Canada Unveils New Anti-Terror Measure; Harper Says 'Great Evil Has Descended On Our World'

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has unveiled a new legislation that would strengthen the country's spy agency and allow courts to close any website that promotes terrorism amid criticism that such measures may undermine democracy.

"A great evil has descended on our world," said Harper as he launched the new Anti-Terrorism Act.

The legislation is the latest in a series of such measures adopted by the Canadian parliament since the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the U.S.

The new measures were "carefully chosen to be both strong and to protect and enhance our security in a way that protects our rights ... rights that violent jihadism seeks to destroy," said Harper as quoted by The Guardian.

The new law will make the promotion of terrorism a crime, with offenders facing five years in prison.

It will broaden the powers of the Canadian spy agency to interrupt suspected terrorist activities both at home and abroad. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service will be able to do this by interfering with travel plans or communications. Previously, Canada's security service was limited to collecting intelligence, Reuters said.

Courts will be empowered to crack down on Canadian-based websites promoting terrorism or doing recruitment.

The measures will also make it easier for the police to make preventive arrests against terrorism by lowering the threshold required for proof of arrest. "Jihadi terrorism as it is evolving is one of the most dangerous enemies our world has ever faced," said Harper, who is set to face a general election in October. "Violent jihadism is not a human right. It is an act of war."

The prime minister cited recent attacks in France, Australia and Canada.

Work on the bill started after a gunman killed a soldier at the national war memorial and then stormed Parliament in October, The Guardian wrote. Two days before that, an attacker ran over two soldiers, killing one and injuring the other.

On criticism by opposition politicians and civil liberty groups who "suggest that somehow our freedom is threatened" by measures, Harper said: "We do not buy the argument that every time you protect Canadians you somehow take away their liberties."

"It's the jihadists who are against us, the police who are on our side."

Critics, on the other hand, questioned Harper's claim that the new measure adequately protects civil liberties.

The law was denounced by the British Columbia Civil Rights Association as "a real danger to Canadians."

"This radical expansion of national security powers is not sound security policy and presents a real danger to Canadians," policy director Micheal Vonn was quoted as saying by The Guardian. "Criminalizing people's words and thoughts is misguided and won't make Canadians any safer," she added.

"We will be less free, less democratic and less likely to know who to keep an eye on. This new law will impose a broad chill on legitimate political speech without enhancing public safety, and is likely unconstitutional."

Meanwhile, Sukanya Pillay, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said: "New laws and new powers don't necessarily guarantee security, but they can guarantee a shift away from democratic freedom."

"Knowing that Canada has had a robust anti-terror legislation in place, and that we have strong police powers in under the criminal code, why have those existing powers been so insufficient?" asked Pillay, questioning whether another anti-terror measure, the third in a couple of years, is still needed.