Canada’s anti-hate legislation comes into effect, will rein in pro-Khalistan elements, anti-Semites

A legislation in Canada aimed at combating hate by countering propaganda and introducing strictures against those preventing access to places of worship or intimidating devotees has been formally enacted following the governor general’s assent. The new law will tackle hate propaganda and introduce penalties for those who intimidate members of a particular faith.

The legislation is being welcomed as it may help address the problem of pro-Khalistan groups protesting outside temples in recent years and displaying overt symbols of the movement, including images of terrorists.

Bill C-9, an act to amend the criminal code, addresses hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places.

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It also creates a new hate propaganda offence “of wilfully promoting hatred against any identifiable group by displaying, in a public place, certain terrorism or hate symbols” and a hate crime offence “motivated by hatred based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression”.

It will create areas near places of worship within which demonstrations cannot be held.

Pro-Khalistan groups used to protest outside temples in recent years and displayed overt symbols of the movement, including images of terrorists. Pro-Khalistan elements in Canada staged a demonstration at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia, this month.

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Pro-Khalistan elements had also depicted gory propaganda like terrorists killing (late Prime Minister) Indira Gandhi, General Vaidya and anti-Hindu insignia on the streets on Canada.

Indo-Canadian groups also described as a “landmark victory”, the removal of the term swastika from the list of prohibited Nazi hate symbols and being replaced with the historically accurate term “Nazi Hakenkreuz”.

That amendment was unanimously passed by a parliamentary committee studying the bill last year.

“With this legislation, Canada has corrected a historic wrong by removing the word “Swastika”, a sacred symbol of peace for millions of Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains in Canada and replacing it with the accurate hate symbol, Hakenkruez.

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The Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA), B’nai Brith Canada, Canadian Women Against Antisemitism, the Canadian Jewish Law Association, the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center also said that since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, Jewish Canadians have faced an unprecedented surge in hate, intimidation, and violence. These organisations, “together with tens of thousands of community members, had called on governments to take meaningful action to confront Canada’s antisemitism crisis.

They agree that the new law will give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to protect targeted communities and hold offenders accountable.