Blog Post #13- Canada: The Next Terrorist Plot?

 

By living in Canada, I can say that this is a Country where I feel safe wherever and whenever I go to public places. Worrying about safety is something that is always in a persons back of the head, however that worry never usually becomes a reality, or at least we hope that it doesn't. Recently, suspects have been put into court because of a very near tragic attack that was almost completed. Two males were planning to attack a VIA rail train that was heading to New York city. They were planning to attack the train before reaching the United States but they got caught before it happened.

So far this year has been a very unfortunate year for the United States. From the Sandy Hook school shooting, to the movie theatre, to more recently the Boston bombing, many attacks have been plotted and made towards innocent individuals that have nothing negative to do with the suspect that killed them. Personally, I have really felt for the victims of these three events. However, by almost having a similar violent attack in Canada, these feelings are hitting me stronger than if they were just in the US. Canada has not been a terrorist target for a while now and I am hoping that there will not be any more attempts to attack the Country ahead.

This issue does not just affect individuals in this Country, it affects Canada as a whole. Most noticeably, security will become much stricter at public events and continually at airports. “We take all of these matters very seriously,” said Paul Smith who is a chairman of VIA rail's board of directors, “It’s not just running the trains, it’s running them safely.” Changes will have to be implemented and safety procedures have to stay strong. First of all, Via trains staff to identify suspicious activity or situations that could pose a security threat and staff are asked to report to the police if anything suspicious happens. This incident has also caused security at the stations to be under greater scrutiny. Security experts say installing airport-style security at train stations is possible, but would increase transit times as well as increase the cost of tickets. In my opinion, two hassles would make me think twice about taking the train. But then again, safety is top priority. Canada as a whole will need to have stricter security at public transportation stations and maybe follow a pattern like in the United States where Amtrak also uses bomb-sniffing dogs to detect explosive devices before passengers board trains. Amtrak is the American equivalent to VIA rail.

"We say that there is no justification in Islam to kill innocent people like what happened in Boston or to threaten people's lives in any way like what we saw here in Canada, while we are thanking the RCMP and the imam who reported this, I would like to say that it's a religious duty from an Islamic perspective to speak up against anything that might put people's lives in danger." These two quotes are stirring up a lot of controversy from not just Canada but the Untied States as well. Even though they stated these facts, could they be completely true? Did Islam help prevent this attack from happening? If they did then they will be highly though of by Canadians and respected.

Canada has not commonly been a Country for terrorist attacks but we usually slightly suffer the aftermath of American tragedies. Although not that common, some aspects of Canada may increase on the chances of terrorists attacking us. The proximity to the American boarder could cause terrorists to come in contact with us if a plan does not work in the United States. As well, because we are not as high of a target, our security might not be as tight as other Countries and therefore easier to attack. Finally, the surprise factor plays a giant role in this Country. We are not expecting a terrorism plot, therefore we are less prepared and a bigger impact could be caused if the attacker gets through with the plan.

All in all, this event defiantly taught me a lesson personally and in Canada as a whole. I will not be scared enough to sleep with one eye open but I will always stay safe wherever I go. I trust Stephen Harper and CSIS to keep the Country a safe place to live in like it is now. Hopefully this is the final situation like this that will have to be dealt with for a very long time.