When Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper warned in September 2011 that "Islamist terrorism" is the greatest threat facing Canada, it made headlines across the country.Apparently Canadians weren't the only ones who took notice - newly released documents show the comments also sparked international anger. In fact, the reaction was so strong Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird had to back-pedal during a meeting with one of the Muslim world's most important leaders last year.
NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar said the incident should be a warning to the Conservatives to be more careful with their words in the future. He said, "It's about responsible diplomacy. Particularly when we're trying to work with moderates in North Africa and the Middle East. When you're making these comments, you're speaking to the whole world, including people you're trying to work with."
Harper's comments were made on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, in which he said the "major threat" to Canada is "Islamicism." He said, "When people think of Islamic terrorism, they think of Afghanistan and maybe of some place in the Middle East. But the truth is, that threat exists all over the world."
The remarks prompted immediate condemnation from analysts and Muslim groups in Canada, who accused Harper's Conservatives of bigotry and vilifying Islam and all those who practice the religion. These sentiments were apparently shared by Muslim countries as well.
In February 2012, Baird visited Tunisia to attend an international conference on Syria. One of his meetings on the sidelines of that summit was with Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Co-operation.
Notes prepared for the meeting warned Baird that Ihsanoglu would likely bring up the prime minister's remarks, which "were misconstrued in the region (the Middle East and North Africa)."
If the remarks did come up, Baird was advised to say, "By Islamist extremists, we mean those who distort the name of a religion to advance their political objectives through violence."