“You measure the moral health of any community or society by the way in which it treats the people who at the moment find themselves the weakest and the most vulnerable. And, I would argue, that there is probably no [. . .] population worldwide who collectively is more vulnerable than the Syrian people.”

Leading American Muslim intellectual and director of the Duke Islamic Studies Center Omid Safi was referring to the plight of the Syrian people, as well as the refugee crisis in relation to the rise of ISIS in the region, and Islamophobic sentiments worldwide.

On Tuesday, February 2, Safi spoke to a crowded room at SFU’s Harbour Centre campus in a lecture titled “Muslims in an age of Islamophobia and ISIS: Towards a holistic stance of Justice.”

Before unpacking Islamophobia and the role of ISIS (also known as ISIL) in its most recent proliferation, Safi explained that while it is undeniable that Muslims are being increasingly targeted, the community does not have any sort of “monopoly on suffering,” and advised against “wallowing in victimhood.”

Safi opened the discussion with a quote by Jewish theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel: “Few are guilty, but all are responsible.” He referred to Heschel’s comment throughout the talk in light of the way Muslims in general have been held responsible for the actions of ISIS.

Safi acknowledged the relationship between the recent rise in Islamophobia, especially in Europe and North America, and the phenomenon of ISIS — a group whose barbaric actions are based on a very specific, and highly contested interpretation of Islam.

On the tactics used by ISIS, he noted the music and camera angles used in their propaganda videos are based on hollywood horror movies, like Saw. Coupled with a staggering 80,000 tweets produced by members of the group per day, Safi argued their self-promotion and recruitment as well as the militaristic responses of the “American Empire” has resulted in a condition“as much about over here, as over there.” The production of English propaganda in particular suggests a target audience in Western countries.

However, in order to combat Islamophobia, Safi explained that we must collectively address all issues of social and political justice.

“Justice has to be holistic, and a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We have to remember that the conversation about Islamophobia [. . .] is inseparable from the conversation on racism, sexism, militarism, xenophobia, and others.”

He noted there is an onus put on the Muslim community — by media and politicians, among others — to publically condemn the actions of terror: “We hate and condemn, we hate and condemn, we hate and condemn — there should just be an app for that [. . .] you just plug in the name of the latest terrorist tragedy, and it produces for you, your press release.”

However, Safi argued that the language of “hating and condemning”, while important, is far from enough. While few are guilty for terrorist attacks, all of us are responsible for what is happening on the ground, and for engaging in radical change.

With the recent rise of Islamophobia, an entire “made-for-media” academic industry of specialists in “Islamic-inspired terrorism” has emerged and gained popularity with support of mainstream and corporate media. Safi referred to Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington, author of the infamous Clash of Civilizations, as some of the pioneers in this industry, and explained that parts of their work have influenced US policy, in some cases being used verbatim. Even more pernicious are “terrorism experts” who opine on places that they have no historical, contextual, or linguistic expertise, but only operate out of ideological pre-committements, often reinforcing the militarism of Western Empires.

Safi believes racism and white supremacy are partly to blame for why Muslims are held accountable for the actions of ISIS while other ethnic and religious groups are not targeted in the same way.

He explained, citing a number of recent shootings in the US conducted by white American men, and instances of state-sanctioned violence — both within the military and law enforcement systems — that acts of terror committed by non-Muslim Americans far outnumber instances of terrorist attacks by Muslims. Acts of violence committed by white domestic terrorists are always set aside as being the action of “lone wolves” (perhaps under influence of mental illness), while the actions of Muslims are cast as being due to a communal responsibility, and emerging from the heart of the Islamic tradition.

“Think about what it would have looked like if President Obama had said that, ‘it is time for white people, it is time for white men, to unanimously, explicitly, forcefully, and consistently, denounce the actions of white domestic terrorism,” said Safi.

“That never happens, and the reason it doesn’t happen is simple: white privilege.”

Not only did Canadian hedge funds outperform American hedge funds as well as global indices last year, they maintained high returns amid a decline in the US hedge fund sector.

This follows the predictions of a study by Beedie School of Business Professor of Finance Peter Klein and his colleagues, who investigated the Canadian hedge fund industry and found Canadian funds to have higher risk-adjusted performance than their global peers.

The study attributes the strong performance of Canadian hedge funds to a lower level of competitiveness for capital due to the smaller size and number of hedge funds in Canada. In addition, Canadian funds are better able to exploit inefficient domestic financial markets and having an information advantage by investing in markets that are closer in proximity.

Hedge funds, according to Investopedia, are a type of financial investment that allows multiple investors to pool their money together. In Canada, hedge fund investors must have a net worth of at least $1 million or earn $250,000 per year in income. Thus, hedge funds are allowed to take more risks than traditional mutual funds and are less regulated as investors are seen to be better able to shoulder losses.

Professor Klein was motivated to study Canadian hedge funds “to articulate a business opportunity” to potential investors and contribute to the growth of the hedge fund sector by advising investors to look to Canada.

Klein himself facilitated two pensions plans placed with KCS Fund Strategies as part of their Canadian hedge fund portfolios, and continues to promote Canadian hedge funds. Said Klein, “There is too much capital chasing too few opportunities” in the US, and there is room for development in Canada.

This room for development has been realized in 2015, according to John Shmuel of the Financial Post. While US hedge funds contended with high competition for investors and a higher number of closures last year, the Canadian sector has seen relatively strong returns with new hedge funds opening up.

The small number of hedge funds makes it easier for new entrants since there is less competition. Furthermore, Canadian hedge fund managers are more knowledgeable about the Canadian markets they are investing in, which can improve returns.

One disadvantage for Canada is that investors with large amounts of capital tend to invest in the US, since Canadian hedge funds are too small to generate a significant impact for their investment. Shmuel noted that this can even be seen with the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, which has invested $272 billion in US hedge funds.

Klein argues that this places “limits on growth” for Canadian hedge funds. Additionally, a unique risk for Canadian hedge funds is that of a real estate market crash. Moreover, Klein mentions that Canadian hedge funds may already have higher risk-taking activities than seen in the US.

However, if Canadian hedge funds can continue attracting investment, Klein sees “Canadian capital markets becoming more efficient and creating more employment” in the near future.

U of Alberta students use app to stop “hangriness”

[EDMONTON] — Students at the University of Alberta are now a lot more happy and a lot less hungry. Two weeks into launch, the Hangry app allows students to order meals ahead of time, avoiding long lunch-time lineups.

This may not be the first time you’ve heard of the app, as it was pitched on Dragon’s Den by its founders and received $120,000 to start up. Hangry doesn’t only let you pre-order food, it also offers loyalty points and allows users to rate food and their experience.

With files from The Gateway

U of Regina press celebrates short but controversial legacy

[REGINA] — Just over two years old, the University of Regina Press has already published three national bestsellers. The Press focuses on Canadian history and culture, and never hesitates to focus on the truth of important issues that have surrounded Canadians, specifically First Nations.

This year, readers can expect new publications focusing on typically taboo topics, like sex and mental illness. They hope to normalize these topics by inputting them into mainstream media.

With files from The Carillon

Dalhousie musicians support North Korean refugees

[HALIFAX] — North Korean refugees are being supported by music produced from students at Dalhousie University. Not all musicians themselves, many learned guitar in order to contribute. Focusing on lyrics that promote solidarity, one of the songs is even an original.

The movement was created by an International Development Studies student who was inspired by a Development & Activism course. The students involved marched and sang to bring awareness to North Korea’s liberation movements. The group also raised money for funds to support the cause.

With files from Dal News