“New Democrats are appalled by how the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is reportedly treating Muslim organizations like the Muslim Association of Canada. We see clearly that Islamophobia and other forms of racism continue to exist in our systems of government. Not only does this pose a threat to the well-being of our communities, but it also hurts the social fabric of our country. We welcome the legal challenge launched on Wednesday.
Last summer, nearly 100 Muslim organizations and civil society groups sent a letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to reform the CRA’s auditing processes, which they allege unfairly target Muslims.
National Post: 'Not informed': Mélanie Joly tells inquiry she was kept in the dark for years on foreign interference
Earlier this week, current national security and intelligence adviser Nathalie Drouin said she had seen no evidence there are “traitors” in Parliament and that some of the conclusions in the NSICOP report made her “very uncomfortable.”
Mendicino said he believes there is a need to “clear the air” about NSICOP’s findings.
“I am very worried that the entire conversation around foreign interference and parliamentarians is being transformed into a kangaroo court with very little regard for the process of understanding how we assess intelligence,” he told the inquiry.
“I think it is extremely important that we heed the opinion and the evidence that has been given to this commission, from Ms. Drouin, from CSIS, around the fact that… this NSICOP report has gone further than where they are at in the assessment of the intelligence,” he added.
