The United Against Terrorism handbook aims at preventing
young Canadians from being recruited by extremist groups. But the RCMP,
which contributed a section of the booklet, announced Tuesday it's
withdrawing its support for the project. (Catherine Dulude/CBC)
The RCMP has pulled its support from a handbook aimed at
stopping young Canadians from being recruited by extremist groups,
saying parts of the booklet have an "adversarial tone."
The police force is listed as a contributor in the handbook, titled
United Against Terrorism: A Collaborative Effort Towards a Secure,
Inclusive and Just Canada.
The publication was written by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and Islamic Social Services Association. It was
released at a Winnipeg mosque on Monday.
But in a statement issued late Tuesday, the RCMP said it is no longer supporting the project.
"After a final review of the handbook, the RCMP could not support the
adversarial tone set by elements of the booklet and therefore directed
RCMP Manitoba not to proceed with this initiative," the statement said.
The RCMP did not elaborate on its concerns regarding the handbook.
The 38-page handbook is directed mainly at Muslims, asking readers
what Islam requires from Muslim citizens in a non-Muslim country and
stressing the duty to follow the law of the land.
The RCMP contributed to a section titled "Understanding
radicalization and the role of RCMP in law enforcement and national
security."
On Tuesday, the police force noted that it's not responsible for the material in the rest of the booklet.
In a joint statement, the Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA)
and the National Council of Canadian Muslims pointed out that the
handbook includes a disclaimer that says: "Contributors are only
responsible for their respective contributions and do not necessarily
endorse other material contained in this publication.
"This is a handbook for use by Canadian Muslim communities to help
them identify radicalization, prevent violent extremism, build civic
engagement and uphold civil rights. Canadian Muslims are entitled, like
all other Canadians, to know their legal rights when interacting with
law enforcement. This is a basic Canadian and core democratic concept
which we all uphold," the groups' statement reads in part.
"Our recommendations to security agencies are based on years of
direct experience with grassroots communities and the concerns aired by
Canadian Muslims during local town hall forums in 2013 in the presence
of law enforcement participants," the statement added.
RCMP's full response
Below is the full text of the RCMP's response, issued Tuesday, regarding the United Against Terrorism handbook:
The safety and security of citizens is of the utmost importance to
the RCMP, and we take any threat to the security of Canadians and their
livelihood seriously.
The RCMP has a longstanding relationship established with the
communities it serves and for the past several years, it has been
building trust with the communities through its national security
community outreach program.
The RCMP contributed to Section 3 of the handbook entitled
"Understanding Radicalization and the role of RCMP in law enforcement
and national security". We are not responsible for other material
contained in this publication.
After a final review of the handbook, the RCMP could not support the
adversarial tone set by elements of the booklet and therefore directed
RCMP Manitoba not to proceed with this initiative.
Any questions regarding the distribution, use or intention of the
booklet should be directed to the authors, the National Council of
Canadian Muslims and the Islamic Social Services Association.
Source: RCMP newsroom
Groups respond
Below is the full text of the
response from the Islamic Social Services Association and the National
Council of Canadian Muslims to the RCMP's statement:
The Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA) and the National
Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) issue the following joint statement
in response to recent remarks by the RCMP with respect to the United
Against Terrorism handbook which was released on September 29th at the
Winnipeg Central Mosque.
"We greatly commend and appreciate the RCMP's contributions to this
important tool in the struggle against violent extremism. Since Monday,
we have received enthusiastic support for this initiative from
Canadians across the country and countless requests to distribute the
handbook in our diverse communities.
"This initiative has been a true success as it brought law
enforcement, community leaders and Canadian Muslim communities together
with a common focus on safeguarding Canada and addressing youth
radicalization towards criminal violence. The handbook does take an
adversarial stance against violent extremists and those who seek to
recruit and radicalize Canadian youth towards criminal violence.
"As might be expected, the content of the handbook was shared with all
contributors for constructive feedback throughout the 14 month
development process. All feedback received was incorporated. The
handbook also contains a clear disclaimer on page 1 that states:
'Contributors are only responsible for their respective contributions
and do not necessarily endorse other material contained in this
publication.'
"This is a handbook for use by Canadian Muslim communities to help
them identify radicalization, prevent violent extremism, build civic
engagement and uphold civil rights. Canadian Muslims are entitled, like
all other Canadians, to know their legal rights when interacting with
law enforcement. This is a basic Canadian and core democratic concept
which we all uphold. Our recommendations to security agencies are based
on years of direct experience with grassroots communities and the
concerns aired by Canadian Muslims during local town hall forums in 2013
in the presence of law enforcement participants.
"We look forward to working with all of the contributors in challenging
violent extremism and building a more secure, inclusive and just
Canada."
Source: National Council of Canadian Muslims newsroom
