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 DOES CANASB ASK OUR GOVERNMENT TO DO NOW? To support Senator Linda Frum's Bill S-215, that amends the Criminal Code to clarify that terrorist activity includes Suicide Bombing. Bill S-215 is the same as earlier versions, which hadn't passed before Parliament ended each time. We helped generate these Bills, initially sponsored by then Senator Jerry Grastein who has since retired. 

DOES CANADIAN LAW NOT COVER SUICIDE BOMBING? The Criminal Code and other legislation cover terrorists and their connected activities, but do so by defining a particular group or event. There is 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 IS 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 say Canada should support these efforts and we ask that Suicide Bombing be specifically included in the UN law.

WHAT DOES 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.

DON’T YOU ALSO ASK SUICIDE BOMBING MADE A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY? We do.

WHY ASK FOR IT TO BE A “CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY”? Because people respond to the term, and it is associated internationally with obscene acts. Also because important groups e.g. The Australian Parliament, The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe which includes Canada, and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal, ask this.

WHAT DOES “CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY” MEAN? The term is widely used in Canadian and International law to denote outrageous acts. Our Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, for example, defines it as murder or any other inhumane act that is committed against any civilian population or any identifiable group. It is the deliberate, widespread, or systematic, killing of civilians.

HOW DOES CANASB DEAL WITH THE “IDENTIFIABLE GROUP” ISSUE? We say it is a political, not just a legal issue, and should be dealt with after it is agreed that Suicide Bombing is wrong.

WHY DOESN’T CANASB NOW FOCUS ON CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY? Because we became bogged down in technicalities, e.g. some experts said Canadian law covers it and Suicide Bombing, while others said this is uncertain, and some are not comfortable with the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction which deals with it. CANASB then made a practical decision to focus on promoting the Bill and its objectives, with Crimes Against Humanity secondary. 

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 WILL CANASB DO WITH THE PETITION, AND WHEN? We will present it to the Canadian government when we have enough signatures and the time is right.

WHAT CAN WE ALL DO NOW? The almost daily Suicide Bombings around the world may help convince the Canadian Government to pass the Bill. As governments respond to public pressure, Canadians should be mobilized to press the Government to pass the Bill and respond to its objectives. We also invite Canadians to sign the Petition and we may later ask a group of all party MPs to bring a House of Commons motion for Canada to take our CANASB Declaration to the UN.