Reflections on covering an election

From top news feeds of parties and events, to our constantly changing status updates, those are what matter to many of us. And, it is there that we find ourselves voicing our opinion on issues that affect us, surround us, the issues that matter.

We vent frustrations about wearing the hijab, unemployment, waiting seven hours to see a doctor, boredom at schools, racism and discrimination. And guess what? These are political issues. Yet we find ourselves refusing to delve into politics when in reality we are talking about politics all the time.

Sitting down amongst colleagues, friends and families, a common theme currently circulating is the up-coming Ottawa-South provincial by-election. Between Conservatives and Liberals, and of course the slowly-but-surely rising New Democratic Party (NDP), question-marks emerge.

“Who are you voting for?” “Why should I vote? It won't matter anyway!”- are two of the most frequently asked questions around the table. “Blue, Red or Orange, they are all the same!” - is what I understood from some family members and friends. Their voices seemed to emerge from a place of disappointment, dissatisfaction, and hopelessness.

In a 2001 Statistics Canada census, Ottawa-South had the highest concentration of Muslims, therefore, making them the largest non-Christian voting bloc in the area. In a 2004 Ottawa Citizen article titled, “Politicians chase Ottawa's Muslim Vote,” Goldy Hyder, then a senior vice-president of the Ottawa lobby firm Hill and Knowlton, now its President, acknowledged that Muslims in Ottawa have reached a “critical mass” so they can expect to be wooed by local politicians, which is why we saw so many politicians visiting our mosques and community iftars this Ramadan. But he noted that it would be wrong to think that Muslims would ever vote alike. “There's more diversity inside diversity than you can possibly imagine,” he stated in the article. {sidebar id=16}

Fine, so Muslims won't all vote alike, but first let's start making sure we are actually voting and, beyond that, engaging in Canadian democracy. This very democracy is attained by voicing our concerns not just amongst each other but out where they belong, in government buildings and at the doorsteps of our federal, provincial and municipal representatives.

is an Arabic folk saying that literally translates to “One foot backwards and one foot forwards.” We in the Lebanese community tend to take our homeland Lebanon more seriously than we do Canada, and this could be problematic. We are constantly imagining ourselves moving back to Lebanon so that we forget to live here in Canada. Blessed with dual national identities, like many immigrants, we need to pause for a moment and start creating a life for ourselves here, if not for us, then for the future generation.

People in countries like Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Turkey and Somalia are risking their lives to voice their opinions and challenge politicians to better address their needs. So the question remains: “How are we taking action and challenging politicians to better represent a democracy inclusive of the needs of Muslims here in Ottawa-South?”

So first things first- Inform yourself when there is an election. Get to know the issues, the politicians, the parties. Then head to your nearest polling station when there is an election.

After whoever is elected, go meet him or her. Talk with him or her and share your issues and concerns. He or she is your representative, even if he or she is not the person you voted for. Create a future you see yourself comfortably living in. We as Muslims need to stop living a floating life! We are here in Canada now so let's start acting like it. Let's talk about politics- Canadian politics!

Suzanne Kanso is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with a specialization in Communication and Media Studies.