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April 6, 2004

Yves Surprenant, an assistant director with the Montreal Police Department, has called the bombing of United Talmud Torah school on the eve of Passover as the worst incident of anti-Semitic violence he has witnessed in his 24 years on the force.

This attack comes on the heels of a troubling audit from the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada which reports that anti-Semitic incidents have doubled in Canada from 2001 to 2003. 

Just days before the fire bombing in Ville St. Laurent, Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada met with Prime Minister Paul Martin and Justice Minister Irwin Cotler to call for greater resources to assist with the preservation of the safety and security of the Jewish community.

Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay has taken immediate action to provide more police presence at Jewish institutions across the city.  The time is now for the federal government to step up to the plate and follow the same course of action.

This is not about equal treatment of religion, race and creed under Canada's multiculturalism policy.  This is not about one community getting favoured treatment in contrast to other minority groups.  And this certainly has nothing to do with politics. 

This is a necessary step that the federal government must take to combat a growing and deeply disturbing trend in this country.  Anti-Semitism is an attack on everything that Canada represents, and the time is now for Canadians and the Government of Canada to show solidarity against hate, bigotry and violence with action rather than mere words of sorrow.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"The fact is that none of those people are separatists.  Every single one of them is a Canadian federalist.  They're nationalists, but they are not separatists and they have committed themselves very, very strongly to the unity of our country."
                                     
                                                - Paul Martin, Burlington, Ontario, April 5, 2004,
                                                  in response to questions about seven new
                                                  Liberal candidates in Quebec that are
                                                  former members of either the Bloc or Parti
                                                  Québécois

Huh?  There is truly something to be said for the linkage between effective leadership and clarity of vision.

Comments? jonathan@tdhstrategies.com