Ottawa: Canadian MP Jamil Jivani has submitted a notice of motion to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, calling for the protection of the freedom to worship without fear of violence or criminal intimidation.
The motion, submitted this week, called upon the Standing Committee to acknowledge that religious communities in Canada have faced increasing violence and criminal intimidation since 2021 and mentioned incidents involving attacks on Hindu Temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues.
Additional security measures and legal protections are needed to stop criminals from targeting religious communities and attacking the freedom to worship in Canada, Jivani said.
The motion said over 100 churches were burnt down or desecrated, Hindu temples targeted by violent protesters, Jewish schools and synagogues targeted by fire bombings and shootings, and mosques targeted by assaults and vandalism.
The motion asked the Standing Committee to study threats to the freedom to worship without fear of violence or criminal intimidation in Canada since 2021, consider the impact of bubble zone laws for places of worship and the impact of increasing the criminal penalty for arson and other crimes targeting places of worship.
