Written July 2, 2009

Let me start off with a point that is already well-known within the Canadian community (at least those who value what the Muslim community actually has to say as a collective and those who have the ability to make the distinction that not all Arabs are Muslims): Tarek Fatah is one irritating opportunist. What's his latest crave? The same as before: lambasting the Canadian Arab Federation.

One of its members recently made the statement of "Fuck Canada Day" on his personal Facebook page. If Fatah took the time to actually join the CAF mailing-list, he would know that the organization sent out a "Happy Canada Day" greeting on June 30th. Well before Fatah took his journalistic instinct into overdrive. Of course, that matters little to someone with an axe to grind.

Regardless, it makes one wonder, however one feels about such a statement (I personally thought it was careless and could have been expressed in a more tactful manner -- at least, in a more comical fashion), what's the big deal? So someone does not like celebrating this particular holiday? I always hear it from people who has to work on that holiday or otherwise can't enjoy themselves. I probably said it two or three years ago because I couldn't go out with my friends. I remember my first job before entering university was an 11pm to 7am daily nightshift at an assembly-line factory for three months, I said a lot more than that.

There are reasons behind it despite the attempt to treat this entire issue in a Saturday cartoon-like manner in that "They hate Canada!" Disagree with the lack of tact of the statement all you want, you can't ignore the reasoning behind such frustration. The person being a Canadian-Arab, I can take a couple of not-so-wild guesses:

• Canada did provide Israel unwavering support while the United Nations and a plethora of human rights organizations called for them to halt the massacre of over 1500 Palestinians a couple of months ago, the majority of which were civilian women and children. A simple search through Google is enough to anger anyone.
   
• Jason Kenney also crippled CAF's funding because he does not like getting criticized. In particular, being called a "professional whore" by CAF's President, Khaled Mouammar, which is just repeating a statement made by highly-acclaimed scholar Norman Finkelstein during a lecture given at the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus (both of which I found hilarious). As a result, CAF had to cut vital services that not only served Arabs but many non-Arabs as well including those in the Chinese community. It's the same reason why George Galloway was banned from getting into Canada because it was guaranteed to be a comical affair.

The only other choice is to pretend this is a battle of "Good" and "Evil" which will fuel the typical ignorant calls for someone to get out of Canada. It's not unusual to find someone calling for the return of a particular person to a country that he or she has never even set foot in before. It's not unusual either for these people to make up places to supplement their inability to stop being so emotional because someone does not like a holiday they like (ie. calling for someone to be returned to the "country of Middle East").

Again, fine, go ahead and disagree but there are reasons behind such frustrated statements. Tarek Fatah and company should take a trip to a Native reserve, wave a Canadian flag and see what kind of reaction they get. Oh yes, I'm quite sure that he'll be greeted by applause and no calls to "Fuck Canada Day!" I'm sure they're celebrating with fireworks as well all across the country. Perhaps that's why they're so systematically marginalized because they're too busy celebrating all-throughout the year, listening to Sarah McLaughlin sing on stage while a human flag spins around a pole.

If someone doesn't feel like celebrating, that's their prerogative. It does not mean that one dislikes Canada nor are they anti-Canadian. It just means that they are in no mood to celebrate in light of the current situation (whatever that may be). Either they have some deep political opposition to celebrating at a time when the Conservative government has made it absolutely shameful to be Canadian in light of their racist foreign and domestic policies, see it as a way of respecting Aboriginals who were systematically wiped out and continue to suffer within Canada, does not like celebrating every single holiday or they just can't get the day off and are pissed off.

In light of all the possible reasons, we pick the argument that: "They are evil extremists who hate Canada"? It's no surprise that's where Fatah's thought process always ends up. Anything that can be utilized for his battle with "The Islamists" (a possible entry to the YTV 9am to 12pm Saturday cartoon line-up) is something that is worth to beat until absolute exhaustion. Of course, no specific definition is necessary to provide let along providing an argument that actually makes sense. It's all a vast conspiracy of "The Islamists" super-villains.

Give me a break.

In the spirit of resistance,
Critical Mood