Dear Editor,
Half a world away one of the greatest threats to peace and stability of an entire region is being threatened by an incredibly dangerous and powerful group bent on establishing an extremist theocracy of sorts from the Dark Ages. The Islamic State has taken over large potions of Iraq and now threatens an already precarious Syria which is going into its fifth year of civil war with mass refugee displacement. As ISIS pours into villages, towns and cities they have conquered, they execute 鈥渁dulterous鈥� women by stoning them to death and horrifically throw gay men from the top of the highest buildings they can find. On top of such human atrocities, they rampage through museums and other cultural and historical sites destroying artifacts that are estimated to be thousands of years old.
Sure, we are lucky to live in Jasper where we can host pride festivals where openly gay men and women can walk down the street hand in hand and not have to worry about their lives being threatened. At the same time, you would never suspect much concern that Canada is essentially at war in Iraq and now Syria, fighting one of the greatest threats to world peace we have seen since Hitler engaged the world in the bloodbath that would become World War 2 and the Holocaust.
Indeed, we seem to have a government dedicated to stopping these monsters at home and abroad, but where are the hard questions being directed to our Member of Parliament on Canada鈥檚 combat mission in Iraq and Syria?
In Jasper you hardly hear a peep in daily conversation around town about this issue.
And while it鈥檚 true that at times we may feel sheltered living in the beautiful and idyllic bubble that Jasper can be, this war is very real, and we seem to have a federal government wading balls deep into an expanding conflict that is sure to have vast consequences abroad as well at home鈥攖hink of the gunman trying to siege the parliament buildings in Ottawa this past October鈥攚hat do Jasperites think about the issue? Remember, Jasper is one of the most culturally diverse and global towns of its size not only in Canada, but in all of North America.
How might this war affect not only us, but more broadly Canada and our biggest trading partner the United States (who also happens to be our biggest foreign tourist market)?
Undoubtedly, the Islamic State is a barbaric, extremist organization that requires immediate global attention, and viewing the news coverage on their crimes against humanity is not for the faint of heart. However, an informed and active public debate on how best to tackle this threat, no matter where we live, will bode far better for us than not getting engaged in the biggest foreign public debate to come to Canada since the U.S led invasion of Iraq over a decade ago. It鈥檚 time Jasperites be a little more bullish about asking our Member of Parliament Jim Eglinski the hard hitting questions about issues that will no doubt be affecting Canadians in one way or another for years to come. We have that right no matter where we live in Canada and we shouldn鈥檛 take it for granted.
Andy Klimach
Jasper, Alta.
