Finsk riksdagsledamot varnar Kanada för lagstiftning om hets mot folkgrupp | NTD NYHETER

Freedom of faith and speech are under attack in Canada as it moves closer to China. A so-called hate speech bill could get people locked up for quoting the Bible or other religious texts. NTD's Daniel Monaghan spoke with a Finnish member of parliament who went to Canada to fight the bill after her own experience with a hate speech bill turned against her. Canada's contentious combating hate act passed the House of Commons and is currently being debated in the Senate. One of its most controversial parts is its removal of what is called Canada's good faith religious defense. That's part of the Canadian criminal code designed to protect freedom of speech and religion. It makes sure that folks discussing, teaching, or citing religious texts are protected from hate speech prosecutions if their intent is genuinely religious and not meant to incite hatred. So in a nutshell, that you won't go to jail for quoting the Bible or other religious text. If the bill is passed, you could be locked up for up to two years for doing just that. Finnish parliament member Päivi Rassanen was invited this week to submit testimony before the Canadian Senate Human Rights Committee on the bill. She knows exactly how hate speech laws can be used against religious people. My case started from the Bible tweet. I took a photo from the book of Romans, its first chapter, from some special verses where Apostle Paul teaches about marriage and gender. And that was the reason why I was accused of hate speech. She was formerly charged with agitation against a minority group in 2021 and acquitted on all charges by two lower courts in 2022 and 2023. But the state prosecutor appealed the decision concerning the Bible verse tweet and church booklet. In a narrow 3-2 ruling, the Finnish Supreme Court upheld the acquittal for the tweet but convicted Rassanen over a booklet with her views. Rassanen is appealing her case to the European Court of Human Rights. Now she is in Canada trying to prevent another country from removing key free speech and faith protections, calling them the cornerstone of democracy. It is important to protect all people against any harm or, for example, against violence. But at the same time, we have to protect the freedom of speech and freedom of faith. And I think that they are not in contradiction between one and other, so we can protect both. Critics call the combating hate act a blunt instrument that will be turned against the people it's supposed to help. In fact, they are vague and it is possible to interpret very arbitrarily these hate speech laws because it is difficult to define what is hate speech. It depends on who are in power, how they interpret it. Rassanen says such laws have a chilling effect on debate in society about important issues. Many people in Finland now are afraid of their speeches. What could happen to them? Because I'm not the only one who has this kind of classical Christian views about, for example, marriage issues. The combating hate act has drawn fierce criticism from a broad coalition of religious leaders and organizations, including Muslim, Christian and Jewish groups. Opposition has also come from several progressive and left-leaning organizations, highlighting concerns that extend across ideological lines. Daniel Monaghan, NTD News.