Perceive, And It Is So

Well, there's a surprise. Kind of. That new national survey on how Canadians feel toward various groups within society? Predictable, actually. Because most people, even if they aren't ardent newspaper-readers, or listen to their radios, do glue their attention to spectacular television (or computer-news) coverage of occasional Islamist-inspired and -conducted assaults of a very bloodily vicious nature against symbols of the West, or even against their own.

Might it be called surprising, then that the Association for Canadian Studies found a mere 43% of those interviewed held a "very positive", or "somewhat positive" perception of Muslims? The results were enhanced, understandably for atheists who received a 60% 'approval' rating, and aboriginals, at 61% (we're more willing to forgive the occasional violent aboriginal-warrior-outbreak of frustrated thuggery than we are Islamist atrocities, isn't that amazing?).

And, going on from there, the Chinese-originated among us are seen very positively, relatively speaking at 75% approval, then Protestants, Blacks and Hispanics/Latin Americans who all rated at 74%, Catholics following close behind at 73%, and Jews penultimate at 72%, with francophones coming up with 70% (guess it's all that grousing and complaining about no one noticing how exceptionally linguistic they are).

Most of those surveyed had a positive response to "immigrants", at 68%. Leger Marketing did the on-line survey. And the executive director of the Association for Canadian Studies remarked that the survey results with respect to the public apprehension of Muslims is fairly well matched by similar results polled in both Britain and the United States.

"Most of these perceptions are built around images that people see globally", said Jack Jedwab.

Yep, news travels at whiz-bang speed, we tweet along like nosy, noisy flocks of birds keeping ourselves informed.

Other Western nations, it appears have come up with similar public findings which "suggests this isn't a Canadian-specific issue ... I'm not saying we shouldn't have programs" and policies in Canada to improve general perceptions of Muslims, "but the impact of those programs is limited if we don't have global co-operation".

Precisely, and wouldn't it seem to make good sense if Muslims themselves made a concerted, wholesale breakthrough in fully condemning the violent jihadists that have been making their own lives miserable, as well as ours? Wouldn't it seem sensible of the Islamic community worldwide (the ummah) to make it firmly and determinedly their business to decry and defy the violence done in the name of Islam?

Mightn't that lead to an improved perception of Muslims? Speaking of which, if any kind of program were to be undertaken to impress and educate the public, perhaps one which differentiates between the moderate Muslims living among us, the Ismaili and the Ahmadiyya living among us who do great credit to the view of Islam as a religion of peace and harmony?

The survey also picked up the public perception lingering in the wake of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the U.S., demonstrating that a majority of Canadians feel that the perceived conflict between Western countries and the Muslim world is 'irreconcilable'. In other words, we're painting with a broad stroke, but it's hardly surprising, given the seeming lethargy of the Muslim community in responding to the atrocities committed by their religious brethren.

Resulting in a rather pallid 33% of the population holding out hope that the conflict will eventually fizzle out and simply become a sad footnote in history.