Ottawa

Stephen Harper on sociology, radicalization and terrorism

The Prime Minister’s response to a question about root causes

From the Prime Minister’s news conference this afternoon, his response to a question about the radicalization of young men and when it would be okay to discuss root causes.

Look, I think that in terms of radicalization this is obviously something we follow. Our security agencies work with each other and with others around the globe to track people who are threats to Canada and to watch threats that may evolve. I think though … this is not a time to commit sociology, if I can use an expression. It’s time to treat this.

These things are serious threats, global terrorist attacks, people who have agendas of violence that are deep and abiding threats to all the values that our society stands for. I don’t think we want to convey any view to the Canadian public other than our utter condemnation of this kind of violence, contemplation of this violence and our utter determination through our laws and through our activities to do everything we can to prevent it and counter it.

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