Moving to Canada?

Dr. Waleed Hakeem
July 24 at 6:13pm


Subhanallah, when I left the US in 2007 and moved to Canada, many people (including my colleagues and some public figures) made fun of my decision. The irony now is that those same people are calling me and asking me how to move to Canada! :)


Here are my top reasons of why I left the US to Canada:

1- Canada is 11 times safer than the US statistically speaking. I couldn't go out of my home after 9pm in the US, but in Canada I can walk out past midnight fearing no one but my Creator!

2- The US allows anyone to purchase guns. In Canada it's illegal, and even pepper spray is considered a weapon and illegal!

3- Canada has free healthcare for everyone. The US healthcare costs an arm and a leg and any serious illness will most likely bankrupt you.

4- Also as an indirect result, Canada is very strict on banning harmful chemicals in food, but the USDA isn't, because sick people are profitable!

5- Canada has consistently ranked #1 in the world in quality of life during the 90's, and #2 after Norway since the 2000's. The US is not even in the top 20 anymore!

6- Canada only taxes their citizens inside Canada. The US taxes their citizens worldwide wherever they live.

7- Canada has much less racism than the US. Couples from mixed races are a very common scene there, but in the US they would often get strange and dirty looks in many states.

8- Canada gives you a citizenship in just 3-4 years, but the US takes twice to triple the time to get that citizenship!

9- Canadian economy is very stable and in fact they hardly got affected by the famous 2009 recession. Meanwhile the US has 18 trillion dollar debt and will sooner or later get bankrupt.

10- Canada's law enforcement are active in working with Muslim communities, but US law enforcement are very suspicious of Muslims.

11- Canada spends most of its budget on taking care of its citizens. The US spends most of its budget on the military.

12- As a Canadian citizen traveling, you will often be treated with respect and friendliness. Meanwhile, being a US citizen you will often get hostile remarks about your country's "foreign policy".

13- Canada ranks ahead in the US in school education, agriculture, public transportation, and just about every major category (excluding military and entertainment, which is not really a concern for me).

14- Canadian laws are pro-employees, but US laws are pro-corporations. You get mandatory 2 weeks vacation a year by law plus another 10 days public holidays. In US, it is zero days by law (Yes zero!)

15- The Canadian media, is generally speaking, much more balanced than the US media. Just compare how Canada covered an attack on their own parliament building compared to how the US covered the same news story!

16- There are more than 10 million people in US jails. That's about one third of the population of Canada! Many US jails are for-profit companies so its in their interest to make laws that give longer sentences.

17- The minimum wage in Canada is almost double the minimum wage in the US, with half of the unemployment rate.

My comparison doesn't just extend to Canada, but I can name at least 20 countries that are much better than the US (e.g. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan, etc). The American dream is over since the early 90's. The dream now is Scandinavia. Now come join Noah's ark and leave before it's too late! :)