Bigotry, violence sadly still flourished in 2017

The year 2017 has been tumultuous. In many ways, it was more of the same. Recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to help Indigenous People are still only concepts on paper; poverty and homelessness remain a blight; Israelis and Palestinians have still not found a way to make peace; and war continues to ravage many parts of the world.

But 2017 was also a year like no other in modern times.

Nature exposed us to its literal fire and fury in ways we have never before experienced. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and José unleashed storms that were historic in proportion, and from which many are still trying to recover.

In California, wildfires have threatened major population bases. Earthquakes have taken the lives of more than 1,500 people from Mexico to Iran, from Italy to China.

And in 2017, mass shootings continued in the United States. Two of the most deadly have happened in recent months.

Canada, even with much more restrictive gun laws, has not been immune to gun violence and mass murder. On Jan. 29, a gunman walked into a mosque just outside of Quebec City and shot six Canadian Muslims at prayer while injuring 19 others. Alexandre Bissonnette faces charges of first-degree murder and of attempted murder using a restricted firearm. There are strong suggestions he was motivated by white supremacist ideology he found online.

This past year has told us many things about the way Canadians think and act towards our fellow citizens.

We cannot control forces of nature. We may not even be able to make much of a dent on those occupying the extremes of our society, who carry hatred and bigotry in their hearts, but surely we are able to look at ourselves and determine if we can be more open and accepting of each other.

Canadians like to believe that in comparison to our southern neighbours we are less judgmental of those who are different from us or come from other lands. Sadly, the truth is somewhat different. A simple parliamentary motion put forward in 2017 to deplore hatred of Muslims was met with rejection and distrust over a simple word — “Islamophobia” — which in the end simply means “Muslim hatred.” It is ironic that the motion itself showed its dire need.

In the Peel region, some citizens confronted school board officials over a reasonable decision to allow young Muslim students a prayer room in school. One even ripped up the holy Qur’an at a meeting, while another stomped all over its pages.

And is it even possible to believe that members of the hard-right Jewish Defence League made common cause with an accused neo-Nazi organization known as the Soldiers of Odin over their mutual hatred of Canadian Muslims? This, at a time when white supremacist activity is on the rise.

This year has shown a world more reflective of Alice in Wonderland: topsy-turvy, with a president of the United States who is a racist, a narcissist and a misogynist, and who continues his war-mongering efforts to destabilize the world.

As this year draws to a close, it is time for those who have been silent to find their voice. I continue to have great faith in humankind and its ability to stand up against evil.

But without us all taking responsibility to change the world, I fear that the rabbit hole may have no end.

— Bernie Farber is a social justice advocate, columnist and former CEO of the Mosaic Institute and Canadian Jewish Congress.