Canadian Islamic Congress Criticizes Right Wing Liberals for Rejecting Repeal of Anti-Terrorism Act

Canadian Islamic Congress
Al-Jazeerah
November 18, 2005

The Canadian Islamic Congress has reacted strongly to news that some of Canada's most senior and influential federal ministers have pulled out all the stops to preserve the draconian anti-terrorism legislation that was hastily created following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S.

Despite findings of a special Senate committee that held more than 40 public hearings on the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) over the past nine months � including a testimony by CIC � and raised numerous warning issues about its inadequacies and its threat to existing Canadian rights legislation, Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan went on the defensive this week, asserting that the government will not repeal the controversial legislation.

Ms. McLellan has emerged recently as the leader of the Liberal government's right wing gang of four that has mounted the most concerted opposition to repealing the Anti-Terrorism Act.  Along with Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, Immigration Minister Joe Volpe, and Transport Minister Jean Lapierre, McLellan � whose submission to the Senate committee on Monday supported the act � has repeatedly insisted that "the [terrorist] threat is real."

A CIC statement expresses "shock and dismay" that some of this country's most powerful politicians have chosen to ignore vital findings of the Senate committee and to further subject Canadians to security provisions that seriously compromise the rights that come with citizenship.

"For Canadian Muslims in particular, this means living under the continual threat of racial profiling, security certificate detentions, no-fly listings and discrimination based on suspicion," the statement continued.

"Sadly, the reasons why we advised Canadian Muslims earlier this year to reconsider our community's traditional support for the Liberal Party, have taken on greater urgency today � it is totally preposterous for politicians like Ms. McLellan to publicly declare that this unjust act balances human rights and security."

There are over 750,000 Muslims in Canada and Muslims of voting age make up critical "swing vote" numbers in many crucial ridings across the nation, especially in the Greater Toronto Area.