Mac Olsen
Express Staff
@SmokyRiverExprs
Western governments have a habit of overreacting to forces and events like terrorism, but societies as a whole must take a step back and not give into the frenzy, including from the media, when they occur.
Such were the thoughts of author Gwynne Dyer when he spoke to students and the public at Georges P. Vanier on May 15.
“We fall for it, time after time,” he says.
Citing the terrorist attack on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa on October 22, 2014 – where one soldier died while on ceremonial duty at the National War Memorial, at the hands of Muslim extremist Michael Zehaf-Bibeau – Dyer is critical of then Prime Minister Stephen Harper for passing Bill C-51, also known as the Anti-terrorism Act of 2015. Dyer concludes that Harper’s legislation was unnecessary because there have been very few acts of terrorism in Canada in the past 50 years, and because the vast majority of Muslim Canadians do not condone terrorist attacks like the one in October 2014.
Dyer also offered his thoughts about the rise of Islamism in the Middle East, including how Osama Bin Laden was able to draw the U.S. into war in the Middle East following 9/11.
Dyer concluded his presentation with a question-and-session with the audience, including his thoughts about President Donald Trump.
Excerpts of Dyer’s presentation are found in videos on the Express’ Facebook page.