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‘This recommendation really bares the hallmarks of racial and religious discrimination’

“We are deeply concerned by the suggestion that imams require a special vetting as opposed to any other faith leaders. The criminal code currently includes provisions to deal with anyone suspected of promoting terrorist ideology, and this recommendation really bares the hallmarks of racial and religious discrimination,” Gardee said.

Gardee says that the new report in general stigmatizes and marginalizes Canadian Muslims and “portrays them as a threat rather than a partner in national security.”

Imam Syed B. Soharwardy of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada was skeptical that imam certification would be effective.

“I think it is OK, but I don’t think it will solve the problem because it’s not the imams in the mosques who are radicalizing,” he said. “If some imam wants to express his opinion about Shia that they are not Muslim then how can you stop them?”

Soharwardy said that currently in Canada there are no governing bodies over imams, and that approximately “99 per cent are foreign qualified.”

In addition to the recommendation on imams, the report also urged the government to outlaw membership in terrorist groups, bar radical ideologues from Canada and look at forbidding the glorification of extremists.

In general, the senators expressed concern about the small number of terrorism prosecutions, including for extremist financing.

“We cannot try to appease this threat that we face,” Conservative Sen. Daniel Lang, the committee chairman, said in an interview.