[IPSM] {The Gazette} Demonstrators call on Lapierre to stop deportation of three Palestinians

[Stefan Christoff]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:23:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: No One is Illegal Montreal <noii-montreal at resist.ca>


The Montreal Gazette article below reports on a recent demonstration in
Montreal, organized in solidarity with the over 100 Palestinian refugees
facing deportation from Canada and the Ayoub family who have been in
sanctuary in the NDG church basement for over 4 months. The demonstration
was held within the context of a campaign to fight against Palestinian
deportations from Canada.

For more than one year, stateless Palestinian refugees have been
receiving, one after the other, deportation orders from Canada without any
serious consideration given to the violence, poverty and persecution which
defines life in the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon and to the
military occupation which plagues daily life throughout Occupied
Palestine. We must stand united against the injustice faced by the
Palestinian refugees who are set to be deported from Canada in the coming
weeks. Your support, solidarity and participation are urgently needed!

If you would like to support or get involved in the Coalition Against the
Deportation of Palestinian Refugees, contact:
refugees at riseup.net / 514 591 3171 / http://refugees.resist.ca

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Demonstrators call on Lapierre to stop deportation of three Palestinians
By: Naomi Carniol
Montreal Gazette

Lapierre target of refugee demo: Urged to intervene. Candidate called upon
to stop deportation of three Palestinians

"Solidarity with the refugees," the crowd chanted last night outside the
office of Jean Lapierre, the federal Liberal Party's Quebec lieutenant.
The group called on Lapierre to intervene to stop the deportation of three
Palestinians who applied for permanent residency in Canada on humanitarian
grounds - and figure the federal election campaign is a good time to crank
up the pressure.

No one from Lapierre's office, which appeared to be closed, came out to
speak with the demonstrators.

Organizers estimated more than 300 people were present.

Three weeks ago, representatives of Notre Dame de Grace Church and the
Coalition Against the Deportation of Palestinian Refugees wrote to
Lapierre, seeking his aid.

Khalil Ayoub, 67, Nahib Ayoub, 69, and Therese Boulous Haddad, 62, have
been holed up in Notre Dame de Grace Church since January. They face
deportation to a refugee camp, the supporters said.

But Lapierre never answered the letter, parish chairperson Claire Doran
said.

Rabie Masri, a member of the coalition, said Lapierre must get involved.

The Liberal Party talks about democracy, "but even though society has
spoken over and over in support of these refugees, their voices keep
getting shut down," Masri said.

"Within the context of federal elections, the issue of refugees and
refugees rights isn't being dealt with properly," he said. "We're asking
Lapierre to take a humanitarian approach and stop the deportations."  At
the protest, organizers handed out Lapierre's phone number and urged
people to call him about the plight of Palestinian refugees.

"There are over 40 Palestinian refugees in Montreal who are facing
deportation," Masri said.

But the protest wasn't just about refugee claims. It was also about a
Palestinian homeland.

Masri explained that Palestinian refugees face deportation to refugee
camps in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. "The camps are 56 years old," he
said. "Refugee camps are not supposed to be permanent."

Nicolas Sayegh, president of the Canadian Palestinian Foundation of
Quebec, said: "The real issue isn't whether refugees are accepted into
Canada on humanitarian grounds, but whether Palestinians are given back
their land so then they can go back and live in harmony and respect."
Members of the group Palestinians and Jews Unite agreed with that
sentiment.

"We know the majority of Jews in Canada and Montreal ... support the
politics of Israel and try to silence criticism of Israeli politics," one
member said, and so dissenting Jews won't dare to speak out.  To Sayegh,
it was eye-opening to find out there were Jews who supported the
Palestinian cause.

"I've been here for 30 years and it's just now I realize that people of
different denominations, Canadian Christians, Canadian Jews and Canadian
Muslims, are united behind this humanitarian cause."

ncarniol at thegazette.canwest.com

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