Itrath Syed, the federal NDP candidate in Delta--Richmond East, wants Canadians to have the right to watch the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera and other satellite stations from around the world.

"It's very important for us to try and increase the access that we have to information from around the world," Syed told the Straight. "It's also important to remember that for a lot of people, they want access to those satellite channels not to watch news but to watch cultural programming in a language that they're familiar with--which certainly is not a criminal action."

The Canadian Jewish Congress has opposed the distribution of Al-Jazeera's signal in Canada, arguing it promotes hatred against Jews.

Syed, however, claimed that there are already laws to address this issue.

Prior to her decision to seek an NDP nomination, Syed sent an e-mail to several parliamentarians last March criticizing Bill C-2, which would amend the Radiocommunication Act to increase penalties for people who steal satellite signals or receive "unauthorized" U.S. satellite signals in Canada.

"I am outraged and appalled that our society has come to this place where this kind of legislation can make it this far without intelligent people realizing that the legislation is racist, a violation of several Canadian civil rights and, of course, incoherently stupid," Syed wrote.

After first reading, the bill was referred to a parliamentary committee.