That Canada is, and proudly so, a multicultural nation has been part of our identity for decades (since 1971 officially). Nevertheless, Canadian belief that this policy is good for us has been falling of late (decreasing from 74% to 65% between June 2023 and July 2024 according to a Research Co. poll). Still, two-thirds of Canadians are convinced that our multicultural reality is a benefit.
It is important, however, to parse out what we mean by ‘multiculturalism’. On the one hand, few can argue that having been introduced to new cultures – foods, arts, language – enhances Canada. On the other, the unfortunate tendency among certain communities, or better stated small factions within certain communities, to come to Canada bearing grievances and continuing conflicts which originated and still fester in their homelands has had an impact on our national security.
A few examples will suffice to illustrate this point. On June 23 we marked the 40th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of Air India flight 182 which killed 329 people when the aircraft disintegrated off the coast of Ireland. The perpetrators of that attack, Canadian Sikh terrorists, did so from our soil. There continue to exist members of the 770,000 strong Canadian Sikh diaspora who wish to see an independent Khalistan in the Punjab and see no issues with using violence, whether that is here or in India proper, to achieve that goal. The individuals behind the bombing are seen by some as heroes, not terrorists, and their photos continue to be featured in parades in Canada.
For decades some Tamil Canadians have expressed overt support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a listed terrorist entity in our country, flying the group’s flag on several occasions. The LTTE may not be the effective organisation it once was – it was decimated by the Sri Lankan army in 2009 – but as long as there is no Tamil homeland there will be some who see violence as a way to get there, including in the Canadian Tamil diaspora. Recall as well that there was a great deal of LTTE fundraising in Canada in the past (whether this continues today is not readily known). That the new Public Safety Minister, himself a Tamil Canadian with alleged ties to the LTTE, ‘recused’’ himself from this file is simply unacceptable.
Lastly, since the horrific Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent Israeli response in Gaza, which everyone agrees is a humanitarian disaster, Canada has seen mass demonstrations on university campuses and in cities demanding an end to Israel’s military action and Canadian government condemnation of the Jewish state. While many behind these protests are from communities with no linguistic or ethnic link to the region, there are some (Arab, Muslim) who have participated and there is credible reporting of the burning of Canadian flags and chants of “We are Hizballah, we are Hamas” at some events. To this we must add attacks – planned and executed – on Jewish targets (synagogues, schools) in Canada at the hands of members of a variety of diasporas.
People emigrate to Canada for a variety of reasons. Most probably seek a better life for them and their families. Some are fleeing conflict and war. Others may be targeted in their homelands for their views or their backgrounds (ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation for instance). They undoubtedly see our land as a safe haven and a place to restart their lives and those of their families and we are right to provide that.
These newcomers have a Charter right to protest and bring Canadians’ attention to atrocities committed elsewhere, including in their countries of origin, and we are better off for their perspectives. It is also important to note, however, that any call for violence, here or abroad, or support for terrorist groups and ideologies is unacceptable and poses a very real threat to our national security and public safety. Furthermore, the perception that Canada is turning a blind eye to these activities sullies our image as a land of law and order and may convince other states to take action here against what they perceive as real threats (this seems to explain why India allegedly took part in the killing of Sikh pro-Khalistani activist/extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, BC in June 2023, a charge India denies).
If multiculturalism is going to continue to work in Canada there must be boundaries to it. Newcomers are welcome, as they should be as they enhance our economies and societies, but they must not bring homeland grievances to our shores where the use of violence is supported. It is one thing to widen Canada’s traditions to include new experiences (food, culture, language, etc.): it is quite another to use our nation to advance campaigns domestically and internationally which seek to kill and maim in the name of a political, ideological or religious cause.
Yes, the world is rife with conflict and yes Canada should do what it can to resolve these issues. But no, we cannot allow our land to be abused by diasporas to achieve goals antithetical to what Canada stands for (peace, order and good government). The government must listen to what its security intelligence and law enforcement agencies are telling it in this regard and put an end to any effort to resort to violence. It must also stop calling these agencies ‘racist’ for doing their jobs: collecting information about national security and public safety threats (as former PM Justin Trudeau did with respect to CSIS intelligence on Chinese interference).
We have a duty to our own citizens, as well as to those of other nations, to protect our society. A failure to ensure that we do not provide the space for a few within various diasporas to advocate violence will continue to undermine the multicultural picture which many seem as defining modern-day Canada.
