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OTTAWA — Canada’s public safety minister came under fire Tuesday for invoking the Holocaust in an attempt to defend controversial new anti-terrorism measures.

Bill C-51 is needed to protect the public from extremists who hate Canadian values, Steven Blaney told MPs as they began hearing testimony on the federal legislation. The law establishes a new category of crime, making it illegal to promote terrorism, and gives authorities the power to seize “terrorist propaganda.”

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The minister said the international jihadi movement has “declared war on Canada” and other countries around the world, and he compared their message to Nazi propaganda.

The NDP’s public safety critic said Blaney’s comment trivialized the murder of six million Jews, according to the CBC.

Violence starts with words, hatred starts with words

“There is no equivalence in anything we’re talking about here to the Holocaust,” Randall Garrison said. He also asked Blaney to withdraw the remark.