...born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad

Syed’s transformation: Yes, it’s true. Syed Soharwardy, famous for complaining to Calgary police about Ezra Levant and, when they told him to shove off, taking his “hurt feelings” about Ezra’s sass and his temerity in publishing some Danish Mo ‘toons to the compassionate souls at the Alberta Human Rights Commission, who said, “C’mon down!,” has turned over a new leaf. As the Canadian Press reported late last month,

Step-by-step, kilometre-by-kilometre a Calgary imam is getting a unique perspective of our country in his multi-faith walk against violence.

Syed Soharwardy, 52, began a cross-country journey from Halifax on April 20.

The founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada and Muslims Against Terrorism decided to do the walk as a protest against all forms of violence, including child and domestic abuse, terrorism, gangs, bullying and elder abuse.

Along the way, he says, he has encountered the good side of Canadians in terms of tolerance and acceptance.

“It is more educational to me than anything else,’’ he said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press as he reached the outskirts of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

“It gave me a picture of what Canadians are, what they are all about and they are such a nice people. I did not find a single person who would come to me and say, `You are wrong. You are a Muslim. You are a brown guy. Get out from here.’

“So far, with the journey half over, I have not seen a single (bad) person or had a bad experience.’’

Soharwardy, who was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, has been an outspoken critic of international terrorism and any kind of violence. He is also a long-time participant in interfaith groups that share a similar stand against aggression.

So it’s a brand-spanking new Syed, one who’s so thrilled that no one referred to him as “a brown guy” during his perambulations that he no longer believes that Islam, as per the name of his organization, is supreme, right?

No doubt his organization is is still adapting to the change, and its website will reflect its founder's newfound tolerance and acceptance real soon. Until then, it looks more or less like the same old ISCC to moi.

Posted by: scaramouche at 19:15 | link | comments (2)

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