The impact of the Anti-Terrorism Act on the Muslims and Arabs in Canada
The Anti-terrorism Act in Canada and its effects on the Muslim and Arabic communities September 11, 2001 marked a catastrophic change not only in American society but in every western state including Canada. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon have had a ripple effect, spreading to the entire world and terrifying thousands of people. Following these attacks, world populations were devastated and governments faced a never-before seen need to make laws governing this new form of terror. Countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom, and Canada have passed anti-terrorism legislations that define “terrorism” and how to respond and prevent such attacks.
Generally speaking, some scholars and ordinary individuals argue that the new anti-terrorism Act in Canada may aim to combat terrorism but it also violates the rights of certain individuals. The new Act gave the authorities especially the police task forces the power to investigate suspect terrorist cases without worrying about the charter of rights and freedoms. This ends with the question of security of state versus the rights of individuals. They argue that the shock and the disbelief that infected the Canadian …show more content…
In the American version of the anti-terrorism legislation it condemned any discrimination against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans and Americans from south Asia and affirmed that “the concept of individual responsibility for wrongdoing is sacrosanct in American society and applies equally to all religions, racial and ethnic groups”( Roach 72) . If we read our Anti-terrorism Act we won’t find such a