From my 15th floor patio, I can see the sun shinning on downtown Toronto. As I sip a drink of my beer, I purposely pause for a moment to reflect on what is taking place in my city.

To my right, I see the fences starting to be set up, the portable washrooms lining the side streets, and the crowds slowly starting to pour in. In a matter of hours, Canada’s largest city will play host to the most colourful street festival in the land. For those who have had the privilege of witnessing Pride in Toronto, you’ll know that despite its challenges and flaws, it is a festival that attempts to celebrate acceptance and the spectrum of love.

Behind me, the downtown condos are full of Canadian and Pride flags hanging from their balconies.  Considering it is Canada day, the mixture of both flags waving in the air is quite appropriate.

Ahead of me is Toronto’s booming skyline.

A few city blocks south of me, at the Metro Convention Centre, a large delegation of Canadian-Muslims are congregating for the 4th annual Islamic Conference.

One of the speakers at this conference is Bilal Philips, a charismatic Jamaican-Canadian religious scholar who converted to Islam in 1972.  Mr. Phillips is a bigot who has publicly defended the killing of homosexuals in Muslim-majority countries.

The organizers of the conference are openly defending Mr. Phillips’ presence by suggesting that freedom of speech, no matter how hateful it may be, is a valued human right that needs to be upheld and that controversial speakers should be welcomed in order to ignite conversation and debate.

Last week, in Amsterdam, a court in Europe agreed.

Dutch MP, Geert Wilders, has publicly declared Islam an evil religion comparable to the repulsive Nazi regime that executed millions of Jews, homosexuals and others deemed to be on the margins of society.

Mr. Wilders has also made it clear that he believes that the Netherlands should institute a Muslim “head-rag tax” and even worse, he has supported the idea of European countries driving Muslims out of Europe.

In my opinion, both of these men are intellectually bankrupt and together are two of the most deplorable human beings I have ever heard speak. What Mr. Wilders is effectively promoting is a second holocaust. And what Mr. Phillips suggests is “justified under Islam” is a drastic misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Islam's religious texts.

The core question in both these stories is inevitably the question that asks: is there a limit to how far freedom of speech should go?

As a human secularist, who happens to be gay, I find myself quite uncomfortable and disturbed by the violent and hateful ideas someone like Mr. Phillips is being allowed to promote in my city and my country.

As an avid defender of human rights, including the right for religious freedoms, I adamantly disagree with what Mr. Wilders is advocating across Western democratic countries.

Yet, as a Liberal, I am uncomfortable with the idea of shutting down debate, legalized censorship, and silencing dissent -- no matter how much I disagree with what is being said.

What the past several days have reminded me, and it is my wish to propagate to those reading this, is that no one religion, no one culture, and no one political system holds a monopoly on the manufacturing of hate.

To quote one of my favourite political philosophers, John Stuart Mills, “there ought to exist the fullest liberty of professing and discussing, as a matter of ethical conviction, any doctrine, however immoral it may be considered.”

This, however, requires a unified sense of urgency and responsibility -- where progressive, pragmatic, and peaceful voices must continue to challenge ideas and people who attempt to divide and vilify those who are often voiceless and powerless.

So, this weekend, in Toronto, two different versions of Canada will be on display.

The first, brings together various voices, most of whom are attempting to build communities anchored on the compelling ideas of love and acceptance. The other, will involve the assembly of individuals from a marginalized and often misunderstood religion, who will be subject to messages of disunity and conflict.

Both communities are being afforded the opportunity to speak, and rightfully so. It is now up to each and everyone of us to decide which vision of Canada we will defend.

Happy 144th birthday to the best country in the world!

--

Picture source

• < Prev
• Next >