January 12, 2007
Not that they were a much better in their attitudes toward the “poor nations” of the world, but at least past prime ministers of Canada had the tact and the finesse of not sending Canadian troops into war zones in support of the aggressions of their southern neighbor. Not so Stephen Harper, the conservative prime minister of Canada since February 2006, who has so consistently supported the rightwing US neo-conservatives in their pro-Israel, anti-Muslim agenda that his personal prejudice of things Islamic has all but destroyed the Muslim goodwill and respect for Canada earned over the past half-century.
This respect for Canada had created a unique niche in international affairs for this thinly-populated vast land of immense resources. Backpackers proudly displaying their maple leaf would be taken in with warmth and love in far flung areas of the world; no one would think of burning down a Canadian embassy; and Canadian missions around the globe were seeing a steady increase in immigrant applications which bring new human and monetary resources to the multi-cultural mosaic of Canada. But all of this is at stake now that Canadian soldiers are actively engaged in combat operations for the first time since the Korean War. And of all places, they are fighting in Afghanistan—a country where Canada has no direct interest.
So far 35 Canadian soldiers have been killed in active combat, 6 in friendly fire incidents and 4 in accidents. Each death brings grief, shock, anger, and waves of media attention, but, unconcerned with the majority position of Canadians, Harper is pushing Canada deeper into an endless war with no possibly victory.
Whatever his hidden motives might be, his rhetoric about Canadian involvement sounds like a script written in Washington DC rather than Ottawa: Canada is helping spread democracy in Afghanistan; Canada is rebuilding Afghanistan; Canada is bringing freedom to Afghans. Of course this nauseating figment of the imperial imagination is not new to those whose lands have been occupied and whose lives have been shattered by foreign invasions, but the most disgusting thing about the involvement of Harper’s government in Afghanistan is that it is so unbefitting to itself: Canada, created through British and French occupation, is home to immigrants from all parts of the world. Harper’s own family came from somewhere else. It is, thus, odd for a country of immigrants to support imperial designs.
In addition to this unbecoming behavior, there is the long tradition of distancing its foreign policy from its globally hated neighbor that is being destroyed. Harper is not only following the United States in its rhetoric, he has also borrowed practical techniques of the neo-conservatives. Just as the US has set up propaganda machines for its global misdeeds, targeting Arab youth for the spread of American music, ideas, and lifestyles, so has the Harper government launched a military-run radio station, Rana-FM, on January 6, 2007, mixing music with a pro-NATO, anti-Taliban message aimed at young people in Kandahar, Afghanistan. RANA-FM targets Afghans between the ages of 15 and 25 by playing mostly Bollywood and modern Afghan music. The Canadian military says it’s too dangerous for RANA-FM to be produced in Kandahar, so the station is based in Kingston, Ontario; for security reasons and its exact location is being kept secret. Just as the CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security find “natives” to influence their fellow countrymen and women, so is Rana-FM attempting to recruit young Afghan-Canadians who can spin tunes “to make a difference back home.
Bush and his neo-conservative supporters delude themselves with imaginary victories in Iraq, Harper and his Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay delude themselves with similar imaginary victories. While on a “surprise visit” to Afghanistan last week, MacKay said that “Afghanistan is not sliding back into chaos despite an ongoing insurgency and escalating drug trade.” His visit was full of all the dramatics that generally goes with such visits by US officials to their new banana republics: handshakes with women who have received Canadian assistance for this or that venture; photographs with boys at a vocational training center built by Canadian money; a pep-talk to soldiers.
What all of this means for the little imperial designs of Canada’s conservatives is anybody’s guess, but the man who can bring down their minority government is not ready to act. At least not yet. Jack Layton, the leader of the federal New Democratic Party recently received an estimated 90% votes in favor of a resolution calling for Canadian troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan, but he is biding his time.
In the meanwhile Harper’s government, which came to power as a result of the 39th General Election held on January 23, 2006, in which the Conservative Party of Canada won 124 seats of 308, is playing dirty tricks to build up its strength by alluring members of parliament. The latest defection is that of a Muslim by the name of Wajid Khan, who defected from the Liberal Party and was appointed by Harper to be his Special Advisor on South Asia and the Middle East. Harper was delighted that “Wajid Khan will be sharing his insights on future developments with the Government of Canada” and Wajid Khan apparently had no qualms about his immoral decision. Perhaps no justification is needed, for Wajid Khan was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and he served in the Pakistani Air Force before moving to Canada in 1974. He “supports [Canada’s] commitment in Afghanistan”, which is why he offered his services to the Prime Minister as Canada plans for the future, he said after his defection. Wajid Khan will be reporting to Stephen Harper with his first-hand experiences and observations of the regions from where he came. Indeed, this is a great boom for the little imperial PM of Canada who is pushing this otherwise peaceful country to the brink of disasters and tragedies.
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