Brothers and Sisters in Faith
Posted on: March 16, 2015
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When I listened to the latest podcast of Day 6, a CBC radio program, and heard about the use of local codes and zoning by-laws to prevent the opening or force the closure of mosques in several Quebec municipalities, I shook my head. And then I hit Google to learn more.
According to a February 18th Canadian Press article by Martin Ouellet, “All mosques should face ‘Quebec values’ investigation before being allowed to open: CAQ leader,” Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault said that a provincial agency should be created that would be able to determine whether “applicants [for mosques] have consistently denigrated Quebec values.”
And a February 26th article by Stephen Maher, “Quebec mosque closes to avoid $912 daily fine from municipality,” noted a Cogeco Nouvelles poll found 65% of Quebecers would not like to have a mosque in their neighbourhood.
The Day 6 interview noted the difficulty that Muslims in some Quebec municipalities have faced in finding worship spaces follows the Charlie Hebdo attack in January. The atrocities committed by ISIS—and its recruitment of or appeal to foreign nationals, including some Canadians—likely come into play as well. But how can we tar all Muslims with an Islamist brush?
There is a church in the U.S. (which I won’t name here) that many consider to be a hate group, but its members consider themselves Christians—as do many members of white supremacist organizations. What if churches were denied permits based on the fear that their parishioners would act like these groups? We wouldn’t want all Christians to be looked upon with fear and distrust because of the actions of a relatively few people. But, increasingly, Muslims face these reactions—and although we’d like to consider this country especially tolerant, it happens in Canada, too.
Quoting Lumen gentium, s. 841 of the Catechism reminds us of our relationship with our Muslim brothers and sisters:
The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.
The acts of some extremists should not be held up as an excuse to discriminate against Muslims in denying them places to worship and have fellowship. I pray that cooler heads and common sense would prevail and that the fundamental freedoms of religion, peaceful assembly, and association guaranteed everyone by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms would be respected.
A Catholic Convert in Ottawa 