Canadian Terror Report amended after MP’s banned from Sikh stages

A section referring to ‘Sikh Khalistani Extremism’ in Canada’s 2018 terror threat report has been renamed just 36 hours after a decision was made to ban the Liberal Government from speaking on stages at this weekend’s Surrey Nagar Kirtan.

The 2018 Public Safety Canada Report on Terrorism Threats to Canada included a section titled ‘Sikh (Khalistani) Terrorism’ despite not including any reference to current ‘extremist’ activities in the Sikh community, leading to widespread condemnation from the international Sikh community. Secessionist talk is illegal in India but is meant to be legal in countries such as Canada.

Whilst many welcome the changes, Moninder Singh, Mukh Sevadaar (Head volunteer) of Surrey (BC) based Dasmesh Darbar Gurdwara, one of the busiest Gurdwaras outside of India, said in a Facebook statement about the decision:

‘The most important question of all in this five month episode is why was the reference to community/faith based communities made in the first place? After Prime Minister Trudeau’s unfortunate India trip in February 2018, Indian media and propaganda moved to show the Sikh community of Canada in an extremist light. In the past we have had Canadian Governments and Prime Ministers disagree with the notion of Khalistan but always defend Canada’s sovereignty by stating that peacefully advocating for Khalistan is not extremism. It was appalling to see the entire Sikh community in Canada referenced as a terrorist threat to Canada in the 2018 report, which we can only believe was done by the Liberal government to pander to their Indian counterparts.’

Moninder Singh also pointed out the report still alluded to issues with Sikh support for Khalistan and questioned the process of dialogue regarding the accusation of there being a Sikh terror threat in Canada, openly asking, ‘Why did it take only 36 hours after us declaring that no Liberal MP would be given time to speak from the stage at the Nagar Kirtan (Khalsa Day Parade) in Surrey until the reference to “Sikh (Khalistani) Extremism” is removed for the removal to happen?’.

Read Moninder Singh’s statement in full here.

The original inclusion sparked mass outrage across Canada’s Sikh community. The report did not explain how support for self-determination is a Canadian terror threat, and notably did not contain any examples from this century. This led to direct challenges of the statement, led by Canada based World Sikh Organization.

The section is now titled ‘Extremists who Support Violent Means to Establish an Independent State Within India’. An update on the report’s website described the move as ‘a first step’.

World Sikh Organisation president Mukhbir Singh welcomed the move but said Sikhs still had concerns about the maligning of the Sikh community in the first place.

He said: ‘The removal of the term ‘Sikh (Khalistani) Extremism’ from the 2018 Public Safety Terror Report is an important step in addressing the concerns of the Sikh community.

‘The 2018 Report unfairly targeted and maligned specific religious communities and the change could not have come soon enough. We note that terms like “Shia” and “Sunni” have not yet been changed in the Report.

‘While we still have concerns about how and why the maligning sections were added to the Report in the first place, we hope to engage in a dialogue with the Government to ensure that a mistake like this is not repeated. Currently, the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security does not have representation from the Sikh community and we hope that is an issue that is
also addressed.’

The change comes after Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale issued a statement last Thursday saying that the language in the report was being reviewed.  He said: ‘Unfortunately, the language used to describe some threats unintentionally maligned certain communities.’

A meeting in Brampton City Hall on 7th April with over 400 community members revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the way the matter had been dealt with by the Canadian government.

It was here the ban on MPs using Sikh stages was declared by Moninder Singh with support from Gurdwara representatives across Canada. Moninder Singh, who also helped organise the event, said:

‘We’ve never had to take steps like this […] We can’t be giving platforms where half a million people are out walking around when we don’t see a genuine relationship being formed with the community.’

Meanwhile, others discussed possible electoral ramifications if the report was not amended.

It was widely believed that the original title was the result of Indian government pressure either during or following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s trip to Canada in February 2018. When the report was published in December 2018, the World Sikh Organisation (WSO) said: ‘There is no explanation for this addition other than Public Safety Canada having tacitly accepted the false Indian rhetoric around rising extremism in the Sikh community.’

NDP Leader and Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh Jagmeet Singh said that the original report stoked fear ‘without any evidence about the Sikh community’, calling it ‘dangerous and wrong.’

It is not yet clear whether MPs will be allowed stage time at this Saturday’s Surrey Nagar Kirtan, where hundreds of thousands are expected in what is one of the biggest Vaisakhi celebrations in the world.

For more information or interview opportunities with any of the Sikh representatives mentioned, email media@sikhpa.com.