OTTAWA – In light of the recent attacks against muslims in Canada, the federal government will now require all citizens to be thoroughly screened for racism and tendency toward hate crimes before interacting with any the 25,000 refugees.
“Protecting people is our first priority,” RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said to a group of reporters. “We know that most Canadians are accepting, peaceful people who want to include everyone. However, within this population, there are certain individuals who want to commit violent acts against refugees simply because of their religion. We can’t take this risk.”
Security officials promptly implemented the rigorous security checks after Canadian radicals reportedly set fire to a mosque in Peterborough, threatened to shoot one muslim per week in Quebec and committed a vicious assault in Toronto.
“There is a small minority of Canucks who have a radical interpretation of multiculturalism,” explained security expert Mohammed Leuprecht. “While we shouldn’t generalize against the population, we should take necessary precautions. Some may have visited hate-training camps in Ontario or Alberta.”
Some civil liberties advocates have opposed the new measures. “I think that’s completely unnecessary,” explained long-time Canadian and local activist Amy Dundas. “Just because I’m of a certain nationality, I am assumed to be a threat to muslims? I only wanted to welcome [Syrian refugees] with cookies!”
At press time, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume were under strict CSIS surveillance.
