Ban The Terrorists
Toronto, ON — The Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of Canada’s Common Sense Conservatives, called on the government today to list the Houthis as a terror group:
The Problem:
After nine years of Justin Trudeau, Canada has experienced a shocking rise of antisemitism and hate crime. Even before October 7th, hate crimes had risen by 165 percent since Trudeau became Prime Minister. And in 2023, after the October 7th terror attacks, there have been a record 5,791 reported antisemitic incidents. Justin Trudeau’s disastrous record and woke ideology has divided Canadians and turned the country we knew and love into a place where people don’t feel safe walking down the street.
And not only has the NDP-Liberal government fueled extremism at home, they have refused to challenge violent extremism abroad, like the terrorist proxy armies of Tehran, who spread violence and fear across the Middle East. This was evident in the case of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which supports groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and murdered 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents when they shot down flight PS752. Trudeau only banned the IRGC after years of Common Sense Conservative pressure and two votes in the House of Commons.
Now, the NDP-Liberal Government is refusing to list the Houthis as a terrorist group while they fire missiles at innocent Israelis and attack merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Cause:
Since the October 7th terror attacks, Houthi terrorists have disregarded international law by attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
According to American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, “Since November [2023], the Houthis have launched unprecedented attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as military forces positioned in the area to defend the safety and security of commercial shipping. These attacks against international shipping have endangered mariners, disrupted the free flow of commerce, and interfered with navigational rights and freedoms.”
Earlier in October, the chief Houthi spokesman, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, celebrated that they had “targeted 193 ships linked to the Israeli, American and British enemy.” They have also launched hundreds of missiles at innocent Israeli citizens in support of Hamas.
The Houthis operate with the support of the criminal regime in Tehran who helped organize the October 7th attacks, and subjected the Iranian people to poverty and persecution. The murderous Iranian regime uses groups like the Ansar Allah, Hezbollah and Hamas to spread violence and terror throughout the region and around the world.
Earlier this year, the US State Department announced they would designate the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Group. It is time for Canada to fight back against terrorism and extremist violence by doing the same.
The Solution:
Jewish Canadians deserve to feel safe, and Canada has a moral duty to fight terrorism using every method available. For that reason, Common Sense Conservatives are calling on the government to list the Houthis as a terror group under section 83.05 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
This will end the Houthi’s ability to fundraise, recruit and organize on Canadian soil while providing our law enforcement the tools they need to clamp down on this terror group.
Earlier this week, Common Sense Conservatives also called on the federal government to also list Samidoun as a terrorist entity under section 83.05 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Only Common Sense Conservatives will fight terrorism and protect Canadians.