OTTAWA — Canadian multiculturalism policies have greatly shaped anti-terrorism and anti-radicalization efforts, but government officials believed it may be hurting them as well, according to a cable released by WikiLeaks.The June 2008 cable from a U.S. official to other departments in that country said Canadian officials believed the government may have gone too far in encouraging diversity — the Canadian “mosaic” — rather than integration — the American “melting pot.”
“Government representatives have commented that they felt people around the world understood what it meant to be ‘American,’ but that Canada lacked a similar sense of identity, making it more difficult to create a feeling of one unified society in Canada — and hence creating greater susceptibility to radicalization,” reads the cable, signed by the deputy chief of the U.S. mission in Canada, Terry Breese.
The diplomatic cable, sent to the State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Homeland Security, also cast doubt on the success of Canada’s efforts to counter radicalization.
The cable said the children of non-European immigrants may be more prone to radicalize than their parents if they don’t “buy into a Canadian identity.”
“The jury is still out on whether Canada’s escape so far from any terrorist attacks or a serious problem with radicalization of Muslim communities is due to proactive and concerted efforts by Canadian agencies and NGOs, or despite them,”the cable said.
“One way or another, Canada will never have the luxury of relaxing its counter-radicalization efforts abroad or at home, at least for the foreseeable future.”
The cable is one of thousands that the whistleblower website WikiLeaks posted online Friday and titled “Canada confronts radicalization abroad and at home.”
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s office declined to comment on the leak itself, but said in an email: “Canada is internationally recognized as having an open and generous immigration and refugee system while, at the same time, being one of the most diverse and peaceful nations in the world.”
However, it added that for this to continue “it is important that immigrants and refugees continue to integrate and participate in Canadian society.”
The minister’s office said the government “has taken several steps in this regard,” and pointed out how it introduced a new citizenship guide that outlines responsibilities expected of new Canadians.
Canada’s strategy focused on avoiding an “us versus them approach,”the leaked cable said, and instead focused on engaging the Muslim community at a local level at home and abroad. Programs were generally not targeted directly at Muslims, the cable said, but more generally at “communities of concern.”
“Many Canadian programs do not even mention ‘Islam’ or ‘Muslim’ specifically, but rather rely on the language of ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion,’ ”the confidential cable said.
Responsibility for the programs was spread across a number of federal departments —the Department of Foreign Affairs, Citizenship and Immigration, Canadian Heritage and Public Safety.
The cable quoted a Privy Council Office analyst as saying that Public Safety had limited success in developing a “whole-of-government” strategy. A Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer told the American embassy that Public Safety “needs to do more” in relation to the department’s ability to co-ordinate the RCMP and CSIS.
Origin
Source: National Post
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