Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise in the House today, and I will be sharing my time with the member for Flamborough—Glanbrook.
The tragic violent acts at the Quebec mosque were deplorable, and we must do everything we can to ensure that all Canadians are free to pray and worship in safety.
Much of my discussion on this motion here today will be with regard to freedom of religion and what that means both to me and to Canadians across the country.
I believe that freedom of religion is one of the fundamental pillars of both our democracy and our society. Canada is a country of diversity, but more than that, Canada is a country of acceptance. Our guaranteed rights and freedoms apply to and protect each and every Canadian, regardless of age, gender, culture, or faith. I am very proud to stand in the House today and defend the right to freedom of religion for every Canadian.
I will read the words from our charter, with which we are likely familiar:
Fundamental freedoms
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.
I remain firmly committed to ensuring that freedom of religion and freedom of speech for all individuals granted under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms continue to be protected and upheld in our country. I will continue to defend the rights of Canadians of all religious backgrounds, and I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure Canadians all feel safe and welcome in our country.
The diversity of religion and thought in our country is impressive. According to the 2011 Statistics Canada results, just over two-thirds of Canadians self-identified as Christian. Approximately 22 million Canadians were in this category. Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist Canadians made up the second largest group, counting approximately 2.4 million Canadians, or 7.2%. The largest of these religions was that of the individuals identifying as Muslim, representing just over one million Canadians and 3.2% of the nation's population. Some 1% of Canadians identified as Jewish, while almost 65,000 Canadians affiliated themselves with traditional aboriginal spirituality. Nearly 7.9 million Canadians had no religious affiliation at all.
All Canadians, whatever their religion, are protected by the charter and deserve to feel safe in our country. Immigrants and refugees from all over the world have contributed enormously to Canada and helped shape the society we know today. Their contributions to our country are countless; immigrants and refugees have contributed hugely to the success and prosperity of Canada. Our immigration policy is a hallmark of Canadian history that we as a country must continue to encourage.
That said, we must also not abandon our heritage and history. The fathers of Confederation named this nation the Dominion of Canada based on Psalm 72: “He (God) shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.” It should be okay to talk about our spiritual heritage.
Let us not forget that those who were here first have deeply held spiritual roots and practices. Canada is better for our diversity, but we must not take it for granted.
We are incredibly lucky to have the freedoms and protections we enjoy here in Canada. Violence based on religious belief is evident throughout the world. Even if they are personally affected, Canadians have demonstrated once again that they are resilient. From the systematic persecution of the Baha’i in Iran to the persecution of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Shiite Muslims by Daesh and the persecution of the Coptic Christian minority in Egypt, our world is full of violence and hatred. However, Canada can live in relative peace and growing prosperity thanks to our cultural and religious mosaic.
It was a shame to lose the office of religious freedom that was brought in under our previous government, because in addition to the great work it was doing around the world, it would have been helpful here at home as well. Currently, we are seeing several gaps in our ability to preserve the freedom of religion and freedom of speech under the charter.
There is growing intolerance that I find disturbing. Even here in the House of Commons I have witnessed members standing up and expressing religious sentiments in their S. O. 31 statements or in their speeches, and I have witnessed the reaction from other members of angry tones, disrespect, or insulting body language. I have seen this when Christians have spoken out. I have seen it when Jews have spoken out. I have seen it when Muslims have spoken out. This should not be so. If we are really promoting freedom, then we must lead by example in welcoming all expressions of faith, or lack thereof, equally in this House.
I wish I could say that in my riding of Sarnia—Lambton everything is perfect. There was a super show of solidarity in response to the Quebec shootings, and over 200 members across all faiths in my community gathered at our mosque. I condemn the attack at the mosque in Quebec City, and I am horrified to think that innocent Canadians were killed in their place of worship. Still, in my own riding, I do receive emails that indicate to me that fear, mistrust, and disharmony still exist in many areas.
What about the relationship of freedom of religion and freedom of speech in Canadian law? Certainly, we can see the definition of where free speech becomes hate speech. Our law defines that hate propaganda means “any writing, sign or visible representation that advocates or promotes genocide or the communication of which by any person would constitute an offence under section 319”.
Subsection 319(3) states that an accused is not guilty of hate speech:
(a) if he establishes that the statements communicated were true;
(b) if, in good faith, the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text;
(c) if the statements were relevant to any subject of public interest, the discussion of which was for the public benefit, and if on reasonable grounds he believed them to be true; or
(d) if, in good faith, he intended to point out, for the purpose of removal, matters producing or tending to produce feelings of hatred toward an identifiable group in Canada.
From this we must be clear with Canadians that they are free to publicly disagree with any faith and that this does not constitute hate speech. This should go a long way to alleviating some of the concerns that have been expressed. Acts of harassment, vandalism, violence or hate crimes are already clearly illegal.
Religions that promote discrimination and are in conflict with our charter cannot be permitted to promote such views in Canada.
We battled a long time for the equality of women. The days when women were not allowed in nightclubs or had to use a separate entrance are long gone. That sort of discrimination cannot be permitted in Canada.
Earlier in this Parliament we saw a motion concerning the BDS movement, which was allowed to encourage discrimination in Canada against the state of Israel, a Jewish state. This movement is contrary to our freedoms under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, because it has consequences for our Jewish Canadian friends and because it promotes discrimination.
When I was in the business world, I travelled to many countries around the world, and it was clear that when I was in those countries, I had to obey their laws. The same principle holds in Canada, but I think we should do more to ensure that our laws are respected.
Many parliamentarians have also expressed a desire to have a standing committee undertake a study on how the government could approach issues surrounding systemic racism and religious discrimination. Although I do believe a study should be conducted, I believe that Canadians of every faith face racism and discrimination and as such, a proposed study should not single out a specific group.
Finally, I think we as Canadians need to have more love and a lot less hate. A great writer once wrote, “perfect love casts out fear”. If we had more love for one another and more value for our differences, we could be an example to the world of a place where everyone of any faith, or none at all, can live in peace and harmony.