Terrorism is a destructive, calamitous tool. It can tear families, cities, even countries apart, and the damage caused is often, in many ways, irreparable. However, while the initial damage is severe, but the trauma, the stress, and the fear that follows persist long after the rubble has been cleared away. Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, fear and paranoia have coursed through homes across North America, and drastic measures have been taken by both governments to prevent something similar from occurring again. Unfortunately, while these measures generally seem reasonable, they are not always justified. The government understands that fear is exploitable; when the general public is afraid beyond reason, …show more content…
The bill is a Power Politics approach to violence, indicating that cultural and structural peace should always take a backseat to direct peace. In terms of structural peace, the bill is an affront to social justice in a number of ways. It is, “a dangerous piece of legislation in terms of its potential impacts on the rule of law, on constitutionally and internationally protected rights, and on the health of Canada’s democracy” (“Amend C-51 or kill it). By allowing search and seizure without a warrant, and detention upon suspicion of a crime, the overwhelming power now being given to law-enforcement officials could easily be abused. Furthermore, under the new bill, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, will be expected to intervene on any activities that it deems could pose a threat to Canadian wellbeing, including anyone who is caught “advocating or promoting terrorism in general” (Jones, Jordan). The requirements for intervention are so broad that, “this new disruption power goes well beyond anything that has any connection at all to terrorism” (“Amend C-51 or kill it). This significantly limits the freedom of speech and freedom of expression of Canadians, as movements like protest and civil disobedience would be extremely dangerous. These measures appear to …show more content…
Unfortunately, the mass paranoia surrounding terrorism results in prejudice and discrimination against certain religious groups and ethnicities. Multiculturalism is integral to the Canadian identity, but Bill C-51 jeopardizes this inclusiveness and diversity. Whether it was the government’s initial intention or not, this bill, and the panic it will inevitably induce, could quite possibly marginalize Canadian minorities and cause hinder the movement towards equality. This bill could arguably reintroduce negative elements like projection, as it creates distinct enemy images towards certain groups of citizens. Since terrorism has not directly touched Canada in any significant way, Canadians look for a more tangible sense of what form terrorism could potentially take; thus, they look for a scapegoat, and force them to conform to Canadian society’s supposed norms. For instance, the federal government recently supported a ban on headscarves worn by Muslim women during citizenship oaths; Immigration Minister Chris Alexander claims that religious headscarves like niqabs, burkas and hijabs, “have no place in [citizenship] oath-taking” (“Tories Want to Ban Headscarves”). While this is not specifically related to C-51, the timing and the connection makes it clear that there is a legitimate correlation between the two; Mair describes this as being,