Muslims In The House: Sept 18-28, 2018

The Federal Parliament is back in session and we are back with our weekly Muslims in the House blog! We've just published our weekly edition for the two week period from September 18 – September 28!

This week’s edition covers the recognition of the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar and related revocation of the honorary Canadian citizenship of Aung San Suu Kyi, Canada/US free-trade negotiations and the irregular border crossings from the U.S.

October is Muslim Heritage Month so be sure to participate in events marking this month in your community.

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Myanmar Rohingya Genocide and Revocation of honorary Canadian Citizenship of Aung San Suu Kyi

MP Andrew Leslie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Orleans, ON, Lib) on September 20, 2018 proposed a motion that received unanimous consent in Parliament endorsing the United Nations findings that the acts committed by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya constitute genocide and senior officials in the Myanmar military chain of command be investigated and prosecuted for the crime of genocide. On September 27, 2018 MP Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, QC, PQ) proposed a further motion which also received unanimous consent in Parliament revoking the honorary Canadian Citizenship bestowed on Aung San Suu Kyi.

Canada/US free-trade negotiations

MP Karine Trudel (Jonquiere, QC, NDP) and MP Tracey Ramsey (Essex, ON, NDP) asked the government what their plans are if the free trade negotiations with the US are not successful or if the US moves ahead with auto tariffs against Canadian cars. MP Andrew Leslie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Orleans, ON, Lib), responded that the Canadian government has made available up to $2 billion to assist businesses to cope with the changing trade environment and affirmed that the Canadian government continues to work in a constructive atmosphere with good faith on all sides to reach a free-trade agreement with the Americans.

Irregular border crossers and asylum seekers from the United States

MP Ted Falk (Provencher, MB, Cons.) asked the government about its plan to deal with the illegal border crossers coming to Canada from the United States. MP Falk alleged that the government inaction has resulted in a crisis that is delaying the processing of other applicants and costing taxpayers excessive amounts of money. MP Peter Schiefke (Vaudreuil – Soulanges, QC, Lib), responded by first debunking the view that asylum seekers are jumping the line ahead of other immigration applications and affirmed that such asylum seekers are not taking the place of refugees or the place of other people waiting in other immigration streams. Moreover, the government is working on a plan to reduce the number of irregular crossers and asylum seekers from the United States and since last August, there has been a 70% reduction in the number of asylum seekers.