I’ll give you a little background on me. I’m a 22 year old Muslim Canadian immigrant with a degree from a Canadian university. When I was browsing the news the other day, I was horrified to read about a terrorist attack on Paris. When reading the story I was a little scared that this kind of attack might happen in my home city, Toronto too. After that thought, the inevitable fear struck my mind.

“I really hope this terrorist is not ISIS”

Unfortunately, they were. As a muslim who often tries to highlight the benefits of my religion and culture, I was horrified of the effect this would have on our public view. Then, the unexpected happened. My friends started posting scary comments on social media that made me really feel threatened. Some of those comments are:

“Sign this petition: https://www.change.org/p/justin-trudeau-stop-islamic-immigration-to-canada Enough is enough guys, lets get real” “Fuck those dirty brown ISIS” “We need to arm ourselves…” Right during the News outbreak.

As an immigrant I very much appreciate the culture, wealth, safety, and acceptance that living in Canada has brought to me. I feel that in a way no one knows more than value of being Canadian, and no one knows more than us the reasons to love this country. I do love Canada, I always have. In my mind there is no place more accepting of its immigrants, and true to its core values like multiculturalism and equality. However these comments and news stories like these :

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2015/11/15/peterborough-mosque-fire-under-investigation (Mosque set on fire as a hate crime)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-police-muslim-woman-1.3253668 (Muslim pregnant woman attacked as a hate crime)

http://globalnews.ca/news/2343508/muslim-woman-attacked-while-picking-up-children-from-toronto-school-police/ (Muslim woman assaulted in Toronto while picking up her kids)

Back in 2000 when my family immigrated from Pakistan, we were a scared and vulnerable family too. My mom would walk us to school wearing a head scarf covering her hair too, like the pictures of the woman assaulted. I cannot imagine the horror my family would feel if someone assaulted my mom back when we recently immigrated. We would feel like we were in this foreign land where everyone hates us.

Fortunately the Canada I grew up in was much more accepting. We always say Canada as this amazing place where everyone is equal and belongs. We would always hear about the racism, and hate crimes committed in other parts of the world and think, thank god we don’t live there. But now my patriotism is challenged. Seeing my fellow Canadians physically attack Muslims, burn our mosques, and sign petitions to no longer allow Muslim immigrants like me really makes me feel like an outsider.

I love this country and I would like to point out that we Canadian muslims are amongst the biggest enemies of ISIS. Please lets not forget what made Canada so great. I do not want to destroy that childhood vision of Canada, the beautiful all accepting safe haven.