NCCM joins fellow Canadians in continued opposition to anti-terror bill despite passage by Parliament

-For Immediate Release-

(Ottawa – May 7, 2015) The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), a prominent civil liberties & advocacy organization, joins fellow Canadians and civil society groups in vowing to continue to oppose the controversial anti-terrorism legislation, Bill C-51, passed by the House of Commons on Wednesday.

“It’s deeply unfortunate that Parliament failed to respond to the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have made it clear that they oppose this overreaching legislation. Fellow Canadians from coast to coast to coast contacted their MPs to express opposition to this dangerous and reckless law,” says NCCM Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee.

“While support for the bill was initially high in the wake of attacks in Ottawa and Quebec, support dropped rapidly as more and more Canadians became aware of the actual contents of the legislation. The MPs who voted for this bill have simply failed to uphold the popular will of fellow Canadians, a majority of whom oppose the bill.

“It is important to note that no less than four former Prime Ministers, past members of the intelligence review committee, former and current privacy commissioners and legal experts raised serious objections to Bill C-51.  We urge fellow Canadians to continue to contact their MPs to express their disappointment with the passage of Bill C-51,” adds Gardee.

The NCCM appeared as a witness before the parliamentary committee tasked with hearing testimony from experts and civil society about Bill C-51.  The NCCM also participated in the #STOPC51 National Week of Education in late April, organized a workshop and appeared on various panels. The NCCM published a widely-read opinion piece on iPolitics.ca and the Huffington Post on the potential ramifications the bill will have on the Canadian Muslim community in particular, as well as joined hundreds of other civil society signatories to co-sign open letters and statements to oppose the law.

“The NCCM calls on the federal government to positively engage with Canadian Muslim communities on the issue of violent extremism and reiterates the critical importance of fostering mutual trust and respect. Canadian Muslims and their various leaders have and continue to unequivocally condemn violent extremism and have urged public support for grassroots efforts around this important issue,” says Gardee.

The NCCM is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit grassroots advocacy organization. It is a leading voice for Muslim civic engagement and the promotion of human rights.