Juno News - January 06, 2019


Is the new Islamic Party of Ontario really a threat？


Episode Stats

Length

3 minutes

Words per Minute

176.54573

Word Count

691

Sentence Count

36

Hate Speech Sentences

3


Summary

The Islamic Party of Ontario is a fringe party with a radical Islamic agenda. Andrew Lutton explains why the party is worth an eye roll, not a tremble, and why we should be worried about radical Islamic influence in Canada.


Transcript

00:00:00.280 There's little doubt in my mind that the Islamic Party of Ontario's vision for Canada is a dangerous one.
00:00:06.340 From overthrowing capitalism to banning blasphemy through some means that would have to restrict freedom of expression,
00:00:13.300 to getting rid of alcohol and gambling and all of these other things that in our society we think are legal and should be legal,
00:00:20.100 there is no doubt in my mind that Canadians will reject this.
00:00:25.040 Which is why I haven't gotten as leery of the Islamic Party of Ontario as some of my colleagues have.
00:00:30.980 And don't get me wrong, I'm completely on board with understanding the need to keep Ontario free of influence from Islamists
00:00:38.840 and radicals who do want to overhaul Canadian democracy for, in some cases, a caliphate,
00:00:44.700 in other cases, simply values that we would find offensive.
00:00:48.180 But I don't think the Islamic Party of Ontario is going to be how that happens.
00:00:52.540 Here's why. It's a fringe party.
00:00:53.940 In the Ontario elections, we have dozens of fringe parties.
00:00:57.440 Across the country, we have dozens more.
00:00:59.840 From the Communist Party of Ontario to Go Vegan, there is no shortage of parties that may have a very dangerous view,
00:01:06.920 such as banning eating animals, or in the case of the Communist Party of Ontario,
00:01:11.940 trying to instill communism, which has claimed countless lives around the world.
00:01:16.720 But these parties get maybe 100 votes in an election, in a riding.
00:01:21.620 Why are we not worried about them?
00:01:23.120 Why are we worried about the Islamic Party of Ontario?
00:01:26.100 Well, in the current political climate, people are understandably very uneasy and very sensitive to Islamism.
00:01:32.680 It's an influence we've seen around the world, and it's an influence we've seen in Canada.
00:01:36.720 And if you hear the words of the founder of the Islamic Party of Ontario,
00:01:40.820 which is not yet officially registered,
00:01:43.120 you know he wants, basically, Muslims to be able to run the government.
00:01:48.040 That's why he's launching this party once he gets the approval.
00:01:51.060 But he's not going to have success with this party.
00:01:54.380 It's a fringe party that will remain a fringe party.
00:01:57.820 But what my view is, is that we can't let this distract us from the broader narrative that we see with Islamism.
00:02:05.200 I'm far more concerned about Islamist influences that are taking place in mainstream and electable political parties,
00:02:12.420 rather than a new party that has an unabashedly Islamist point of view.
00:02:16.860 And let's look back to M103, for example.
00:02:19.220 The anti-Islamophobia motion, which was very much pushed for by Islamist organizations.
00:02:24.680 And whether that directly or indirectly led to Ikra Khalid introducing the motion is irrelevant.
00:02:31.640 It was a policy that was right out of an Islamist advocate playbook,
00:02:35.440 and one that has now become government policy in Canada.
00:02:38.740 The same thing happened when Ontario's legislature introduced an anti-Islamophobia motion
00:02:43.780 and passed it nearly unanimously over a year ago.
00:02:47.460 There are lots of these examples where organizations that do have Islamist influences that have ties to Islamist,
00:02:54.320 or in some cases terrorist organizations, exist in Canada and operate in Canada.
00:02:59.340 And this happens under the radar.
00:03:01.140 It happens in the shadows because Canadians aren't aware that this battle is going on.
00:03:06.040 The Islamic Party of Ontario is so brazen about its goals that there's no secret agenda.
00:03:10.560 The agenda, dangerous as it may be, is quite literally on its website.
00:03:15.160 Canadians need to be a lot more concerned about the organizations who are not as transparent.
00:03:20.100 And more importantly, the lawmakers who are giving them a seat at the table
00:03:23.980 because politicians want to pander and get this ethnic community's vote or that religious community's vote.
00:03:29.880 That's where the big battles in Canadian politics are going to be when it comes to radical Islamic influence.
00:03:36.800 And it's mainstream Canadians, mainstream Muslims that stand to lose the most from this
00:03:41.380 when their values get pushed down to the back burner in lieu of someone else with an agenda.
00:03:47.420 That's what we need to fight against.
00:03:49.200 The Islamic Party of Ontario is worth an eye roll, not a tremble.
00:03:52.840 For the True North Initiative, I'm Andrew Lutton.