Rememberance Day With Jasmine

Poppy is so beautiful. I grew up loving the act of placing the bouquet  of red poppies on the wall of Queen's College auditorium in Guyana. However, I must admit I am now a fan of spreading  the lavender  looking Jasmine around the world as Syrian refugees  sprawl worldwide in escape of the land of fragrant flowers.

So here is the scoop. When we were planning  the Rememberance Day celebration in Edmonton some people  thought instead of the red poppy which at times is still not fully embraced by Muslims around the world, the artist should  ceremoniously placed an intricate Jasmine on the right lower corner.

We will not forget the millions of soldiers  who laid their lives down so we may love free from Nazi and neo Nazi racist genocides. We also vigorously remember the million Muslims who died as martyrs on the Flander fields of unmarked places globally. Their sacrifices  are with their Lord.

However,  the worse human crisis since World  War 11 warrants that we Remember Alan  Kurdi  and the millions who either  have died in watery homes or are brutally displaced into alien homes.

Rightfully, Dr Munir El-Kassem defended the importance  of supporting  the Syrian  refugees  last Saturday  night by sharing  his own story  of escaping  Lebanon  as a teen with his father at the helm of their large family. He didn't  minced words for those who wallow  in the literalist approach  to Faith and moreso those who view Islam in their own political  lens. Rememberance Day is filled with gratitude  that one War has ended and the bugle  and bagpipe reminds us that the many other wars must soon end.

When I was invited by Senator Rev  Don Meredith  with Toronto Mayor John Tory last Nov to  commemorate  for the first time Black soldiers who flew in Battalions in Europe, unsung  and never heard of,
I celebrated  my Caribbean  ancestry  and knew that an event  to mark  the Muslim  soldiers of India, Yugoslavia, Algeria, America and Turkey,  etc must one day be commerated.
Thats what I finally  did for my Indian if not my Muslim  heritage.

This week many of my comrades and friends  joined  us in not only pouring their genorosity  in saving refugees  who are victims of a senseless war but remembered quietly all of our ancestors  and pious predecessors  who fought one way or another to make the freedom  of religion  freedom from tyranny.

I wear my poppy proudly!

I await the bloom of Jasmines on shoulders accross  oceans!

Lest  We Forget!