Islamophobia motion divides Tories
Some Conservative leadership candidates calling it an attack on freedom of expression
OTTAWA— A push to condemn Islamophobia in the House of Commons has created a wedge in the Conservative leadership race, driven by farright blogs claiming it’s an attack on freedom of expression.
The motion, scheduled to be debated in Parliament on Wednesday, asks MPs to recognize the need to “quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear” against Muslims and condemn “all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination.”
It further asks the Commons’ heritage committee to examine the issues of racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia, and to collect more data on hate crimes in Canada. The motion, introduced by Liberal Mississauga — Erin Mills MP Iqra Khalid, would in no way change Canadian hate-crime laws, nor does it call for further limiting Canadians’ Charter-guaranteed right to freedom of expression.
But over the weekend, prominent Conservative MPs vying for the party’s leadership say they’ve been convinced to vote against the bill.
“Is this motion a first step toward restricting our right to criticize Islam?” wrote Maxime Bernier, one of the race’s leading candidates, over the weekend. “Given the international situation, and the fact that jihadi terrorism is today the most im- portant threat to our security, I think this is a serious concern we have to take into account.”
Bernier connected the motion to “blasphemy” and “sharia” law, concerns that have no connection to the text of the motion, but mirror opposition on far-right blogs and from anonymous social-media users.
Amira Elghawaby, a spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said it’s “unclear” how studying Islamophobia and other forms of religious discrimination would limit freedom of speech.
“It’s undeniable, when you’ve just had six people gunned down in a place of worship, it’s undeniable that there is Islamophobia in Canada,” Elghawaby told the Star on Tuesday.
Khalid’s motion was introduced in December, more than a month be- fore 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonette allegedly stormed a Quebec City mosque and murdered six Muslim men at their evening prayers.
Michael Chong, another candidate for Conservative leadership, said that in light of that attack, it’s proper for parliamentarians to study antiMuslim prejudice and discrimination.
“In denouncing Islamophobia, the motion is simply denouncing discrimination and prejudice against Muslims and people of the Islamic faith,” Chong wrote in a statement. “Nothing more or less. Motion 103 will not prevent anyone from criticizing Islam or radical Islamic terrorists.”
Howard Anglin, a former deputy chief of staff to Stephen Harper, told the Star Monday he believes concerns of the impact this motion will have on freedom of speech may be “conflated” with other issues at the provincial or even corporate level.
“I think there is a lot of general concern about political correctness, for want of a better term. Political correctness, limiting what is considered to be acceptable speech or acceptable views just generally.
“I’m sympathetic probably to people who see it all as part of a multidimensional attempt to restrict what are ‘acceptable’ and ‘mainstream’ views and speech,” Anglin said. “So I think to that extent, there’s a legitimate free-speech issue that sort of emanates from these, but individually none of these (efforts) may pose the grave threat that their critics are concerned about.”
“Is this motion a first step toward restricting our right to criticize Islam?” MAXIME BERNIER TORY LEADERSHIP HOPEFUL