Re: “Conservatism has lost its way”

"If the song had been in French, would it have faced the same condemnation? Such a reaction exemplifies an inherent bias in parts of the West to view Arabs as barbaric or threatening, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and fueling divisive rhetoric."


December 13, 2024

Re: “Conservatism has lost its way

Gerry Chidiac writes that "racism and intimidation are not conservative values, but they are regular practices of extremists" and I couldn't agree more. I remember when I read that when "Haza Salam" - a peace song played at Remembrance Day ceremony, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre denounced it as “an absolute disgrace.”

How is singing a peace song in Arabic a disgrace? If the song had been in French, would it have faced the same condemnation? Such a reaction exemplifies an inherent bias in parts of the West to view Arabs as barbaric or threatening, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and fueling divisive rhetoric. This bias is not limited to political leaders. Coverage of such incidents often fails to interrogate the underlying prejudice, framing them as isolated controversies rather than part of a systemic pattern of anti-Arab racism. By amplifying the voices of those who dehumanize, rather than challenging their rhetoric, the media plays a role in perpetuating the very extremism Chidiac warns against. Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality; it is complicity. Standing by idly only enables the ongoing cycle of hatred and systemic injustice to persist.