Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
- Muslims are obligated to serve and protect their country against aggression. Therefore, they ought to take up arms if ordered to do so by the elected government.
- Since freedom of conscience is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights for every citizen of Canada, you can refuse participation in an unjust operation.
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Muslims are obligated to serve and protect their country against aggression. Therefore, they ought to take up arms if ordered to do so by the elected government.
So getting military training is perfectly fine as long you intend to protect and defend your country against those who wage war against it.
However, Islam does not allow wars of aggression. Allah says:
“Those who have been attacked are permitted to take up arms because they have been wronged- God has the power to help them.” (Al-Hajj 22:39)
“Fight in God’s cause against those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits: God does not love those who overstep the limits.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 190)
So, if your country is waging war against a peaceful nation, you must refuse because of conscience. You have a right to refuse to do things if such an action is repugnant to your moral conscience.
Islam makes a clear distinction between a just war and an unjust war. Therefore, a Muslim should have no qualms about joining a just war. However, we must never join or condone an unjust war.
So, since freedom of conscience is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights for every citizen of Canada, you can refuse participation in an unjust operation.
For more, about Muslim and non-Muslim relations, see these fatwas:
Cooperation with Non-Muslim Relief Organizations: Allowed?
Immigration to a Non-Muslim Country: Allowed?
Is It Sinful for Me to Attend Non-Muslim Business Meetings?
How Should New Muslims Deal Their Non-Muslim Families?
Almighty Allah knows best.