Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper called for Canada to cease fostering divisive groups, including pro-Khalistan factions, during remarks made at an event hosted by the Abraham Global Peace Initiative (AGPI) in Toronto on Wednesday evening. Harper, joined on stage by AGPI founder and CEO Avi Benlolo, discussed the risks of allowing certain ideologies into Canada through its immigration policies.
In a National Post column published Friday, Benlolo quoted Harper saying, “We must stop cultivating Jihadists, antisemites, Khalistanis, Tamil Tigers, and other divisive groups.” Harper emphasized the importance of re-evaluating Canada’s immigration system, adding that “we cannot start importing age-old hatreds onto our streets” and stressing the need for decisive action.
Harper, who served as Prime Minister from 2006 to 2015, has consistently condemned the pro-Khalistan movement. At a 2019 event organized by the Canada India Foundation in the Greater Toronto Area, he mentioned his administration’s firm stance against supporting Khalistani groups and other factions that seek to sow discord in India and Canada.
As Prime Minister, Harper oversaw the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, also known as the Kanishka bombing. The attack, attributed to Khalistani terrorists, killed 329 people and remains Canada’s deadliest terrorist incident. The commission, led by retired Justice John Major, submitted its findings in 2010. On the 25th anniversary of the tragedy, Harper apologized on behalf of the Canadian government for the failures leading up to the attack, calling it “cowardly, despicable, and senseless.”
