Posted on 06/07/2006 4:35:05 PM PDT by Paul Ross
The irony was delicious. The lead paragraph of the Toronto Star story on this weeks terror arrests in Canada was: In investigators offices, an intricate graph plotting the links between the 17 men and teens charged with being members of a homegrown terrorist cell covers at least one wall. And still, says a source, it is difficult to find a common denominator. But illustrating the story was a photo of two women in full Islamic dress, their faces entirely covered except for a slit for their eyes. Difficult to find a common denominator? The investigators could have found it in the photo accompanying the story about them in the Toronto Star: all the arrested men were Muslims, and as more came out about their plans it was clear that they had been planning jihad attacks. All of which sheds light on why suspects demanded to be given copies of the Koran immediately upon their arrest.
But the mainstream media can find no "common denominator."
The Star in particular seems to be intent on not diagonizing the cancer which is posing such a deadly threat to the Canadian patient. The initial New York Times story on the arrests identified the suspects as Canadian residents and as mainly of South Asian descent. It rather weirdly assures readers immediately thereafter that none of them had any known affiliation with Al Qaeda an affiliation it had given no one any reason to suspect in the first place. The only mention of Islam in the story came in the name of one of those arrested, Ehsanul Islam Sadequee and there was no mention at all of the jihad ideology that motivated those arrested.
The Times story also revealed that this denial was not solely the province of the media. It quoted Mike McDonell, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police assistant commissioner, trafficking in flagrant misrepresentations and irrelevancies: They represent the broad strata of our society. Some are students, some are employed, some are unemployed. The broad strata of Saudi Arabian society, maybe, but not the broad strata of Canadian society. Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair joined in the denial, noting proudly that during the press conference following the arrests, I would remind you that there was not one single reference made by law enforcement to Muslim or Muslim community.
But why not? The Canadian Muslim community is clearly involved in this, and they know it: they have been backtracking furiously from those arrested, but in ways that only raise more questions. The Toronto Star speaks with some of the members of a school Muslim association to which some of those arrested belonged. Once those who are now terror suspects discussed at an association gathering whether suicide bombing was permissible in Islam. Their views were so violent that the other association members threatened to have them banned. But evidently they didnt follow through on the threat (why not?) or report them to authorities (again, why not?).
Likewise the Star reports that another suspect, Qayyum Abdul Jamal, actively spread the jihad ideology at the Ar-Rahman Islamic Center for Islamic Education in southern Ontario. Indeed, his outspoken Wahhabist views had alarmed some of the directors of the Islamic center. But, says the paper, because Jamal unlocked the mosque for daily prayers and mosque officials valued his services as a caretaker, they did nothing to stop his preaching. Apparently forgetting that Jamal had been allowed to preach freely, Center Imam Qamrul Khanson said of those arrested: I will say that they were steadfast, religious people. Theres no doubt about it. But here we always preach peace and moderation.
The Star doesnt seem to find anything odd in this, and Canadian officials are congratulating themselves for insisting, as did Police Chief Blair, that the jihadist suspects were motivated by an ideology based on politics, hatred and terrorism, and not on faith.
How does he know that? The suspects met in a mosque. They discussed their plot in the context of religion. Their fellow students and mosquegoers knew they were preaching and studying violent jihad, and did nothing to stop them. Instead of going out of his way to claim that Islam had nothing to do with this, and devoting all their attention to trying to prevent backlash attacks, Blair and other Canadian officials should be asking the Canadian Muslim community some tough questions, including:
How much longer can officials in Canada and elsewhere in the West wait to ask these questions, and to follow through on the implications of the answers? If the jihadists just arrested in Canada had carried out their plans, they would have beheaded the Prime Minister of Canada and other members of Parliament, and destroyed the Toronto Stock Exchange and other Canadian landmarks.
Will it take a successful jihad attack of this kind for Western officials to wake up and do what they must do in order to guarantee the security of the societies they have been entrusted with protecting?
I would hate anyone to get off on the grounds that the media or police etc prejudiced a fair trial. The news that came out of Canada left no doubt as to who was involved. When terrorism arrests have been made here, politicians and police are invariably very careful not to say anything that will prejudice a trial. This is particularly so in the case of John Howard, who is not only a conservative but also a lawyer.
I wonder if some white supremists belonging to the Identity Movement were arrested in similar fashion, would the PC press say "its hard to find a common denominator?" No. They'd be quick to broad brush "Fundamentalist Christianity." Another indication of obvious pc bias. I'll bet they donn't even see it?
No joke. It's sickening.
"You can write to Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Presumably somebody censors the messages, but it is worth a try. Here is what I wrote in my 500 word allotment: "Normally, I am proud of what the Canadian military has done. It has been pretty safe for a Canadian soldier to just follow orders, and know he is making the world a better place. However, the war in Afghanistan is an exception. The war has two purposes: the Unocal pipeline and cranking Afghanistan up to the #1 heroin producer in the world, capturing 87% of the world market. What you are fighting for is cheap heroin and profits for some extremely corrupt people."
The following survey was conducted at the G&M which attracts a left-wing readership. It is consistent with the vast majority of Canadians being as concerned about, or perhaps more concerned about, Muslim extremists than even Australians, Americans or Brits. There is no room for bashing Canadians.
Are moderate Canadian Muslim leaders doing enough to combat radicalism?
Yes
(11%) 1562 votes
No
(89%) 12932 votes
This is the type of reporting that is going to make this a long war. It's time to expose Islam for what it is. A violent religion and let them go through a reformation. The sooner the better.
Or from one of the Kennedys.
The level of denial and self deception is staggering. The cult of liberalism/anti-Americanism is suicidal. They are all drinking from the same kool-aide pitcher.
True..But, I would feel more comforted if the officials would express themselves thus, "NO COMMENT"...
Failed to find any such names on the Toronto Star listing of staff. So, I wrote to the TS "letters to the editor" with the following commment, "Have you yet to find a common denominator"? I've set a program to ask this question daily...............for a long time.
I live in California where we have maybe 10% more Democrats than Republicans so I know of such frustrations with socialists.
I can't imagine the frustration of a conservative in Canada who has to put up with a society that in general is somewhat worse than northern California but on a national scale.
I also do have several Canadian friends, about half are conservatives and half are liberal. Both sides would by far call Canada a heavy liberal country at this point with trends starting to go the other way a bit.
When I say Canadians at this point offer their necks to the terrorists, my meaning is that they have such entrenched views and liberal laws, that at this time they are like lambs being led to the slaughter.
It's like they have problems throughout the country that mirror our government's lack of will to secure the borders.
I fully hope Canadians as a country can grasp enough Conservatism back in power to retake control of their own safety from within. Right now, I don't think you have it and I fear many of the approaches to immigrants have been naive and dangerous for you all as well.
I also hope conservatism gets more on board in this country as well. We have suffered for some time not having the type of Conservatives that brought us the Contract With America.
As far as my harsh statements and views, yes they are.
I see the people suffering under a system and government that would IMO mirror the city of San Francisco, but on a national scale.
That isn't IMO a healthy condition for the people of Canada and it doesn't help the United States either.
I think as a people Canadians have been far less on guard than they should have been. Thus the title Jihad Denial in Toronto. (Ignorance has been bliss to liberals there).
I do feel and side with the good conservatives of Canada I assure you though and wish them great success in turning things around.
I expect a lot more to come out after the trials. There is also the fact that further arrests are likely. In fact I will be suurpised if there are not a lot more arrests. As I see it the Harper Government has 12 years of incompetent Liberal rule to undo.
I suspect they are Amish...
/bitter sarc OFF...
We already have, which is more than what could be said for California.
It would help if you kept your communist cousin at home, and deal with him/her yourself.
We sure as H3ll don't want it.
In fact that reflects on our problems with liberals to begin with. The countless draft dodgers and low lifes who moved here from the States in the 70's weasled their way into our media and eduction system.
Keep 'em yourselves!
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