Canadians wear the red poppy to honour and remember soldiers who endured extreme horrors and sacrificed their lives on battlefields fighting for our freedoms.Remembrance Day is sacrosanct for most Canadians.But Younus Imam, a security management specialist in the security field for mosques who has worked with government and law-enforcement officials, sees the revered red poppy as something else: a “critical psychological tool” that for Muslims, “takes on different meaning.”It seems he regards the red poppy as a useful prop to be worn to sway non-supporters to the radical pro-Palestinian side that chants about death to Jews, the destruction of Israel and has Canadian Jews who have received tangible threats living in fear.In a now-deleted Facebook post, Ontario’s Imam urged pro-Palestinian protesters now flooding streets across Canada to wear the red poppy leading up to Remembrance Day.Did Imam do so to honour the tens of thousands of Canadians who died fighting in several wars for the freedoms he enjoys in Canada?Not at all. He seemed to imply that wearing the red poppy served well as a useful ruse — and in doing so, essentially stomped on the graves of the heroic men and women who died fighting for God and country.“Consider wearing a poppy, it may be a critical psychological tool to help change hearts and minds around why all of us are protesting,” Imam posted at 3:19 EST on Saturday..What these brainwashed mobs in denial are protesting is Israel’s retaliation in the Gaza strip against Hamas savages who invaded, beheaded, tortured, raped and abducted civilians — including women and children — on October 7. It’s a war Israel didn’t start nor ask for.“If you are protesting, consider wearing a poppy with your keffiyeh. Why?” he wrote.“Zionists, right-wingers and Islamophobes often use the argument that protesters are anti-Canadian or not patriotic.”“That they do not care for this country.”“Wearing a poppy may have a powerful impact on the average Canadian. It will send a message that we deeply care about this country.”Imam noted the protesters opposed “human rights abuses and war crimes” the Canadian government is “aiding.”A little shot at the federal government?“Wearing a poppy, to the average Canadian, symbolizes that you are commemorating the sacrifices of our country’s soldiers.”“While, especially for Muslims, it takes on a different meaning in the context of wars like Afghanistan, most Canadians aren’t thinking of that.”Oh, families of 158 Canadian soldiers who came home in caskets and thousands of wounded others are indeed thinking about the Afghanistan war.They’re thinking of the blood and treasure sacrifices made to save Afghanistan innocents from the Taliban’s brutality.Imam deleted the post within about three hours.An attack of conscience perhaps, for counselling protesters who don’t have a problem with the actions of Hamas terrorists to engage in an act of deceit?Well not exactly. Maybe a bit of a horrified backlash at his unbridled honesty?Well, beyond threatening to call his lawyer and forbidding the Western Standard to write about his Facebook post, Imam explained that he was convinced it was prudent to delete the post.“I just, you know, some people had some issues with it, so I decided to delete it,” he said in a telephone interview.“I’m honestly not really open to talking about this.”Then he proceeded to speak.“Well, to be honest with you, most Canadians see a lot of Canadians might think that people that want to protest for human rights are not necessarily supporting Canada, right.”“So maybe putting the sign up was an important thing because it shows that look, ‘We love this country just as much as everybody else and we don’t agree with putting our tax dollars towards it.’”Towards what?“I think you know what our tax dollars are going towards right now given the aid packages being sent to certain countries.”It was pointed out the bulk of $60 million pledged from Global Affairs is destined for Gaza.“I’m not talking about that aid package,” said Imam refusing to talk about what aid packages he’s talking about.“I honestly don’t want my words being put into any newspaper or any kind of documentation.”“I deleted the post. I decided maybe, you know what, maybe, it wasn’t the best thing, so I deleted it.”“You’re going to take my words and misconstrue them, aren’t you?”Nope. As disturbing as it is, what you read is exactly what he said.“I’m going to speak to my lawyer first.”“I don’t want my words to be published. I don’t want my name on anything. I don’t want anything I say to be put out there, to be honest.”Now why would someone get so worked up about a red poppy post?“I talked to my mother. I talked to some people about it, who I trust. Some (religious) scholars and stuff like that. And they said ‘You know what, this is not a good idea. So, I deleted it. I retracted it. I don’t want that to be out in public.”“I don’t agree with what I said anymore.”Imam is affiliated with the Ottawa-based The SALAM Project that, in party, focuses on workplace safety. On September 22 Imam posted on the SALAM website the federal government invited the organization to present on security issues at mosques throughout Canada.“Was very honoured to meet Inspector Firas Ismail from Peel Police and many other agencies like the OPP, Edmonton Police, Montreal Police, UNESCO and Waterloo Regional Police.”“The event was the launch of a new guide on combatting Anti-Muslim Hate that will be provided to government and law enforcement agencies across the country.”Yes, this would be the same guy, with a reasonable social media following, who urged Muslims and other protesters to wear a red poppy — but not to honour Canada’s veterans and the dead. For optics.That’s it. Optics.
Canadians wear the red poppy to honour and remember soldiers who endured extreme horrors and sacrificed their lives on battlefields fighting for our freedoms.Remembrance Day is sacrosanct for most Canadians.But Younus Imam, a security management specialist in the security field for mosques who has worked with government and law-enforcement officials, sees the revered red poppy as something else: a “critical psychological tool” that for Muslims, “takes on different meaning.”It seems he regards the red poppy as a useful prop to be worn to sway non-supporters to the radical pro-Palestinian side that chants about death to Jews, the destruction of Israel and has Canadian Jews who have received tangible threats living in fear.In a now-deleted Facebook post, Ontario’s Imam urged pro-Palestinian protesters now flooding streets across Canada to wear the red poppy leading up to Remembrance Day.Did Imam do so to honour the tens of thousands of Canadians who died fighting in several wars for the freedoms he enjoys in Canada?Not at all. He seemed to imply that wearing the red poppy served well as a useful ruse — and in doing so, essentially stomped on the graves of the heroic men and women who died fighting for God and country.“Consider wearing a poppy, it may be a critical psychological tool to help change hearts and minds around why all of us are protesting,” Imam posted at 3:19 EST on Saturday..What these brainwashed mobs in denial are protesting is Israel’s retaliation in the Gaza strip against Hamas savages who invaded, beheaded, tortured, raped and abducted civilians — including women and children — on October 7. It’s a war Israel didn’t start nor ask for.“If you are protesting, consider wearing a poppy with your keffiyeh. Why?” he wrote.“Zionists, right-wingers and Islamophobes often use the argument that protesters are anti-Canadian or not patriotic.”“That they do not care for this country.”“Wearing a poppy may have a powerful impact on the average Canadian. It will send a message that we deeply care about this country.”Imam noted the protesters opposed “human rights abuses and war crimes” the Canadian government is “aiding.”A little shot at the federal government?“Wearing a poppy, to the average Canadian, symbolizes that you are commemorating the sacrifices of our country’s soldiers.”“While, especially for Muslims, it takes on a different meaning in the context of wars like Afghanistan, most Canadians aren’t thinking of that.”Oh, families of 158 Canadian soldiers who came home in caskets and thousands of wounded others are indeed thinking about the Afghanistan war.They’re thinking of the blood and treasure sacrifices made to save Afghanistan innocents from the Taliban’s brutality.Imam deleted the post within about three hours.An attack of conscience perhaps, for counselling protesters who don’t have a problem with the actions of Hamas terrorists to engage in an act of deceit?Well not exactly. Maybe a bit of a horrified backlash at his unbridled honesty?Well, beyond threatening to call his lawyer and forbidding the Western Standard to write about his Facebook post, Imam explained that he was convinced it was prudent to delete the post.“I just, you know, some people had some issues with it, so I decided to delete it,” he said in a telephone interview.“I’m honestly not really open to talking about this.”Then he proceeded to speak.“Well, to be honest with you, most Canadians see a lot of Canadians might think that people that want to protest for human rights are not necessarily supporting Canada, right.”“So maybe putting the sign up was an important thing because it shows that look, ‘We love this country just as much as everybody else and we don’t agree with putting our tax dollars towards it.’”Towards what?“I think you know what our tax dollars are going towards right now given the aid packages being sent to certain countries.”It was pointed out the bulk of $60 million pledged from Global Affairs is destined for Gaza.“I’m not talking about that aid package,” said Imam refusing to talk about what aid packages he’s talking about.“I honestly don’t want my words being put into any newspaper or any kind of documentation.”“I deleted the post. I decided maybe, you know what, maybe, it wasn’t the best thing, so I deleted it.”“You’re going to take my words and misconstrue them, aren’t you?”Nope. As disturbing as it is, what you read is exactly what he said.“I’m going to speak to my lawyer first.”“I don’t want my words to be published. I don’t want my name on anything. I don’t want anything I say to be put out there, to be honest.”Now why would someone get so worked up about a red poppy post?“I talked to my mother. I talked to some people about it, who I trust. Some (religious) scholars and stuff like that. And they said ‘You know what, this is not a good idea. So, I deleted it. I retracted it. I don’t want that to be out in public.”“I don’t agree with what I said anymore.”Imam is affiliated with the Ottawa-based The SALAM Project that, in party, focuses on workplace safety. On September 22 Imam posted on the SALAM website the federal government invited the organization to present on security issues at mosques throughout Canada.“Was very honoured to meet Inspector Firas Ismail from Peel Police and many other agencies like the OPP, Edmonton Police, Montreal Police, UNESCO and Waterloo Regional Police.”“The event was the launch of a new guide on combatting Anti-Muslim Hate that will be provided to government and law enforcement agencies across the country.”Yes, this would be the same guy, with a reasonable social media following, who urged Muslims and other protesters to wear a red poppy — but not to honour Canada’s veterans and the dead. For optics.That’s it. Optics.
