Counter-radicalization meeting held in Saskatoon

A range of national, provincial and municipal stakeholders met with the Saskatchewan Muslim Healthcare Network (MHN) Saturday morning at the Saskatoon Inn to discuss how to prevent self-radicalization.

The key of Saturday’s meeting was to build connections, begin brainstorming what the root causes are for radicalization and what local preventative measures can be put in place. By the end of the morning, doctors and stakeholders agreed people are most likely to radicalize if they feel isolated, marginalized and/or bullied.

“We need to do work at the local level,” said MHN vice president Dr. Shabir Mia.

“We need to preempt law enforcement, so what I mean by that is targeting radicalized youth and individuals is one step, but preventing the formation of those ideas within the minds marginalized youth and communities is the first step.”

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“Just like my kids feel supported to succeed in this community, those kids growing up need to feel that the community is supporting them to succeed. You’re not going to become radicalized if you feel like you’ve really got a place and that the neighborhoods and the schools around you have your back,” said Charlie Clark, city councillor.

READ MORE: Premier meets with Saskatoon’s Ahmadiyya Muslims

Ralph Goodale, federal minister of public safety, was at the meeting and said he wants Canada to be the best country in the world at counter-radicalization. To do that he’s following through with the introduction of the National Office for Excellence, which will create the framework for the plan. It was proposed in the federal budget back in March.

“We’re setting aside essentially $10,000,000 a year to get this started. The office itself will be located within my department of public safety and emergency preparedness Canada, but it will be supported by regional and national advisory boards,” said Goodale.

Don Morgan, Saskatchewan education minister, attended the meeting and spoke to the issue from an educational perspective. He believes that if a child is well-educated, it will most likely lead to better job opportunities, financial security and a sense of belonging.

“It’s those people who feel is disenfranchised that may become a greater risk and might fall victim to the message of radicalization,” said Morgan.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's those people who feel is disenfranchised that may become a greater risk and might fall victim to the message of radicalization," said Morgan.