North America. Featured during the weekend event are daily prayer sessions, as well as speakers including Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, and Jusuf Islam, formerly known as the 70s-era songwriter Cat Stevens, who converted to Islam in 1978.

“The Islamic spirit is based on education, peace and introspection,” said event spokesman Farhia Ahmed. “It is an initiative of Muslim youth who were born and raised in North America. It’s an opportunity for them to show their leadership to the younger generation who are currently in the midst of... trying to develop their identity.”

Not so, says Tarek Fatah, a moderate voice in Canada’s Muslim community. The RIS convention, he says, regularly invites speakers who follow the anti-Western philosophies of groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, a century-old religious and political group dedicated to spreading Islam throughout the world.

“It has little to do with Islam, (but) it’s got everything to do with Islamism,” said Fatah. “It is to revive goals of the Muslim Brotherhood, which...feels that its destiny (is) to undermine Western civilization.”

RIS speakers will “no longer talk about how the west is evil,”he says, but will discuss attributes of the West that they see as harmful to Islam, such as gender rights, sexuality and the West’s rejection of arranged marriages.

Ahmed strongly disagreed, but did acknowledge that speakers had free reign to speak about what they wanted.

“The purpose of this conference is to allow youth to hear from the scholars, and RIS...(does) not really engage in any ideological debate,” said Ahmed. “These are issues that they might touch on, but it’s not part of the program, per say.”

Muslims of all ages poured through the doors of the centre Friday morning. Many of the men wore on their heads white, knitted kufies. Most women wore burkas down to their ankles with hejabs covering their heads.

At 12:00 p.m., an Imam – a spiritual leader – conducted midday prayers. As Qasim Ibn Ali Khan read from the Qur’an, the room fell silent and around 1,500 men filled a large space on the bottom floor of the convention centre. All at once, they bowed with their foreheads touching the floor. In a large section behind them were the women.

Discours prononcé par Justin Trudeau à l’assemblée islamiste RIS 2012 de Toronto

Adresse originale: http://justin.ca/fr/discours-prononce-a-la-conference-reviving-the-islamic-spirit/

Titre original : Discours prononcé par Justin Trudeau à l’occasion de la conférence annuelle Reviving the Islamic Spirit

Date : 22 décembre 2012

English version HERE

Assalam alaykoum.

Je suis ici aujourd’hui parce que je crois en la liberté d’expression.

Je suis ici aujourd’hui parce que je crois en la liberté d’assemblée pacifique.

Je suis ici aujourd’hui parce que je crois en la Charte des droits et libertés, qui garantie toutes ces choses qui sont sacrées à mes yeux, aux vôtres, et pour toutes les personnes avec qui nous partageons notre pays.

Mais avant tout, je suis ici parce que je crois en vous.

Je crois en la contribution que vous avez apportée à notre pays. Et, comme vous, je sais qu’ensemble, nous accomplirons encore plus dans l’avenir.

Laissez-moi commencer en vous racontant une histoire. Notre histoire. Une histoire qui, je l’espère, restera à votre esprit lorsque vous considérerez notre avenir commun.

Il y a plusieurs générations de cela, un jeune homme a été mis au défi par ses leaders religieux aînés. Le genre de personnes qu’aujourd’hui nous pourrions considérer de fondamentalistes, voire d’extrémistes.

C’est que, voyez-vous, un conflit vieux d’un siècle faisait rage. Les leaders des deux camps étaient convaincus de détenir la vérité, et ils proclamaient que non seulement l’opposition avait tort, mais qu’ils étaient dans l’erreur au niveau de leurs croyances religieuses, de leur culture et de leur identité.

Et comme c’est malheureusement trop souvent le cas, ces leaders réservaient un traitement spécial à ceux qui, parmi eux, étaient en quête de compromis. Ils ne connaissaient que trop bien la menace que pouvaient représenter la modération et le compromis pour ceux qui prêchent une doctrine intransigeante.

Ce jeune homme, donc, éprouvaient des difficultés. Il entamait à peine sa carrière. Il faisait face à plusieurs enjeux auxquels, je le crois bien, vous faites aussi face aujourd’hui. Comment rester fidèle à ses valeurs, sa culture, alors que l’on sert les intérêts d’une société qui les chapeaute et dont on fait partie?

Il savait qui il était et en quoi il croyait. Il était fier de son héritage, de sa culture, de sa religion. Mais il ne pouvait décidément pas adhérer à ceux qui, au sein de sa communauté, utilisait ces éléments pour ériger des murs.

Puis, on lui a offert l’incroyable opportunité de s’adresser à un auditoire distingué de leaders politiques, religieux et d’affaires dans la capitale. Il les a mis au défi de regarder au-delà des limites étroites imposées par le présent, et de se tourner vers l’avenir.

Il a dit :

« La providence a réuni ici des populations d’origines et de croyances différentes. N’est-il pas évident que ces populations partagent des intérêts communs et partagés. »

Ce jeune homme occupe une importante place dans notre histoire, comme je vous l’ai dit. Mais il n’est pas retourné chez lui pour devenir imam, saint homme ou calife.

Il est retourné chez lui pour devenir – parmi tant d’autres choses plus importantes – mon deuxième premier ministre favori…

C’était en 1877. C’était à Québec. Et ce brave jeune homme s’appelait Wilfrid Laurier.

Il avait 35 ans, avec à peine 3 ans de service au Parlement pour lui donner une légitimité.

Et il avait pris une décision difficile.

Plutôt que de suivre les traces de ses prédécesseurs et de continuer sur le chemin qui lui était tracé d’avance par ses talents prodigieux à servir exclusivement ses semblables, il a choisi un autre chemin, improbable celui-là.

Un chemin qui honorait ce qu’il y a de bon et de noble dans sa culture, oui. Mais un chemin qui utilisait ces mêmes éléments pour servir un dessein plus grand : trouver un terrain d’entente pour les gens de croyances différentes.

Laurier a vu clair, peut-être plus clair qu’aucun autre Canadien; il a vu qu’ici, en ces terres, une nouvelle idée voyait le jour. Une nouvelle façon de vivre ensemble était envisageable.

Il savait que son pays avait été fondé et bâti par des gens qui s’étaient fait la guerre pendant des siècles sur leur continent d’origine. Anglais contre français. Catholiques contre protestants.

Ces conflits avaient traversés l’Atlantique avec eux.

Mais voilà qu’une chose extraordinaire se produit. Malgré le fait que les Anglais eurent été victorieux sur les champs de bataille, les deux camps avaient gagné le même degré de liberté.

Dans un des passages les plus émouvants de son discours, lorsqu’il parlait du monument des plaines d’Abraham, Laurier a dit :

« Dans quel autre pays sous le soleil pouvez-vous trouver un tel monument érigé à la fois à la mémoire des vainqueurs et des vaincus? Dans quel autre pays sous le soleil trouverez-vous les noms des vainqueurs et des vaincus honorés à la même échelle et occuper la même place de respect au sein de la population? Où est le Canadien qui, lorsqu’il compare son pays avec les pays les plus libres, ne serait pas fier des institutions qui le protègent. »

Mais le but de ce récit ne concerne pas ce moment remarquable de notre histoire. Le but est de réaliser tout ce qui s’est passé depuis.

Ceci est notre héritage. Un héritage qui a été renouvelé, génération après génération, jusqu’à ce jour.

Deux peuples jadis ennemis se sont mis ensemble pour construire une Constitution et des institutions qui garantissent leur liberté, non seulement la leur, mais celle de tous ceux qui viendraient après eux.

Se sont joints à eux pour continuer ce grand projet à travers le temps, des gens de toutes les cultures, religions et origines imaginables.

Des milliers de jeunes hommes et femmes qui choisissent de mettre l’accent sur ce qu’il y a de généreux dans leurs traditions. Des gens libres qui choisissent d’utiliser la générosité d’esprit qui est à la base de toutes les croyances pour trouver un terrain d’entente avec ceux dont les croyances divergent des leurs.

Et comme il est écrit dans le Saint Coran :

« Les serviteurs du Tout Miséricordieux sont ceux qui marchent humblement sur terre, qui, lorsque les ignorants s’adressent à eux, disent: ‘Paix’ » (Al Furqan 25:63)

Cela n’a jamais été facile. Cette route n’a jamais été paisible et sans embuche. Des générations de Canadiens ont dû surmonter des différences profondément encrées. Ils ont fait le choix éclairé de tourner le dos à la rancœur et au conflit.

Mais aujourd’hui, grâce à eux, nous avons la chance de vivre dans le pays le plus diversifié dans l’histoire du monde. Un des pays les plus pacifiques et prospères.

Un pays qui a outrepassé l’objectif de la simple tolérance. Parce que dire « je te tolère », c’est permettre à contrecœur à l’autre de respirer le même air, de marcher sur les mêmes terres que soi.

Et alors qu’il y a beaucoup d’endroit dans le monde où la tolérance n’est encore qu’un rêve qu’on caresse, au Canada, nous avons surpassé cette étape. Alors n’utilisons pas le mot tolérance. Parlons plutôt d’acceptation, de compréhension, de respect et d’amitié.

Ici, nous en sommes venus à une nouvelle prise de conscience, ensemble : un pays peut être fort, non pas en dépit de sa diversité, mais grâce à celle-ci.

Ceci est aujourd’hui notre histoire, la mienne et la vôtre. L’histoire de notre pays, le Canada.

Donc, alors que cette fin de semaine vous entamez une réflexion sur l’avenir, pensez avec votre cœur. Sachez que les difficultés auxquelles nous faisons face aujourd’hui ont été surmontées par d’autres avant nous. Sachez que les sentiments contradictoires que vous ressentez dans vos cœurs ont été ressentis par d’autres avant vous. Sachez que le compromis et la modération ne sont pas des signes de faiblesse, mais bien des signes de courage et de force. Il y a toujours une voie constructive dans ce pays pour ceux qui cherchent un terrain d’entente.

Mais avant tout, rappelez-vous ceci : notre héritage doit être constamment renouvelé par ceux qui partagent la vision de Laurier.

Quand les gens se rassemblent pour créer des opportunités, les rêves communs qu’ils caressent vont toujours surpasser les peurs qui pourraient les diviser.

Parce que ce n’est pas la classe politique, mais bien la classe moyenne, qui soude ce pays. Ouverte sur le monde, notre classe moyenne élargie et diversifiée est le centre de gravité du Canada. Des bonnes personnes. Des personnes avec des espoirs communs et des défis communs, qui s’assemblent pour trouver un terrain d’entente.

Il y a déjà assez de forces dans le monde qui déchirent et divisent les gens, qui nous isolent et nous rendent méfiants les uns des autres.

Hier, des manifestants ont essayé de m’empêcher de prendre la parole dans une école à cause de mes positions défendant le mariage gai et les droits des femmes.

Et, comme vous le savez, certains conservateurs ont aussi essayé de semer la controverse sur ma présence ici aujourd’hui. Ils ont tenté de faire appel à la peur et aux préjugés, alors que ce rassemblement a été mis en place exactement pour combattre de tels sentiments.

Maintenant, sachez que je respecte leur droit d’exprimer leurs opinions.

Mais je veux que vous sachiez que je me tiendrai toujours debout face à la politique de la peur. C’est un grand manque de vision que de monter certains groupes de Canadiens contre d’autres. Peut-être que quelques personnes se sentiront mieux pendant un moment. Ce sera peut-être même un succès politique pendant un moment.

Mais ce n’est pas une manière de bâtir un pays. Et encore moins CE pays. Ce n’est pas nous, ça.

Nous sommes ici aujourd’hui pour faire ce que les Canadiens font ensemble depuis des générations. Nous honorons notre diversité à travers l’amitié et l’ouverture d’esprit, pour être en mesure de bâtir un avenir positif et partagé.

Alors je m’unis à vous dans votre engagement envers un avenir plus prometteur. Engageons-nous à bâtir un pays qui rassemble les gens, qui trouve son compte dans le compromis, la modération et la quête d’un terrain d’entente.

Presque 30 ans après ce premier discours, lors de son 3^e mandat en tant que premier ministre, Laurier a expliqué sa vision comme suit à un auditoire d’Edmonton.

« Nous ne souhaitons ni ne voulons que l’individu oublie le pays de ses origines. Que chacun se tourne vers le passé mais que chacun porte surtout son regard vers l’avenir. Que chacun voie la terre de ses ancêtres, mais aussi la terre de ses enfants. Que chacun devienne Canadien et donne son cœur, son âme, son énergie, tout son pouvoir au Canada. »

Voilà ce que nous souhaitait Laurier. Et c’est ce que je vous souhaite. Soyez optimistes et positifs, mes amis.

Votre pays a besoin de vous.

Que la paix, la miséricorde et les bénédictions soient avec vous.

Justin Trudeau’s speech at the RIS 2012 convention in Toronto

Original address: http://justin.ca/speech-delivered-at-the-reviving-the-islamic-spirit-convention/

Original title: Speech Delivered by Justin Trudeau On the Occasion of the 11th Annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit Convention

Date: December 22, 2012

Version française ICI

As-salamu Alaykum.

I am here today because I believe in Freedom of Expression.

I am here today because I believe in Freedom of Peaceful Assembly.

I am here today because I believe in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees those sacred things to you, to me, and to all people with whom we share this land.

But mostly, I am here today because I believe in you.

I believe in the contributions you have made to our country. And I know that together we will make even greater contributions in the future.

Let me begin with a story. A story from your history. One that I hope will stay in your minds as you think about our common future.

Many generations ago, a young man was confronted by traditional religious elders. The kind of folks that today we might call fundamentalists or even extremists.

You see, a centuries-old conflict was raging. Prominent people on each side were convinced of their rightness. And loudly proclaimed that the other side was not only wrong, but wrong because of their religious beliefs, their culture, and their identity.

And as is far too often the case, these leaders reserved special scorn for those within their ranks who sought common ground with others. They understood the threat that moderation and compromise present to those who preach rigid doctrine.

This young man was struggling at the time. He was just starting out in the world. He was facing many of the same issues that, I suspect, you are facing today. How do I remain true to my values, to my culture, while I serve the interests of the society to which I belong?

He knew who he was, and what he believed. He was proud of his heritage, his culture, his religion. But he parted ways, decisively, with those within his community who would use these things to build walls.

But then, he was granted a remarkable opportunity, to address a distinguished audience of political, religious, and business leaders.

And so he challenged them to think beyond the narrow confines of the present and to look towards the future.

He said

“Providence has united together on this corner of Earth populations of different origins and creeds. Is it not manifest that these populations must have together common and identical interests?”

That young man is a very important part of your history, as I said. But he would not go on to become an Imam, a holy man, or a Caliph.

He would, however, go on to become, among many more important things, my second-favourite Prime Minister.

The year was 1877. The place was Quebec City. And the brave young man’s name was Wilfrid Laurier.

He was 35 years old, with barely three years of service in Parliament to recommend him.

And he had made a difficult choice.

Rather than fall in line with his elders and marshal his already prodigious talents in exclusive service of what he called his race, he chose an improbable new path.

One that honoured what was good and noble about his own culture, yes. But one that used those very things to serve a higher purpose: to find common ground between people of differing beliefs.

Laurier saw something clearly, perhaps more clearly than any other Canadian; he saw that here, in this place, a new idea was taking shape. A new way of living together just might be possible.

He knew that his was a country founded and built by people who had warred against one another for centuries on their home continent: English vs French, Catholic vs Protestant. Early on, these murderous conflicts crossed the Atlantic Ocean with them.

But then a unique thing happened. Despite the fact that the English were victorious on the battlefield, the same measure of freedom was gained by each side.

In one of the most moving passages of that speech, speaking about the obelisk on the Plains of Abraham, Laurier said:

“In what other country under the sun, can you find a similar monument reared to the memory of the conquered as well as of the conqueror? In what other country under the sun, will you find the names of the conquered and the conqueror equally honored and occupying the same place in respect of the population? Where is the Canadian who, comparing his country even with the freest countries, would not feel proud of the institutions that protect him?”

Now, the point of this story is not that remarkable moment in our history. The point is everything that has happened since.

This is our inheritance. One that has been renewed by successive generations to this very day.

That two peoples who had been enemies came together to build institutions — and a Constitution — that guaranteed freedom not only for one another, but for all who would come after them.

They were joined in this great project over the years by people of every conceivable culture, religion and ethnicity.

Waves and waves of young men and women who chose to emphasize what was kind-hearted about their own traditions. Free people who chose to use the generosity of spirit that is the root of all faith, to find common ground with those whose beliefs differed from their own.

As it is written in the Holy Qur’an:

‘The true servants of the Most Merciful are those who behave gently and with humility on earth, and whenever the foolish quarrel with them, they reply with [words of] peace.’
(al-Furqan 25: 63)

It has never been easy. This road has never been smooth or straight. Generations of Canadians had to overcome deep differences. They made a deliberate choice to turn their backs on rancour and conflict.

But today, because of them, we are all blessed to live in the most diverse country in the history of the world. One of the most peaceful and most prosperous.

One that has now moved beyond the goal of mere tolerance. Because saying “I tolerate you” is to grudgingly allow you to breathe the same air, to walk the same earth. And while there are many places in the world where tolerance is still just a far-off dream, in Canada, we are beyond that. So let us not use the word tolerance. Let us speak instead of acceptance, understanding, respect, and friendship.

Here, we have come to a new realization, together: that a country can be great not in spite of its diversity, but because of its diversity.

This is our story now, yours and mine. The story of our country, Canada.

So as you reflect this weekend about the future, take heart. Know that the struggles we are facing have been faced down before. Know that the conflicting feelings in our hearts have been felt before. Know that compromise and moderation are not the path of weakness, but of courage and strength. That there is always a positive path in this country for all who seek common ground.

Most important, remember this: our inheritance must be constantly renewed by those who share Laurier’s vision.

When people come together to create opportunities for one another, the dreams we hold in common will crowd out the fears that would divide us.

For it is not the political class, but the middle class, that unites this country. Open to all, our broad and diverse middle class is Canada’s centre of gravity. Good people. People with common hopes and common challenges, coming together to find common ground.

There are already too many forces in the world that drive us into separate camps, that isolate us, and make us suspicious of one another.

Yesterday, protesters tried to prevent me from speaking at a school because of my stance defending gay marriage and women’s rights.

And as you know, some conservatives tried to stir up controversy about my appearance here today. They tried to appeal to people’s fears and prejudices, the very things that this gathering was founded to overcome.

Now, I respect and defend their right to express their opinions.

But, I want you to know that I will always stand up to the politics of division and fear. It is short-sighted to pit groups of Canadians against one another. It may make some feel good for a little while, or even work politically in the short-term.

But it is no way to build a country. Least of all this country. It is not who we are.

We are here today to do what we Canadians have been doing together for generations. We are honouring our diversity through friendship and understanding, so that we can build from it a common, positive future.

So I join you in your commitment to that more hopeful future. Let us pledge ourselves to building a country that brings people together; that finds the highest virtue in compromise, moderation, and common ground.

Nearly thirty years after that first speech, then in his third term as our Prime Minister, Laurier put it this way to an audience in Edmonton.

“We do not want or wish that any individual should forget the land of his origin. Let them look to the past, but let them still more look to the future. Let them look to the land of their ancestors, but let them look also to the land of their children. Let them become Canadians and give their heart, their soul, their energy, and all their power to Canada”

That was Laurier’s wish for us. And it is mine for you. Be hopeful and positive, my friends.

Your country needs you.

May peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.

Report on RIS 2012 convention

Original address: http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/research-studies/reviews-a-interviews/460530-torontos-ris-breaks-new-records.html

Author: Tarek M. T. Ezzat – Managing Editor OnIskam.net
Date: December 22, 2012

Original title: Reviving The Islamic Spirit (RIS 2012) / Toronto’s RIS Breaks New Records
(Day 1)

Friday December 21st. was supposed to be the start of the end according to the Mayan calendar, but for Muslims in Canada it was the start of a new record-breaking international event: Reviving The Islamic Spirit (RIS 2012).

This yearly convention which started in 2002 is now in its 11th. year and has attracted a wide audience from around the world, attending both physically and through the Internet.

While last year’s RIS attracted an audience of 20,000 delegates, this year the loyal RIS audience increased in numbers reaching the 25,000 mark, and is now considered one of the largest international Muslim gatherings in the West, in addition to around 100,000 new on-live viewers as the convention is now broadcasted through live-streaming on the internet for a small fee.

The opening speech at RIS was part of the Friday prayer with a Khutbah given by Imam Zaid Shakir, co-founder of the Zaytuna Institute in California, and one of the leading Imams in North America. In his speech, Imam Zaid explained the hadith of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, on the seven types of people who will be in the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment, including a just ruler, and the youth who were raised in the obedience of God’s commands. He urged Muslim youth to become more attached to the mosques and emphasized the importance of Muslim unity on the main foundations of Islam, and urged Muslim not to be divided on minor issues.

Youth Everywhere

One important feature of Canada’s RIS is the high percentage of young people among both the audience and the organizers. When arriving at the Metro Convention Center in downtown Toronto, RIS participants are greeted by an enthusiastic team of 800 highly-motivated volunteers, who are mainly high school and college students.

This event brings together young Muslims from all over Canada, and some also traveling from the US specially to attend RIS. But what is also very interesting that among the audience are also non-Muslims attracted by this major event.

Jeff, an American non-Muslim young man traveled with a friend from New York as he had heard so much about RIS. Two years ago, he attended an ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Conference in the States, and since then has been reading a lot about Islam. With the start of the holiday season, this was a good chance for him to visit Toronto and also get first-hand knowledge and more information about Islam, from leading Muslim scholars and speakers.

Riaz, a young Muslim in his early twenties traveled all the way from a small city in central Canada where he lives to attend the RIS Convention and the Knowledge Retreat that follows. For him, this is an excellent opportunity to learn and grow in faith and in understanding of moderate mainstream Islam.

This year’s RIS was also attended by a large number of Canadian officials and politicians including Members of Parliaments and leaders of different political parties who welcomed participants and conveyed to them the greetings of their political leaders reflecting Canada’s leading successful model of multiculturalism, expressing their wishes to the audience for a successful convention.

But it’s the Muslim sisters who form a clear majority at the Convention, as the Islamic dress dominates the scene with hijab everywhere. Students, mothers with their young children and families from different backgrounds all came together from different parts in Canada to meet up once again and celebrate their friendship and sisterhood during their holidays in a relaxed environment away from the pressures and tension of daily study and work.

Leading International Figures

This year’s speakers at RIS includes a wide variety of distinguished figures traveling to Toronto from all over the world. In the first session after the Friday prayers, Dr. Tawfique Chowdhury, Founder and Chairman of Mercy Mission, CEO of a multinational IT company and leading activist, reminded the audience of the importance of sincerity in Islam in serving humanity, and that the intentions in our deeds must be for the sake of Allah alone. In a second speech, Dr. Chowdhury spoke about the unique leadership style of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, which was to lead by serving others.

Dr. Amr Khaled, one of the star preachers popular among youth in Egypt and the Arab world spoke about how youth in Canada can face the many challenges of modern life while keeping their faith strong through their daily attachment to the Qur’an, and urged them to volunteer through Canadian NGOs to contribute to the well-being of their society, and not limit their volunteering effort to the Muslim community alone as they should give back to society, and the best way to do that is to help those in need from all backgrounds and faiths.

In the late evening session, Dr. Tariq Ramadan talked about Muslims living in pluralistic societies and the main factors for the success of Muslims in the West, which include a high importance to growing in spirituality and ethics, in addition to other practical measures to better serve their countries and become active players in Canadian society.

Tonight, Dr. Ramadan will be talking about the concept of nobility as articulated by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and will share his views on how Muslims can become noble men and women through faith and practice.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Ramadan will dedicate a special session in the French language for the benefit of the French-speaking audience who traveled from Montreal and other cities in Quebec to listen to him in their language and will talk to them about spiritual issues and the ways of the heart “Les Chemins du Couer”.

The first day of RIS was an excellent start which promises a lot more for its audience on this year’s broad theme “Divine Light for Living Right”, as today and tomorrow other international speakers are expected to address the audience including Dr. Jamal Badawi, Dr. Sayyed Hossein Nasr, Dr. Karen Armstrong and Sheikh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, and also from the young speakers Moez Masoud, Nouman Ali Khan and sister Yasmin Mogahed.

Profils / Profiles

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Références / References

– UOMSA (2012): Executive 2012 – 2013

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Faisal Kutty and Other Islamists Protest because Wagdy Ghoneim Is not Allowed in Canada

Original address: http://www.wrmea.org/component/content/article/192-1998-march/2888-canadian-muslims-seek-apology-for-mistreatment-of-visiting-imam-.html

Source: Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March 1998, Page 100
Author: Faisal Kutty

Original title: Canadian Muslims Seek Apology for Mistreatment of Visiting Imam

Faisal Kutty is a Toronto-based lawyer and free-lance writer.

A prominent imam visiting North America from Egypt was handcuffed, strip-searched and detained without the right to legal counsel by Canadian immigration authorities on Jan. 7, 1998 while trying to enter Canada from Detroit. The incident has upset and embarrassed Muslims across Canada, who are demanding answers from their elected representatives, from immigration officials and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), "The community has launched a campaign to get answers from Ottawa," said Hussein El-Henawy, an executive member of the Canadian Chapter of the Muslim Arab Youth Association (MAYA). "We have given them time to respond and we are considering our options," he added.

The turn of events was a total surprise to Sheikh Abdul Hamid Mohamed Ghoneim. He had just completed a speaking tour of the United States and had been issued a visa by the Canadian Consulate in Detroit only two hours earlier.

"No one told me why I was being detained," said the 47-year-old religious leader and senior ranking finance officer in the Egyptian government, "I'm not a criminal. I have a valid visa. This is very upsetting."

The imam, who was invited to participate in a fast-breaking function with Muslims in Toronto, was humiliated. "I was ordered to strip off all my clothes in front of an officer and told to use the toilet in front of an officer," said Sheikh Ghoneim. His blood pressure pills and sinus medication also were taken from him.

According to Patrick Ducharme, who was retained by members of the Muslim community to act as the imam's legal counsel, Shaikh Ghoneim was held for 24 hours before being released. Ducharme told the Washington Report that immigration officer Donna McNeil initially prevented him from being present when his client was being questioned. "I had to educate her about sections 10 and 52 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms," said Ducharme. The Charter, which is part of the Canadian Constitution, guarantees an individual the right to counsel.

Ducharme said that in addition to McNeil, who initially told him that his client was detained for further questioning because "he may be a security risk," an agent from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service also participated in the interrogation. Ducharme said that the CSIS agent, Michel Guay, "did not ask him any questions about being a terrorist or discuss the reasons he was detained." According to Ducharme, the agent was only concerned with "how the Egyptian government operated." For example the agent asked:

The imam was released after two hours of questioning and then told that he could go back to Detroit and apply for another visa. Upon his release, the imam met with members of the Canadian Muslim community in his lawyer's office in Windsor and then went back to Detroit. When asked if he would come back, Sheikh Ghoneim said, "I don't feel welcome here. If they didn't want me why didn't they just send me back to the U.S.? Why did they have to humiliate me?"

Ducharme, who has been practicing law for over 22 years, said that Canadian immigration authorities could not give him any credible answers as to why his client was detained. The lawyer told the Washington Report that he was left with the impression that an employee at Canada's Detroit Consulate had made a mistake with Sheikh Ghoneim's name when the visa was issued. McNeil told him specifically that Sheikh Ghoneim was detained because "our officer in Detroit entered the wrong last name, Mohamed and not Ghoneim." She added that "I don't want to say that he has done anything wrong but he should go back to Detroit and correct the situation."

The very next day, however, manager Gerald Belanger of immigration ports of entry operations in Windsor told the Windsor Star that Sheikh Ghoneim was detained on suspicion of affiliation with terrorist groups.

"This is ludicrous," commented Ducharme. "They are only trying to cover their tracks for their mistake." The lawyer said he would ask the Canadian government to retract and apologize. In fact, Ducharme said, no suggestion of terrorist affiliation was made by anyone during the imam's interrogation. If there had been any such suspicion, Ducharme said, then why was the sheikh allowed to leave with him unaccompanied after the interrogation? Why was he granted a visa? Why was he allowed to leave Canada? And how was it that U.S. authorities had allowed him to travel freely and speak all over the United States?

A number of Muslim organizations subsequently issued a joint statement calling on the Department of Immigration and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to disclose the reasons for Sheikh Ghoneim's detention and to apologize to the imam and the Muslim community for this incident. They also are concerned about what they see as the unfair targeting of Muslims. The statement, endorsed by 11 major Muslim organizations including the Islamic Society of North America, the Islamic Circle of North America, Al-Shura and the Islamic Coordinating Council of Imams (Canada), said: "In the recent past, law-abiding innocent Muslims have been targeted by Canada's Customs, Department of Immigration and CSIS for special scrutiny and investigation."

In a meeting with members of the Muslim community in Toronto, Howard Hampton, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), demanded an apology from the Canadian government to the country's Muslims. "This is no way to treat a guest or a religious leader of Canada's largest religious community," Hampton said. He noted that it was regrettable that this incident took place in the holy month of Ramadan. The NDP leader reached to the heart of Muslim concerns when he noted that Muslims continue to be stereotyped as terrorists.

Some Muslims are wondering what the situation of the average person would be if such a prominent Muslim cleric can be so mistreated with such impunity. MAYA hopes to ensure that this and other such instances in the future are opposed and challenged. El-Henawy said that his group plans to set up a fund to deal with such violations and encourages all those concerned with fundamental human rights to contribute.

Contributions may be sent to MAYA, 370 Huntington Ridge Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L5R 1P1, tel. (905) 890-2047, fax (905) 890-0995.

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Références / References

– CSIS (February 14, 2012): Venues of Sunni Islamist Radicalization in Canada

– Stewart Bell (National Post – 3 janvier 2013) : Un rapport du SCRS examine les différents endroits utilisés par les extrémistes sunnites pour promouvoir leur radicalisme

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–  Point de Bascule (3 janvier 2013) : Le CAIR proteste contre l’interdiction faite à un promoteur du jihad armé de venir aux États-Unis

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