Calling a spade a shovel

Israeli Ambassador to Canada Alan Baker on Thursday defended comments he made to a national newspaper regarding Canada's Muslim population.

Alan Baker told The Globe and Mail he is concerned Canada's burgeoning Muslim population is shifting this country's policies in the Middle East. The Globe interview appears on the same day Israel celebrates its 60th year of independence.

Baker told CTV's Mike Duffy Live that Muslim communities have impacted foreign policy in countries like Britain, France and Scandanavia -- and that he "fears" Canada might follow.

For one thing, I 'm happy that he's backing up what he said because it has to be said, and not only for Israel's sake. Any kind of external self-interested group is a threat to what precious little we can still call the "Canadian way" and Muslims are no exception to that.

In this country the church and state are supposed to be completely separated, and there is a worldwide Islamic movement to impose their order. It's not very strong in absolute terms, but it is sneaky. I can't imagine that any other religious grouping with an axe to grind would have the sort of impact that Muslim groups are having in the theoretically non-Muslim, secular West.

Again, not a big problem in Canada yet, but it does bear watching both here and elsewhere, and not just for Israeli interests. The point that the Ambassador makes about being shouted down at or just plain shut out of speaking engagements in this country shows that there is a problem. There is supposed to be a spirit of debate or at least freedom of expression here, and intimidation and threats are a threat to that.