LETTERS, etc. Homegrown terrorism


Dear Mr. Duguay: Thank you for the support of the Cana-


dian Association of Former Parliamentar- ians for the 15th annual Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy. The 89 teachers who participated in


Editor-in-Chief Dorothy Dobbie


Managing Editor Keith Penner


Editorial Interns Ada Slivinski, Senior Intern;


Diana Brown, Katherine Dunn, Joel Eastwood


Editorial Board


Bill Casey, Dorothy Dobbie, Simma Holt, Hon. Betty Kennedy, Keith Penner, Hon. John Reid,


Doug Rowland, Geoff Scott Editorial Board Emeriti


Hon. Jim Fleming, Hon. Laurier LaPierre, Claudy Lynch


Contributors


Dorothy Dobbie, Léo Duguay, Jenny Ford, Keith Penner,


Hon. John Reid, Doug Rowland, Geoff Scott, Jack Silverstone


Production Assistants


Céline Brazeau-Fraser, Jenny Ford Colby Marjerrison, Julie Mertens, Gayl Punzalan, Susan Simms


ISSN 1920-8561 Our Mission Statement


Beyond the Hill, a magazine for former par- liamentarians, is designed to engage, en- lighten and inform its readers about each other, their Association and its Educational Foundation. Its aim is to encourage partici- pation in the Association and to promote de- mocracy. The views of the contributors to this publication do not necessarily represent those of CAFP nor its Educational Founda- tion. Beyond the Hill welcomes letters to the editor, submissions and suggestions. P.O. Box 1, 131 Queen St., House of Commons Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0A6. Telephone 1-888-567-4764, Fax: 613-947-1764 E-mail: exparl@parl.gc.ca. Website: www.exparl.ca. Be


y ond the Hill is published quarterly. Page 4


been useful to develop them further. Un- derstandably, space was one of the con- straints that you were dealing with. There appears to be at least one inac-


T


curacy in the article, depending on how one defines the concept of “homegrown terrorism.” The article states that “The words of the first homegrown terrorist arrested in Vancouver in 2004 …” According to The Canadian Ency-


clopedia’s entry on Terrorism, the sec- tion on “Domestic Terrorism in Cana- da” starts off by saying, “In 1923, the Sons of Freedom initiated what is likely Canada's first domestic terrorist cam- paign. Residing in British Columbia, the Freedomites were a radical splinter group of Doukhorbous, a religious sect that rejected state authority.” It also de- scribes briefly the activities of the FLQ and Direct Action (the Squamish Five), and that “In the 1980s and 1990s, ex- tremists from the animal rights and environmental movements committed several acts of terrorism in Canada.” (Other terrorist groups are discussed


under “International Terrorism in Can- ada.” And under the section titled “Al Qaeda and September 11, 2001,” the encyclopedia entry states that “Al Qae- da also inspired a homegrown terrorist threat in Canada and several other coun- tries,” mentioning the Ottawan Momin Khawaja and the Toronto 18.) Would it then be accurate to suggest


that the first Canadian homegrown ter- rorist was arrested in 2004? Does the definition of “homegrown terrorism” in your article only apply to Canadian terrorists who are raised in households where Islamic culture was the norm or to other Canadians who have also en- gaged in terrorism?


Karim H. Karim, Ph.D. Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University


here are interesting issues that your article raises, although it would have


this year’s program truly valued their unprecedented access to parliamentari- ans, as well as behind-the-scenes experts and officials. Many teachers struggle to find funding for professional develop- ment opportunities and the assistance of your organization in this regard is greatly appreciated. Your support for the Teachers Insti-


tute has provided these teachers with a better knowledge and deeper appre- ciation of the work of Parliament and parliamentarians – something they will be able to share with thousands of Ca- nadian students for years to come. One teacher commented, “After having spent a few days exploring the structures and people of Parliament, I can safely make the generalization that people here – be they elected, appointed of hired – are welcoming open, generous with their time and attention, and keen to make Parliament feel ‘owned’ by Canadians.”


William R. Young Parliamentary Librarian


A word about article submissions


W


e love to receive submissions from members, and I am delighted to


see more and more of them. Your mem- ories, recollections and even interpreta- tions of the events of the past are all an important part of the legacy that Beyond the Hill is creating for future parliamen- tarians and others. To ensure that you get published, here


are a few ground rules. •We have a limited amount of space so


submissions should be kept under 1,000 words. 500-700 words is ideal. •Photographs should accompany your


submissions. They need to be high reso- lution for quality printing. •Captions should be sent with photos. •We are a non-partisan organization so


will not print blatantly partisan material. •Opinion pieces are fine, but remember


to attack the issues and not the people. That’s about it. If you have recently


submitted something you don’t see in this issue, it is probably because the piece was too long. It may be sent back to ask for abridgement. –The Editor


Beyond the Hill • Winter 2012


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