Canadians remain divided on whether multiculturalism is salutary or injurious to our country. Perhaps the answer can only be reached on a case-by-case basis, as we work through the constant tension between respecting the cultural distinctiveness of all members of society while demanding loyalty to the state and at least...

A regional court in Cologne, Germany has effectively banned the circumcision of young boys, subject only to medical exception. Such a position has been proposed by various individuals and groups throughout the Western world, and can be refuted along several lines.

For instance, neither the right to...

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of Canada began hearing an appeal from Mohammad Momin Khawaja, a former Ottawa software developer convicted of several terrorism-related offences. Khawaja's appeal is in part focused on contesting the definition of "terrorist activity" in the Criminal Code. He argues...

The UN Committee Against Torture recently recommended that Omar Khadr receive redress for any human rights violations he may have experienced during his imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay.

Khadr himself has already filed a $10-million civil lawsuit against the Canadian government, while advocates like Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada...

Our ever-increasing reliance on cyber technologies has generated a parallel vulnerability to cyber attacks on an individual, industry-wide and governmental level. The importance of attaining greater cyber security is beginning to get the rhetorical attention it deserves. But the ability and willingness of Canada and other Western governments to take...

Auditor General Michael Ferguson's report has generated a great deal of attention on the government's procurement process for the F-35 fighter planes. Lesser known are his findings that Transport Canada has failed to inspect hundreds of airlines and aviation companies, while the Canada Border Services Agency has had...

Bill C-10, the government's controversial omnibus crime bill, recently passed third reading in the Senate and has been sent back to the House of Commons for a final vote. The legislation is expected to pass as early as this week with the support of the ruling Conservatives.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has described Iran in recent interviews as the gravest threat to international security, expressing certainty that the regime is striving to build nuclear weapons. Security experts may be more likely to contend that Iran is developing the potential to create nuclear weapons. The difference...

The dramatic protests and revolutions that swept across Muslim countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011 were the biggest story of the year. This is a story -- or rather a multitude of stories -- of heroism and tragedy set against the backdrop of realpolitik.

While observers...

Over the last five years, I have worked closely with Canadians who have been directly impacted by terrorism. A few have survived attacks themselves. Most have lost family members in terrorist acts like 9/11 and the Air India bombings. For these families, the holiday seasons are an especially difficult time.

Earlier this week, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney made headlines when he announced that a person's face may no longer be covered while taking Canada's oath of citizenship. The new requirement, which most directly affects Muslim women who wear a niqab or burka, has stirred debate...

According to press reports, a United Nations organization has revealed that, "Iran's government has mastered the critical steps needed to build a nuclear weapon."

The International Atomic Energy Agency made its announcement only days after the United States foiled an Iranian plot to murder the Saudi ambassador to Washington, along...