Terror attacks threaten Canada’s multicultural project

It was a double hit for a country that is used to remaining in the shadow of its big southern neighbor: Sure, there had been several terror plots in recent years in Canada, but all had been detected and prevented by security forces before they were carried out. Not this time. Two attacks by apparently Islamist-inspired perpetrators within days turned Canada into an arena of global terrorism.

The perhaps even bigger shock for Canadians was that the second attack – unlike the first one – did not occur in Montreal, or Canada's other major cities, but in the picturesque capital Ottawa. "That something like this would happen in Montreal would not affect people as much as what happened in Ottawa," Ursula Lehmkuhl, professor for international history at the University of Trier, told DW.

"In Montreal there are always lots of things happening, but in Ottawa, in this small, sleepy town – that really shocks the nation," added Lehmkuhl who also is president of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking countries.

More surveillance

The response of the Canadian government was swift and clear. The conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper in an address to the nation vowed that Canada would not be intimidated and would increase its effort in the fight against terrorism.

Neil MacFarlane, a Canadian-born professor for international relations at the University of Oxford, is convinced it won't take long before political consequences of the attacks will be implemented: "I would expect there to be more careful surveillance. I think organized groups that are perceived to be in some sense affiliated or identified with the ‘Islamic State' (IS) or al Qaeda are going to have a tougher time now."

The likely increase of surveillance and control of potential terrorists in Canada is understandable in light of the attacks and the country's active role in the fight against IS in Iraq. But particularly for a country like Canada it also comes with an added risk. Canadian society, notes MacFarland, has traditionally viewed itself as open and hospitable to immigrants, as a "rainbow of multiculturalism."

But this image and self perception has undergone a change since Harper took office. "That has to do with the fact that Harper in his tenure has carried out a policy, which scaled back the multiculturalism and diversity of his predecessors. I call this the process of the ‘whitening of Canada'," said Lehmkuhl.

No roundtables

This trend could now be exacerbated by the terror incidents. In response to the 9/11 attacks ,Harpers liberal predecessor Jean Chretien, notes Lehmkuhl, had established roundtables, which included Canada's ethnic and religious groups, to cope with the issue. A similar move by Harper was not to be expected, said Lehmkuhl.

"Canada has many Muslims, living – one hopes – happily and peacefully throughout the country," said MacFarlane. "Generally speaking, people tend not to notice. The danger is now people notice and begin to worry. And I think it's fair to say that there's a risk that the effort to sustain and to build upon our multicultural project will be complicated by this."

Opposition to Islam

According to data from last year compiled by Statistics Canada, the government's statistics office, the Muslim population is growing faster than all other religions in the country. Last year, Muslims made up 3.2 percent of Canada's population.

At the same time, however, opposition to Muslims has been on the rise. According to a study from last fall anti-Muslim sentiment has grown significantly in Canada over the past four years. More than half of Canadians (54 percent) said they hold an unfavorable view of Islam. In Quebec where the provincial government has been pushing for a so called charter of values – which critics say is aimed primarily against Muslims – the unfavorability rate of Islam was even higher at 69 percent.

"This could be a harbinger of what we might see now on a national Canadian level, that the political tone and climate gets a lot rougher," said Lehmkuhl.

Question for Europe

But the Canadian attacks could also serve as a message for Europe. "This problem of organized terrorism or terrorism by emulation will probably get more serious over the coming months because of the situation in Iraq and northern Syria," said MacFarland. And this, he notes, could force multicultural Europe to answer a question that it has shied away from addressing so far.

"What is interesting to me is that - whereas in the United States this has become a significant issue in the political environment – how much are we willing to give up to secure the state – I don't think the problem is activating a political conversation in the same way in continental Europe."