In unusual move, Canada raps Trump for proposal to ban Muslims

'It's something that we can't accept in Canada' Foreign Minister Stephane Dion


Reuters December 09, 2015
Canada's Foreign Minister Stephane Dion speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada December 7, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS

OTTAWA: The Canadian government, which usually refrains from commenting on foreign election campaigns, on Tuesday took the unusual step of criticizing US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his comments about banning Muslims.

Trump's Muslim comments disqualify him from presidency: White House

"It's something that we can't accept in Canada. We have never been as far removed from what we've just heard in the United States," Foreign Minister Stephane Dion said when asked what he thought of Trump's comments.

Trump on Tuesday defended his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States on security grounds and compared his plan to the World War Two internment of Japanese-Americans.

Muslims make up around 3 percent of the population in Canada, which prides itself on being multicultural.

Go to hell': Trump under fire over Muslim ban call

"No political party here could get anywhere near what's been said in the United States, not even with an Olympic-style pole vault," Dion told reporters.

After Trump made his proposal on Monday, Canadian foreign ministry officials had declined to comment on the grounds that Ottawa did not become involved in election campaigns abroad.

COMMENTS (5)

True | 8 years ago | Reply @PakistaniCanadian: What contributions are we talking about here. Being a Canadian Pakistani look at your Rawal TV channel airing your own people's views who are not open & sane minded but liberal, straight thinking in their lives. I'm not saying because someone abusing Pakistan (& that too a Pakistani) gives me an eternal pleasure. In fact sometimes I feel we should have similar minded people in India as well who can call spade a spade. Just Youtube Rawal TV & start watching. Then we can have a decent chat.
Milind | 8 years ago | Reply @S Hashmi - Don't get to optimistic about Canada remaining attack free. you never know your co-religionists... The ISIS can attack anybody anywhere... France was threatened even though it opposed Iraq invasion.. The peaceful Buddhists were antagonized by blowing up their priceless treasures - the Bamiyan Buddhas for no apparent reason.
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