Re: Canada to blame for Alan’s death, father tells paper, Sept. 11

Canada to blame for Alan’s death, father tells paper, Sept. 11

I was flabbergasted to read about this misplaced blame by the father of the Syrian child Alan, who died in most unfortunate circumstances, which Canada did not create by any stretch of imagination.

There are probably one billion people on this planet, and probably more, who if given a chance would love to move to Canada. I was one of them some 23 years ago hoping to improve my life and that of my family, while I was working in the Middle East. I achieved this through applying for immigration within the purview of the Canadian laws. Luckily for me, I was accepted based on my technical/management education, relevant experience and financial standing at that time, for which I am eternally grateful to Canada.

It would have been ludicrous for me to somehow blame Canada for any untoward event occurring to me or my family, if Canada had denied my immigration application. Every sovereign country, based on its economic and social conditions, has a right to decide who it will admit.

Similarly, Canada has a right to defend its borders and determine who it will allow and under what terms. Sadly, most immigration lawyers just care for them to be able to earn their fees, with no consideration given to the fact that all of these people will be an immediate financial burden on the Canadian economy, which Star has been telling us for the last six months on almost every page that it is “sputtering” and in “recession.”

Finally, there is the issue of assimilation with the Canadian society – we are all seeing the events unfolding in the Thorncliffe school, when the latest changes to the sex-ed were implemented.

I firmly believe that Stephen Harper is absolutely right in taking extraordinary pains and that due process is followed to make sure that ISIS terrorists do not come in the garb of asylum seekers. We can always have respectful discussion, but myself and Star should have no sympathy for people, who call Canada names for its no fault.

Rajeev Chopra, Toronto

Certainly what has happened to Abdullah Kurdi’s family is tragic but why does he blame Canada? How about blaming all the other countries in the world that he didn’t apply go to? Or the oil-rich Middle Eastern countries who are doing nothing at all to help?

Or how about blaming his sister who sent the money for the treacherous journey that caused his family’s death? Or himself for risking his family’s life trying to leave Turkey where he had a job and a place to live?

Mr. Kurdi is precisely the kind of refugee that Canada does not need: the ones who make “demands,” criticize everything and think that the world owes them a living.

Many refugees apply to come to Canada and we won’t be able to take them all and certainly not those who don’t apply.

Claude Gannon, Markham

I am as saddened as anyone else about that little boy’s needless death, but to hear his father say it is Canada’s fault just made me mad. How does that compute? Did any Canadian put that child and his family in an unsafe boat? No; he did that himself.

I am sick and tired of Canada being painted as the bad guys for not opening our doors wide and letting thousands of these migrants in without proper screening. We do not have affordable housing for the people already here. How can we house thousands more? We can’t. No country can.

Elaine Booth, Toronto

Much as my heart goes out to Abdullah Kurdi on the loss of his children, I am tired of the incessant Canada bashing. Especially now that it has been revealed that his Canadian relatives sponsored his brother and not him.

Surely Bashir al-Assad and ISIS battling it out in his home country, both using civilians as pawns, must bear some responsibility? Surely the unscrupulous smugglers overcrowding their boats must bear some responsibility? How about oil rich Gulf nations, which provide a much better fit culturally and ethnically, that are refusing to absorb their Arab brothers and Sisters.

What would have happened if Canada had received an application from Abdullah and had both processed it and accepted him but his children still perished on route due to the smugglers; would he still blame Canada?

Josh Frohwein, Toronto