“Yes in Canada.” That was one of the stronger statements expressed by the panelists at the SFU event, The Canadian Election and the Politics of Fear.
The event, which was put on by the Institute for the Humanities on Oct. 6, took place at SFU’s Harbour Centre campus.
The sentiment of “Yes in Canada” explores that the uglier side of fear has resulted in the federal election revolving around issues like the niqab ban, the Anti-Terrorism Act (formerly Bill C-51), and the Barbaric Cultural Practices Act has firmly taken hold here at home. The statement was meant to drive home the fact we do in fact deal with these sorts of issues in Canada.
These acts passed by the current Conservative government are part of what prompted an SFU program aimed towards election issues.
Samir Gandesha is the director of the Institute for the Humanities, and was one of the panelists speaking. He said that one of the reasons the talk was taking place was the misdirection via fear that has taken place over the course of the election.
“Those kinds of things can then be a rich and fertile hunting ground for fear,” explained Gandesha. “[These kinds of figures] can transform those anxieties that you have, which are amorphous, they’re vague, they don’t really come from anywhere in particular, and really target them onto a particular group of people that becomes a form of fear.
“And then one can mobilize against that, and it becomes quite powerful politically.”
The panel itself ranged from a variety of topics. SFU Professor of Communications Fiona Jeffries — who was participating via Skype — and SFU Assistant Professor of Communications Adel Iskandar were the other two panelists.
They kept their discussions centered around what was happening here in Canada, while Gandesha explained the social psychological standpoint, and focused on similar issues that have taken place in history
Gandesha and the other panelists painted a great picture of the fears and anxieties of some Canadians — which, for some, are currently manifesting themselves as Islamophobia — and tried to point out that what voters should focus on is what the Conservative government has done since 2006.
“The main message is [that] the niqab issue is a complete distraction,” said Gandesha. “People need to focus on the misgovernment that we’ve experienced over the last nine years of Harper in power; corruption scandal upon corruption scandal, economic mismanagement, a subversion of the democratic process through bills like the Fair Elections Act, Bill C-51.”
He continued, “People really need to really focus on the key issues, and not be distracted and not demonize people.”
