Jamaat al-Muslimeen International Press Release

Seeking Support in Toronto, Ontario
Representatives Visit Scarborough Mosque
An Essay on Immigrants

Jamaat al-Muslimeen representatives were in Toronto for a few days (at their own expense). With the help of Br. Iqbal, New Trend's Toronto editor, they were able to cover considerable ground in three days.

THE PURPOSE was to seek support for Jamaat al-Muslimeen and to begin organizing a support group in Toronto.

After Juma', at the big mosque near the Markham Road exit, New Trend magazine, including information on Shaikh Omar 'Abdel Rahman and Imam Jamil al-Amin was given to 300 people. A brother from Jamaica was very interested in Imam Jamil's case and will spread the message in his West Indian homeland.

TALK ON ISLAMIC STRUGGLE IN AMERICA: After Isha prayers, a talk was given at a neighborhood mosque in Scarborough. The following were its main points:

1. Muslims are obligated by Islam to be part of a Jamaat or organized movement. This principle is symbolized in the coming together for prayers on Juma, during Haj and five times a day when possible. (The wolf eats the lone sheep.) IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR OWN POWER BASE, the established materialistic system will easily absorb you.
2. Families must go together to the masjid. If women are left out of the Islamic work, our families will go the way of the overall family system in America.
3. Be aware of the satanic system percolating into every home through TV and the media. Counteract by getting the entire family involved in community activism.
4. Study a little Qur'an and Hadith on an ongoing basis. Read at least 5 verses from the Qur'an and one Hadith every day with translation.
5. KNOW MUSLIMS OF OTHER NATIONALITIES. Get out of the national ghetto.
6. Spend your money wisely. Stop consumerism among your children. If you buy Arm and Hammer products, Haagen Daz ice cream, Giant Foods, you might be helping to kill Muslims in the Middle East.

(New Trend was distributed to the audience.)

AN IMAM FROM IRAQ (a Ph.D) showed great interest in the presentation. He had learned about Canadian realities when his job application was verbally accepted and then turned down when the employers found he was from "an enemy nation."

A BROTHER FROM SOMALIA, well established in Toronto, was very interested because he has suffered from the national ghettoization carried out by Indo-Pakistani and Arab Muslims in the area mosques.
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SUBTLE UNDERMINING OF CANADA'S MORAL STRUCTURE:
Jamaat representatives explored some of Canada's European culture. Out in the countryside, where the streets are not lighted at night and driving is difficult, there is a big casino packed with gambling machines and card tables. The parking lot is full. The casino is full of smoke. The significant aspect of the casino was that MOST OF THE MEN GAMBLING THERE WERE GRUMPY OLD MIDDLE AGED WELL TO DO MEN AND FRUMPY OLD WOMEN who had driven up in shining, recent-model cars. Their faces were serious as they played.

The government has played an interesting trick to justify the gambling: 20% of the take goes to 'charity.' The casino also supports many benevolent projects. {One can understand why Islam prohibits use of Haram (forbidden things) to give charity.}

A final touch of hypocrisy: The place full of smoke, liquor and gambling is named after the beautiful blue heron!

CARRIBEAN FESTIVAL: LOUD AND JUMPY but mentally enslaved. The biggest crowd in Toronto was not at the Casino but at the Carribean Festival in downtown Toronto. Unfortunately none of the serious or gracious aspects of West Indian life were displayed. It was like a slave festival, with men, women and children (whole families) performing dances in front of the crowd which mainly involved display of nakedness. What will happen to the little children who see their mommies and daddies jumpimg around showing the details of their body parts?

DRINK WINE AND DRIVE CAREFULLY: By the highway there are numerous sign boards of wineries and wine production. ON THE HIGHWAYS there are signs urging drivers to be sober with cancellation marks on illustrations of wine goblets. This is the contradiction which is eating away at Canada's heart and soul.
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INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ON IMMIGRANT CULTURE
(May be true in part for USA)

The number of immigrants in Toronto from Muslim countries is estimated at 250,000. Some say it is 500,000. Canada is very comfortable for them. The homes are heated in winter, air conditioned in summer. All the products of the east are available here. Religious freedom is largely guaranteed. Education is excellent. Medical coverage is free {except for dental (hence the bad teeth in maple leaf land)}. Thus most immigrants do not know what they lose when they settle down in Canada.

It's a multicultural society: as a result the first generation has no sense of loss. In fact many cultures are encouraged. Sikhs wander around in Turbans: Tablighis do their rounds in shalwar kameez. There is little overt bigotry.

1. Within a few years, the immigrants lose their language (almost universally in the second and third generations). With the language goes the cultural heritage. ( Dad:"laila bhi hamnashin ho to mahmil na kar qabul."
Son: "Dad! Why do you say things in that weird Urdu language.")
Thus multiculturalism is a ploy for the assimilation of the immigrants.
2. Religion becomes a farce because all one does is pray and fast. The mosques are so pretty that that you don't want to jeopardize their existence by supporting Islamic movements ("terrorists" in Canadian language).
3. Immigrants seldom (if ever) oppose the Canadian (or U.S.) government. Hence they have the illusion of "political freedom". They never realize that if they had not opposed the Egyptian, Saudi, Iraqi or Algerian governments, they would have had "freedom" in their home countries.
4. Canada is in fact an extension of U.S. power in most of its foreign policy projects. Most immigrants do not have this larger view. Hence they are surprised if one opposes becoming part of the system.
4a. If the system is corrupt, you cannot change it by becoming part of it.
4b. If the system's premise is anti-Islamic (for instance Israel's legitimacy), one cannot change it by becoming part of it.
4c. No one has ever been able to overthrow the system by becoming a part of it. It has to be overthrown, transformed, before healthy change from within becomes possible. (Revolution does not mean standing around with placards or shouting slogans all the time. There are many ways of bringing about change: mass movement is an important one if we can get across our message to the people. Hence the importance of da'wah. Placards and slogans can be used to awaken our own people.)
5. The immigrants either become ghettoized (stay only with their own people) or become assimilated and pretend that they are not from the east or from Islam. Assimilation of immigrants' children is ongoing in massive proportions. The only way it could be stopped would be through political awareness and participation in Islamic movements. Unfortunately immigrants think political action means "join the political parties" and/or vote, which simply leads to assimilation.

CONCLUSION: The program of Islam is badly needed in Canada (as in the USA). The comfort level Canada has produced for immigrants has made such work difficult. Islam, however, is a spiritual movement and Canada's spirit is in bad shape. Islam thus will be the wave of the future in Canada. Islam which brings spiritual revolution into the home of the Pharoah cannot be stopped by putting lebels of "terrorist" on its teachers.

2000-08-08 Tue 19:26ct