Welcome to Canada’s new blasphemy regime

By Vlad Tepes, published by RAIR Foundation USA

In Brief by Rights Probe

A decision to allow a mosque in Regina to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer for about three minutes every Friday at noon via rooftop speakers has sparked noise complaints from residents, online criticism, and what the mosque called abusive messages and threats. Regina Police confirmed the permit’s legality, announced increased protection for Muslim community sites, and said threats would be investigated under the newly passed Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, which comes into force on July 18, 2026. The controversy is emerging as an early test of how the legislation may chill ordinary public pushback against cultural and religious changes in Canadian cities.

Bill C-9 expands Criminal Code provisions on hate-related offences. It includes new rules against intimidation or obstruction of spaces used by “identifiable groups,” with mosques qualifying while raising questions about equal application to mainstream churches. The bill introduces standalone hate-crime enhancements and broadens hate propaganda provisions. Critics argue the law creates asymmetric legal protections for certain religious and identity groups.

The vague language around “hatred”—defined in part as detestation or vilification stronger than mere dislike—has drawn particular concern. Queen’s University law professor Bruce Pardy, who testified before the Justice Committee on the bill, warned of its risks: the line between legal “dislike” and criminal “detestation” is undefined and “will be drawn wherever the authorities want it to be drawn to punish speech that the government hates,” Pardy said. He also highlighted new provisions on speech or protests that “provoke a state of fear,” extending beyond fear of violence to discomfort with ideas, giving authorities post-hoc discretion.

Pardy and others view the developments as a significant challenge to free speech principles. By potentially shielding specific religious practices from ordinary public scrutiny and complaint, the law risks establishing a de facto blasphemy regime for favoured ideologies. Similar concerns have been raised about related legislation such as elements of the Safe Social Media Act framework (C-34 and its predecessors).

As Bill C-9 takes effect, the Regina case may help determine whether Canadians can still voice disagreement over cultural shifts without facing criminal investigation.

Read this commentary in full at the publisher’s website here.