USA: Detaining Indefinately due to Religion, Race Ruled Legal

Just as the case against Security Certificates began on wednesday in Canada, on the other side of the border a similar case was being held. The Center for Constitutional Rights had filed a case against the government due to the holding of supects after 9/11 for indefinate amount of time. All the suspects were Arab or Muslim non-citizens which mimics the Security Certificate Five in Canada.

Unlike Canada, in the United States the amount of security detainees is in the thousands. They have been held without charge without fair trial. The Federal Judge presiding over the case ruled that it was legal to do so. The basis for holding can be due to religion, race, or ethnicity and the Judge said that "...the executive is free to single out 'nationals of a particular country' and focus enforcement efforts on them."

Ottawa: Security Certificate Case Continues

Today will be the third day of the trial in the Supreme Court of Canada about the constitutionality of Security Certificates. Tuesday was the first day with Adil Charkoui, who was the first Security Certificate member who was released on bail on strict conditions. He was allowed to travel to Ottawa for three days for the trial, while usually he is unable to leave the island of Montreal. To see pictures and a report go to YaYaCanada who was actually in the courtroom for part of the trial.

I was however, able to get to 'Camp Hope' on the lawn of the Supreme Court. Not many people were outside as most were inside the Supreme Court, but a handful were handing out leaflets to those who went by and banners from across the country were streached out across the lawn. Most people on the street seemed pretty responsive towards the issue. Maybe the ideas of fair trial are part of the 'Canadian Values' many politicians talk about. One person even stopped their car and reached over as hard as possible past their passenger to get me to run and give them a flyer. When I was there only one person vehemently disagreed with us. This person exclaimed "No I don't agree with it! They are terrorists they should be locked up and done away with!" I posed the question that "How do we know if they are terrorists if they do not have a fair trial?" Yet, she just stormed away without answering.

The main issue with Security Certificates the lack of fair trial. Do I know if the Security Certificate Five are guilty or innocent? No, I don't, but is the responsibility of a fair and democratic system for people to be innocent before proven guilty. They also need to have access to the evidence being put against them and, they should not be apprehended on merely a suspicion to be put in jail. Especially not a jail with bad conditions and little access to their families as, the new Guantanamo North in Kingston is.

Yesterday, Hassan Almrei was the one in the Supreme Court. He is one of the three still being held in Guantanamo North and, is one of the three hunger strikers. Today is the last day of the trial with Ottawa resident Mohamed Harkat who was just released on bail with extreme strict conditions. He is only allowed to leave the house three times a week for four hour periods which he has to get federal approval for, he always has to be with either his wife or mother-in-law, he must wear a GPS tracking bracelet at all times and, there are other conditions.

Ottawa: Security Certificate 'Camp Hope'

On saturday night a group of activists who live in Toronto and the subsequent cities between Toronto and Ottawa arrived in Ottawa giving an end to the Freedom Caravan and a beginning to Camp Hope. The group organized by Homes Not Bombs are in Ottawa this week in protest of Security Certificates. The constitutionality of Security Certificates is being taken to the Supreme Court of Canada this week by Adil Charkaoui, Hassan Almreiat and, Mohamed Harkat. Outside of the Supreme Court Camp Hope has been set up by Homes Not Bombs, Justice for Mohamed Harkat, Justice Coalition for Adil Charkaoui, as well as NOWAR-PAIX.

The five men under Security Certificates have been held for years without fair trial. Outside of Kingston Canadian taxpayers have paid for a new facility that has been dubed by many as Guantanamo North. Adil Charkaoui was released on bail with strict conditions about two years ago, while Mohamed Harkat was also released recently on bail with strict conditions. The three remaining men in the Kingston facility Mahmoud Jaballah, Mohammad Mahjoub and Hassan Almrei have gone on hunger strike to protest their conditions.

Throughout the week in Ottawa there will be events happening as listed below. The first major event was yesterday where the group marched on the Prime Mininisters Office as well as Canadian Immigration. Today the group will be camped out on the lawn of the Supreme Court for Adil Charkaoui's challenge with banners from around the country. Then tonight the son of late Prime Minister Pierre Eliott Trudeau, Alex Trudeau will having a panel discussion with members of the Security Certificate Five's families, which is a change from the release of his new movie Secure Freedom about Security Certificates.

Tuesday, June 13. 9 am-5pm. Camp Hope Vigil and banner display Supreme Court Lawn. Support Adil Charkaoui in Court!

Tuesday, June 13 - 7 pm. - Panel discussion featuring Alex (Sacha) Trudeau, members of the Secret Trial Five families, short video screening St-Paul's University Amphitheatre, 223 Main Street.

Wednesday, June 14. 9 am-5pm. Camp Hope. Vigil and banner display Supreme Court Lawn. Support Hassan Almreiat in Court!

Thursday, June 15. 9 am-5pm Camp Hope Vigil and banner display Supreme Court Lawn. Support Mohamed Harkat in Court!

Ontario: Freedom Caravan begins

In Toronto yesterday a group of human rights activists started the treck to Ottawa. The group in taking a week to get to Ottawa stopping at every town along the way gaining people. They are calling themselves the Freedom Caravan who are on the way to Camp Hope. Camp Hope will be formed on the lawn of the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa. They will be camped out on the lawn for a week in protest of Security Certificates.

A week of activities are being planned and many other soldarity protests are being held around the country for the 13th of June. From the 13th to the 15th three of the Security Certificate detainees Adil Charkaoui, Hassan Almrei and, Mohamed Harkat will be challenging the constitutionality of their Security Certificates. Though other cities will be holding vigils on the 13th, in Ottawa there will be the film screening of Secure Freedom a documentary on Security Certificates made by Alexandre Trudeau the son of late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Ottawa: Status for All March

Last Saturday across the country there were vigils and marches for immigrant and refugee rights. The protests have mirrored a wave of protests for immigrant rights across the United States, but on a much smaller scale. The Canadian protests which were held in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Peterborough, Fredericton and, more. An image of the Montreal demonstration is to the left.

It was estimated that there are upwards of 800,000 illegal immigrants in Canada. Though the providing of status to the illegal immigrants was the core issue of these demonstrations three other related issues were brought up the Security Certificate Five, Israeli boycotts and, American War Resistors.

The Security Certificate Five of course are the five Muslim men detained on anti terror legislation that take away the right to fair trial. Mohamed Harkat an Algerian born, Ottawa resident was recently granted bail, which was taken away by an appeal by government lawyers. Only one of the Security Certificate Five is out on bail the other four are at a prison in Milhaven Ontario which opponents are calling Guantanamo North.

Boycotts of Israel are not a new invention. However, being an apartheid state it has created huge amounts of immigrants and refugees fleeing the country. Many have made there way to Canada as a refuge as well as many other places. Canada historically has voted against helping Israel, but the last two governments have changed that record. Originally votes in the UN were changed to abstention and now outright support of Israel. On the same day as the Status for All protest CUPE Ontario a union which represents 200,000 workers vote in favour of a boycott of Israel. They have since received a lot of hate mail for such a bold stance. You can send you opinion to them here.

The third related issue of American War Resistors were touched on and, in the Ottawa crowd was one of the War Resistors that I have previously met. There are twenty War Resistors openly applying for status in Canada. Campaign members believe there are about 200 underground. Canada took in thousands of War Resistors during the Vietnam War with Pierre Elliott Trudeau's proclamation that "Canada should be a refuge from militarism." Thirty years later Canada is participating in a war in Afghanistan, a coup against the democratic government of Haiti and, is the sixth largest producer of arms in the world.

Ottawa: Security Certificate Detainee Coming Home

Yesterday, at an unexpected turn Mohamed Harkat was released on bail. Mohamed Harkat has been detained since December 2002 on a Security Certificate. Security Certificates are anti-terror legislation that allows for a certificate to be issued on any non-citizens who live in Canada. The certificates detain individuals without charge for indefinate amounts of time. Some of the detainees including Harkat are refugees who came here in order to get away from horrid conditions though, arguably being locked up without charge violates human rights.

Harkat if deported to Algeria would face torture and be separated from his wife Sophie. CSIS claims he is a member of Al Qaeda, which he has always denied. However, as none of the evidence that is used against him is not even allowed to be seen by his lawyer.

Harkat will have to give $35,000 up front and $82,500 in promised funds. He will also have to wear a GPS bracelet and will only be able to leave his home 3 times a week for 4 hours with his wife or mother-in-law with Federal government permission.

The other Security Certificate detainees are Mohammad Mahjoub, Mahmoud Jaballah, Hassan Almrei who are being held in a new jail for Security Certificate detainees in Milhaven, Ontario and Adil Charkaoui who has also been released on Bail.

For More Information:
Justice for Mohamed Harkat
Canadian Security and Intelligence Service
Canadian Peace Alliance on Security Certificates

Opinion: Canada as an Imperialist State

One of the speakers I saw over the weekend was Steven Staples of the Polaris Institute. He has done some important work surrounding military spending. He believes that Canada's foreign policy is mainly driven by want to keep trade with the United States. Its very important that we get away from that form of thinking. Canada is not simply catering to the imperialism of the United States, Canada is imperialist in its own right.

The history of Canada is mired in domination of others. It began by the colonization by the French and English empires over the hundreds of Aboriginal and Inuit Nations. Once the Seven Years War led to the conquer of the French settlers it established the dominance of the English over all people in what later became Canada. Later Canada became an official country and continued to widen power over First Nations, French, and minorities. First Nations land was reduced and reduced including today and, awful cultural elimination programs were put in place to produce imperialism on a domestic scale. This domestic imperialism has continued as seen by Oka in 1990, Ipperwash in 1995, and Caledonia today. When talking about Canadian imperialism however, it is important to look at the current international context. Canada is participating in the occupation of Afghanistan which though many of the media spin as humanitarian is anything but. Canadian companies are making large amounts of money from the occupation and in fact Jean Chretien the former Prime Minsiter has many links to Caspian sea hydrocarbon companies. You might ask aren't are troops providing stability for the people of Kandahar regardless? No, Canada is providing stability for a pipeline for oil and natural gas that runs from the Caspian through Turkmenstein, through Afghanistan passing Kandahar and then going south to Pakistan. Canada has interests other then the United States in Afghanistan.

The coup d'etat in Haiti also represents a wing of Canadian Imperialism. Haiti is a small island country in the Caribbean and the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Yet, Canada along with France and the United States planned a coup here in Ottawa then orchestrated it in Haiti against the democratic leader. The crime of the country was self-determination in its economic policy instead of following a neo-liberal tract that perpetuates economic inequality. Later companies like Gildan ActiveWear closed down manufacturing in Canada and moved it to sweatshops in Haiti.

One must also look at what Canada is now doing with diplomacy. Canada now opposes resolutions that condemn Israel and have cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority. It has been pushing genetically modified foods and terminator seeds at the UN Convention for Biological Diversity. Canada also is one of the few countries in the West not to condemn Guantanamo Bay most likely because, of the creation of the Milhaven facility and the use of Security Certificates. Another important statistic to note is that Canada is the sixth largest producer of arms in the world. Its time for people to wake up and understand the complexity and rage of Canadian imperialism. That way people will be able to say no to this perpetuation of oppression and the debasing of Canadian integrity.

Ottawa: Justice for Mohamed protests "Guantanamo North"

The Justice for Mohamed Harkat committee and some three to four dozen people met on tuesday in a emergency protest in front of Immigration Canada. Mohamed Harkat one of the five Muslim men being held on Security Certificates was transfered secretively to a new facility near Kingston. Sophie Harkat, his wife was unaware when it happend as it was done without warning. The group chanted and sung things like "Where is the evidence against these men?" and "Down with, CSIS." Many people spoke in support of Sophie including Jessica Squires of International Socialists - Canada, Stuart Ryan for the Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW), Jo Wood for the Ottawa Raging Grannies, Colin Stuart for the Religious Society of Friends, myself, and Christian Legeais media representative for the Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee.

Opponents to the facility are calling it a Guantanamo North. The facility will house those on sercurity certificates which includes no charge, secret trials, and unavailability of the evidence held against them. Mohamed has been held for over 3 years without charge or fair trial. Unlike camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay however, the inmates will be able to see their families though, under strict conditions and, the names of all the inmates is known. There has also been widespread talk of torture at Camp X-Ray as the camp is a legal blackhole so, the same rules on human rights don't apply. This new facility is on Canadian territory and therefore not a black whole, but it could be why the Canadian government won't criticize what goes on at Guantanamo Bay.

Image From a December Protest

Tags: Protests, Ottawa, Security Certificates, Immigration Canada, Mohamed Harkat