Textbook: Ch. 21 – THE 329 PEOPLE ON AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182, MURDERED OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, 1985 CHALLENGES TO IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURALISM IN AN AGE OF TERROR
Subject: The Air India Flight 182 bombing and its aftermath
- On June 23, 1985, a bomb exploded on Air India Flight 182, killing all 329 passengers and crew onboard.
- The bomb was manufactured in Canada and placed on a Canadian plane in Vancouver, then transferred to Air India 182 in Toronto.
- Another bomb was placed on a Canadian plane in Vancouver and exploded in Narita, Japan, killing two baggage handlers.
- The Air India Flight 182 bombing was part of a plot by Sikh extremists to provoke and attack India due to the Indian government's clampdown on their religion and efforts to create their own country.
- Decades of investigation that cost over $130 million resulted in only one man, Inderjit Singh Reyat, being found guilty of the crime, although others involved went free due to legal challenges and errors in the investigation.
- The majority of the passengers on Air India 182 were Canadian, and nearly 300 were Canadians of Indian origin from the Toronto area.
- The Air India Flight 182 bombing is the worst terrorist attack ever committed by Canadians against Canadians and the largest mass murder in Canadian history.
- The investigation, legal proceedings, and support for the families after the attack were marked by errors, incompetence, and inattention.
History
Air India 182 was a major terrorist attack in 1985, killing 329 people, mostly Canadian citizens.
Canadians didn't recognize the incident as a Canadian story until years after it happened.
The incident raises questions about what it means to be Canadian and the challenges of
immigration and multiculturalism in Canada.
Economic, social, demographic, and political factors affect immigration to Canada.
The majority of the Air India victims and the perpetrators were immigrants or children of immigrants, prompting questions about the link between immigration and terrorism.
Immigration and multiculturalism have had a positive impact on Canada's economy and identity.
Terrorism and its threat to Canadian society have taken on racial tones, challenging our notion of what it means to be a citizen.
Canadian Immigration Policy Post-World War II
Pre-World War II: King's attitude toward Jewish immigration affected by Quebec's anti- Jewish sentiment
Post-World War II: Attitudes towards race and ethnicity changed due to horrors of concentration camps and humanitarian concerns
Immigration policy still used economic factors in determining immigration
Displaced persons allowed into Canada after the war to maintain a good humanitarian
record and avoid labour shortages
Quota system allowed only minuscule numbers of immigrants from Asian countries
1952 Immigration Act allowed officials to reject immigrants based on nationality, ethnicity, and country of origin
Admission to Canada was considered a privilege rather than a right
Family members and dependants of those who met immigration standards could be
sponsored
Policy still remained race sensitive despite allowing some previously undesired groups to immigrate (Italians, Greeks) primarily to fill labour demands.
History
Canada's Immigration Policy: A Summary
In the late 1950s, Canada's immigration system faced severe criticism, and when John Diefenbaker became Prime Minister in 1957, he was determined to change the policy.
Diefenbaker's government amended the Immigration Act in 1962 to end overt discrimination based on race. The system still had some restrictions, but it was a step forward in ending race-based policies.
The Liberal government continued with a non-discriminatory policy in 1967 with a new "objective" points system allowing anyone to apply to Canada regardless of race.
In the 1960s, Canada developed a policy for refugees, differentiating between those with economic needs and those fleeing persecution. Canada signed the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in 1969.
Pierre Trudeau's government revised the Immigration Act in 1976, maintaining the "points system" and establishing an appeals procedure for those denied entry.
In 1986, Brian Mulroney's government created the entrepreneur class.
Currently, Canada accepts independent (points system), family-assisted, and refugee immigration types. On average, Canada has accepted over 200,000 immigrants and refugees a year in the 1990s and 2000s.
The report proposes the creation of an independent body to recommend an ex gratia payment and oversee its distribution for the families of the victims of the bombing in Canada.
Canada has always been multicultural, and the diversity increased with the great immigration boom of the Laurier period and post-Second World War period. Canada's Multiculturalism policy was introduced in 1971, recognizing the diverse cultural backgrounds of Canadians.
Overview: Multiculturalism in Canada
Multiculturalism exists on different levels: official policy, daily existence, and in the past
Official dictionary definition: "the promotion of both cultural differences and social
equality as an important aspect of society"
Different factors help create Canada as a multicultural society, including aboriginal peoples, immigration, and cultural communities
History
Informal aspects of multiculturalism include family, physical traits, language, music, food, and sports
Formal aspects of multiculturalism include ethnic associations, media, education, businesses, arts, and churches
Canada emphasizes creating laws to maintain the notion that it is a multicultural society
"Official multiculturalism" emerged in the late 1960s through five important
developments
Challenges to immigration and multiculturalism have existed since the 1960s, with heightened criticism after the Air India disaster and 9/11
Critics accuse multiculturalism of fragmenting Canadian society, placing ethnic groups outside the mainstream, and allowing ghettoization
Multiculturalism has been an economic boon to Canada and its benefits far outweigh its drawbacks
\