Letter in the Globe & Mail on Toronto 18
Muslim youth and the media
Omar Ha-Redeye
Markham, Ont. — From Thursday’s Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 12:00AM EST Last updated on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 3:08AM EST
There is an element of the Toronto 18 narrative that hasn’t been properly explored (‘Toronto 18′ Ringleader Sentenced To Life In Prison – Jan. 19). These youth were not motivated by a hatred for democracy or Western civilization – all indications demonstrate they perceived themselves at least peripherally as part of it. They were motivated primarily by Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan.
They did not believe they could participate in the marketplace of ideas, when the public dialogue was so ill-informed and frequently inspired by hatred.
Those who knew some of the Toronto 18 knew that this sense of frustration and exclusion is shared among much of the Canadian youth. But these particular youth had some unique challenges to overcome. According to former CIA analyst Marc Sageman, a forensic psychologist, unfair and unbalanced media portrayals of Islam generally is the primary reason for radicalization of Muslim youth.
In nearly every case of Muslim terrorism in the West, there have been personal experiences or inspiration by those with racism and discrimination in Western society.
They did not hate our freedoms. They hated that they weren’t provided the same freedoms as every other Canadian. It doesn’t excuse their behaviour, but it does highlight the roles and responsibilities the rest of us have in preventing this by eliminating the marginalization of certain segments of our population.
