Mr. Speaker, I consider it a privilege to rise before the House to debate the merits of Bill C-224, an act to establish an exhibit in the Canadian Museum of Civilization in recognition of the crimes against humanity, as defined by the United Nations, that have been perpetrated during the 20th century.
I congratulate my hon. colleague for Brampton Centre for having the courage to introduce such an important piece of legislation. I say courage because there remains considerable controversy, whether some of the killings that are being characterized as crimes against humanity were somehow justified as acts of war.
I suspect that all parliamentarians have received significant amounts of correspondence in response to the member for Brampton Centre's private member's bill.
I can honestly say that each day I receive a number of letters or postcards from fellow Canadians showing their strong views about the prospects of Canada establishing an all encompassing Canadian genocide museum.
I thank each and every one of those Canadians who have taken the time to share their personal experiences with me. Reading about some of their terrible experiences has helped me develop a greater understanding and deeper sense of appreciation for this wonderful country in which we live.
I suspect that most Canadians who have the good fortune of being born in a country such as Canada are guilty of taking our freedom for granted.
Our heroes who fought during the first and second world wars and those who participated in the Boer and Korean wars, along with the many peacekeepers who have represented us with honour throughout the hot spots in the world, would have a different perspective about what it means to live in a free and democratic society.
In an ideal world, all people are created equal and are free to live and work where they choose and free to practise their own religion without fear of persecution. Unfortunately, history has shown that this simply is not the case.
History is riddled with extraordinary acts of cruelty against mankind. Crimes against humanity have been chronicled almost since the beginning of time. It is because of this long history of treachery that I question whether an exhibition of crimes against humanity that is limited to the 20th century is sufficient.
There are many examples of genocides or crimes against humanity which have had a direct impact on the evolution of Canadian society. To ignore some of them by restricting the exhibit to events that happened in the 20th century would be committing a huge disservice to our young Canadians. Our youth should be exposed to the various interpretations of history so that they can develop a broader perspective and a better understanding of events that have shaped the social fabric of this country.
Most Canadians know about the deportation of the Acadians that occurred in 1755. This was a tragic event in Canadian history. During the deportation, most Acadians were put on boats and sent to the United States. A lot of them ended up in Louisiana.
Thousands of Acadians lost their lives in this tragedy. The survivors tried unsuccessfully to hook up again with their families. Many Acadians were able to flee to New-Brunswick and Quebec to avoid the fate of their fellow citizens.
It took several centuries for Acadians to recover from this tragedy. Some would argue that we are still suffering.
Historians do not all agree about this deportation. Was it a war against the Acadians or an ethnic cleansing operation? This, I guess, depends on the viewpoint of the historian. Nevertheless, no one can deny that this tragedy happened and that the measures taken by Great-Britain had some serious consequences.
A better understanding of what happened to our Acadian people can help Canadians to understand the interesting dynamics that have helped to shape our individual communities. Surviving these crimes against humanity has created a special bond among our people. It has given us cause to unite and strengthen our unique cultural heritage. Understanding the tragedy of the 1755 deportation can help us better appreciate the human suffering of more recent examples of crimes against humanity.
On October 5, 1998 a redress monument was erected in the city of Montreal by the Armenian community. It erected this monument on behalf of all victims of genocide in the 20th century. This is a very significant achievement considering the extensive persecution that was carried out against the Armenian community. By recognizing not only its own tragedy but also the many acts of genocide committed in the world, the Armenian community has helped to focus our attention on this ongoing tragedy. In a sense this act of compassion may help with the healing process.
An all-encompassing genocide exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization has been proposed by the hon. member for Brampton Centre. It could be a very useful tool in helping Canadians to learn more about the terrible acts of terror we perpetrated against our fellow human beings. Perhaps such exhibits might help the world come to grips with these atrocities.
I cannot stress strongly enough the notion that such an exhibit must be all-encompassing. Where disagreement threatens to blow up into full-fledged controversy, it is important that both sides of a conflict be allowed to present their different perspectives on events surrounding a charge of genocide.
Crimes against humanity are not a new phenomenon. Examples of genocide can be traced to a time before the birth of Jesus Christ. Sadly, history is saddled with examples of acts of genocide. Crimes against humanity have been committed on religious, racial and political grounds, yet the only common denominator continues to be the extermination of millions of innocent men, women and children.
I mentioned the Armenians earlier because they were the victims of persecution in the early 1900s when millions were reportedly massacred during the first world war. Although some argue that they were victims of war and not genocide, it is generally acknowledged by many historians that millions of Armenians were indeed the victims of genocide. Even to this day, the Armenian people continue to be the target of the repressive government of Saddam Hussein.
The Ukrainian people are another example of a people who suffered tremendous persecution, in particular during the early 1930s. Josef Stalin created a state-generated famine that resulted in the starvation deaths of millions of Ukrainians. These people died needlessly when there was food available to save them. They were also victims of Hitler's ethnic cleansing policies that most people associate mainly with the Jewish people.
I think most people are aware of the Holocaust and the notorious death camps of the second world war in which over six million Jews perished. These Jews were shipped from across Europe in order to be systematically slaughtered in those death camps. Perhaps ignored by history is the plight of the Gypsies and Ukrainians during this particular onslaught on humanity.
The world was said to be appalled by this unprecedented attack against humanity. At the time it was said that such a horror could never happen again. We all know that history has an unfortunate way of repeating itself. Many acts of genocide have occurred since the second world war and, unfortunately, many acts of genocide continue today.
We have examples of genocide in Cambodia where from 1975 to 1979, between two million and four million people were killed by the Khmer Rouge simply for disagreeing with the regime. More recently in 1994, we watched apathetically as the Hutus in Rwanda massacred hundreds of thousands of Tutsis. We have the ethnic cleansing that was carried out in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the wars of the former Yugoslavia. Even today, we are receiving word of crimes against humanity in Sudan.
I am standing here reciting atrocities as if they were score cards, yet we are talking about the death and destruction of millions of our fellow human beings. Is it not disgusting how mankind has persecuted their fellow human beings? Perhaps it is easier to talk about atrocities because we have not witnessed them ourselves. I am afraid to consider that we are being desensitized by the constant reports of atrocities.
If it is indeed the case, as I do fear, then I think it is important that we support the member for Brampton Centre, along with the millions of people who are victims of crime against humanity. Let us create this exhibit in the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Perhaps by seeing this horror for ourselves, we might be more supportive in our efforts to try and put an end to these atrocities worldwide.