Homegrown

By Stephanie Stevens

Let me preface this by saying tackling this topic is like trying to herd ants back into an anthill. There are just too many aspects to cover in one column. And I will not pretend I am up to speed on every aspect. I am not sure anyone truly is.

So I am tackling only one. Fear.

What is it that we are truly afraid of when it comes to Syrian refugees?

I see so much fear out there, so much anger and objection.

Posts on social media, in particular Facebook, which sadly so many people seem to consider a credible news source. But also the plethora of websites and sources out there that are hell bent on promoting fear, bigotry and anger, and exist, it seems, only to convince you of one specific point of view: their own. Oh they will offer you proof, irrefutable proof they claim, that, just for example, the Syrian refugees are getting more aid than senior citizens or those on social assistance. And no matter how hard you try to explain these posts contain false information, or offer another source of information, the fear blinds so many to anything other than what they want to believe. It is not difficult to look for actual numbers, or access another source, but if you don’t want to see them, you simply won’t.

And these same people, who suddenly are championing the homeless and those on social assistance, are nearly always the very same people who regularly make statements or share posts that shame those on social assistance or are homeless.

To them I ask, what have you done to make a difference?

The biggest fear I see, however, is that the refugees, who are indeed for the most part Muslim, are going to arrive and immediately try to convert us all to Islam, establish Sharia law, and take over.

I highly doubt this will be the case.

But I think, and this is indeed my opinion, people are afraid of incomers trying to change this country because that is exactly what happened when the Europeans landed on this very soil.

We fear that we know what they will do, because we know exactly what we ourselves are capable of.

The fear is based on what has already happened here. What has been happening throughout the history of human kind all over our planet. In Canada, we are still seeing the results of what happens when one people comes over and conquers another people. And we are not talking ancient history. Remember, the last residential school was only closed in 1996, a mere 20 years ago.

Over 150,000 children taken from their families, forced into residential schools, their culture, religion and individuality stolen away, while their families back home were forced onto ever smaller reservations, with no rights, no freedom, and no say in what was happening to their own land.

Yes, it is done. No, we cannot change it. But neither can we ignore the fact that the results are still very much an on-going battle. The wounds are indeed beginning to heal, but it is a slow, laborious and painful recovery. The First Nations people of Canada are still struggling with the aftermath of another race coming in, taking over, displacing, stealing, murdering, oppressing and kidnapping. Plain language, no sugar coating. That’s what conquering (see also colonizing) means.

And it is not just Canada, or the U.S. It is all over the world, on arguably every continent.

So why are people afraid? Because history continues to repeat itself. And while the current generation is not responsible, our ancestors were. Sins of the father, eh?

Is there a chance some Muslim zealots could slip in with the families we are taking in?

Of course there is. No more chance really than there was before. In fact, with the screening processes in place, I would hazard to say even less chance.

But still we fear.

And while we are on the subject of zealots, let’s not ignore the fact that any religion, political view or any belief at all can AND HAS BEEN taken to that terrifying point. On the Quran versus the Bible, well let’s face facts. Cherry picking excerpts out of nearly any religious text, including the Christian Bible, will show you passages that advocate any number of what we consider atrocities. But there are beautiful and peaceful texts in them all as well.

And as Forrest Gump would say, “that is all I have to say about that.”

The biggest fear seems to be fear that the refugees will not conform to his or her “new country and its traditions.”

Clearly, the Europeans that came to Canada did not. There is that pesky history again.

There are the “little” communities within so many communities. Little pockets, often in cities, but also entire communities, that follow the traditions, lifestyle, religion and language of their former homeland. Clubs, organizations, celebratory days and events that honour and celebrate Irish, Dutch, Caribbean, Haitian, Scottish, Chinese, Amish, Doukhobor, Japanese, German… you name the originating country or way of life, chances are excellent there is a community, group or club to celebrate those traditions and beliefs. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Or is there? Does not assimilating mean fully assimilating? Leaving all that other stuff behind and adjusting solely to your new country?

But your new country is made up of refugees and immigrants, which muddles things a bit.

Ditch that pride in your heritage. You are Canadian now. Right?

But just what does being Canadian mean?

Should we outlaw all of those communities, clubs and organizations?

We are constantly being portrayed on the world stage as the “nicest and most polite country on the planet.”

But I am seeing a good deal of evidence that does not point to us being nice or polite.

I am hearing nice, polite Canadians saying the most horrifying things.

I am seeing hatred, fear and intolerance.

And I am ashamed.

There are even stories out there that the Syrian refugees we have welcomed already are not actually refugees but players in some massive conspiracy.

Of that I am not only ashamed, I am downright embarrassed.

I have heard the cry of “My parents/grandparents were immigrants and they never got any help.”

To that I can only offer the following definitions courtesy of the Oxford dictionary, with my additions in parenthesis:

Immigrant: A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country (generally willingly).

Refugee: A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster (generally with little more than the clothes on their back).

See the difference there?

Many of those same people denouncing the Syrian refugees coming to our country, saying assimilation must be complete, are still celebrating their heritage as I write this. Still speaking their old language. Still keeping their own traditions alive. Because they are proud of their heritage.

We are afraid. Afraid our past could come back to haunt us. We don’t like to think about that.

We have to be better than that. We are Canada, dammit.

We must and, I pray will, continue to mitigate the damage done to the First Nations of this country, be a part of the healing. I come at this from a variety of views, as I have First Nations heritage as well as Irish, British and Norwegian.

We fear, because we know what we are capable of.

It is a rough job, navigating the flow of information. It comes in giant waves, crashing and powerful, mixing together violently, and it is so very hard to know what to believe.

But I truly believe the first step is in looking inward and recognizing what we fear the most.

Ourselves.

– Stephanie Stevens is a Columbia Valley-based writer, photographer and rancher.

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