[antiwar-van] events and annoucements

[noii-van at resist.ca]

PLEASE POST

please support the urgent calls for letter writing support. Along with all
the political rallies and delegations, letters to the Minister of CIC is
highly effective and important to stop these ongoing unjust and racist
deportations.

1) update about mohamed cherfi
2) rally in solidarity with palestinian refugees
3) FORUM with stateless palestinian refugee in Vancouver
4) stop the deportation of project thread victim
5) john graham defense fundraiser

_________________________________________________________________

The situation of Mohamed Cherfi is not merely an isolated "case". Mohamed
Cherfi is an active member and spokesperson of the Non-status algerians,
and the precedent that CIC is setting is an incredibly dangerous one: a
message that essentially every refugee fighting for their rights will be
deported. The situation of Mohamed Cherfi has huge repurcussions for all
refugees self-organizing for their rights and we must act now to demand
his return and defend those fighting for their dignity.

Montreal, March 31st 2004

One month after the violation of sanctuary offered by St-Pierre United
Church in Quebec City and the hasty deportation of Mohamed Cherfi to
the United States, a broad cross-Canada solidarity movement continues to
challenge Prime Minister Paul Martin and the ministers concerned, Ms.
Sgro, Ms. McLellan and Ms. Courchesne. More than organizations and
public figures have called for Mohamed’s return to Canada and granting him
resident status. These include the CSN, CSQ, the Fédération des femmes
du Québec, as well as the Council of Canadians, the United Church of
Canada, Marc Ouellet, the Cardinal of Quebec City, actors Luc Picard,
Louisette Dussault and Yvon Deschamps who has just expressed his support.

Many organizations and spokespersons have pointed out a large number of
irregularities in the handling of Mohamed’s file. Recent information
backs up suspected denial of his rights:

Upon his deportation, a letter signed by Federal authorities was
handed to Mohamed, indicating that his last resorts (Examination of risks
of return and request on humanitarian grounds) was met with a negative
response on December 12th, 2004. However, as of this date, Mohamed’s
file was still under review with the staff of the Quebec Minister of
Immigration, Ms. Courchesne. Furthermore, Minister Courschesne’s
spokespersons stated, on Saturday, December 6th, during a meeting (with a
representative of the Comité d’action des sans-statut), the lawyer chosen
by Mohamed for a review of his case, Mr Jack Rosenfeld and Mohamed’s
financial (garant), Mr Stéphane Rituit), that a Certificate of Selection
could be issued to Mohamed on the condition that he seeks employment and
it endorsed by a financial guarantor. According to the Minister’s
representatives, this conditional acceptance would be signed at a
forthcoming meeting. In a letter dated December 8th (enclosed), the MRCI
confirmed that the notice about Mohamed’s course of integration was under
review with the Minister’s cabinet. At the following meeting, on Saturday,
December 13, where Mr Rituit was once again present, a sudden change: the
Minister’s representatives announced that they could not grant a CSQ to
Mohamed as there was an obstacle on the Federal level. “If Mr Martin
wants to understand the many irregularities that occurred in the
processing of Mohamed’s case, he can start by asking the Federal Minister
of Immigration at the time when review of Mohamed’s file was blocked, Mr
Denis Coderre.” stated Louise Boivin, Mr Cherfi’s companion.

WE RAISE THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: What caused Mohamed’s acceptance to be
blocked by the Federal Minister of Immigration although Quebec has
jurisdiction in immigration matters and in the special selection procedure
for Algerians?


A document (enclosed) issued by the US District Attorney during
Mohamed’s first hearing before a US Immigration judge, on March 16th 2004,
indicates that he opposed Mohamed being freed on bail during the
proceedings. This position was backed up by information alleging that
Mohamed had shown that he was ready to disobey the law “at all cost” and
that he was a “professional activist” with links to the group of
“Non-status Algerians”. According to information obtained from Albany
Jail, during his transfer to Batavia, he allegedly was arrested while he
took part in an occupation of a Federal office in Ottawa. Moreover, during
an interview with two US intelligence service representatives in Albany,
Mohamed observed that they were familiar with all his activities as a
member of the Comité d’action des sans-statut, in Canada.

WE RAISE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
Who turned the information about Mohamed’s political activities over to
the US authorities: the Canadian Ministries of Immigration, of Public
Security, Canadian Security and Intelligence Services? Why was this
information, unrelated to the evaluation of his application for asylum but
totally related to his right to freedom of expression and association?
We want to know whether this information was also passed along to the
civil servants and political authorities that refused his applications
for residence in Canada (evaluation of his “course of integration” by
Quebec, examination of risks of return and application on humanitarian
grounds by Ottawa).


We deplore the fact that information about Mohamed’s peaceful and
democratic activities has been used in processing his file. Furthermore,
this information is confusing. Mohamed is not a “professional activist”,
it isn’t his profession. He became an activist here in Canada, to defend
his rights and those of other non-status people. He is not ready to
resist the law “at any cost”. He never had any dealings with the police
before demonstrating for the rights of non-status people in Canada. He
has no arrest record and has always been peaceful. The reference to an
occupation of a Federal office does not specify that this referred to the
occupation of Denis Coderre’s waiting room, when the latter was
Minister of Immigration, on May 29th, 2003, to defend the rights of
non-status people threatened with deportation. The summary accusation
against Mohamed and the other non-status persons present is simply
“mischief”. The trial should take place in June 2004 and Mohamed should be
able to have his say to the judge.

Silence of the authorities

The authorities concerned are still not taking action in the direction
of a solution. Meeting with a representative of Prime Minister Martin’s
office, on March 17th, the delegates of the Ligue des droits et
libertés and the Comité de solidarité avec Mohamed Cherfi pointed out the
shortcomings in the processing of his file. They are still awaiting a
reaction. Moreover, on March 12th, Louise Boivin and Jamel Ouchfoun, of
the Comité d’action des sans-status, wrote to the Quebec Minister for
Relations with Citizens and Immigration, Ms Michelle Courchesne, asking
her to grant a Certificate of Selection to Mohamed so as to make progress
towards a solution. On March 24th, a letter from the Minister’s
political attachée indicated that this correspondence would be brought to
the Minister’s attention “in the shortest possible time”.

Government silence must no longer continue. Time is passing quickly. In
a week on Wednesday, April 7th, Mohamed will appear before a US
Immigration judge. There is a strong risk that the authorities will refuse
is request for protection and deport him towards Algeria, where his life
is in danger, as Amnesty International and the International Federation
of Human Rights Leagues have emphasized. Louise Boivin has returned
greatly distressed from a trip to the Immigrant Detention Center in
Batavia. The conditions are harsh. Mohamed has lost weight. He is being
held with 50 other immigrants in a room filled with bunk beds. The lights
remain on at night and the noise is constant. The toilets and showers are
open, and must be used in front of everyone.

Everything indicates that certain persons have judged, outside the
legal and political framework, that Mohamed Cherfi must be turned down,
arrested, deported and jailed “at any cost”, including violating sanctuary
and setting up a police operation, at the behest of Immigration, as
Captain André Fillion of the Quebec City police department has indicated
(Le Soleil, March 7th 2004). All of this is particularly disturbing in a
society that claims to be democratic and in which the ideology of
security feeds dangerous prejudices about members of the Arab and Muslim
communities.

_________________________________________________________________________


SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINIAN
REFUGEES FACING DEPORTATION

Thursday April 8th @ noon
Citizenship & Immigration Canada
300 West Georgia

A national day of action will bring the struggle of around 100
Palestinian refugees facing deportation from Canada to the streets of
major Canadian cities. Several deportations of stateless Palestinian
refugees are set to be executed in the coming days, and many more in the
coming weeks. With your participation and collective support we can halt
these deportations. The stateless Palestinian refugees - who have
self-organized as the Coalition Against the Deportation of Palestinian
Refugees in Montreal - will continue their struggle against Citizenship &
Immigration Canada's attempt to deport them to the illegal and deadly
Israeli military occupation which plagues daily life throughout Occupied
Palestine and to the violence, poverty and persecution, which defines
daily life in the Palestinian refugee camps throughout Lebanon.

_______________________________________________________________________


FORUM WITH A PALESTINIAN REFUGEE IN VANCOUVER

<><><><><><><><><><><><>
FRIDAY APRIL 9 @ 6:30 PM
PALESTINE COMMUNITY CENTER
1874 KINGSWAY (corner Victoria)
<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Osama, a Palestinian refugee living in Vancouver, was recently denied
refugee status. Osama has been unable to live any semblance of a normal
life, having faced the occupation as a young teenager, and since then
constantly on the move in the hopes of starting a new and secure life.
Osama’s city, Qalqil-ya, is now completely surrounded by the so-called
security wall, a wall that is 25 feet high that separates the city from
the outside world.

Osama’s judge, Barbara Hodgins, ruled that he was JORDANIAN and therefore
could return to Jordan without any risk, despite the fact that all his
documents prove that he is Palestinian. Osama had more than adequate
proof, as per the IRB’s own reference book about Palestinian refugees,
such as his passport, his passing card from the West Bank, registration
with UNRWA and more.

There is no doubt that Palestinian refugees qualify under every test set
forth by the Geneva Convention. Certainly, Canada has constantly
recognized that Palestinian refugee claimants living under a brutal and
military occupation are systematically humiliated and denied their basic
rights. The denial of Osama of his identity as a Palestinian refugee is a
blatant violation by the IRB and reveals the discrimination against
Palestinian refugees.

It is time for us to support Isama and hundreds of others in this city
fighting against CIC for their right to life and self-determination.

FOR MORE INFO: noii-van at resist.ca
______________________________________________________________________

Deportations of Project Thread Victims set to continue:
Support Wali Siddiqui in his fight to remain in Canada

PHONE/FAX Campaign

WE DEMAND THAT WALI SIDDIQUI BE GRANTED A STAY OF HIS DEPORTATION. WE
DEMAND THE REGULARIZATION OF ALL PROJECT THREAD VICTIMS.

On April 7th, Wali Siddiqui, one of the remaining victims of Project
Thread, will go with his lawyer to Federal Court, to wage a final battle
for a stay of his imminent deportation to Pakistan, scheduled for an Air
Canada flight on April 14th, a mere week away.

Of the 24 men caught up in last summer's sting operation, Project Thread,
only ten remain in Canada.  Just two weeks ago, Fahim Kayani was deported
to Pakistan, despite having an application for permanent residency in the
system which more than qualified him for status under the 'point system'.

Clearly, Immigration Canada and the Canadian state would like to erase all
traces of the agregious arrests, incarceration and targeting of this group
of men.  Clearly, there is no willingness of the part of the government to
admit to the damage this ill-founded and unsubstantiated operation has
caused to the individuals and communities involved.  Clearly, the utter
failure on the part of the government to exonerate the men who were
targeted or to reverse the harm done is shocking.  Rather than ensuring
that the men who have become refugees as a result of the actions of the
Canadian state are granted landed status and safety, Immigration Canada is
ruthlessly deporting individuals one by one.

Wali's last legal recourse to stay in Canada would be to be granted a
positive decision on his application for a stay of deportation at the
Federal Court.  This decision will be decided by a single judge.  However,
it is in the power of the Minister of Immigration or the Minister of
Public Safety to intervene in the situation at any time.

Wali was one of the 19 men originally arrested as a result of the
RCMP/Citizenship and Immigration Canada raid called Project Thread, which
swept up 23 Pakistani men and one South Asian man on never-substantied
allegations of terrorism.  He was arrested during a series of pre-dawn
raids on August 14, 2003 and was held in custody until October 30th.
Although no charges were ever laid and no evidence was ever produced
linking any of these men to terrorism, Wali – like many of the detainees -
remained in prison for many months before being released on bond.

For months, the victims of Project Thread had their faces and names
splashed throughout the media as terror suspects, making it dangerous to
return to Pakistan, a country known for its human rights violations.

While the RCMP/Immigration Canada operation is responsible for falsely
connecting Wali's name and face to terrorism, the government is not taking
responsibilty for its own actions. Already, thirteen men have been
deported to Pakistan, where they have been subjected to persecution at the
hands of the government, as well as by vigilantes.  Those deported have
been detained, interrogated, and continue to be under investigation and
surveillance.  Reports of such treatment continue to filter back to
friends and community contacts here in Canada.

We cannot allow these deportations to be carried out in silence.  We must
continue to expose Immigration Canada for what it really is.  Please take
the time to phone/fax Judy Sgro, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration,
and Anne McLellan, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

1.  Demand the Ministers intervene to grant a stay of deportation
for Wali Siddiqui, scheduled for an Air Canada flight on April 14th, 2004.

2.  Demand the Minister of Immigration grant landed status to all the
victims of Project Thread.

CONTACT:
Judy Sgro, P.C., M.P.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1
Fax: 613-947-8319, Tel: 613-992-7774
E-mail: Minister at cic.gc.ca

Anne McLellan, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
c/o Solicitor General of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
Fax: 613-990-9077, Tel: 613-991-2924
E-mail: McLellan.A at parl.gc.ca
____________________________________________________________________

Saturday, April 24th
Benefit for the John Graham Defense fund
Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph Street
Vancouver, BC
8pm - 1 am sliding scale $5 - $20.
Miller / Eastman band & guests
videos, snacks, drinks, dance your socks off
johngraham at shaw for info
__________________________________________________________________