Stephen Harper in hot water over “Islamicism” remarks
From here:
The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada is urging Muslims to speak out against Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent remarks about their religion.
Harper told CBC this week that “Islamicism” poses the most pressing threat to Canada’s security, and that the country’s intelligence service is mostly preoccupied with Islamic extremism.
[…..]
“How can Mr. Harper associate Islam with radicalism and fanaticism?” the group asked in a statement.
That’s a real puzzle.
I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but perhaps the 17,000 acts of Islamic terror committed since 9/11 provided the clue that enabled Harper to make the association.
Kandahar mayor killed by suicide bomber with explosives in turban
From here:
Afghan insurgents appeared to continue their assassination campaign against key public figures on Wednesday with the killing of the mayor of Kandahar.
Ghulam Haider Hamidi was targeted by a suicide bomber who got into the municipality compound in Kandahar City with explosives concealed under his turban.
Now where did he get that idea?
Statement from Primate Fred Hiltz on the Coptic Church bombing
From here:
In the aftermath of the bombing of a Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt, as the congregation celebrated Midnight Mass on Jan. 1, I ask your prayers for the 21 people killed, for those injured and for their families in Egypt and abroad.
With leaders of other churches and faith traditions, I deplore this and similar acts of violence and call for religious tolerance and for preservation of the freedom to worship in accord with traditions cherished by the faithful in God.
I make this appeal trusting that at its heart religion is a force for good and for peace in the world.
In this season when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace I ask Canadians to “devote yourselves to prayer,” (Colossians 2:2) in steadfast hope for peace, justice and charity throughout the world.
What is missing is any mention of who did the bombing; that would never do, of course, because, instead of mealy-mouthed generalisations, words like “terrorists”, “Islamists”, “Muslims” and “al Qaeda” would appear on the page in all their boorish starkness.
In fact, by asking Canadian Christians to devote themselves to prayer, he gives the hazy impression that we are somehow complicit in the actions of demented Islamists because we haven’t being praying hard enough.
How about a clear denunciation of Islamic terrorism, Fred? It’s not as if you are too shy to talk about politics.
