Blog by Betsy Carstairs

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SFU perspectives on The War on Terror

Last weekend SFU organized an event @ the Vancouver Public Library entitled, Race Gender, Islam & The War on Terror with panel speakers Amina Jama (Fellow, Sociology & Anthropology Concordia University), Zool Suleman (Lawyer, Vancouver, BC), Sedf Arat-Koc (Professor, Politics & Public Administration Ryerson University) & Sunera Thobani (Professor, Women’s Studies & Gender Relations UBC).

Being agitated with Stephen Harper’s decision to ban news media coverage showing our military service personnel returning home in coffins, I decided to become more cognizant of what our government is doing … so this event held interest for me.

The speakers were excellent. Amina Jamal, who specializes in Pakistani Muslim women, discussed relationships between Islam, modernity & the Jamaat-I-Islami Women. Zool Suleman & Sedef Arat-Koc discussed immigration policy AND Sunera Thobani discussed gender & race & the representation of minorities in Canadian Society.

Over & over again concern from each of the speakers was regarding the media’s filter of what they choose/or what the government allows them to broadcast. The 9/11 repeated broadcast of the visceral connection portraying the murderous Muslim stranger fanning the Islamic phobia is but one example of the media depicting one position only & suppressing everything else.

After the formal discussion, I went out for a bite to eat & we expanded on the ideas that were touched upon. Definitely an eye-opening evening that I am very glad I attended.