Hamilton's Muslim community's efforts praised at anti-terrorism summit

C-51 and preventing radicalization 4:08

Political panel, Feb 20: Opposition to, and support for, Bill C-51 12:33

In touting Canada's anti-terrorism act, Bill C-51, to a counter-terrorism summit hosted by the White House, Hamilton found itself in the spotlight for all the right reasons.

Federal Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney boasted about Hamilton Muslim community's active grassroots outreach approach to counteract radicalization of current and converting Muslims in remarks made in Washington, D.C.

While the pat on the back was a welcome one for Hamilton's Muslim community, it also came at a time where the minister was introducing promoting legislation that could wipe out years of community work with one visit from Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) operatives, says Hussein Hamdani, one of the founding members of the Canadian government's cross-cultural roundtable on national security.

'The reality is we are not going to be able to arrest our way out of this situation'- Kamran Bhatti

Minister Blaney's office confirmed Hamilton was the subject of praise at this past week's summit, but not his exact comments. His office declined an interview request.

However Hamdani and Kamran Bhatti, a fellow member of the Muslim Association of Hamilton who work with the community on a voluntary basis, spoke with CBC Hamilton about the public praise, and Bill C-51, which, among many things, would bring sweeping new powers to Canada's spy agency, allowing agents to approach parents and community members to intervene on would-be extremists.

Below is a question and answer with Hamdani and Bhatti, edited for length.

When you heard Hamilton had been mentioned in Minister Blaney's remarks in Washington, how did you respond?

Hussein Hamdani: I thought it was fantastic because, to be honest, Hamilton has been a pioneer to some of these unique outreach events in Canada. If people knew that some of the outreach is now being praised across the world, it was some of the things Canada is doing with the Muslim community, it all sort of had the pilot project, sort of the test guinea pig round was in Hamilton. And now this is what they're rolling out across the country.

The praise was presented beside a new anti-terrorism bill that could have a significant impact on your work. How does that change how you feel about the praise?

Kamran Bhatti: The ministry is touting this anti-terrorism bill, and has thrown in this slice of positivity. The hope that I would have is that Canadians would see that work has been done on the ground for years before this anti-terror bill has even been presented. The reality on the ground for taxpayers in Canada is that it is cheaper to invest in communities and outreach programs than it is to try and battle a war or even within the country to have greater security forces or investing in arrests.

The reality is we are not going to be able to arrest our way out of this situation. Partnerships and buy-ins at the community level are the only way that as a whole, Canada and Canadians are going to be able to overcome the issue of violent extremism in this country.

Could one mistaken CSIS visit or arrest undo years of grassroots efforts?

HH: We tell CSIS people all the time, be very careful how you interact with someone. Just one negative incident will put us back.

KB: Giving CSIS more ability and more power to prevent a terrorist attack in Canada or abroad is not the problem. That, I think, is positive. What we would like to see happen is that oversight. Oversight to make sure that what they're doing is in accordance with laws, with civil liberties, with the rights of Canadians. The reality is that all of us… All have the same vested interest to keep Canada safe.

That safety needs to be coupled with the respect of civil liberties and the human and Canadian rights that we all have here.

Is the current oversight of CSIS sufficient?

HH: Oversight is absolute essential. It's only logical that the oversight be commiserated with the increase in powers. If you look at SIRC (Security Intelligence Review Committee), it's supposed to to be five individuals. It's not even five right now, it's three. The head of it is Deborah Grey, a former Reform Party member and a former (Stephen) Harper colleague. The second person is currently arrested in a (Panamanian) jail for corruption charges, Arthur Porter.

SIRC can't be made a joke. Yes, if you want to get CSIS more powers, then make the oversight commiserate with the new powers and make the oversight objective, neutral and with some teeth. Then you're going to get the confidence of the Canadian people… It has no bit, it's very government friendly and one of the members are in foreign jails at the moment

(Note: The committee of three does include Grey, but no longer lists Arthur Porter, who is jail in Panama awaiting extradition to Canada for fraud charges that have not been proven in court. Gene McLean and Yves Fortier round out the three-person committee.)

Would you like to add anything?

HH: I do want to end on a positive note… I think Hamilton should be very proud of the work that city does in general and the community does in particular that we are not only pioneers but vanguards of some of these great outreach events that have happened across the country. They've almost all started in Hamilton.

It's caught on and now it's not only in Canada, but I've had the opportunity to present what we're doing in Hamilton in the outreach that we were doing in Baltimore, as well as federal agents in Georgia, and so the Americans are with keen interest looking at what Canadians are doing, and what Canadians are doing started out in Hamilton.

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