Finnish politician testifies against Canadian hate speech bill

Finnish politician Päivi Räsänen submitted testimony Monday against a Canadian bill she said could harm religious and free speech rights. Canada’s C-9 bill could criminalize and censor lawful, peaceful speech, she said in a statement for Alliance Defending Freedom International Tuesday. The bill removes a provision that protects religious statements made in “good faith” from being criminally punished, she said. If passed, the bill would enable courts to punish speech that it characterizes as promoting hatred against a group.

What is the C-9 bill? Supporters of the bill say it protects groups from hate speech by making it a crime to display certain predetermined symbols, including Nazi symbols, in public. Specifically, the bill bans what it defines as “hate crimes” against groups or individuals based on their “race, national or ethnic origin, language, color, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.” The bill does eliminate a defense that would use religious subjects or texts to support what it defines as hate speech according to the text of the bill. Additionally, it would make it a criminal offense for anyone to block or impede access to a location used for religious worship, or by certain groups.

Why was a Finnish politician testifying in Canada? Räsänen said her own country’s hate speech laws demonstrate the harm this bill could cause. She was criminally convicted of hate speech in March by Finland’s Supreme Court over a decades-old church booklet about marriage and sexual ethics. The conviction followed after a seven-year legal battle and three criminal trials. She said Canada’s bill could give the government a similar ability to prosecute Christians for their beliefs on sexuality. She added that when the state controls which ideas and beliefs may be expressed, democracy weakens.

How far has the bill progressed? It passed the lower house of the Parliament of Canada in March. Since then, multiple hearings have been held regarding the bill before the Canadian Senate Human Rights Committee. Several religious groups spoke out against the legislation on Thursday.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Park’s report for Roundups on the threat Canada’s bill poses for free speech.