Muslims in Western Politics

11. Canadian National Security Policy and Canadian Muslim Communities

1 1 Canadian National Security Policy and Canadian Muslim Communities Kent Roach Canada has a somewhat better reputation as a welcoming place for Muslims and for respect for civil liberties than the United States and many European countries, such as the United Kingdom or France. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Canada did not derogate from its constitutional bill of rights, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as the United Kingdom did. Unlike the United States, it had a relatively robust political debate about its immediate legislative response to 9/11, and Muslim voices were heard during that debate. Canada ’s reputation is also affected by the sometimes harsh criticism it has received for its comparatively liberal immigration policies and its refusal to join the invasion of Iraq. Canada has demonstrated official concern for the treatment received by its citizens abroad who are suspected of terrorism by calling an expensive and unprecedented public inquiry to examine the actions of Canadian officials relating to the extraordinary rendition of Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian citizen , from the United States to Syria. Building on its official recognition and promotion of multiculturalism, Canada has created a new cross-cultural roundtable on national security issues and made efforts to engage with the Muslim communities on security issues.  · Kent Roach In this chapter, I critically examine Canada’s post-9/11 national security policy with special attention to its effects on Canadian Muslims and their engagement in its development. I suggest that while, in some respects, Canada’s reputation for respect for civil liberties and a welcoming multiculturalism is deserved , especially in comparative perspective, Canada can, and should, do more to ensure greater respect for equality, multiculturalism, and international law in its anti-terrorism activities. Such improvements might not only result in moral and normative gains, but also be instrumental in combating terrorism. Better relations between Canadian governments and the Muslim minority, a strong condemnation of racial and religious profiling, the deletion of the religious or political motive requirement from Canada’s definition of terrorism, and better review of Canada’s national security activities may actually help make Canada more secure from terrorism. It may also contribute to social cohesion and avoid the type of cross-cultural conflict that has recently taken place in the Netherlands, France, and Australia. Canada’s Muslim Communities Between 1991 and 2001 Canada’s Muslim population more than doubled, growing from 1% to 2% of Canada’s total population: there were 579,640 Muslims in the 2001 Canada census, up from 253,000 in 1991 and 98,165 in 1981. The Muslim minority in Canada is larger than other non-Christian religious communities, including the Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh (Statistics Canada 2005). The Muslim minority will likely continue to grow both because of high fertility rates and continued immigration: Canada continues to facilitate more immigration than most other Western countries. For example, the percentage of Canadians who are foreign-born is twice that of Americans (Kymlicka 1998, 1). Canada’s Muslim minority is heavily urbanized with large numbers in Toronto , Ottawa, and Montreal, and there are ten federal ridings in those cities whose Muslim population is over 10 percent. Especially since 9/11 there have been signs of a growing political awareness and activism within Canadian Muslim communities. For example, the Canadian Islamic Congress has prepared report cards for all federal members of Parliament and urged Muslims to become active and engaged on a variety of public issues, including security issues (Canadian Islamic Congress 2004). During Canada’s 2006 election campaign the leaders of the major parties made it a point to visit and be photographed in mosques. An important feature of the Canadian Muslim minority is its diversity, with large numbers of immigrants coming from South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The majority of Canadian Muslims are Sunni, but there are also significant Shia, Ismaili, and Ahmadi populations. Even within sects, there are important differences of nationality, with some mosques housing populations from Canadian National Security Policy and Canadian Muslim Communities ·  Southeast Asia, and others host Muslims from Arab countries, Africa, or Bosnia. The diversity of the Canadian Muslim community in terms of national origin, sect, and political and religious orientation may affect its political engagement in Canada. There are also a number of different groups that compete to represent Muslims in Canadian political life. All these factors, along with the...