[Bloquez l'empire!] Canadian 9/11 Author Defies Ban (please post)

[David Bernans]

CANADIAN 9/11 AUTHOR DEFIES BAN AND CHALLENGES "RISK ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE" 
SECRECY (please post widely)

University Says Risk Assessment Committee Membership Must Remain Secret for 
"Security Reasons"

The latest developments in my Kafkaesque saga, as always, can be viewed on my 
publisher's web site:

www.cumuluspress.com

I have recently tried to focus more attention on the so-called "Risk Assessment 
Committee" which gave a negative evaluation of my book reading. I have refused 
to submit my September 11 "guerilla" reading at the Concordia Community 
Solidarity Co-op Bookstore or any other events I participate in for another 
risk assessment until the process is reformed.

University spokesperson Christine Mota was sited in papers across Canada today 
(The Montreal Gazette, the Windsor Star, the Vancouver Province, the Saskatoon 
StarPheonix, etc.) as saying the risk assessment committee at Concordia 
University must maintain a secret membership for "security reasons" (only the 
head of the committee, VP Services Michael Di Grappa, is publicly known to be 
on the committee).

This is a committee at a public university that makes decisions about who can 
and cannot speak on the campus. What "security reasons" could possibly justify 
its secrecy? The University has also failed to respond to my demand that the 
risk assessment committee GIVE REASONS to individuals and groups who are denied 
the chance to hold their events on campus. Similarly, Concordia still refuses 
to review the policies and procedures of the committee or to have student, 
faculty and university staff representation on the committee.

We still need individuals and groups to write letters questioning the risk 
assessment committee's decision in my case and calling for a public review of 
the risk assessment committee's powers and procedures.

PEN, an organization dedicated to writers' freedom, has written an excellent 
letter that can be used as a model. See the pdf version of the letter on the 
Cumulus Press web site.

Please send letters to VP Services Michael Di Grappa at mdg at algol.concordia.ca

Send a copy to the student newspaper at letters at thelink.concordia.ca
And a copy for us at northof911 at yahoo.com

For updates on the campaign and information about North of 9/11 see the Cumulus 
Press web site.

To read an excerpt from North of 9/11 (if you are not afraid of the risk 
involved):

http://www.cumuluspress.com/pdf.files/9-11_chap2.pdf

Or if you are really feeling brave you can buy the book at:

http://www.rabble.ca/bookstore/detail.shtml?x=49584

For inquires from the press contact:

David Widgington, publisher widge[at]cumuluspress[dot]com

To have me come and terrorize the population of your hometown with explosive 
literary weapons of mass destruction (otherwise known as a book reading), you 
can contact me at:

dbernans[at]sdf[dot]lonestar[dot]org

But September 11 is already booked (I will be reading the book at McGill 
University where quaint concepts like academic freedom and freedom of speech 
still mean something and I will be doing a guerilla reading at the Concordia 
Community Solidarity Co-op Bookstore). For updates about future book readings 
please see the Cumulus Press web site.

Thanks for your solidarity,

David Bernans
Author and security risk