Blair's tough anti-terrorism measures merit our consideration
Blinded by our commitment to multiculturalism, Canada is vulnerable to extremism
James Bissett
Freelance
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's announcement of sweeping new powers to combat terrorism, including a tougher approach to the entry and removal of people who preach hatred and violence, comes too late for the victims of the London bombings.
But it's not too late to serve as additional measures in the war against terrorism.
More important for Canadians, the British proposals might well serve as a warning to our own government that, unless we take similar action, Canada too will have its victims.
For too long, both in Canada and in Britain, the devotion to diversity and multiculturalism has blinded political leaders to the growth of extremism and the spread of intolerance and violence in some of our ethnic communities.
The failure to bring the Air India bombers to justice, Canada's refusal to place the Tamil Tigers on the list of terrorist organizations, and the delay and procrastination before naming Hamas, Hezbollah and other Islamist terrorist groups on that list is evidence that our government has been reluctant to admit there is a problem.
Britain has faced a similar situation with its large concentration of Muslim newcomers, many of whom have not integrated well into British society and have not accepted the British way of life or its value system. For years, hardline religious leaders have been permitted to preach a gospel of hatred in mosques and educational institutions. Now, as the latest bombings in London have shown, young British-born Muslims are prepared to murder their fellow citizens in order to carry out the nihilistic mission of their fanatic mentors.
In both countries, politicians have repeatedly given assurances that the loyalty and values of ethnic communities where problems have been evident are beyond reproach. Few, if any, measures have been taken to address serious problem areas. On the contrary, the issues are more often overlooked or excuses found.
In Toronto, in one ethnic community, the problem of young men killing each other is blamed not on the culture of violence evident in that community but on the fact that the weapons used to commit the murders have been smuggled into Canada from the United States.
Since 9/11, Muslim communities in Britain and in Canada have been repeatedly told they are the victims of racial profiling and police harassment. Seldom have the communities themselves been asked to help identify the real or potential terrorists in their ranks.
The refusal to acknowledge that the problem in some ethnic communities is real and that leaders and members of that community have a responsibility to their fellow citizens to help resolve the problem is foolish and counterproductive.
Such reluctance sends a message that is both misleading and dangerous. It not only creates misunderstanding, but, more seriously, encourages the extremists by undermining the capacity and will of the moderate majority to stand up to the militants.
Blair's announcement that the rules are changing is welcome news. He promises to crack down on extremists who foment hatred and has issued a warning that those who come to Britain have a responsibility to support, "the values that sustain the British way of life."
He plans to speed up the deportation of foreign nationals who are linked to terrorism and, since most of the foreign terrorists come from countries where mistreatment of prisoners is common, to challenge Britain's adherence to the United Nations Convention against Torture. He also has proposed to expand the government's powers to strip citizenship from naturalized citizens who become involved in terrorist activities and to review Britain's generous asylum system.
Many of these measures are ones that should be examined by Canadian policy makers. It may be true that Canada has been more successful in integrating its newcomers, but to deny that we are facing similar problems in some of our ethnic communities is to deny the facts.
Our dysfunctional asylum system cries out for reform; as it now stands, it undermines everything that has been done to combat terrorist activity by us and the Americans. Blair's proposal to strip the citizenship from naturalized citizens runs the risk of creating a double standard of citizenship. This may not be acceptable to most Canadians, but why not revoke the citizenship of any citizen who engages in terrorist activities? Canada's citizenship laws are among the most generous in the world. The waiting time before citizenship is granted is only three years and there is little emphasis on the duties and obligations expected of new citizens.
Many of the other steps announced by Blair are worthy of study. Unfortunately, as history and the recent bombings in Britain have shown, politicians in democratic countries will only take tough action after a catastrophic event has occurred.
As might be expected, the British prime minister's announcement has already been criticized as going too far.
Some might argue he has not gone far enough.
James Bissett is a former Canadian ambassador and former head of the Canadian Immigration Service
