Muslims in Canada: Collective Identities, Attitudes of Otherment and Canadian Muslim Perspectives on Radicalism

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Islamophobia Studies Journal

Volume 3, Issue 1

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Muslims in Canada: Collective Identities, Attitudes of Otherment and Canadian Muslim Perspectives on Radicalism

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Author(s): Erin Geneva MacDonald

Publication date (Print): Fall 2015

Journal: Islamophobia Studies Journal

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

This paper is based on a larger Master of Arts thesis that explores the collective identity of Muslims in Canada, and how their experiences as part of a religious minority have shaped their collective identity. It also explores attitudes of otherment, out-group suspicion, and how disenfranchisement among certain individuals may result in a distortion of the Islamic religion. For the purposes of this paper the following will be explored: perceptions of the efforts of the Canadian state to integrate Muslims, the existence of Islamophobia among Canadians in general, and the potential disenfranchisement and vulnerability of Muslim youth to radicalization. The collaborative role that Muslims must take alongside agents of the Canadian state (i.e., Canadian police forces) in order to prevent radicalism is also examined. The research relies primarily on in-depth interviews with five individual Muslims of various ages and backgrounds who were born in Canada as second-generation immigrants and have become Canadian citizens. Their opinions on the role of the Muslim community in preventing radicalism in the Canadian context are explored and contextualized.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Erin Geneva MacDonald

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): islastudj

Title: Islamophobia Studies Journal

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 23258381

ISSN (Electronic): 2325839X

Publication date (Print): Fall 2015

Volume: 3

Issue: 1

Pages: 44-61

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University of Victoria

Article

Publisher ID: islastudj.3.1.0044

DOI: 10.13169/islastudj.3.1.0044

SO-VID: f6a00c77-259d-473e-8b7c-dd489e800b91

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Social & Behavioral Sciences

Endnotes

Gallup, 2011. “Islamophobia: Understanding Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the West,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.gallup.com/poll/157082/islamophobia-understanding-anti-muslim-sentiment-west.aspx
Kymlicka, 2010. pg. 18, “The Current State of Multiculturalism in Canada,” Citizenship and Immigration Canada , Accessed August 2015: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/pub/multi-state.pdf
Global Terrorism Database, 2015. “National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to terrorism,” University of Maryland , Accessed August 2015: http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/
Embassy of the United States, 2015. “Ottawa-Canada,” Accessed August 2015: http://canada.usembassy.gov/canada-us-relations.html
Canadian Journalism Project, 2014, “Around the World: Canadian coverage of Ottawa shooting praised by international media,” Accessed August 2015: http://jpress.journalism.ryerson.ca/jsource/around-the-world-canadian-coverage-praised-by-international-media/
Zine, 2004. “Anti-Islamophobia Education as Transformative Pedadogy: Reflections from the Educational Front Lines,” American Journal of Social Sciences , 21:3. Accessed August, 2015: http://i-epistemology.net/v1/attachments/847_Ajiss21-3%20-%20Zine%20-%20Anti%20Islamophobia%20Education.pdf
Statistics Canada, 2011. “Ethnic Diversity and Immigration,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/2011000/chap/imm/imm-eng.htm
Ibid
Nagra, 2013. “Has Multiculturalism really failed? A Canadian Muslim Perspective,” Religions , 4, 603–620; doi:10.3390/rel4040603
Environics Institute, 2015. “2015 Survey of Muslims in Canada,” Accessed July 2015: http://www.environicsinstitute.org/institute-projects/current-projects/survey-muslims-canada
The Globe and Mail, 2014. “Ottawa Terror Attack named Press News story of 2014”, Accessed July, 2015: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ottawa-terror-attack-named-canadian-press-news-story-of-2014/article22206413/
OHCHR, UN Office of the High Commission of Human Rights, 2015. “Human Rights Committee Discusses the Report on Canada,” Accessed July, 2015: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16215&LangID=E
Government of Canada, 2014. “2014 Report on the Terrorist Threat to Canada: Public Safety Canada,” Accessed July 2015: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2014-pblc-rpr-trrrst-thrt/index-eng.aspx#a03
Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, 2014. “Challenging Misinformation: Canadian Citizenship Law Explained,” Accessed July, 2015: http://www.carl-acaadr.ca/challenging-misinformation
Global Research, 2015. “Canada's “Anti-Terrorism” Bill C-51: A Legal Primer, Expands the Powers of Canada's Spy Agency, Allows Arrest on Mere Suspicion,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.globalresearch.ca/canadas-antiterrorism-bill-c-51-a-legal-primer-expands-the-powers-of-canadas-spy-agency-allows-arrest-on-mere-suspicion/5436727
Lederach, 1995. Preparing for Peace, Conflict Transformation Across Cultures , pg. 9–15, Syracuse University Press NY.
Kriesberg, 2003. “Us” vs “them.” Accessed August, 2015: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/identity-issues
Buber, 1923. I and Thou . Printed by Morrison and Gibb Ltd. Edinburgh and London.
Ibid
Said, 1983. The World the Text and the Critic . Harvard University Press Ltd.
Kriesberg, 2003
Smith, 2012. “Reinventing Canada: Stephen Harper's Conservative Revolution,” World Affairs Journal , Accessed August 2015: http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/reinventing-canada-stephen-harper%E2%80%99s-conservative-revolution
Kymlicka, 2010. pg. 18
Ibid
Maclean's, 2013. “Canadian anti-Muslim sentiment is rising, disturbing new poll reveals Angus Reid survey reveals a land of intolerance,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.macleans.ca/politics/land-of-intolerance/
Ibid (para. 5)
Lederach, 1995
Criminal Code of Canada, Section 319, 1985. Government of Canada . Accessed August 2015: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/page-165.html#h-92
CBC News, 2014. “Why online Islamophobia is difficult to stop; Laws not strong enough to police it, say experts,” Accessed August 2015, para. 31: http://www.cbc.ca/news/why-online-islamophobia-is-difficult-to-stop-1.2810242
Gallup, 2011. “Islamophobia: Understanding Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the West,” Accessed August, 2015: http://www.gallup.com/poll/157082/islamophobia-understanding-anti-muslim-sentiment-west.aspx
Government of Canada, 1971. “Canadian Multiculturalism: An Inclusive Citizenship,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/citizenship.asp
Kymlicka, 2010.
Wohlstetter, 1962, Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision . Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Zine, 2004
The Future of American Democracy Foundation, 2013. “The American Identity,” Accessed August, 2015: http://thefutureofamericandemocracyfoundation.org/Project3.html
Al-Jazeera, 2015. “Islamophobia sells in Canada,” Accessed April, 2015: http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/3/islamophobia-sells-in-canada.html
Hanniman, 2008. “Canadian Muslims, Islamophobia and National Security,” Elsevier , 36,pg 271–285, Accessed April 12, 2015: http://www.academia.edu/5083283/Canadian_Muslims_Islamophobia_and_national_security
Immigration Watch Canada. 2012, “Canada- Immigration Intake,” 1860–2013, Accessed August 2015: http://www.immigrationwatchcanada.org/
Fisk, 2005. The Great war for Civilization, the conquest of the Middle East , Kobo Edition.
New York Times, 1994) “Torture by Army Peacekeepers in Somalia shocks Canada” Accessed August 2015: http://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/27/world/torture-by-army-peacekeepers-in-somalia-shocks-canada.html
DFATD, 2015). “Cultural Information, Somalia,” Accessed August, 2015: http://www.intercultures.ca/cilcai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=so#cn-2
Washington Post, 2013. “The forgotten story of Iran Air flight 655,” Accessed August 2015: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/10/16/the-forgotten-story-of-iran-air-flight-655/
UNICEF, 2014. “No safe place for children in Gaza,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/oPt_74589.html
UNICEF, para. 2
Fisk, 2005.
Fisk, 2006. “The Way Americans like their war,” Seattlepi , (para. 10) Accessed August, 2015: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/opinion/article/The-way-Americans-like-their-war-1205212.php
Iraq Body Count Project, 2011. “Iraqi deaths from violence: 2003–2011,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/numbers/2011/
CBC News, 2014. “Damian Clairmont killed while fighting with Al Qaeda Linked Rebels in Syria,” Accessed August, 2015: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/damian-clairmont-killed-fighting-with-al-qaeda-linked-rebels-in-syria-1.2497513
CBC News, 2014. “Homegrown terrorist: Toronto 18 Plotter Saad Khalid recalls his radicalization,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/1.2532671
CNN, 2010. “Purported al-Awlaki message calls for jihad against U.S.,” Accessed August 2015: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/03/17/al.awlaki.message/
Barclay, 2010. “Challenging the Influence of Anwar Al-Awlaki,” International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence,” Accessed August 2015: http://icsr.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1283965345ICSR_ChallengingtheInfluenceofAnwarAlAwlaki.pdf
Ibid, para. 6
CBC News, 2014
The Toronto Star, 2010. “the Toronto 18,” Accessed August 2015: http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.1.html

Comments

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[1] Gallup, 2011. “Islamophobia: Understanding Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the West,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.gallup.com/poll/157082/islamophobia-understanding-anti-muslim-sentiment-west.aspx

[2] Kymlicka, 2010. pg. 18, “The Current State of Multiculturalism in Canada,” Citizenship and Immigration Canada , Accessed August 2015: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/pub/multi-state.pdf

[3] Global Terrorism Database, 2015. “National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to terrorism,” University of Maryland , Accessed August 2015: http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/

[4] Embassy of the United States, 2015. “Ottawa-Canada,” Accessed August 2015: http://canada.usembassy.gov/canada-us-relations.html

[5] Canadian Journalism Project, 2014, “Around the World: Canadian coverage of Ottawa shooting praised by international media,” Accessed August 2015: http://jpress.journalism.ryerson.ca/jsource/around-the-world-canadian-coverage-praised-by-international-media/

[6] Zine, 2004. “Anti-Islamophobia Education as Transformative Pedadogy: Reflections from the Educational Front Lines,” American Journal of Social Sciences , 21:3. Accessed August, 2015: http://i-epistemology.net/v1/attachments/847_Ajiss21-3%20-%20Zine%20-%20Anti%20Islamophobia%20Education.pdf

[7] Statistics Canada, 2011. “Ethnic Diversity and Immigration,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-402-x/2011000/chap/imm/imm-eng.htm

[8] Ibid

[9] Nagra, 2013. “Has Multiculturalism really failed? A Canadian Muslim Perspective,” Religions , 4, 603–620; doi:10.3390/rel4040603

[10] Environics Institute, 2015. “2015 Survey of Muslims in Canada,” Accessed July 2015: http://www.environicsinstitute.org/institute-projects/current-projects/survey-muslims-canada

[11] The Globe and Mail, 2014. “Ottawa Terror Attack named Press News story of 2014”, Accessed July, 2015: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ottawa-terror-attack-named-canadian-press-news-story-of-2014/article22206413/

[12] OHCHR, UN Office of the High Commission of Human Rights, 2015. “Human Rights Committee Discusses the Report on Canada,” Accessed July, 2015: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16215&LangID=E

[13] Government of Canada, 2014. “2014 Report on the Terrorist Threat to Canada: Public Safety Canada,” Accessed July 2015: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2014-pblc-rpr-trrrst-thrt/index-eng.aspx#a03

[14] Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, 2014. “Challenging Misinformation: Canadian Citizenship Law Explained,” Accessed July, 2015: http://www.carl-acaadr.ca/challenging-misinformation

[15] Global Research, 2015. “Canada's “Anti-Terrorism” Bill C-51: A Legal Primer, Expands the Powers of Canada's Spy Agency, Allows Arrest on Mere Suspicion,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.globalresearch.ca/canadas-antiterrorism-bill-c-51-a-legal-primer-expands-the-powers-of-canadas-spy-agency-allows-arrest-on-mere-suspicion/5436727

[16] Lederach, 1995. Preparing for Peace, Conflict Transformation Across Cultures , pg. 9–15, Syracuse University Press NY.

[17] Kriesberg, 2003. “Us” vs “them.” Accessed August, 2015: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/identity-issues

[18] Buber, 1923. I and Thou . Printed by Morrison and Gibb Ltd. Edinburgh and London.

[19] Ibid

[20] Said, 1983. The World the Text and the Critic . Harvard University Press Ltd.

[21] Kriesberg, 2003

[22] Smith, 2012. “Reinventing Canada: Stephen Harper's Conservative Revolution,” World Affairs Journal , Accessed August 2015: http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/reinventing-canada-stephen-harper%E2%80%99s-conservative-revolution

[23] Kymlicka, 2010. pg. 18

[24] Ibid

[25] Maclean's, 2013. “Canadian anti-Muslim sentiment is rising, disturbing new poll reveals Angus Reid survey reveals a land of intolerance,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.macleans.ca/politics/land-of-intolerance/

[26] Ibid (para. 5)

[27] Lederach, 1995

[28] Criminal Code of Canada, Section 319, 1985. Government of Canada . Accessed August 2015: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/page-165.html#h-92

[29] CBC News, 2014. “Why online Islamophobia is difficult to stop; Laws not strong enough to police it, say experts,” Accessed August 2015, para. 31: http://www.cbc.ca/news/why-online-islamophobia-is-difficult-to-stop-1.2810242

[30] Gallup, 2011. “Islamophobia: Understanding Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the West,” Accessed August, 2015: http://www.gallup.com/poll/157082/islamophobia-understanding-anti-muslim-sentiment-west.aspx

[31] Government of Canada, 1971. “Canadian Multiculturalism: An Inclusive Citizenship,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/citizenship.asp

[32] Kymlicka, 2010.

[33] Wohlstetter, 1962, Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision . Stanford: Stanford University Press.

[34] Zine, 2004

[35] The Future of American Democracy Foundation, 2013. “The American Identity,” Accessed August, 2015: http://thefutureofamericandemocracyfoundation.org/Project3.html

[36] Al-Jazeera, 2015. “Islamophobia sells in Canada,” Accessed April, 2015: http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/3/islamophobia-sells-in-canada.html

[37] Hanniman, 2008. “Canadian Muslims, Islamophobia and National Security,” Elsevier , 36,pg 271–285, Accessed April 12, 2015: http://www.academia.edu/5083283/Canadian_Muslims_Islamophobia_and_national_security

[38] Immigration Watch Canada. 2012, “Canada- Immigration Intake,” 1860–2013, Accessed August 2015: http://www.immigrationwatchcanada.org/

[39] Fisk, 2005. The Great war for Civilization, the conquest of the Middle East , Kobo Edition.

[40] New York Times, 1994) “Torture by Army Peacekeepers in Somalia shocks Canada” Accessed August 2015: http://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/27/world/torture-by-army-peacekeepers-in-somalia-shocks-canada.html

[41] DFATD, 2015). “Cultural Information, Somalia,” Accessed August, 2015: http://www.intercultures.ca/cilcai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=so#cn-2

[42] Washington Post, 2013. “The forgotten story of Iran Air flight 655,” Accessed August 2015: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/10/16/the-forgotten-story-of-iran-air-flight-655/

[43] UNICEF, 2014. “No safe place for children in Gaza,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/oPt_74589.html

[44] UNICEF, para. 2

[45] Fisk, 2005.

[46] Fisk, 2006. “The Way Americans like their war,” Seattlepi , (para. 10) Accessed August, 2015: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/opinion/article/The-way-Americans-like-their-war-1205212.php

[47] Iraq Body Count Project, 2011. “Iraqi deaths from violence: 2003–2011,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/numbers/2011/

[48] CBC News, 2014. “Damian Clairmont killed while fighting with Al Qaeda Linked Rebels in Syria,” Accessed August, 2015: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/damian-clairmont-killed-fighting-with-al-qaeda-linked-rebels-in-syria-1.2497513

[49] CBC News, 2014. “Homegrown terrorist: Toronto 18 Plotter Saad Khalid recalls his radicalization,” Accessed August 2015: http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/1.2532671

[50] CNN, 2010. “Purported al-Awlaki message calls for jihad against U.S.,” Accessed August 2015: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/03/17/al.awlaki.message/

[51] Barclay, 2010. “Challenging the Influence of Anwar Al-Awlaki,” International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence,” Accessed August 2015: http://icsr.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1283965345ICSR_ChallengingtheInfluenceofAnwarAlAwlaki.pdf

[52] Ibid, para. 6

[53] CBC News, 2014

[54] The Toronto Star, 2010. “the Toronto 18,” Accessed August 2015: http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.1.html