[van-announce] March 19 - Ten Years On: Remembering the Iraq War, Celebrating those who resisted

[Derrick O'Keefe]

*Please forward widely*
Ten Years On: Remembering the Iraq War, Celebrating those who resisted
Tuesday, March 19 at 7pmFirst United Church – 320 E. Hastings (at Gore Street)
With speakers including:
-Riadh R. Muslih, Iraqi-born Canadian-Rodney Watson Jr., US Iraq War resister in sanctuary
Ten years on:Join us in a gathering to remember the Iraq War and to celebrate those whoresisted it. In the months leading up to March 19, 2003, there weremassive protests across Canada and around the world against war — February15, 2003 still stands as the largest coordinated protest in human history.But the war went ahead, taking a devastating toll on the people of Iraq,with hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced. Riadh R. Muslihis an Iraqi-born Canadian. His father, Rashid Muslih, was a formerinterior minister who was executed in January 1970. This occurred twoyears after the Baath party, which Saddam Hussein controlled, took power.
Many of those who resisted the war also paid a heavy price. This includesU.S. war resisters who came to Canada to avoid fighting and killing in animmoral war. Rodney Watson Jr. is one of these brave war resisters. Forover 3 years, he has been staying in sanctuary at First United Church toavoid deportation to the United States, where he would face persecutionfor his refusal to return to fight in the war. The Conservativegovernment, led by Stephen Harper who ten years ago supported the U.S.war, has refused to grant asylum to war resisters seeking to come toCanada as refugees.
Admission Free. Donations are welcome.
http://stopwarca.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/ten-years-on-remembering-the-iraq-war-celebrating-those-who-resisted/
Organized by StopWar - Vancouver's Labour/Community coalition of organizations unitedfor Justice and Peace
stopwar at resist.cahttp://stopwarca.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @StopWarCaFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/StopWarCa-Vancouver-Coalition-for-Justice-Peace/114887768615257