STOP C-9:

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:

WHEREAS The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression, and freedom of peaceful assembly;

WHEREAS The state has a legitimate role in punishing violence, threats, and the incitement of violence against individuals or groups;

WHEREAS The state has no role regulating or policing religious teaching, theological debate, or the peaceful expression of sincerely held religious beliefs;

WHEREAS Without clear safeguards for religious expression, pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, and other faith leaders may face legal risk for quoting sacred texts, explaining traditional doctrines, or teaching the tenets of their faith;

WHEREAS Canadians of all faiths have a right to peacefully express, teach, and practice their religious convictions in public and in private without fear of prosecution or legal penalty;

WHEREAS The right to peaceful protest and assembly in accordance with one’s religious or moral convictions is a cornerstone of a free and democratic society;

THEREFORE, we, the undersigned, call upon the Hon. Sean Fraser, Attorney General of Canada and repeal Bill C-9 to restore the Charter right to freedom of religion.