Under bill C-63 an online comment could cost you thousands.

[stevecanuck]

The following is from the Canadian parliamentary website Government Bill (House of Commons) C-63 (44-1) - First Reading - An Act to enact the Online Harms Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts - Parliament of Canada

"Part 3 amends the Canadian Human Rights Act to provide that it is a discriminatory practice to communicate or cause to be communicated hate speech by means of the Internet or any other means of telecommunication in a context in which the hate speech is likely to foment detestation or vilification of an individual or group of individuals on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination."

How will the proposed law be applied to hate speech that satisfies the underlined definition when it is taken directly from religious scripture? Every online version of the Qur'an violates those conditions many hundreds of times. Below are examples of such hatred, most of which are directed at Jews (unitalicized words in square braces are mine added for clarity):

- 2:75 - "They [Jews] willfully distorted the word of Allah".
- 2:76-78 - "They [Jews] would hear the word of God and understand it. Then they would purposely misinterpret it."
- 2:79 - "Then woe to those [Jews] who wrote the Book with their own hands, and then say: 'This is from Allah', to traffic with it for a miserable price!- Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby."
- 2:83 - "You [Jews] turned back (on your covenant with God) except a few of you."
- 2:85 - "But what is the reward for those among you [Jews] who behave like this but disgrace in this life? ... And on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty."
- 2:86 - "These are the people who buy the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter: their penalty shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped."
- 2:87 - "Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant?"
- 2:88 - "Allah has cursed them for their disbelief."
- 2:89 - "When there came to them a Book from God [the Qur'an], confirming what was with them [the Torah/Old Testament], they disbelieved in it; and the curse of God is on the unbelievers."
- 2:90 - "Miserable is the price for which they have sold their souls, in that they deny which Allah has sent down [the Qur'an], in insolent envy that Allah of His Grace should send it to any of His servants He pleases: Thus have they drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath. And humiliating is the punishment of those who reject Faith."
- 2:92 - "You [Jews] were evildoers."
- 2:93 - "Their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf because of their disbelief. Say [to the Jews, Mohamed], "How wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you".
- 2:94-96 - "Say [to the Jews, Mohamed]: If the future abode with Allah is specially for you to the exclusion of the people, then invoke death if you are truthful. But they will never seek death, on account of the (sins) which their hands have sent on before them. and Allah is well-acquainted with the wrong-doers. Thou wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life."
- 2:98 - "Surely Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers".
- 2:99 - "We have sent down to thee [Mohamed] Manifest Signs [the Qur'an]; and none reject them but those who are perverse".
2:102 - "surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls."
- 2:105 - "Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture nor the polytheists wish that any good [the Qur'an] should be sent down to you [Mohamed] from your Lord".
- 2:109 - "Many Jews and Christians (People of the Book) wish they could cause you (Muslims) to backslide from Islam, but be patient with them until Allah gives His command." [Allah gave "His command" to fight Jews and Christians later in verse 9:29.]
- 2:111 - "And they say, 'None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian.' That is their wishful thinking."
- 2:120 - "And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion."
- 2:135 - "They say, 'Be Jews or Christians so you will be guided.'"
- 2:140 - "Say [to the Jews and Christians, Mohamed], 'Are you more knowing or is Allah?' And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony [the Qur'an] he has from Allah?"
- 2:145 - "If you [Mohamed and the Muslims] follow their caprices, after the knowledge that has come to you [the Qur'an], then you will surely be among the evildoers." [As always, those who do not follow Islam are "evil doers".]
- 2:159 - "Those who conceal the clear signs and the guidance that We have sent down [the Qur'an], after We have shown them clearly in the Book, they shall be cursed by God."
- 2:211 - "Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We gave them. Whoever changes God's blessing after it has come to him, God is terrible in retribution."
- 3:19 - "In the sight of God Islam is the religion. The People of the Book created differences in the matters (of religion) because of their hostility among themselves, only after knowledge had come to them. Let whoever denies the revelations of God know that the reckoning of God is swift."
- 3:65 - "Ask the People of the Book, "Why do you argue about Abraham? ... Why do you not understand?"
- 3:66 - "You even argue about what is already known to you. What can you learn from arguing about something of which you have no knowledge?"
- 3:69 - "A group among the People of the Book would love to mislead you."
- 3:70 - "People of the Book! Why do you reject the Signs of Allah, of which you are witnesses?"
- 3:71 - "O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): 'Why do you mix truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?'"
- 3:72 - "A section of the People of the Book say: 'Believe in the morning what is revealed [the Qur'an] to the believers [Muslims], but reject it at the end of the day.'"
- 3:78 - "There is among them a party who alter the Scripture ... they say, 'This is from Allah ,' but it is not from Allah. And they speak untruth about Allah while they know."
- 3:82 - "If any turn back (from the covenant with God), they are perverted transgressors".
- 3:83 - "Do they seek for something other than the religion of God [Islam]"?
- 3:85 - "If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted from him."
- 3:87 - "On them rests the curse of God, his angels, and all of mankind".
- 3:88 - "Their penalty will not be lightened".
- 3:90 - "Those who reject faith [Islam]...never will their repentance be accepted".
- 3:91 - "Those who die rejecting faith [Islam]...for such is a grievous penalty".
- 3:98 - "Say [Mohamed]: 'People of the Book, why do you disbelieve in the signs of God?"
- 3:99 - "Say [Mohamed]: 'People of the Book, why do you bar from God's way the believer?"

... continued

 

[stevecanuck]

- 3:100 - "O believers, if you obey a sect of those who have been given the Book, they will turn you, after you have believed, into disbelievers."
- 3:101 - "[Jews] How can you disbelieve, seeing you have God's signs recited to you?"
- 3:110 - "If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient."
- 3:111 - "If they [Jews] fight against you, they will show you their backs, and they will not be helped."
- 3:112 - "Shame is pitched over them (Like a tent) wherever they are found ... they draw on themselves wrath from Allah, and pitched over them is (the tent of) destitution. This because they rejected the Signs of Allah ... this because they rebelled and transgressed beyond bounds."
- 3:118 - "O ye who believe! Take not into your intimacy those outside your ranks [non-Muslims]: They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin: Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths: What their hearts conceal is far worse." ... that they yearn for you [Muslims] to suffer Hatred has already shown itself out of their mouths"
- 3:119-120 - "When they meet you, they say, 'We believe': But when they are alone, they bite off the very tips of their fingers at you in their rage. If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it."
- 4:46 - "Among the Jews are those who distort words from their (proper) usages ... twisting their tongues and defaming the religion ... Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few.
- 4:47 - "O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down [the Qur'an], confirming that which is with you, before We obliterate faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them as We cursed the sabbath-breakers." [This threatens the Jews with being turned into apes as their ancestors were.]
- 4:51-52 - "Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture [Jews and Christians], who believe in superstition and false objects of worship. These are the ones whom Allah has cursed."
- 4:54 - "Are they jealous of the people [Muslims] for the bounty that God has given them?"
- 4:55-56 - "Surely those who disbelieve in Our signs [including the Qur'an] We shall certainly roast them at a Fire; As often as their skins are wholly burned, We shall give them in exchange other skins, that they may taste the chastisement."
- 4:154-157 - "We took from them [Jews] a solemn compact. However, because of their disbelief, disregard of their covenant, denial of God's revelations, murdering the Prophets without reason, and their saying that their hearts were covered, We sealed up their hearts ... And because of their disbelief and uttering against Mary a grave false charge ... and for their saying, 'We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of God'."
- 4:160 - "For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful to them certain good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their hindering many from Allah's Way."
- 4:161 - "and for their taking usury, that they were prohibited, and consuming the wealth of the people in vanity."

... continued

 

[stevecanuck]

- 5:13 - "But on account of their breaking their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard; they altered the words from their places and they neglected a portion of what they were reminded of; and you [Muslims] shall always discover treachery in them except a few of them."
- 5:18 - "And (both) the Jews and the Christians say: 'We are the children of Allah and His loved ones.' Say [to them, Mohamed]: 'Why then does He punish you for your sins?'"
- 5:41 - " ... the Jews, avid listeners to falsehood ... They distort words beyond their usages ... listening to other people who have not come to you [not converted to Islam] ... They distort words ... Those are the ones for whom Allah does not intend to purify their hearts. For them in this world is disgrace, and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment."
- 5:42 - "[Jews are] avid listeners to falsehood, devourers of what is unlawful [usury]."
- 5:43 - "They are not believers".
- 5:44 - "Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light ... And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then it is those who are the disbelievers."
- 5:45 - "whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed [including the Qur'an], then it is those who are the wrongdoers."
- 5:47 - "whoever did not judge by what Allah revealed, [including the Qur'an] those are they that are the transgressors."
- 5:49-50 - "you must judge among them by what God has revealed. Do not follow their desires. Beware of their mischievous deception concerning some of the matters that God has revealed to you [the Qur'an]."
- 5:51 - "O you who have believed [Muslims], do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people."
- 5:57 - "O ye who believe! take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery or sport,- whether among those who received the Scripture before you [Jews and Christians]."
- 5:58 - "And when you call to prayer they make it a mockery and a joke."
- 5:59 - "Say [Mohamed]: 'O people of the Book! Do you disapprove of us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah, and the revelation [the Qur'an] that has come to us ... and that most of you are rebellious and disobedient?"
- 5:60 - "Say [Mohamed], 'Should I tell you who will receive the worst punishment from God? Those whom God has condemned, afflicted with His anger, made apes out of them [Jews of old], swine and worshipers of Satan, will have the worst dwelling and will wander far away from the right path.'"
- 5:61 - "When they come to you, they say, 'We believe'; but they have entered in unbelief."
- 5:62 - "You can see many of them competing with each other in sin, hostility, and in taking usury. What they had been doing was certainly evil."
- 5:63 - "Why do not the rabbis and the priests forbid their speaking evil and their devouring of illicit gain [usury]? Evil is their handiwork."
- 5:64 - "And the Jews say: The hand of Allah is tied up! Their hands shall be shackled [instead] and they shall be cursed for what they say ... and what has been revealed [the Qur'an] to you [Mohamed] from your Lord will certainly make many of them increase in inordinacy and unbelief; and We have put enmity and hatred among them till the day of resurrection; whenever they kindle a fire for war Allah puts it out, and they strive to make mischief in the land; and Allah does not love the mischief-makers."
- 5:65 - "And if only the People of the Scripture [Jews and Christians] had believed and feared Allah, We would have removed from them their misdeeds and admitted them to Gardens of Pleasure."
- 5:68 - "Say [Mohamed], 'O People of the Scripture, you are standing on nothing until you uphold the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed [the Qur'an] to you [Mohamed] from your Lord.' And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. So do not grieve over the disbelieving people."
- 5:70 - "We had already taken the covenant of the Children of Israel and had sent to them messengers. Whenever there came to them a messenger with what their souls did not desire, a party of messengers they denied, and another party they killed."
- 5:71 - "And they thought there would be no resulting punishment, so they became blind and deaf. Then Allah turned to them in forgiveness; then many of them became blind and deaf."
- 5:80-81 - "How wretched is that which they have put forth for themselves in that Allah has become angry with them, and in the punishment they will abide eternally ... many of them are of evil conduct."
- 5:82 - "You will find the most vehement of mankind in hostility to those who believe [Muslims] to be the Jews and idolaters."
- 7:176 - "So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs."
- 7:178-179 - "Those whom God has guided have the true guidance, but those whom He has caused to go astray [from Islam] are certainly lost ... They have hearts but do not understand, eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear. They are worse than lost cattle."
- 8:55 - "For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are those who reject Him."
- 9:29 - "Fight against those who believe not in Allah ... and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth [Islam] among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizya [protection tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."
- 9:30-32 - "The Jews say, 'Ezra is the Son of God.' [No, they do not] The Christians say, 'The Messiah is the Son of God.' That is the utterance of their mouths, conforming with the unbelievers before them. God assail them! How they are perverted! ... They have taken their rabbis and their monks as lords apart from God ... They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths."
- 16:118 - "And unto those who are Jews ... We wronged them not, but they were wont to wrong themselves."
- 62:5 - "Those who were to carry the responsibility of the Torah [Jews] but ignored it, are like donkeys laden with books. How terrible is the example of the people who reject the revelations of God. God does not guide the unjust."
- 62:6-7 - "Say [Mohamed]: You who are Jews! If you claim that you are favoured of Allah apart from mankind, then long for death if you are truthful. But they will not wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers."
- 98:6 - "Indeed, those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture [Jews and Christians] and the polytheists [Meccan Pagans] will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures."

The above quotes, and many more like them directed at pagans and others, are the very definition of "detestation" and "vilification". How will such scripturally based hatred be treated under C-63? Would this bill create a scenario in which Muslims can call non-Muslims "the worst of beasts in the sight of God", and then claim immunity because they are quoting verse 8:55 of the Qur'an, whereas non-Muslims who return the insult would be subject to prosecution/persecution? The first step in answering this question is to acknowledge the visceral hatred that issues from the Qur'an towards non-Muslims.

Quotes can be verified here: https://corpus.quran.com

 

[danieldemol]

Well politicians would lose too many votes if they went after historical examples of religious hate speech, so it is probably a bit optimistic to expect them to outlaw the Quran given people tend to act in accordance with their own perceived self interests, but current examples of hate speech are probably softer targets.

So I would think that Muslims who quote 8:55 then instead of attempting to apologetically walk it back instead assert it for what it outwardly appears to mean could be prosecuted for hate speech.

 

[anotherneil]

I suggest fleeing the authoritarian & Orwellian British Monarchy Kingdom of Canada.

I wonder how easily people from Canada would be able to sneak into the US or seek asylum from the northern border compared to the southern border (BTW if anyone wants to get the idea in their head that I'm a racist against Hispanics for saying something like this, good luck with that - I myself am Hispanic & my mother's an immigrant from a Latin American country).

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Well, who here believes it to be a good thing to spread hatred and the desire for the death or torture of others in the name of religion? And why?

I know quite a few atheists who left their religions precisely because they saw the hatred, and rejected it.

 

[SkepticThinker]

I suggest fleeing the authoritarian & Orwellian British Monarchy Kingdom of Canada.

I wonder how easily people from Canada would be able to sneak into the US or seek asylum from the northern border compared to the southern border (BTW if anyone wants to get the idea in their head that I'm a racist against Hispanics for saying something like this, good luck with that - I myself am Hispanic & my mother's an immigrant from a Latin American country).

I wouldn't move to the US if you paid me.

 

[Wirey]

I suggest fleeing the authoritarian & Orwellian British Monarchy Kingdom of Canada.

I wonder how easily people from Canada would be able to sneak into the US or seek asylum from the northern border compared to the southern border (BTW if anyone wants to get the idea in their head that I'm a racist against Hispanics for saying something like this, good luck with that - I myself am Hispanic & my mother's an immigrant from a Latin American country).

As a Canadian who described in a post in another thread why this isn't really a thing, I'm very happy here with our politicians taking sad little shots at each other, and no one shooting my children to death at a school or a mall. Being Canadian, especially if you were fortunate enough to be born here, is like winning twenty lotteries. Unless you're French.

 

[danieldemol]

I suggest fleeing the authoritarian & Orwellian British Monarchy Kingdom of Canada.

I wonder how easily people from Canada would be able to sneak into the US or seek asylum from the northern border compared to the southern border (BTW if anyone wants to get the idea in their head that I'm a racist against Hispanics for saying something like this, good luck with that - I myself am Hispanic & my mother's an immigrant from a Latin American country).

Its odd how much better these so called "Orwellian societies" are than the U.S in my view.

 

[Secret Chief]

I wouldn't move to the US if you paid me.

Nor me. From what I read on RF it's virtually a Marxist dictatorship.

 

[Eddi]

I wouldn't move to the US if you paid me.

I would actually pay money not to move to the USA

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I wouldn't move to the US if you paid me.

Nor would I. I no longer even feel like I'd care to visit.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I suggest fleeing the authoritarian & Orwellian British Monarchy Kingdom of Canada.

I wonder how easily people from Canada would be able to sneak into the US or seek asylum from the northern border compared to the southern border (BTW if anyone wants to get the idea in their head that I'm a racist against Hispanics for saying something like this, good luck with that - I myself am Hispanic & my mother's an immigrant from a Latin American country).

IMO, moving from Canada to the US because you're worried about infringements on your freedoms would be a lot like jumping into a lake to get out of the rain because you're worried about getting wet.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Nor would I. I no longer even feel like I'd care to visit.

Me neither. And I used to visit pretty regularly.