If you're anything like me
your social media feeds have been inundated with commentary on the Syrian
refugee crisis. It began in earnest during the federal election. The photograph
of Alan Kurdi, the little boy, drowned on a beach in Turkey became a focal
point for the entire crisis. The opposition parties (NDP and Liberals) competed for a more ambitious
program to bring refugees to Canada. The Conservatives struck a different tone
by emphasizing the security concerns. In many circles then Prime Minister
Harper was criticized for fear-mongering. Since the election there has been a
notable, and disappointing, reaction to the potential arrival of thousands of
refugees.
If you have a presence in
social media you've likely seen posts like this:
Here is a link to a Vice piece about all the false memes circulating on this topic.
The memes break down into
a few categories, but all play into the fear of Muslims and a general disdain
that these refugees are undeserving of help in general or from Western
countries in particular. Perhaps before diving into this it would be valuable
to discuss the origins of this refugee crisis. Five years ago the Arab Spring
began in Tunisia. Sympathetic and similar uprisings took place across North
Africa and spread to the Middle East. Concerns grew that as the unrest spread
that things could become more violent and bloody as they entered the more
totalitarian repressive regimes. In the spring of 2011 the Arab Spring
manifested in Syria as a civil war.
The Bashar al-Assad regime brutally repressed the uprising leaving only the
extreme, militants behind. These groups became what we know as ISIS. In the
intervening four years Syrian civilians have been caught between two murderous
forces. This is a very short and overly simplistic summary, but gives an idea
of what is happening.
In the fighting dozens of
Syrian cities have been simply destroyed. Religious and ethnic minorities have
been forced to flee their homes. The United Nations have estimated that over
four million refugees have been displaced. Nearly half of them are in Turkey.
Syria's neighbours have been overwhelmed and now the crisis has spread to
Europe. What started as a brutal civil war has now spread to an international
crisis. It is indisputable that Canada has a role to play, far more than the
less than 3000 refugees already admitted. We are a rich, peaceful country more than
capable of absorbing many thousands of fleeing refugees from Syria (and Iraq).
The criticism here in
Canada have been incredibly short-sighted. These people are literally at risk
of being slaughtered. They are fleeing Syria in leaky boats in desperation, not
to pull off some scheme. Of course there are posts like these:
It's a common enough
complaint, but it is an entirely nonsensical argument. Do veterans deserve our
support? Do those with mental illness? Absolutely. For those posting these
criticisms I have to wonder how much they donate to the Royal Canadian Legion,
or CAMH, or other institutions that support the groups the purport to stand up
for. It's a smokescreen. It is harsh but it has more to do with resentment
towards refugees and fear of Muslims rather than any meaningful policy
objection. We should do both, but it would require accepting the costs of affordable housing, which the public frequently objects to. This article from the Independent suggests that refugees are having
a positive economic impact on their hosts.
We have a duty to aid
people in this conflict, especially since these are no clear good and bad guys
we can lend military support to. In the war between ISIS and Bashar al-Assad neither
as victor is good for humanity. That
being the case we should help those we can to give a good life to the survivors
and let them join the Canadian community, if they so choose.
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