THE EDITOR, Sir:
MY RELIGION is Islam. The term 'Jamaican Muslim' is affixed to me because I was born on the island, lived, schooled and worked there before I migrated to Canada at the age of 24. Since 9/11 and more recently, the London bombings, I have faced insurmountable ridicule, harassment, discrimination and prejudice from many sectors of a multicultural Canadian society, inclusive of my fellow Jamaicans.
Each day I encounter the insidious suspicions of others and at times the blatant expression of "being one of them", linking me to the now infamous Jermain Lindsey. Even on one of my return trips to Jamaica back in 2003, people in my community would display their ignorance and make fun of my headwear and my beliefs.
Most so-called Christians would make a mockery of me asking me if I too believed in killing myself to get to Allah. It is quite interesting Christians would have the audacity to ask that of me when Samson in the Bible committed murder and suicide. Did Samson's actions not terrorise the people? Yet that is not used to define Christianity, nor is Samson labelled a Christian terrorist ... and what of Moses and David? Did they not commit murder?
Islam is a religion of peace just as Christianity or any other religion for that matter. There are Christian extremists as well as Muslims and Jews as well as atheists and so I would urge everyone to "over-stand" that the proper study of Jermain's action lies within him and his ideals, and not Islam or his place of birth.
I am, etc.,
KHARL DALEY
kharl.daley@moh.gov.on.ca
Toronto, Canada
Via Go-Jamaica
