From Knights to Mounties in the Age of Terrorism

I know I'm late on this one but I've been meaning to get to it. Even after a couple of weeks the core of its message remains relevant.

Readers may recall the announcement of author Salmon Rushdie's knighting in England. And like a reliable Ford pick up, the outrage among Muslims was predictable. By outrage, I don't mean the violent absurdity we usually see.

Read more about Rushdie here: www.reason.com/news/show/33120.html

Nope. I point to a more local variety. The Montreal Gazette's Letters to the Editor to be exact.

One person's opinion left many readers stunned - myself included. To get to the point, the writer essentially equated the knighting of Rushdie as an insult to Muslims everywhere and that he could understand (read: condone) why people turn to suicide bombing in the face of Western arrogance.

If this note came from some cave in the Mid-East or by a foreign diplomat toeing the dictatorship line it's one thing. For it to come from a local, fellow citizen is quite another ball game. I am assuming that he was a Canadian.

In any event, think of it. Here's a person who lives in Canada and managed to draw the line between knighthood as a symbolic gesture to terrorism.

All is game among Muslims at the slightest perceived injustice? This was not a misquote or a journalist misrepresenting facts. This came from the direct pen of an individual expressing and revealing his thoughts. How many more are like him? Why can't he more like this guy?

Surely this is madness. How can one even find the courage to write such things?

In England, the terror in the idea of terrorism is the reality that many who perpetuate evil acts of barbarity are increasingly British citizens. In Canada, I suspect (and I hope I am wrong), more of this type of lunacy will be on the rise as Muslim immigration increases.

For now, Canada is not thought to be in imminent danger - despite being mentioned and targeted often by Al-Queda.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't be attentive. Quantifying the terrorist threat takes sober and realistic reflection. This sort of pragmatic debate has not happened enough here. In the worse scenario, Canada does not seem ready to respond to an attack either physically or psychologically.

I worry about the latter more. This country has grown somewhat disconnected from the reality of international politics by comforting itself - like many countries - with the notion that most of the world's problems are created by Americans. Of course, nothing can be further from the truth. How can this be in places where sectoral and religious violence and degradation has been taking place long before the arrival of the Americans? They are merely the most recent convenient scapegoats.

There's something happening that operates independent and outside the long arm of Uncle Sam and its limited impact in the region.

If Canada were to be attacked tomorrow, I'm not so sure what would happen. I know that the United States army would be on standby. So much for independence.

What would be the reaction of Canadians?

Oh, Happy Canada Day.