SLOBODIAN: Laws should not shield calls for death in ‘religious’ houses of worship

Hiding behind religion should not be used as a defence under Canadian law to protect those who incite hate, said Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet.To eliminate existing exemptions for hate speech in a religious context, Blanchet proposed Criminal Code amendments in the House of Commons Tuesday, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.Blanchett tabled Bill C-367 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code that would repeal sections 319.3.1 and 319.3.b of the law to revoke the defence against prohibited hate speech to any “opinion based on a belief in a religious text.”He cited a rise in hate, particularly “out-of-control attacks” against Canada’s Jewish community.“We can fear that these acts were encouraged by an exception in the Criminal Code,” he told Parliament. “It is high time to take action.”Blanchet pointed to a radical Montreal imam whose Quran ‘prayer’ went beyond hate speech, entering dangerous territory.On October 28, Muslim preacher Adil Charkaoui called on Allah to slay “Zionist aggressors” and “spare not one of them.”The director of Montreal’s Centre Islamique Assahaba addressed a fired-up pro-Palestinian crowd — one of many glutting Canada’s streets, chanting death to Jews since Israel’s retaliation for the October 7 savage massacre of 1,200 Israelis by Gaza-strip based Hamas terrorists.“O Allah, destroy the Zionist aggressors. O Allah, destroy the enemies of the people of Gaza. O Allah, count their number, slay them one by one and spare not one of them. Allah, bring upon them a black day,” he roared in Arabic.Seems clear — exterminate them!Charkaoui stood on a balcony like a self-appointed prophet, delivering his vile message to a huge, agitated crowd champing at the bit to punish Jews.The danger is someone might literally embrace this call — and put it into action. Is anyone stupid enough to think this ‘religious’ leader wouldn’t know that?Yet, when his ‘prayer’ was widely condemned — even by Quebec Premier François Legault who said his words were an “incitement to hate and violence” — the slippery Charkaoui feigned innocence.The RCMP said they are investigating. No, no. His speech “didn’t contain any hate or call to violence.”Define ‘slay,’ then. Why, he didn’t even utter the word Jew, he said. Wink. Wink.It was really a noble call condemning “violence, war crimes and crimes against humanity” committed by the Zionist army occupying Gaza, he said.War crimes? Occupation? Liar! Charkaoui assumed victimhood. He was falsely accused — even though his rant went viral — and considered pursuing legal action. That popular, but getting tiresome, tactic is to shut critics up.This zealot’s message is clear — it’s OK to kill Jews.That motivational sermon was delivered after Hamas terrorists burned families alive, beheaded, tortured, executed, gang-raped, and killed 1,200 Israelis. They laughed while they savaged and slayed even children.The devout and the clueless brainwashed fed vile messages from religious leaders or an abundance of toxic university professors, spill into Canada’s streets with hate-poisoned hearts, bad intentions, and a twisted sense of righteousness.Mobs, with no signs of letting up, create chaos impacting all Canadians.Blanchet was right when he said anti-Semitic incidents are out of control.“We have heard gunshots in Montréal.”“Glass has been shattered. There has been graffiti and it has all been directed at the Jewish community. We fear these acts were incited by a Criminal Code exemption that allows hate speech.”Add to that the attempted firebombing of Montreal synagogues and Jewish kindergartens, shots fired at a Winnipeg home, Jewish businesses boycotted, homes vandalized, Canadian National Railway disrupted, and more to come.Yet a ‘religious’ leader can call for slaying Jews.“There is a price to living in harmony in a society and the price may be to withhold undue and inappropriate rights and privileges from some people in society, people who disrupt peace and harmony, especially if those privileges enable them to sow hatred, even to wish death upon others by invoking some divine power,” said Blanchet.He called on the House to support the bill.“Will the Prime Minister agree to repeal the religious exemption under the Criminal Code?” he asked.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who can never get in enough preaching from his soap box about what a hateful place Canada is, particularly when it comes to Islamophobia, was non-committal.“We will look at the bill to see whether that could help fight hate and incitements to violence,” said Trudeau.“Will the Prime Minister agree to move swiftly in passing this bill?” asked Blanchet.“We will take a close look at the proposed legislation. We will be there to work together to protect Canadians while respecting the free society we live in,” said Trudeau.Just another empty word salad going nowhere fast from him.As Jews in Canada live in fear of being targeted, he’ll take his time.Not like when he took swift action against “racist, misogynistic, anti-vaxxer” little crowds who protested him during the Freedom Convoy.Trudeau’s lectures about freedom of expression — even now in the face of extremists ready to lynch Jews — “that respects and supports people even when we disagree with them” didn’t apply to him.The danger of amending the law is some might abuse it to attack a religious message as hateful when they simply disagree with it.That’s what the courts are there for.It’s straightforward. Saying “I hate you” is different than saying “slay ‘em all.”Murder is a crime in Canada. Inciting people to commit murder, or any crime — no matter who the intended target — in a house of worship or on a balcony doesn’t make it less so.MPs expressed rage over Jews being targeted. Are they angry enough to support Blanchet’s proposed amendments?In the meantime, there are other ways punish haters who hide behind religion.Immediately revoke all federal, provincial, and municipal tax breaks Montréal’s Assahaba Islamic Centre gets.Cease taxpayer grants to associations that don’t publicly denounce those who call for slaying or hurting Jews. Or anybody.If ‘religious’ types who preach like-minded sermons aren’t Canadian — send them packing to wherever they came from. Canada doesn’t need their poison.Their messages pollute minds and hearts of protesters and perpetrators of crimes against Jews.They’re easily led, wilfully blinded by hate, oblivious to crimes committed by Hamas, untouched by the savagery of women gang-raped until their pelvic bones shattered, a baby put into an oven, eyes gouged out, and limbs cut off.Among 240 hostages taken by Hamas terrorists were 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, his four-year-old brother Areil, and his mother Shiri Silverman Bibas, 32.The boys' father, Yarden Bibas, was also taken captive. His fate is yet unknown.Earlier this week, Hamas said they handed the baby off to another militant group.Wednesday, Hamas claimed the children and their mother were dead — killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza strip.Hamas lies. If they’re dead, they were murdered. But not by an Israeli bomb.Will Charkaoui fall to his knees and praise Allah because his prayer — “slay them one by one” — was answered with the murder of an infant child?Blanchet’s right. Whatever the faith — no one gets to hide evil intentions behind religion and get away with it in Canada.