Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated on Wednesday evening in Toronto that Canada must cease supporting divisive groups, including pro-Khalistan elements. Harper made these comments during an event hosted by the Abraham Global Peace Initiative (AGPI), where he was interviewed on stage by AGPI founder and CEO, Avi Benlolo.
Concerns About Immigration and Screening
Harper emphasized the importance of reviewing Canada’s immigration system. He said, “We must stop cultivating Jihadists, antisemites, Khalistanis, Tamil Tigers, and other divisive groups. When it comes to our immigration system, we are going to have to ask ourselves some hard questions about how we screen people.”
He added, “We cannot start importing age-old hatreds onto our streets,” and stressed that Canada must address this issue, stating, “We need to do something about this — we cannot let it continue.”
Previous Criticism of Pro-Khalistan Movement
This is not the first time Harper has condemned the pro-Khalistan movement in Canada. In July 2019, he remarked at an event in the Greater Toronto Area that during his tenure as Prime Minister, his government had “denounced and refused all relationships with those Khalistanis and others who seek to bring the battles of the past to Canada and seek to divide the great country of India.”
Air India Flight 182 and Khalistani Terrorism
As Prime Minister, Harper established a Commission of Inquiry into the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182 by Khalistani terrorists, which resulted in 329 deaths. Harper described the attack as “the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history,” calling it a “cowardly, despicable and senseless act.”
In 2010, the commission led by retired Justice John Major released its report. Harper also issued an apology to the victims’ families on the 25th anniversary of the bombing, acknowledging the government’s failures that contributed to the tragedy.