Canada has enacted a new anti-hate legislation aimed at countering propaganda by pro-Khalistan elements and other groups. The bill, which received royal assent on Wednesday, introduces strictures against those preventing access to places of worship or intimidating devotees.
The legislation creates a new intimidation offence for conduct intended to provoke a state of fear in a person in order to impede their access to a building used primarily for religious purposes or by an identifiable group. It also creates a new hate propaganda offence for wilfully promoting hatred against any identifiable group by displaying certain terrorism or hate symbols in public places.
The bill will create 'protest bubbles' or areas near places of worship within which demonstrations cannot be held. This move is seen as a step towards addressing the problem of pro-Khalistan groups protesting outside temples in recent years and displaying overt symbols of the movement.
Pro-Khalistan elements in Canada have staged multiple demonstrations outside Hindu temples this year, including one at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia, this month. The new legislation aims to prevent such incidents in the future.
Indo-Canadian groups have welcomed the legislation, describing it as a 'landmark victory'. The bill also removes the term 'swastika' from the list of prohibited Nazi hate symbols and replaces it with the historically accurate term 'Nazi Hakenkreuz', which is a hate symbol.
The implementation of the legislation will depend on Canadian law enforcement acting according to its provisions.
