I used to hear some moderate Muslims say that "our faith is hijacked by extremists."
Later on those moderates hijacked whatever they could do.
This reminds me of a press release by a small so-called moderate Muslim group that boycotted a conference arranged by the Coalition of Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations (CPCMO).
The conference was meant to speak to Canadian community leaders to draw strategy lines in terms of combating ISIL ideology and Jihadi recruitment in Canada.
The conference was chaired by Minister Jason Kenney.
Panelists were from all diverse backgrounds such as Rev. Majed El Shafie, President & Founder One Free World International, Sayed Nabil Abbas from Centre Islamique Libanais Montreal, Lal Khan Malik, National President Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Canada, Kamran Bokhari, Renowned Author and Scholar, Tom Quiggin, Security Expert and author of a landmark report 'Presence of Muslim Brotherhood in Canada, a representative from Yezidi Human Rights Organization International, Sartip Kakaee Chairman Kurdish House, Dr. Zroaster Solomon, Kurdish Centre, Imam Muhammad Robert Heft, Founder and Imam Paradise4E and Martin Sampson, communication director The Centre for Israel Jewish Affairs.
Minister Kenney congratulated President CPCMO, Salma Siddiqui and moderator Ernest Tannis on gathering community leaders of all stakeholders who are sufferer in the hands of ISIL, whether be Shia, Sunni, Ahmadi, Yezidi, Kakaee or Kurdish.
But self-claimed moderate Muslim organization known as The Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow boycotted the conference by issuing a statement.
A part of that statement reads: "The Board of directors of MFT decided not to take part in the above conference since two of the panelists invited are Islamists known for promoting Sharia law in Canada."
The organization didn't identify the names of those panelists but according to the website pointdebasculecanada website, Imam Robert Heft and Sayed Nabil Abbas' names stand out on the roaster of speakers.
The CPCMO that organized the conference never supports Sharia Law either but believes in engaging representatives of those Shia and Sunni camps that are willing to denounce ISIL ideology and Jihadi recruitment in Canada.
The CPCMO didn't behave like a dictatorial body that would show no dialogue and communication willingness in terms of engaging Canadian Muslim communities at large.
The coalition wanted to show the willingness for dialogue with all those hard core traditional Islamic groups over sensitive issues such as the burka, radicalization, one law for all etc.
Only dialogue and communication with each other can save Canada from potential dangers.
Canadian Muslims are already caught up in two extremes. One extreme consists of literal Islamic fundamentalists and the other consists of self-claimed anti-Islamist individuals.
Both extreme groups further their conspiracy theories and are playing their fear cards in order to further their divisive agenda and partisan politics.
Our Canadian Government on the other hand is doing her best to fill the bridges.
That's the reason Minister Kenney chaired CPCMO Conference and Canada's Office of Religious Freedom held a forum in which they invited Shia, Sunni, Ahmaddi and secular Muslims in order to further a dialogue on Islam and religious freedom.
Unfortunately, some individuals on both sides believe in avdictatorial mindset and don't believe in exercising freedom of thought.