NCCAR Warns of Discrimination and Damage From New Screening Procedures

These nine countries are: Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

NCCAR calls on the Canadian government to ensure Canadians’ rights are respected in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which ensures equality for all and guards against discrimination based on “race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex , age, age or mental or physical disability.”

Firstly, this means ensuring that the new U.S. screening rules do not impact Canadians’ rights. NCCAR notes that Canadians are already experiencing racially-motivated stoppages at the U.S. border.

Secondly, this means ensuring any new Canadian screening procedures that will be developed and implemented for entry into Canada also respect Canadian rights and values and are not merely a replica of U.S. procedures.

NCCAR does note that, according to a CBC news report, ”Transport Minister John Baird said Canada would have to review a U.S. plan to single out travelers arriving from specific countries for additional screening at airports to see whether adopting it might violate the rights of Canadians.” Moreover, “Prime Minister Stephen Harper left open the possibility in an interview with the CBC’s Peter Mansbridge on Tuesday that Canada might not follow suit with similar restrictions and develop its own security policy.”

NCCAR believes any security problems must be addressed with effective, efficient, evidence-based and credible solutions to the actual root causes of security failures including inadequate and improper collection, integration and use of intelligence and evidence on specific individuals and groups. Diverting valuable resources to a mass-suspicion approach such as ”country-of-origin” screening procedures is deeply problematic and highly discriminatory. Full body scans are invasive and of dubious security benefit.

Canadians, whether they are of Arab origin or simply visit the Arab World for business and pleasure, contribute significantly to Canadian society and its economy. Given their development of successful businesses, organizations and professional careers and their building of bridges with the Arab World, it is vital not to hurt these Canadians and their endeavors as they travel to the U.S. and Canada.

“Canadians and people from the Arab World have longstanding and productive exchanges in areas of trade, education, culture and tourism,” said Mark Khoury, vice-president of NCCAR. “It would be a real loss to damage these important and valuable links with ”security” measures that are neither effective nor in line with Canadian rights and values.”