Toronto’s tragedy reveals the truer story of us
There were two initial versions of what happened in Toronto this week. Each of them represents a different lens in which we see ourselves as Canadians. One of them is truer than the other.
The first version is one in which our diversity is our weakness and the biggest threat to our future.
This version was advanced by a variety of storytellers: There was Rebel correspondent Katie Hopkins walking through Toronto streets, wondering if she would be able to find “someone that looks like they actually come from Canada” because “everybody here looks like they come from Africa.” There was the viral tweet from CBC reporter Natasha Fatah, recklessly quoting a witness claiming the perpetrator was an angry, wide-eyed, Middle Eastern man.
There was the National Post’s Barbara Kay musing that she “selfishly” wished the motive behind the attack was “jihadism” so she could neatly make sense of it all.
The second version represents a far different story and one many of us believe is the truer version: that our diversity is our strength and a source of pride, exemplifying our country as a global family at home with one another (with disagreements and legitimate grievances, no doubt).
Toronto residents demonstrated this version through acts of kindness, through the hashtag #TorontotheGood, through the countless fundraising efforts by various individuals and commu- nities, including faith-based groups. It was a story told through the determination of our elected officials in showcasing our unity and commitment to inclusive communities.
This tragic attack brings into sharp focus exactly what is at stake when we allow those who deliberately or unintentionally sow divisions to dominate the narrative to advance their view of who we are.
While we don’t know enough about Alek Minassian, we do know that he seemed to have been drawn to one more variation of a toxic, us vs. them, misogynistic, violent and hateful online world.
It is a world that many of us cannot even fathom, nor ever want to enter. However, we must be more vigilant than ever against the attitudes that fuel it.
The reality is that fear, division, and hatred are on the rise in this country. Just this week, Statistics Canada released its detailed analysis of hate crimes for 2016.
Although the agency says two-thirds of hate crimes go unreported in this country, there was nevertheless a documented increase across various categories, including religion, race or ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Of all hate crimes, 48 per cent were motivated by ethnicity or race, with 33 per cent targeting religious communities. (It remains to be seen whether or not the Toronto attack will be considered as either a terrorist act, or even a bias-motivated crime, if indeed women were specifically targeted.)
Many of us want to live in communities in which we all respect and value one another. These principles deserve more than lip service alone. Especially as these principles are often tested during times of crisis.
The most vulnerable populations are those who can be most easily vilified. Canadian Muslim communities know far too well what it means to have to answer for the terrorist actions of a few. We know how unfair it feels to constantly have to face the weariness, the suspicion, or outright hostility after an attack is committed in the name of our faith. We have experienced the suspension of our civil liberties in the name of security.
We know what it is like to be part of a story in which we are cast as villains, helplessly watching politicians, pundits, and other officials cast aspersions about our communities.
That is why many of us are now pushing back against the version of the story that paints our communities as divided, fearful and at odds. Whenever we see this narrative advanced by certain media outlets or media personalities, or by politicians adopting dog whistle politics, we will call it out, both demanding and expecting accountability.
As we mourn the loss of those who were senselessly taken from us, let us challenge those whose version of the story hurts us all. Let us instead tell the truer story of us.