Election
2004 Vote for Equality - Home
> Issues > Anti-Racism
CALL
to ACTION: Stop
Racist Backlash in Canada
March
11, 2004
The Canadian
Arab Federation (CAF) needs your help. The Canadian government
is reviewing a new bill in the house of commons called Bill
C-2, An act to amend the Radiocommunications Act.
Bill C-2 will
make it illegal for anyone to
watch Al Jazeera, ART Global, ART movies, Dubai Satellite Channel,
ESC-1, Future TV, LBC, MBC, Nile Dram even if you pay for a subscription
by a non-Canadian provider.
Anyone caught
watching these channels will be liable to a $25,000 fine or a year
in jail under the new proposed law. Bill C-2 will treat as criminals
those who watch Arabic language channels.
MPs Carolyn Parrish
and Alexa McDonough have been active and vocal about this problematic
bill.
Make your opposition
heard by writing to the chair and vice-chair of the Committee on Industry,
Science and Technology, MP Brent St. Denis at St.Denis.B@parl.gc.ca.
Marlene Jennings is the Vice-Chair and she can be reached at
Jennings.M@parl.gc.ca.
Please be sure
to copy (cc) your own Member
of Parliament and CAF at communications@caf.ca.
Points to be raised:
- This bill
criminalizes those who enjoy cultural programming that is not made
available by Canadian providers
- The bill fails
to distinguish between those who steal satellite signals and those
who pay for it legitimately
- There are
over 500, 000 Arabs in Canada who are being deprived of their right
to programming that maintains their links to language, culture and
religion
- This is a
violation of freedom of expression and the targeting of specific
communities and their civil liberties
- Clause 5 of
the bill is very problematic in that it allows extraordinary powers
to inspectors who can enter any place where these channels are being
received and to remove or copy any item or document.
