OP-ED

by Candice Malcolm

Toronto Sun
February 26, 2016

The Liberal government lived up to immigration minister John McCallum’s warnings of radical new changes to the Canada’s citizenship laws.

Among the proposed changes announced on Thursday, the Trudeau government wants to cut the language requirement for anyone over the age of 54, reduce the time a permanent resident must live in Canada before they become eligible for citizenship, and no longer revoke the citizenship of those convicted of terrorism, espionage, or treason.

The Trudeau government also announced that they will reinstate the citizenship of the Jordanian terrorist who had his citizenship revoked under the Harper government. Zakaria Amara was convicted of terrorism and given a life sentence back in 2010.

As the ringleader of the so-called Toronto-18, he assembled a team of Muslim immigrants and worked towards a plan to bomb iconic buildings and mass murder civilians in downtown Toronto. They planned to detonate bombs inside the Toronto Stock Exchange and storm the CBC’s head office.

They also planned to siege Ottawa, blow up the Parliament buildings, and, for a grand finale, to behead the Prime Minister.

Thanks to the incredible work of the RCMP’s anti-terrorist squad and a well-executed sting operation, however, this plan was intercepted and the men were arrested before they could carry out their unthinkable attack.

The police raid occurred as the men were receiving a delivery of three tons of ammonium-nitrate fertilizer, which police say is used to build bombs.

These men were well on their way to carrying out their massacre.

Amara pled guilty to charges of participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion for the benefit of a terrorist group. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Since Amara was born in Jordan, and only became a Canadian citizen as a young adult, the Harper government revoked his citizenship and announced he would be deported back to Jordan whenever he is released from prison.

Thanks to Canada’s revolving door prison system, Amara is already eligible for parole this year.

Now, the Liberal government is not only saying this man can stay in Canada, but they are also honouring him with citizenship.

Does the Trudeau government plan to send a citizenship judge into Amara’s prison cell to host a citizenship ceremony? Will he be asked to utter the oath of citizenship, and pledge allegiance to Canada and the Queen? Maybe Trudeau will show up for a selfie.

This is an absolute mockery of our citizenship. This scumbag does not deserve the privilege of being Canadian.

And yet, the Trudeau government is going out of its way to grant citizenship to a person who, judging by his actions, has a hatred for Canadians. We are bestowing the privilege and honour of Canadian citizenship upon a radicalized self-confessed Islamic terrorist who conspired to wage war against Canada.

Immigration minister John McCallum justified the move by saying, “Canadian citizens are equal under the law.”

That’s just not the case. In Canada, much like every other Western country, a person convicted of an indictable offence loses many of the rights and privileges that come along with citizenship. Serious criminals are no longer equal under the law.

Amara committed the modern day equivalent of high treason. He should not be treated equally to law-abiding Canadian citizens.

When Amara is released from prison, we should be showing him the door, not handing him Canadian citizenship papers.

Candice Malcolm is a best-selling author with a new book coming out on the Trudeau government’s misguided immigration and security policies. Sun readers can sign up for a free copy at TrueNorthCanada.com

Image credit: Kagan McLeod/National Post