TORONTO — The first large group of Syrian refugees coming to Canada by government aircraft arrived in Toronto late Thursday night, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on hand to welcome them at a temporary processing centre at Pearson International Airport. Trudeau was joined by the ministers of immigration, health and defence, as well as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, local mayors and opposition immigration critics…. “They step off the plane as refugees, but they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada with social insurance numbers, with health cards and with an opportunity to become full Canadians,” Trudeau said…. “This is something that we are able to do in this country because we define a Canadian not by a skin colour or a language or a religion or a background, but by a shared set of values, aspirations, hopes and dreams that not just Canadians but people around the world share.”
While America is scared of anything and anyone different (i.e.- Muslim), our neighbors to the north are showing the world what true courage and compassion looks like. Instead of presuming Syrian refugees to be guilty of terrorism by association and tarring all with the same brush, new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is leading Canadians in welcoming those fleeing the strife, oppression, and bloodshed of their homeland.
By contrast, Americans should be ashamed. We should be embarrassed that Canada is willing and able to extend a compassionate hand to those in need. They’re not defaulting to assuming (with no reason or justification) the worst of Syrians refugees and demanding that we bar the door to them because they MIGHT be terrorists. Trudeau’s example, as with that of the everyday Canadians who showed up to welcome the Syrians, is something that haters and bigots in this country should be put to shame by. Sadly, that’s not like to happen. The good news is that there are willing to demonstrate they’re not afraid of people only looking for a safe place to land so that they may begin the long, hard work of rebuilding their lives.
Andrew Harris, 51, said he wanted to counter the fearful messaging about Muslims that has circulated since the Paris attacks.
He held up a large yellow sign that read “Welcome to Canada,” saying that even if the arriving refugees don’t see it, the positive words won’t go unnoticed.
“I knew that they were going to be at a terminal where the public wasn’t allowed, which I totally understand, but I thought I can come out here and just express a message of goodwill … and I know it’s liable to reach them eventually.”
How amazing is that? These folks knew the Syrian refugees probably wouldn’t see their gestures of support and welcome…but they went ahead and came out anyway. It’s hard to imagine that sort of compassion and kindness being expressed in a similar manner in the U.S., eh?
I'm embarrassed that at this pivotal moment in history for Syrian refugees that conservative Americans are guided by xenophobic fear.
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) December 11, 2015The truth, of course, is that we need not be scared of a class of people escaping from war and religious oppression in their homeland. Not that there can’t be terrorists in the mix…but you could say the same thing about Americans- and angry Conservative White Christian males pose a far more immediate danger.
I applaud Prime Minister Trudeau for taking the lead and showing that compassion is not a sign of weakness. Not that there aren’t Americans who wouldn’t welcome Syrian refugees with open arms, but Trudeau is making a very public statement to the world, a statement that says Canada will not cave to fear. Canada is setting an example for what compassion and caring for your fellow man should look like.
We Americans, who like to see ourselves as morally superior (American Exceptionalism, don’tchaknow?), should rightfully be humbled in the face of being shown what compassion, love, and acceptance look like. Canada has chosen to welcome Syrian refugees with open arms. We’re demanding the door be barred because their MIGHT be terrorists among them, even as we ignore the terrorists who already walk among us.
There’s a lesson to be learned here, but being American, we don’t learn from other countries. We dictate to them. In cases like this, we’re forced to confront just how short-sighted and narrow-minded we can be.
Compassion isn’t code for weakness. Nor is it a sign that you’re soft on terrorism. It’s a sign that you believe we’re all in this together, and that modeling love and acceptance is the only way to truly live. I can think of a few Republicans who could stand to be reminded of this.
