Re: Faith groups come together for Syrian refugee families Oct. 30.
If images of a dead refugee child are apparently required to provoke action, perhaps more images are needed of the victims of child poverty in Canada. If one faith community has raised almost $60,000 for refugees, have they raised a corresponding amount for children in Canada whose needs are not being addressed?
Who do not speak English as a first language well?
Who do not have access to quality child care?
Who could use help negotiating the medical system and paying for what is not covered?
Who go to bed hungry?
Whose housing is sub-standard and cold?
Who lack basics like furniture, household goods, clothing etc.?
In appealing for aid the Imam claims, “the things that bring us together outweigh differences…” Aren’t differences like the oppression of women sufficiently egregious to more than counterbalance common values? Is there the equivalent of a female minister in Islam, female Imams?
Rather than bringing more refugees here to compete for supposedly scarce resources, international pressure might be brought to bear on adjacent oil-rich Muslim countries to provide greater assistance there.
R. Allen
Oak Bay
