Criticism of Canadian Anti-Terror Bill

["Ken Hanly" <khanly@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Muslims, Arabs denounce Canada's anti-terror bill
Last Updated: Tue Nov 6 21:46:12 2001
OTTAWA - Prominent Arab groups denounced the anti-terrorism bill at a
Justice Committee hearing in Ottawa Tuesday, calling Bill C-36 "obscene" and
an act of terrorism itself.


INDEPTH: Striking Back: Canada


Dr. Mohamed Elmasry
Dr. Mohamed Elmasry, national director of the Canadian Islamic Congress,
said the anti-terrorism bill would make Muslim and Arab Canadians "the most
targeted group" in the country.

"This bill is obscene," said Rocco Galati, lawyer for the CIC. "You might as
well delete the Constitution from our landscape." He told committee members,
"You are invoking extraordinary measures that we haven't seen since June 21
of 1941 (Second World War) and October of 1970 (War Measures Act)."


FAQ: Canada's anti-terrorism bill

The Muslim and Arab groups also demanded that the proposed bill have a
"sunset clause," so as to be able to review, update and delete certain
portions of the legislation as times change.

The Canadian Jewish Congress supported the bill in general terms, but
suggested the words "terrorist" and "terrorism" not apply to labour strikes
and protests, even illegal ones.


Rocco Galati

The proposed legislation allows police to hold people without charge, and
allows closed trials for suspected terrorists.

"You cannot have someone criminally liable and losing their property . for
just being Muslim or Arab," Galati of the CIC told the committee. "That's
what this bill does. And it just repeats the historical injustices against a
racial or religious minority that we've seen throughout Canadian history."


Written by CBC News Online