Evidence of meeting #107 for Justice and Human Rights in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was islamophobia.
A recording is available from Parliament.
As an Individual
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Answer succinctly based on your general knowledge, please.
As an Individual
To my general knowledge, this is a very positive development and it's overdue.
The online space is really a wild west. I fully expect to get—and maybe every member of this panel will too—comments through social media about our appearance here today. I typically expect to get comments like “Go back where you came from” or “You should feel lucky that you're here”. I expect to get those types of comments.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
I appreciate that.
Would you say you have a fair amount of knowledge when it comes to the online harms act in the sense that you, as a layperson, have been following it in the media?
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
To your knowledge as a layperson following it in the media, would you say that the online harms act would help address the concerns being brought forth to this committee and other forms of discrimination?
As an Individual
I was going to mention that the bullying and protection of young people are addressed in the act. There's a concern about balancing the rights of free speech with the types of comments people make online.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
It is an important balancing act, certainly, and that's really important. I personally promote the protection of civil liberties and free expression. Both principles are important. Addressing discrimination squarely and balancing them are important.
In the 30 seconds that remain, I want to open it up to whoever can answer in about 20 seconds.
Over the last seven months, have you found that discrimination as it relates to Islamophobia has manifested differently in your personal experience, in particular around expressions of freedom of speech on the rights of Palestinian people?
Maybe we can go to Ali Islam.
As an Individual
Actually, I'll let one of the university students comment about this.
Dareen Shilbayeh Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia
I can touch on that really quickly.
Absolutely—that is the short answer. Being a student on campus and being a passerby and community member in London, Ontario, I have seen an incredible spike in confidence in carrying out hate crimes or verbal assaults. I have been a victim. Almost everyone I love who is visibly Muslim has been a victim of verbal assaults and physical harassment.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Do you think anti-Palestine racism should be part of the government's strategy?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
Thank you for that.
We will now go to two and a half minutes each.
Mr. Fortin is first.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I thought that at the beginning of the second hour we would each have a six-minute turn.
Liberal
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
I understand, but, in my case, I had a six‑minute first round, and now I'm wondering if I'll only have two‑and‑a‑half-minute speaking turns until the end.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
Unfortunately, we're still in the first round. We haven't finished it yet.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
I asked you the question right from the start, Madam Chair. I've had discussions with, among others, our colleague Mr. Housefather, who suggested that we do what you decided to do, i.e., that we hear a single group of witnesses for two hours. The problem is that the opposition parties, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois, lose about four minutes of speaking time in each round. So there was talk of resetting, as I said earlier, the speaking times at the start of the second hour.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
If I ask for consent, we can do five minutes each, then, for Mr. Fortin and Mr. Garrison.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
That's better, but you'll understand that, without wanting to quibble, I'm going to object to our proceeding in this way next time. I'm going to ask that the usual speaking turns be maintained.
Conservative
Conservative
Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB
Not to belabour this, because we'd be delaying hearing from our witnesses, but we have agreed to a format for questions in this committee. Mr. Fortin is on his second question. Some of our members haven't had one question yet.
I think we should just stick with the format that we agreed to at the start of the committee, which provides for this exact scenario.