Noted historian, journalist, broadcaster and lecturer Gwynne Dyer offered a fresh perspective and context to world events, in particular the rise of the Islamic State, to DVSS students and the community, Monday.
Dyer was invited to speak to students by Andrew Berdahl, teacher at DVSS. Friends of DVSS sponsored his appearance. He spoke to students in the afternoon, and then did a free talk with members of the community that evening.
His talk focused on the historic roots of the Islamic State and its path from rebel roots to Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and the September 11 attacks. This was a direct path to the situation in Syria and Iraq today.
He gauges how credible terrorist threats to Canada and the US are and if we are indeed the target of these threats, or simply a pawn in the Islamic State’s own battle across the world.
“I think it is important because we get suckered all the time by people who want to send our troops off, get us involved in things that may be just futile—and will get some people killed, or are counter productive,” he tells The Mail.
“This will always be around, this will always be in the media, it will be another feeding frenzy, and it is every year. All sorts of actors in Canada, some whom do not understand the situation and some of whom are exploiting it, will be urging us to go and do whatever it is we are called upon by events, or our allies or the opposition parties”.
“It’s not that we should never do this, it's about we should understand what it is about, what is at risk and if you want to do something that is public spirited or altruistic like go and fight evil people in Iraq or Syria to save decent people in Iraq or Syria from bad guys, go ahead and do so. I might hold your coat or I might even help you, but don’t tell me it’s about protecting Drumheller.”
In a media landscape of sound bytes, this is a hard message to get out.
“It’s two things; one is that it is a bit complicated when you have a minute and a half on television. On radio where you have a full seven minutes, it’s still complicated,” he said. “The other thing is people don’t want to believe that we are being used by these groups.”
While the threat to the western world may not be imminent, he believes that Canada should be involved in the conflict with the Islamic State.
“If it were in my gift, I would have Canadian troops there, but that is because I know the area, I care about it, I have friends there and I can see what may happen to them, or has happened to some of them. If we have the power to mitigate that or stop it, I would use it, but I am well aware that I am willing to use it at the expense of some young Canadian Soldiers.”
