LIBERAL TAKE ON EVENTS OF JUNE 2/06

Well, the Conservatives think they can take all the credit in the bringing down of this terrorist activity in Toronto but it was the Liberals who were in power when the Anti-terrorism Act was enacted by the government. So please you crazy Conservatives, stop acting so damn smug and get off your damn high horse because you think that it was your party who should be receiving credit for all this as your the governing party at the moment.

Please understand that it was a whole hearted effort by all to apprehend these accussed. It was hard work on all that was involved.

The following will be what the great Bill Graham said on June 5, 2006 in the House of Commons.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of all members of the Liberal caucus, to offer our gratitude to the law enforcement and intelligence personnel whose dedication and efforts prevented those who would use violence as a means to advance their ideology of hatred from succeeding.

As the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre-Rosedale, I feel a particular debt of gratitude towards those that protect and serve our communities.

Their contributions towards our protection can never be understated, and while this week the headlines will call attention to their successes, Canadians across this country know that we are able to take our security for granted, mainly because the majority of their accomplishments do not make the front pages of our newspapers.

All Canadians are grateful to our security, intelligence and police forces for their efforts. We now leave to our judiciary the task of pursuing a just conclusion to this matter.

However, regardless of the outcome, the facts as we understand them today are, of course, cause for concern. They remind us again that Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism. More importantly they remind us that the forces of terror do not originate exclusively beyond our borders.

I would like to join with the Prime Minister, and all Members of this House, to condemn those who would attack our values; our freedoms; our diverse society. Those who believe that Canadians can be intimidated away from our ideals, from our principles, must be shown that they should never doubt the steadfast resolve of the Canadian people.

We have shown through our involvement internationally that our country is ready, willing and able to work tirelessly towards the development and preservation of peace and security not just here at home, but throughout the world.

We must remember the reason why Canada is a target of those who would use terrorism as a means to advance their agenda of intolerance is because of our freedom, because of the diversity of our society, and because of our commitment to tolerance. For these reasons, we are a threat to them.

We must not let them succeed. We must not turn our backs on the compassion and inclusiveness that are the hallmarks of our communities, and the bedrock of Canadian society. We must show that Canada's commitment to freedom cannot be shaken by cowardly acts of terrorism, regardless of the target.

To our Muslim community I wish to send a message of reassurance. We know there are those who seek to use your faith as an instrument of fear. We in this House must resolve that they will fail, and that this incident will not become the cause of greater intolerance in our society at large. The security of our communities is an issue that transcends partisan politics. The actions of a desperate few can never be allowed to undermine the values of our nation. Tolerance, fairness and justice must be Canada's watchwords, whether in times of great security or of great threat. These are the same values that enable so many races and faiths to coexist peacefully within our borders.

We know that we can only succeed in understanding what motivates this type of conduct, and the perverted ideology behind it. (Understanding does not mean condoning, but all successful solutions require understanding the nature of the problem.

We also know that ensuring a sense of share citizenship in our Muslim fellow Canadians is essential to dealing with this complex phenomenon. Many Canadians learned this lesson working in Ireland; the violence stopped when the perpetrators were rejected by the marginalized community they claimed to represent.

Fortunately the Muslim population in Canada has taken strong roots. There is no sympathy for this form of behavior in Canada. There is no conceivable justification. As put in a recent letter to the Globe and Mail:

“Islam is a religion of peace that condemns violence. Muslims believe that terrorism activities of any sort are despicable, abysmal, and absolutely unacceptable. Those involved in the terror campaign must be brought to justice.”

Muslim leaders in Canada have universally condemned these acts in similar words. Many of us have had the opportunity of sharing experiences with our fellow Muslim Canadians and we know how troubled they are by these acts. As we are troubled by recent outrages such as the attack on the mosque in Toronto, an attack which seeks to separate rather than include, divide us rather than unite us in our determinations to fight terrorism together as Canadians.

They are the same values which, even under attack by those who don't understand them, will be our greatest defence.