The Nov. 13 attacks in Paris, just two days after Remembrance Day, rocked people on their heels, and what ensued was a weekend of news coverage focused on the threat of the Islamic State to the western world. But in the midst of that coverage, people questioned why the deaths of those in places like Baghdad and Beirut from bombings went unnoticed and uncared for in comparison.
The deaths are no less a loss – the 200,000-plus deaths from the Syrian civil war matter. The attacks Paris saw on Friday is what the people of Syria and Iraq are facing every day, but are notable still because they underscore the fact this is an international conflict, the 21st century’s world war. The enemy is not Islam, but the barbaric and radicalized army of ISIL that calls itself Islamic, but which really only worships terror and power. It is clear the time of non-intervention is long past, and Canada must be involved in trying to bring stability to the area, not just for the Syrian people, but for the world, carrying on the same duty we remembered our veterans served so nobly, this past week.
However, Canadians have valid security concerns about the Liberals’ plan to bring 25,000 refugees of the Syrian conflict to Canada by the end of the year. No one can doubt our international obligation, our ability as a developed nation, to support people fleeing the kind of violence the world saw broadcast during the Paris attacks. But the Liberals should not shackle themselves to an election promise to bring them by some artificial deadline, but in a way that involves screening measures and a clear plan to make sure they have adequate support.
Over the weekend, the Liberal government was also blasted over its tepid response to the attacks and its promise to withdraw Canada’s airplanes from the U.S. led coalition, in favour of training local troops. Right now, Canada’s contribution to the mission is minimal and is not enough to address the instability and radicalism in the region, and it would be a mistake to do less, not more. Solutions must be based on international cooperation, awareness that meaningful action may involve sacrifice, long-term support and resources for the region, and the acceptance that a stable government created and supported by the people of the region may look different from what we could consider acceptable.
To do less is to fail to live up to the promise of those who served, and those who still do, to fight not for war, but for peace.
