SCM Communique on White Supremacist Organizations in Canada
Issued by consensus of the elected General Board, Student Christian Movement of Canada, February 8, 2010
To the Hon. Vic Toews, Minister for Public Safety:
We are writing today out of great concern about the actions and ideology of the organization known as the Aryan Guard. This group has staged racist rallies and is most active in Calgary, Alberta. Members of this organization have issued criminal terrorist threats and are promoting racist hatred, actions that are simply unacceptable, they are illegal and need to be dealt with in the justice system.
Two former members of the group were charged with serious, violent criminal offenses late last year. The Aryan Guard’s website statement says that the “final days are at hand” for “communists, anarchists [and]… other forms of… scum.” The group says they will “expire, drown in pools of your own filthy blood” and “we have no tolerance for you.” The group indicates who the “other scum” are by stating “Third world immigrants have NO place in this land” and falsely claiming that the “White race” founded Canada. This clearly depicts the Communist Party of Canada as potential targets for their action, and we feel this threat is serious, particularly in light of recent attacks.
We would like a full investigation into the potential responsibility of the Aryan Guard for a violent attack on the home of two Community Party members last year, Bonnie and Jason Devine, and their four young children. This attack involved a firebomb, window smashing and neo-Nazi vandalism. Therefore, we are very concerned about the safety of members of the Communist Party in Calgary and demand that they, their children and their homes be protected.
We request that the responsible police forces take the threats with the utmost seriousness and act immediately to protect the lives of people in the targeted groups. We are very concerned that the Calgary Police has allowed the Aryan Guard to march in the city of Calgary and has harassed anti-racist activists attempting to counter their hateful message. In the absence of serious investigation or preventive action by the Calgary police, we believe that federal involvement is necessary. The Minister of Public Safety must immediately order the RCMP to investigate the criminal activities of the group which now include the use of the internet to issue criminal terrorist and racist threats.
The Aryan Guard is a terrorist organization and their criminal threats are illegal. Ottawa must act immediately to ban the group and to ensure its members do not carry out their threats.
As the Student Christian Movement of Canada, we are deeply committed to theologies and practices that work against racism and every other form of oppression, most especially when it is expressed violently.
We await your response to our letter, and your immediate action on this issue.
