Have Jason Kenney and the Conservative government simply lost their minds?
News broke today that Kenney has denied entry to British MP George Galloway, who is about to embark on a speaking tour in Canada.
The buzz about Galloway's North American tour has been growing strong across the social media sphere and activist circles. That Canada would ban Galloway seemed like an Internet hoax, when I first heard it, so I called Alykhan Velshi, MP Kenney's Director of Communications, this morning for confirmation. He explained that the decision is that of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and that Mr. Kenney's role is only to decide to adhere to or to overturn their decision. He has chosen not to overturn it.
Velshi refused to explain the specific grounds for the decision, but referred me to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Section 34(1), which reads:
34. (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible on security grounds for
(a) engaging in an act of espionage or an act of subversion against a democratic government, institution or process as they are understood in Canada;
(b) engaging in or instigating the subversion by force of any government;
(c) engaging in terrorism;
(d) being a danger to the security of Canada;
(e) engaging in acts of violence that would or might endanger the lives or safety of persons in Canada; or
(f) being a member of an organization that there are reasonable grounds to believe engages, has engaged or will engage in acts referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c).
You can find the full Act here. Mr Velshi refused to tell me which of the above security threats Mr. Galloway posed.
I briefly met Mr. Galloway at the Rafah Border in Egypt last week, as I was returning from a Code Pink delegation to Gaza, and he was returning from having successfully delivered over 1.2 million dollars in aid to Gaza, and bringing world-wide attention to the humanitarian disastor in Gaza via a 100+ vehicle caravan that traveled more than 10,000km from Britian to Gaza called Viva Palestina. This threatens Canada's border security... how exactly?
The decision to deny Galloway entry stands in stark contrast to the warm welcome the Conservative government gave former U.S. President George Bush earlier this week, who many believe should not have been granted entry for his role in perpetuating crimes against humanity, as per section 35(1) of the IRPA. Is banning Galloway the Conservative government's revenge on the anti-war movement's attempt to ban Bush?
According to his website, George Galloway has vowed to use all means at his disposal "to challenge the decision by Canada's pro-war, conservative immigration minister, Jason Kenny, to refuse him entry to the country to give a series of speeches."
No doubt organizers of Mr. Galloway's events, anti-war organizers and free-speech advocates will respond to Mr. Kenney and the CBSA's decision. In the meantime, individuals can voice their concerns to their MPs, and to Mr. Kenney's office directly. Details here.
Updates:
An on-line petition has been set up. You can sign Let Him Speak: Allow George Galloway To Speak In Canada here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?galcan09
Libby Davies, NDP MP for Vancouver East sent this letter to Jason Kenney this morning: http://tinyurl.com/cow2kw
This Conservative government makes me sick :-(
Great to see that Canadian mainstream media picked up the story this afternoon:
Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/605682
Ottawa Citizen: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/British+denied+entry+threatens+Harper+gover...
Globe & Mail: http://tinyurl.com/d2vfp4
Just want to throw this out there as a possible "Plan B" How about doing an interactive video conference? I'm sure there are enough techies around to make it possible. It would be a way to do an "end run" around the ban...and say "F*ck you Stephen Harper" in the process.
Olivia Chow's statement: http://tinyurl.com/c6kr7z
Minister of Censorship Jason Kenney denies entry to British MP Galloway
OTTAWA – Canadians interested in hearing international experts deliver anti-war messages will now have to leave the country to do so. British MP George Galloway, who was schedule to talk on resisting the war in Afghanistan, was banned by Harper’s government from entering Canada.
“Harper's Conservatives are wrong to bar MP George Galloway,” said New Democrat Immigration Critic Olivia Chow. “The Minister of Immigration is becoming the ‘Minister of Censorship’. This bunker mentality indicates a government afraid of hearing contradictory points of view."
Minister Kenny’s reasons for denying George Galloway entry are an affront to freedom of speech and show the Harper government is frightened of an open debate on an unpopular war. A spokesperson for the Minister said Galloway is “inadmissible” to Canada due to his opposition to the deployment of NATO troops in Afghanistan.
“By the Minister’s own twisted logic anyone who opposed the war in Afghanistan should be barred entry to Canada,” continued Chow. “Would the Minister do the same to veteran British Conservative MP Sir Peter Tapsell, who called the war ‘unwinnable’ and once said it was ‘widely understood’ that the Taliban were ‘not international terrorists’?” (London Times, July 2, 2008)
"Canadians are able to make their own judgement on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and freedom of speech is critical in a democratic country,” said Chow.
Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has a history of banning people from Canada who do not support his views on war. In October 2007 US Peacemakers Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink and retired Colonel Ann Wright were barred from speaking at a Toronto peace conference.
radiorahim, in fact the Student Assembly Against War and Racism http://www.unitedagainstwar.ca/index.php?section_id=21) is doing just that in Toronto this week-end. As the media release above notes, Ann Wright is not permitted to travel to Canada, so they are skyping her in.
Great to hear!
I think it's kind of important to do this kind of thing.
If the powers that be know that whenever they try to ban someone who's doing a speaking tour, that an electronic "end run around them" will be done....maybe they'll figure out that it's a big waste of time and they'll stop doing it.
I called when I saw this I am LIVID, they let war criminal Bush in for paid dinners, and don't let Galloway in ARE THEY NUTS!, I on activist site, I trying to get the petition i saw on there and other people calling, I talked to his office, Kenney a few minutes ago his aid says Kenney had nothing to do with it, the Canada Boarder Services does, I have put in alot of online time for palestine/gaza and keeping Galloway them in the news, I very ill and disabled, I do this, and support Palestine and Right of Return. and Harpers government does this, he should have been ousted last fall. there info here http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/menu-eng.html
The BC Civil Liberties Association has added their voice denouncing the latest outrage from rogue Minister Kenney. Here's their news release:
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
March 20, 2009
Civil Liberties Association Decries Shameful Banning of British MP on “National Security Grounds”
The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association is calling on the Canadian Immigration Minister to immediately overturn the outrageous decision by the Canadian Border Services Agency to ban British MP George Galloway from Canada for his anti-war views. Today the British media reported that Mr. Galloway has been deemed inadmissible to Canada on national security grounds under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Government spokespersons have apparently declined to cite what precise “threat to national security” is posed by Mr. Galloway who is about to start a North American speaking tour and is due to speak at a public forum entitled Resisting War from Gaza to Kandahar, hosted by the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War.
BCCLA Policy Director, Micheal Vonn: “This is shameful conduct from our government. We could not agree more with Mr. Galloway that this is a dismal reflection on Canada. It strikes at the core of the essence of our democratic rights. If the government or some border agent is allowed to determine what speech Canadians get to hear, one of our most precious freedoms will be shredded. This decision is clearly ideologically motivated and has nothing whatsoever to do with national security. It is yet another in the seemingly endless list of abuses and violation of our fundamental freedoms that the rhetoric of national security has spawned.”
In 2008, the BCCLA spoke out against the possibility of Canadian Border Services preventing an American anti-gay group from entering Canada in order to protest.
Micheal Vonn: “It doesn’t matter what end of the political spectrum the expression comes from and it doesn’t matter if it is the most profound wisdom or the most piebald idiocy, Canadian Border Services Agency should not be in the business of screening what viewpoints are presented to Canadians in Canada. Full stop.”
Jason Kenney and the conservative party of canada are a bunch of weasels. wait now....they are a bunch of computer viruses, they are too despicable to be treated as part of the biotic kingdom. another hit on free speech in canada, and another expose of the true conservative party.
if they will not let him in, i really like the electronic lectures....i will give bandwidth from my sites for that...
Huck Farper!!!
dan kellar
------------------
peaceculture.org
beingthechange.ca
This is unbelievable. Thanks for following up on this, Kim! The babblers are watching developments and posting stories and updates here, too:
http://rabble.ca/babble/activism/george-galloway-speak-toronto-resisting...
And something else to consider: if they're keeping out privileged, famous, white male British political leaders like Galloway, imagine who else they'll get away with barring who wouldn't generate such publicity.
What has happened to my country?
I was going to write something up for Atlantic Free Press this morning on Galloway, but I am just too morose this morning to string together something that this topic deserves.
Being away for so long - I have only spent a few years in Canada since 1987 - and lived mainly overseas, I missed this transition to conservatism for the greater part.
I knew things were changing when I came home after one long trip and dad was reading the Globe and Mail. Apparently it was the last vestige of progressive rhetoric in the country. It was a paper he would not wipe his ass with ten years earlier.
How things change. 'Hippie-ish' west coast parents... lots of land, lots of peace - There was a wonderful blend of socio-anarchism in my house - enough leftie values to understand the collective and how we had to share as humans and enough anarchy to understand that government should not be telling people what to read, watch, or what to listen too... along with a healthy resistance to idea of collectivism in the form 1984 or Brave New World... we lived a kind of golden centre between despotism and anarchy.
I grew up Canadian - and was kinda' proud of it - in a quiet, personal, modest way.
But I really feel shocked today. And ashamed in a way. What has happened to my country?
Galloway? Fuck them. Fuck THEM.
Sorry I am really reconsidering the idea of moving my Dutch wife and daughters back to Canada. We have been thinking about if for a couple of years - moving from Holland back to Canada... for the fresh air, the green that this flat, packed country just does not have. Plus my family whom I miss terribly at times.
But I refuse to move anywhere where conservative values fuel the government and media - those of fear and not warmth, those of greed and not share, those of hate and not love.
Why oh why is my home, my birthhome... the abode of my cousins and uncles and aunts and grandparents and nieces and nephews... going backwards!? I actually feel pain thinking about it.
The rejection of Galloway is a watershed moment for me.
I have been so wrapped up in battling conservatism in the US via www.freepressgroup.eu and all the writers we work with, and the Right here in Holland with my vote that I have left Canada in the wake over the past decade thinking it could NEVER possibly... really really, become driven on conservative values.
Today, I am going to start paying attention to what's happening at 'home' and that I mean Canada. And my start is participating in Rabble and Babble.
While everyone around the globe in the progressive movement has been watching in horror eight years of neocon, conservative hell in the USA for eight years, Canada has suffered some kind of coup - media, government... for sure, but I pray not our national psyche.
Richard Kastelein
Canadian Expatriate
Groningen, Netherlands
www.expathos.com
www.freepressgroup.eu
Thomas Walkom in the Toronto Star: "Jason Kenney has gone over the edge..." http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/606073
There is a pattern here.
Harper is micro managing the 'spin' the media puts on the Afghan war.
Anyone critical of the Afghan (or Iraq) war will be silenced in Canada one way or another.
That is why the Harper administration is attempting to prevent George Galloway entry into Canada.
That is why Harper is forcing U.S. war resisters to return to the States.