Is Canada falling into Trump’s trap?

Sunday’s attack on a mosque in Quebec is a blot on Canada’s diversity and liberal values. The country has for long been a safe haven for immigrants. That haven is now on shaky ground, more so with Donald Trump next door in the United States. Montreal’s open-door door policy has been a relief for people from all over the world suffering persecution and conflict. In Canada, they could find dignity and sense of belonging — at least that was the overhwelming feeling. Until this attack. The multi-ethnic country prides itself in its migrants, who now call it home. It has gained immensely from the hard work and services of ‘outsiders’ who have found freedom from despair. Unlike other countries in the West that have dithered at the thought of absorbing thousands of refugees whose homes and livelihoods have been ravaged by war, Canada didn’t think twice before opening its heart and homes to people. Photographs of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcoming a young Syrian girl at the airport in 2015 endeared him to millions across the world. But attacks like these bring up one question. Is there trouble simmering beneath the surface and is the country being affected by rising xenophobia that we are witnessing all around us? Trump’s influence cannot be ruled out, and it won’t be far from the truth that Canadian diversity is under strain.

Religious tensions have been rising in Canada for some time now, especially in Quebec. In 2013, Premier Pauline Marois had proposed the Quebec Charter of Values prohibiting public sector employees from wearing or displaying religious symbols. Covering the face with a veil was banned, so were turbans and caps. The proposed bill eventually died with the rise of the liberal party in 2014. But it left many wondering how the country and the city that have proudly held up secularism strike a balance between protecting the rights of ‘minorities’ while shunning hate? The country’s constitution allows freedom of conscience and religion. But how does it deal with more migrants when the neighbouring superpower implements policies that force foreigners out? Discriminatory policies cannot be implemented in the name of security. What about human values that we all hold dear? We need more tolerance and solidarity to keep the peace. Countries like the US and Canada flourished post World War II by opting for open societies. That tolerance is under strain and this attack shows Canada is not immune to events next door as Trump closes the door on migrants. Canada is closer to hatred than it ever was.