Keeping it Real…

The deaths of 140 Afghan civilians in two suicide bombings this week cry out to Canadians.

Each victim was an innocent; each victim left behind grieving families; and each victim has a message for Canadians that we must heed: we must not abandon Afghanistan.

The Taliban and their co-criminals kill and maim in the belief that, if they keep it up long enough, NATO countries will tire and leave; local Afghan residents will become so terrified they will surrender; and the ousted fear-based bloody Taliban government of the past will rule once more.

If Canada and NATO abandon Afghanistan, that is exactly what will happen. The wholesale executions of opponents in public stadiums will resume; the relegation of women to the role of uneducated housebound slaves will return; the death sentences for homosexuals will be reinstated; all expressions of dissent and contrary belief will be obliterated and the people of Afghanistan who are allowed to survive will be forced into a life of subjugation, fear and both physical and intellectual slavery.

Why should we care? First, because we are Canadians: a proud free people who have paid the price many times before to protect our freedoms by protecting and restoring that of others. And we know from history that fighting fascism and totalitarianism overseas is necessary … painful and costly though it may be … so that we don’t have to fight the tyrants on our own land.

And that’s exactly what would be required if we abandon Afghanistan. The Taliban ..freshly emboldened by victory ..would no doubt allow, even encourage, the re-establishment of terrorist-training camps aimed at taking “jihad’ to their non-Islamic enemy: us! That’s what they did before (ask the 911 victims’ families); that’s what they would do again .. and Canada would be a clear target.

The debate over Canada’s future in Afghanistan emboldens the Taliban. They know there are many naive Canadians who lack the stomach to fight (we had them in 1939-45 too.).

If we truly want peace … we must continue to fight. Surrender will only make things worse… much worse.

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