Terrorism  Speaker, with Ramadan approaching, the bombing of Afghanistan as well as the degenerating conflict in the Middle East are causing agitation and provoking demonstrations in many Muslim countries. Does the Prime Minister not fear that the conflagration will spread to countries bordering Afghanistan, countries that might try to finish off the work begun by Osama bin Laden and his accomplices?

Supply  The terrorists are not poor people but they feed on the international situation and, moreover, they already have imitators amongst the young people in Arab and Muslim countries, and in many other very poor countries, who have no hope and who live in desperate conditions. I think of Colombia for example, where chaos has almost become a way of life. And what about Palestine?

Armenia  The passengers of the Komagata Maru thought they had the right to enter Canada because they were British subjects. Ninety per cent of the passengers on the ship were Sikhs and the rest were Hindus and Muslims, all from Punjab state in northern India. Sikh soldiers had served throughout the British Empire. They thought that they should be able to work wherever the British flag was flying.

Anti-terrorism Act  It is true there are religious overtones to it but that is not what Osama bin Laden and his groups are after. They are after the removal of western influence from Arab states and Muslim dominated states. They want to ensure that those countries become in what their vision is nirvana, which would be a country like Afghanistan under the Taliban. Under the Taliban the people are worse off than they were before, even under the horrible conditions the Afghanis have endured for many years.

Criminal Code  It is disappointing that the government has not been forthcoming or specific in terms of what it now intends to do when it is clearly visible to us that certain groups, members of the Muslim community, Canadian Arabs in particular, are being targeted as a result of the aftermath of September 11. I again urge the government to be committed to a specific action plan that focuses on broad education.

Anti-Terrorism Act  It was in the news, on TV and in newspapers over the last couple of years. Individuals were concerned that Muslim fundamentalists were taking power from the democratically elected government. From that time on things have changed. All disguised fundamentalists have now congregated in Afghanistan.

Médecins du Monde  In these troubled times, they are reminding us that before being Quebecers, Canadians, Americans or Afghans, before being Catholics, Muslims, Jews or Protestants, we are all human beings who must show solidarity with one another. A few weeks ago, the show Québec-New York , during which Quebec singers and artists performed in front of 12,000 spectators and hundreds of thousands of television viewers, gave us an opportunity to express our solidarity to the victims of the New York attacks.

Privilege  This may have an important impact on Canadian students of colour who may be of Arabic background or Muslim students who begin to feel they are being targeted in some way. This is disturbing. A commentary in the Globe and Mail said that many of us will not be inconvenienced by the act. It said we will go about our business as usual and not feel targeted in any way.

Privilege  Bill C-36 is in fact an anti-terrorist bill. It is not an anti-immigrant bill, anti-refugee bill, anti-Muslim bill, anti-Afghani bill, anti-Pakistani bill, or anti any of those things because if it were it would truly be anti-Canadian. Unfortunately the debate around this entire issue is in some quarters, mostly the media, focused on this aspect.

Anti-terrorism Act  In that regard I want to put forward a suggestion for the minister's consideration and I intend to take this up with her individually. This suggestion comes from leaders in my own community, particularly Muslim leaders in London, Ontario, who consistently condemn the terrorist attacks of September 11. They have proposed the idea that perhaps Canada is an ideal country to host an international forum on terrorism.

Anti-terrorism Act  It is encouraging that the legislation includes provisions to prevent people from lashing out at religious organizations and followers of the Muslim faith who are often the antithesis of those who engage in violence or terrorist activity. The bill's amendments regarding the Official Secrets Act are meant to counter espionage by taking into account new computer technologies and the need to fight intelligence gathering activities by foreign powers and terrorist groups.

International Actions Against Terrorism  They have given me the background and confirmed that the issues of Palestine go back a long way, back to I suppose a common factor of the Prophet Abraham and how the lands of the Palestinians were seemingly interpreted to have been given to both the Muslim people and to the Jewish people. The conflict and dispute over that land continues to this very day and it has to be kept in context. Osama bin Laden has said that until the issue of Palestine is settled and Arafat and the people of Palestine on the Arab side are fully satisfied there will be no peace for America, for the western world or for the Jews.

International Actions Against Terrorism  It is not true that the measures to be implemented by the Canadian government and the stands taken by some opposition parties directly target a specific community. I am thinking of the Arab or Muslim community. It should be pointed out that our actions are taken in full consideration of these citizens. They do not target those members of our community who live responsibly, in all freedom, and who are not at all targeted by the actions of certain terrorists in the United States on September 11.

International Actions Against Terrorism  What does he want? He wants the attention of the millions of young people in Arab countries, in Muslim countries, who have no hope and see the endless humiliation of the constantly revived defeat of the Palestinians in sealed off territories. Bin Laden is politicking. This man, who is being protected by the Taliban, wants the Sharia, as applied by the fundamentalist government that we see at work in Afghanistan, to become the norm in as many places as possible.

International Actions Against Terrorism  Just as New Democratic members of parliament are unreserved in our support for the families and the military, we are absolutely in support of the fight against the stereotyping, the victimizing of Arab Canadians, Muslim Canadians and other visible minorities in the aftermath of this horrendous crisis. I finish by saying that I too was absolutely moved by the experience of visiting New York City, but the thing that has seared my heart and soul forever is the pleading of the families of the Canadian victims who said that they did not want the senseless murderous deaths of their loved ones to be avenged by the victimization and the killing of other innocent civilians.