A heartfelt thanks to organizers of Medicine Hat’s STAND rally

I have a confession to make. I am an immigrant. As a child of five years I was a refugee from a wartorn country run by a corrupt and vicious government. There was no pretence towards civil rights or justice in this regime. It believed only in strict adherence to the agenda of the ruling party. My father, an independent, principled man, stood up in town meetings and pointed out examples of ineptitude and injustice. He was therefore in danger. He would have to find a way to leave this country. If discovered, he and my mother would be imprisoned for treason and we three children would become orphans, wards of the state.

Before you become too sympathetic I want to point out a few troubling facts. Some people of my country had done some terrible things. Many were guilty of war crimes, of genocide, of the death of millions of innocent people and the destruction of entire cities. They were guilty of monstrous acts of terrorism. Their aim? To have their country dominate the continent and establish an Empire that would last a thousand years. They believed that their natural “racial” superiority gave them the right to rule.

Fortunately, this bizarre regime and its evil intentions was destroyed after six years of world-encompassing war. The victors immediately undertook three tasks: Finding and prosecuting those responsible; rebuilding the thoroughly destroyed nation; and resettling millions of homeless and jobless refugees.

But questions arose. Did the conquerors find all the individuals responsible? Can these millions of survivors, homeless and starving, be accommodated? Can we be sure that fanaticism wasn’t latent among these refugees? Could some of them bring their poisonous ideas into our nation?

Nevertheless, the world opened its arms to millions of these refugees. My family was just one example. Canada accepted us. The little town of Medicine Hat became our new home. A sponsoring church supported my family. My father found a job at the flour mill, my mother a job cleaning hotel rooms, and we all set about learning a new language and a new culture. Our debt to the government was paid well before the required two years. Within five years my parents owned a small business, a grocery store that catered to the neighbourhood and to the hundreds of immigrants in our town who longed for their familiar foods. Soon a thriving import business and bakery were added to the grocery store and the business eventually allowed my parents to retire in relative comfort years later.

This story, my story, is just another example of the typical immigrant success story, one that rings true for the vast majority of immigrants who find themselves in Canada at the end of their harrowing journeys. Successive waves of people seeking refuge in Canada all have similar success stories.

But it isn’t all roses. The difficulties of learning the language and adjusting to the new culture are hard enough for most immigrants but there are deeper issues to overcome. Misconceptions, misinformation, and fear of the “outsider” create walls of prejudice, even hatred. In my case, I recall the ostracism, the name calling (What’s a D.P.?) and the almost daily beatings. I was a mere Grade 1 student but I was blamed for all the evils done by “my kind of people.” I spent the first few years of my Canadian experience friendless, alienated, and ashamed, unable to join in schoolyard games and activities, unable to be a Canadian.

This all came back to me when I attended the STAND rally on Feb. 12. Several hundred Medicine Hatters came to the park to stand in solidarity with the Muslim community in our town. A joyful, welcoming, “love-in” atmosphere filled the park. Smiles and hugs abounded. Speaker after speaker spoke passionately and knowledgeably about the need for inclusiveness, understanding, and support for immigrants, and the dangers of the kind of divisiveness being encouraged south of the border. Interestingly, the spirit of inclusivity was beautifully punctuated when another group, marching to raise awareness of the tragedy of missing Aboriginal women, was asked to share in the rally. So timely. So very fitting. So very Canadian.

The organizers, Shelley Ewing and Gail Thompson and all those who helped, deserve a giant, heartfelt thank you for their work and their courage in making the rally a reality. Hate and Fear disappear in an Embrace.

Peter Mueller is a long-time resident of Medicine Hat who, in spite of all the evidence, continues to believe we can build a better world.