Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT DOES CANASB WANT TO ACCOMPLISH? To stop Suicide Bombers, many of them children, from killing themselves and murdering civilians.

WHAT IS CANASB’S POLITICAL OBJECTIVE? For Canada to lead an international campaign to condemn Suicide Bombing against civilians; for national and international laws to specifically cover Suicide Bombing; and for prosecution of the perpetrators. To support faith and community leaders, particularly moderate Muslims, who teach no cause justifies Suicide Bombing.

WHAT DID CANASB ASK OUR GOVERNMENT TO DO? To amend the Criminal Code to clarify that terrorist activity includes Suicide Bombing.

WHAT SUPPORT DID YOU RECEIVE IN THE PARLIAMENT? All parties in the Senate unanimously supported the private member's bill sponosred by Senator Jery Grafstein and after his reirement by Senator Linda Frum. In the House it was sponsored by MP Kelly Block and supported by the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers Stockwell Day, Jason Kenney and Peter Kent and many Liberals including Bob Rae as well as NDPers and BQ and finally unanimously by all parties in the House and Senate. We helped generate these Bills and the supporters.

DID CANADIAN LAW NOT COVER SUICIDE BOMBING? The Criminal Code and other legislation cover terrorists and their connected activities, but dId so by defining a particular group or event. There was no specific coverage of Suicide Bombing.

WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL “SPECIFICALLY” MAKE? It can help prosecutions succeed, as criminal laws require a high onus of proof.

WHY ELSE WAS THE BILL IMPORTANT? Because Canada can be an example to the world. As a leader in peacekeeping initiatives, with the Ottawa Treaty on Land Mines and Nobel Prize winner Lester Pearson, we can also lead internationally against Suicide Bombing.

HOW DOES INTERNATIONAL LAW DEAL WITH TERRORISTS? There are international Conventions, Protocols and Treaties that deal with particular issues like air highjacking, and countries are asked to incorporate them in their national laws.

DON’T THESE TREATIES COVER SUICIDE BOMBINGS? Although they deal with terrorists activities, none specifically covers Suicide Bombing. One reason is that many countries oppose defining terrorism in international conventions and say Suicide Bombing is a justifiable means for a cause.

DOES NOT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CONDEMN SUICIDE BOMBING? The USA, UK and other countries do, and the UN General Assembly and Security Council in 2004 condemned Suicide Bombing of Israeli civilians, which CANASB says must relate to civilians in all countries. Unfortunately, many world leaders have never condemned Suicide Bombing and several say that Suicide Bombing is an acceptable means for a cause.

WHAT CAN CANASB DO REGARDING INTERNATIONAL LAWS? A December 2004 UN Terrorism report says “Attacks that specifically target innocent civilians and non-combatants must be condemned clearly and unequivocally by all…(is) never an acceptable tactic, even for the most defensible of causes”, adds that political will is needed to ensure prosecution of terrorists, and recommends a specific anti-terror law. In July 2005 the Parliamentary Assembly of the 55 member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which includes Canada, passed an excellent resolution that promotes objectives similar to what CANASB wants. We saiid Canada should support these efforts and we ask that Suicide Bombing be specifically included in the UN law.

WHAT DID THE CANASB PETITION ASK FOR? For the Government of Canada to amend the Criminal Code to clarify that Suicide Bombings fall within the definition “terrorist activity” and to champion a campaign in the United Nations to convince world leaders that international and national terrorist laws must specifically include Suicide Bombings against civilians, and that those who teach, organize and sponsor these bombings be prosecuted.

WHO CAN BE PROSECUTED IF THE BOMBER IS DEAD? The organizers, sponsors and perpetrators, which include those who aid, abet, finance and teach the Suicide Bombers.

WHAT CAN WE ALL DO NOW? We can help ask other countries e.g. the USA, to pass similar laws and ask Canada to take our campaign and CANASB Declaration to the UN.