A Lebanese Christian Woman

My name is Soraya Wahid, and I'm a Lebanese Christian woman living in the City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario. I was born and raised in the City of Baalbek in the Republic of Lebanon, but have lived in the Confederation of Canada for the past ten years. I'm five-foot-eleven, a bit chubby but still fit, with long Black hair, light bronze skin and light brown eyes. I'm twenty seven years old, back to school after a long hiatus. I'm presently a sophomore at Carleton University, where I study Criminology. Day by day I watch the country I have grown to love change before my very eyes, and I must say that I am afraid. Canada must band together with other democratic, progressive nations where women's rights and religious freedom prevail and oppose the tyranny spawned from the Middle East by treacherous, divisive minds that loathe the Western way of life.

There are a lot of Muslims at my school, which doesn't bother my Canadian friends because they're friendly and open-minded people. Doesn't bother me either, in case you were wondering. The majority of Muslims living in Canada are peaceful, easygoing people. However, there is a sinister, dangerous minority which hates Canada and the rest of the Western world, especially the United States of America. I grew up in Lebanon, in a community of Arab Christians whose rights are forever endangered because of the spread of Sharia Law. Americans and Canadians don't truly understand what Sharia Law is all about. It is firmly against the ideals of democracy, women's rights and freedom of religion. Any non-Muslim living in a majority Muslim country governed by Sharia Law is in danger. Doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, Atheist, Pagan or whatever.

A lot of naïve, liberal-minded people will say that I am prejudiced against Muslims for writing this but I will happily tell them to shut the fuck up. I was born and raised in Lebanon, an Arab country. I think I know my Arabic brothers and sisters far better than any Westerner might. I have noticed that quite a few individual States such as the State of Alaska and the State of Georgia have banned the very thought of Sharia Law being recognized on American soil. American liberals oppose them on this but I applaud these States for having the foresight of defending the American Constitution from the evils of Sharia Law. Living in Lebanon as an Arab Christian woman, I was coveted and loathed by Muslim men. Lebanese Christian women for the most part believe in democracy, feminism and women's rights. We don't roll over for men like Lebanese Muslim women do. That intimidates and secretly frightens Muslim men in Lebanon. That's why they're making life tough for Lebanese Christians these days.

Like a lot of Lebanese Christians, my family left the Republic of Lebanon. My father Ali sent my mother Fatima and I to the City of Ottawa, Ontario. He would join us a year later. Starting new lives in Canada wasn't easy for my parents. My father went to school, worked for a while and eventually opened up a restaurant in downtown Ottawa. As for my mother, she studied Sociology at the University of Ottawa and eventually became a social worker for the City of Ottawa's Department of Social Services. As for me, I had it easier than them I guess since I came to Canada while still young. I easily learned both English and French, the official languages. I studied in the Police Foundations Program at Algonquin College and graduated with my diploma at the age of nineteen. I went to Police College, and got hired as a constable by the Ottawa Police Service at the age of twenty two.

Yeah, I became one of the youngest officers they've ever hired. And for a while, I was the only Arab female officer working for the Ottawa Police Service. The local Arab community was quick to celebrate me as one of their champions...until they found out that I wasn't a Muslim woman who would wear the hijab and parade around in the name of Islam. I was a proud Lebanese CHRISTIAN woman, a feminist and a staunch believer in secular government. As in I don't think Sharia Law is a good idea. Just like I don't think giving guns to monkeys is a good idea. Yeah, I didn't become the darling of the local Arab community. Regardless, I was determined to be a good cop. I was partnered with this Jamaican guy named Matthew Harrison. A tall, burly Black man in his early forties. A proud Catholic, happily married father of three. We got along wonderfully.

We both wear small, discreet but ever-present crucifixes while on the job. Some people didn't like that but I argued that if a certain Somali female police officer working in Ottawa could wear her damn hijab, I could also wear my crucifix. That argument made it all the way into the local newspapers, as in the Ottawa Sun itself. I didn't mind or care. I won, though. And I was applauded by conservative and liberal Canadians who often felt that Christian values were under attack in Canada, even though we're a ninety percent Christian country. How I shake my head in disbelief at the sheer naïve mindset of Canadians and North Americans in general. Muslims don't believe in sharing power. They don't negotiate, they conquer. That's what they do. I'm glad that Canada and Europe are starting to limit immigration from places like North Africa and the Middle East. I don't think it's racism. I think it's cultural self-defence. In time, immigration can change the demographics and the politics of a country.

The United States of America doesn't have to worry about that. At least not for now. Most Americans are Christians. Latinos and Hispanics hailing from Latin America and folks from the Caribbean islands make up the fastest growing demographics in America and these groups are largely Christian themselves. The first thing a Mexican immigrant in America or Canada does is look for work. The second thing he does is building a church. That makes me smile. I like Hispanics. Their Christian faith is magnificent and outspoken. Muslims make up less than one percent of America's population. A population of gun-toting, freedom-loving, porn-worshiping, secular men and women who would fight to the death if Muslim militants tried to take over their governments and institutions. I hope America never loses that drive to defend its freedom, upbeat lifestyle and secular mindset.

To date, the United States of America remains the only country to use nuclear weapons in anger when wounded by a relentless opponent. That worries Arab radicals in the Middle East. As much as I like Obama, he's soft on the threat of terrorism. Maybe a hard line, staunch republican with Christian values could better defend America from radicals and extremists. Sorry, Obama. Living in Indonesia made you soft. Then again, Obama was responsible for taking out the most dangerous terrorist in human history. Maybe America's first black President isn't as soft and sweet as he appears. The man can be ruthless when he has to. As long as he defends America and Israel from religious nutcases, he's got my support. If he falters, I say don't vote for him. We're in a fight for our lives here, people. The radical Islamist sect of Boko Haram is slaughtering Christians in the Nation of Nigeria. The Somalia-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab is carrying out deadly operations in eastern Africa. I sure hope and pray that Christians worldwide wake up and realize that radical Islamists would slaughter every Christian, Jew or Atheist if they could. Let's wake up as Christian men and Christian women and defend the causes of Christianity, feminism and democracy before we're stuck on Planet Burka. Trust me, I've been there when I lived in Lebanon. It isn't a pretty picture, ladies and gentlemen.

Yeah, I've got a myriad worries as you can see. In my job as a policewoman, I try my best to be fair and balanced. However, recently, I kind of lost it. We received a call to the neighborhood of Vanier in the east end of the City of Ottawa. I was there with officer Harrison. We went to this house and there, we ran into a nightmarish situation. This Saudi guy named Abdullah was beating his wife Aisha, and when he saw me, an Arab woman in a police uniform, he had the nerve to insult me in Arabic. I won't tell you what he said, only that if had to do with menstruation. I lost it, man. I beat that guy to a bloody pulp. Officer Harrison had to pull me off him. I caught a lot of flak from both the Ottawa Police Service and the local Arab community for this. The police has been in trouble over violence and mistreatment of suspects lately. And my case added fuel to the fire. I was placed under administrative leave pending a full investigation. I was found not guilty, but taken off the street anyway. No, I didn't lose my job. I was given desk duty, which I hated. I decided to ask my union rep to change things for me. I would become a part-timer with the police service. I was going back to school, on the province's dime of course.

Yeah, I'm back in school. And I must say that I'm at a funny time in my life. I recently met Todd Harrison, my former patrol partner Matthew Harrison's nephew from the City of Atlanta, Georgia. He's six-foot-one, fit and muscular, with dark brown skin, hazel eyes and curly Black hair. He's biracial, born to a Jamaican-American father and Hispanic mother. Oh, and this twenty-four-year-old stud is studying for his Bachelor's degree in Criminology at Carleton University. Same as me. We have several classes together, and he flirts with me constantly. He finds Middle-Eastern ladies pretty but told me he wasn't trying to change his religion. He's a devout Christian...who likes to party. I don't like to date younger men because they're usually immature. I made an exception for this one, though. Well, I must say I was intrigued by his...personality. Alright, who am I kidding? The guy's seriously hot, and he wants me. Well, I have been on a few dates with him and he's A-Okay. We've decided to keep our relationship secret from his uncle Harrison, for obvious reasons. We work together, for one thing.

Anyhow, tonight, Todd and I are going to the movies. We're going to the Blair Cineplex to watch The Hunger Games. I'm not a big movie buff unless Antonio Banderas or Denzel Washington are in it but the Hunger Games is supposed to be really good. I don't care. All I know is I'll be going with Todd Harrison. The man I am honestly starting to like. We're still early in the relationship but I can honestly say that so far, he's wonderful to me. Besides, I haven't had a date/or gotten laid in ages. I've been too easy being Superwoman, defending North America from the religiously based tyranny that tore Lebanon apart. Well, tonight, I'm taking a break from being Superwoman and enjoying being a regular woman for a change. By going to the movies with a cute guy I like. Wish me luck. What am I saying? I've seen the way Todd looks at me when I wear skirts and tonight I'm wearing my little Black dress. I just might get lucky!