West Shows Its Contradictions
Coalition intervention suggests that people in glass houses shouldn’t drop bombs.
A coalition of nations, including Canada, has decided the injustices currently taking place in Libya are simply unacceptable. The rationale for an intervention is a worthy one. But good intention alone, no matter how honourable it may be, is never sufficient.
All of us Canadians who deem ourselves to be fair, progressive and compassionate citizens should keep this in mind as our fighter jets drop their first bombs on Libyan soil.
The relationship between countries of the West and those in the Middle East and North Africa is a complex and long-standing one, full of blunders, misunderstandings and contradictions. These contradictions, unfortunately, still exist today.
As our leaders attempt to sell this mission to us by referencing principles that have become synonymous with so many of our previous international interventions, I believe some perspective is in order.
If defending democracy, human rights and freedoms is indeed part of our fabric as global citizens, perhaps it would be beneficial to begin correcting our own inaccuracies and better examine the actions and decisions being made within our own borders.
As recently as September of last year, the United States signed a record $60-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia – a country that is barefaced in its horrid treatment of women and minorities. In addition, until the uprising in Egypt began to unfold in front of a worldwide audience, there was relatively no opposition to the annual American aid offered to Mubarak’s regime.
For decades, the U.S. and its allies have chosen to blindly support “stability” instead of democracy in the Middle East and North Africa. Now, it is as if we have finally developed a conscience.
As we attempt to make sense of the rolling revolts in the Arab and Muslim lands, there are laws being passed in legislatures across the Western world that are entirely contrary to the ideals of pluralism and democracy.
Mere months ago, France and Belgium passed laws that ban Muslim women from wearing religious garments in public spaces. Switzerland, through a national referendum, voted to ban the building of minarets in their country. A political party in the Netherlands that has called for the eradication of European Muslims now sits as a coalition partner in the Dutch parliament. Some right-wing American politicians are publicly supporting the bans on building mosques in the U.S. (an act that irrefutably contradicts every American’s First Amendment rights).
In Canada, Bill 94 is being debated in Quebec’s parliament, a bill that would effectively deny government services (such as child care, health care and education) to veiled Muslim women. And, recently, a Conservative MP introduced a bill in Parliament that attempts to strip the right to vote for any women wearing a burka – despite the reality that accommodations already exist to ensure these women are identified in private.
The revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and across the region have shown us that religion and democracy do not have to be at odds with one another. More importantly, they have highlighted the reality that citizens from different “civilizations” do in fact share similar desires and values.
While I salute the men and women who are now charged with the responsibility of defending the dreams of the Libyan people, I urge politicians and citizens here at home, and across the West, to continue to confront the injustices and inequities within our own borders.
If these revolutions, and our involvement in them, are ever to become a success, our collective actions must begin to reflect our intentions.
Originally published and printed in The Hamilton Spectator: West shows its contradictions