George Galloway Speaking in Vancouver, British Columbia :
The Palestinians are the victims of one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century now bleeding into the 21st century, he notes.
Israel has broken more U.N. Security Council Resolutions than all the other countries of the World combined. They have broken more international law than all the countries of the world put together. The Palestinians who are the victims of terrorism are called the terrorists, and the Israelis who are the ‘Terrorists’ are referred to as the victims by Zionist-controlled politicians and Zionist-controlled media in the West.
“THEY ARE NEVER punished. SHAME, SHAME ON THE WEST.”
PressTV: Galloway Discusses Al-Qaeda, Syria and Boycotts Against the Zionist State
Listen to George Galloway, a British politician, author, journalist, broadcaster, and a respected member of British Parliament, discuss many issues including how to boycott Israel by not debating or even talking to Israeli citizens. Extreme? Well….you be the judge.
On the other issues, callers in to show expose Al-Qaeda as a US invention.
And of course, on Syria, Britain and the United States say they will provide more assistance to the armed groups fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“We must significantly increase support for the Syrian opposition. We are preparing to do just that,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry in London on Monday. And Kerry agreed with Hague.
Syrian opposition groups recently expressed frustration at not receiving enough assistance from their foreign backers.
“I am very sensitive to that frustration,” said Kerry, adding that as a US senator he had pushed the US administration to consider providing military aid to the Syrian militants.
The US and its Western allies, as well as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, claim that they want to see the Syria crisis end, but at the same time they continue to arm and fund the militants.
Later in the day, members of the Syrian opposition said they would attend the so-called Friends of Syria conference in Rome on Thursday.
Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, the president of the so-called National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, had said earlier that he would boycott the 11-nation meeting.
With BDS, it’s never boring. Although formed initially to mount pressure on Israel, increasingly BDS campaigns are now, bit by bit, focusing on silencing any pro-Palestinian voice with an IQ over 90. For the BDS leadership, intellect is a threat – and they may be right.
For a year now, we have noted BDS’ repeated assaults on leading activists and intellects such as Ken O’Keefe, Prof. Norman Finkelstein, Alison Weir, Greta Berlin, Daniel Barenboim, yours truly and many others. But this weekend, the BDS found a new potential punch-bag: British MP George Galloway.
On Wednesday, MP Galloway walked out of a debate at Christ Church, Oxford. Galloway was upset to find that he was about to be in debate with an Israeli. “I was misinformed” he said. “I don’t debate with Israelis. I don’t recognise Israel.” Galloway later wrote on Twitter “No recognition, No normalisation. Just Boycott, divestment, sanctions.”
Now surely, Galloway’s reaction, though impulsive, must be accepted or at least understood by Palestinians and their advocates. Not so, it seems. The ‘Jews in the movement’ were really distressed, so much so that Israeli BDS enthusiast Rachel Shabi confirmed on The Guardian yesterday that the BDS national committee was quick ‘to issue a statement’ to disassociate itself from Galloway’s attitude. It looks like the BDS Committee in Ramallah has, once again, had to bow to its paymasters.
On The Telegraph Toby Young maintained the exact same line. “Following George Galloway’s dramatic exit from an Oxford University debate” Young wrote, A leading Palestinian organisation (BDS) has issued a press release saying it doesn’t condone boycotting individuals.” Young concludes, “It seems the Respect MP hasn’t simply lost the respect of his political opponents after his antics at the Oxford debate. He’s losing the respect of his political allies, too.” Somebody in Ramallah better advise us why did BDS joined the Hasbara campaign against MP Galloway. Seemingly in the BDS committee they are yet to grasp the notion of solidarity.
The BDS statement, brilliantly original as ever, reads as follows:
“The global BDS movement has consistently adopted a rights-based approach and an anti-racist platform that rejects all forms of racism, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.”
Pretty impressive. Anti-racism is certainly important except that Galloway did not once refer to Jews or to race. He referred to Israel and refused to debate an Israeli national. Now, I happen to think that Galloway was wrong but still, his decision, a purely political one, was entirely legitimate.
Interestingly, BDS leader Omar Barghouti is not exactly himself much of an anti-racist. In fact, it has amply demonstrated what a banal, racist mind he has. Recall how last year Barghouti was caught on video exploring some extremely vile, racist, biological determinist terminology when this essentially banal mind launched an attack on the White race.
For a while, Barghouti’s open racism bewildered me but I then realised that this Palestinian petty Marxist probably fell asleep during the relevant lesson and missed the most important bit. Israel is not South Africa and it is not the ‘White State’ or the ‘White man’ who plunders Palestine, it is actually the ‘Jewish state.’
In her Guardian article, Israeli Rachel Shabi explained in the clearest of terms why she has a problem with Galloway. “One reason that many left-leaning Jews don’t join the BDS movement is precisely because the boycott is perceived to be about rage against people, rather than an effective political tool.” There you go, plain and clear, according to Shabi BDS is there to appease the ‘Left-leaning Jews’. It is not about Palestine or the Palestinians, not even about justice or universalism, it is just a ‘political tool’. In fact, this clumsy statement by Shabi may explain why more and more of us regard the BDS, in its current form, as nothing short of a ‘controlled opposition’ dominated by Jewish tribal interests. (According to some Israeli sources, it is also largely funded by liberal Zionist George Soros’ Open Society.)
But here are some critical questions for the BDS Committee, Shabi and Soros. Do you really want to form a totalitarian movement dominated by an intellectually lame ‘big brother’ that will tell us exactly what we may talk about and how we may express ourselves? Do you really want to turn Palestine into a synagogue and the solidarity movement into a yeshiva? Does the prospect of intellectual and spiritual freedom not appeal to you? After decades of abuse, don’t the Palestinian people deserve freedom?
Let me be clear. I believe that BDS is a force for good but BDS leadership had better reflect a little and start to focus on the real enemies of justice and of Palestine rather than harassing the most dedicated voices in this discourse.
But still, one question is still unresolved. Almost a year ago we discovered that BDS had compromised the most fundamental of Palestinian rights: the Right of Return. In an entirely underhand way the BDS National Committee had changed the wording of its mission statement from demanding that Israel ends
BDSmade this change without alerting its affiliated organization. In fact an Israeli BDS activist confirmed to me that the change was made to appease the ‘Jews in the movement’. However, in spite of the wide publicising of this strange conduct by BDS, the organisation has, to date, failed to clarify its position. For more than 8 months since this crucial question was raised, BDS remains silent – but it took the BDS Committee in Ramallah less than five hours to react to Galloway and to disassociate itself from him.
The message is clear. BDS, in its current form, is an occupied territory. If it wants to save itself, (and I hope it does), it must be de-Zionised – and immediately. If it fails to do this, it will be remembered as possibly the most repugnantly treacherous chapter in the history of the Palestinian struggle. And this is indeed painful and tragic.
George Galloway is a British politician noted for his left-wing views, confrontational style, and rhetorical skill. He is currently the Respect Member of Parliament (MP) for Bethnal Green and Bow, and was previously elected as a Labour Party MP for Glasgow Hillhead and Glasgow Kelvin.
Campaigning against sanctions on Iraq, he made several visits to that country and met Saddam Hussein in 1994 and 2002; he was expelled from the Labour Party in October 2003 after controversial statements against the 2003 invasion of Iraq including “Iraq is fighting for all the Arabs. Where are the Arab armies?”
In January 2004 he formed RESPECT The Unity Coalition as a new socialist political party to the left of Labour, made up of opponents of UK participation in the Iraq war including the Socialist Workers Party and several leading members of the Muslim Association of Britain. He was returned to Parliament as its candidate in the 2005 general election.
Mr. Galloway’ book Mr. Galloway Goes To Washington brought him to the United States on a whirlwind tour that also included a stop at Washington DC where he told Congress and the Senate his point of views on Iraq.
Former British Member of Parliament George Galloway speaks to supporters at a town hall meeting in Toronto, Oct. 3, 2010.
Kathryn Blaze Carlson, National Post · Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010
York University this week threatened a Toronto rabbi with legal action if he continued to spread “defamatory” remarks about the school’s president and did not stop encouraging non-students to protest George Galloway’s speech on campus on Tuesday night. Rabbi Aaron Hoch sent an email to 700 people on his community mailing list last week informing them about the speech by the controversial former British MP, and asking them to “take part in protesting this outrage” on campus. Mr. Galloway was banned in 2008 from entering Canada under suspicion that he financially supported Hamas — the Palestinian entity deemed by Ottawa to be a terrorist group — and who is currently on a speaking tour of the country. The university’s general counsel retorted with a letter — dated Nov. 15 and obtained by the National Post — requiring Rabbi Hoch to “remove [the message] from your web site and to direct your supporters to cease and desist the distribution of the poster.” Rabbi Hoch said there was no such “poster,” and said the email went viral and was posted to community forums. He said he did not post to a website any sort of message about Mr. Galloway. At the centre of the school’s letter is Rabbi Hoch’s characterization of York University President Mamdouh Shoukri: “Mr. Shoukri has again showed his amazing tolerance for anti-Semitism and lack of vigilance regarding the feeling of safety for Jewish students on campus,” the email said. The school’s letter called those comments “untrue” and harmful to the president’s reputation. “We consider it actionable,” wrote Harriet Lewis, the university’s general counsel. “We expect a retraction and apology forthwith.” Alex Bilyk, a university spokesperson, said the school “does not tolerate any racism or anti-Semitism on our campus,” and said the trigger for the letter was the “accusations that Dr. Shoukri was being anti-Semitic.” Mr. Bilyk called the remarks “defamatory” and said it is “to be determined” whether the school will pursue legal action. Rather than retract the statement and apologize, Rabbi Hoch disseminated the chain of correspondence — including his initial call to action, the school’s letter, and his emailed response — to his mailing list. Rabbi Hoch, of the Dan Family Village Shul, said he has since been flooded with emails from people who are “giving voice to their frustrations.” Those frustrations, he said, are born from the “intimidation” of Jewish students on campus, which he said culminated last year after a swarming by pro-Palestinian students of a group of Jewish students, who wound up barricaded inside the school’s Hillel lounge. Concerns were amplified when Krisna Saravanamuttu assumed the presidency of the school’s student federation. Mr. Saravanamuttu was sanctioned when it was determined he participated in the crowd that cornered the Jewish students in 2009, allegedly chanting slogans such as “Zionism is racism” and “Racists off campus.” The Nov. 15 letter also advised Rabbi Hoch that the school does not permit protests on campus by non-student groups, and said he is therefore “encouraging” people to “disturb and provoke others to disturb the peace.” The university warned that this “may constitute criminal activity,” and reminded Rabbi Hoch that he could instead protest off-site nearby the campus. On the day of the event — which was hosted by the student federation and reserved to York University students, faculty, and administration — Rabbi Hoch emailed Ms. Lewis to say he “was not aware of restrictions on non-students joining students on campus.” He said he would “refer non-students to the off-site location.” He said he did not protest at that location because the whole point — his “original intent” — was to stand by the students. “The students feel abandoned and alone at times, and I feel it’s very important for people of good conscience to stand with the students,” Rabbi Hoch said. Mr. Saravanamuttu, president of the student federation, said he disagrees with the rabbi’s characterization of Mr. Galloway as an “activist for terrorist organizations,” and said “those seem like baseless accusations to me.” He said he welcomed the sort of peaceful protest that took place in the foyer outside the event, which drew upward of 700 people.
Five hundred vehicles and 60 ships to break the criminal siege of Gaza
Viva Palestina founder George Galloway, speaking to a crowd of around 20,000 protesting outside the Israeli embassy in London, revealed the latest plan to bring about the end of the siege on Gaza.
Two simultaneous convoys – one by land the other by sea – will set forth on SUNDAY 12 SEPTEMBER bound for Gaza. Viva Palestina, the International Committee to break the Siege on Gaza and any allies who will join us will organize the two convoys.
The land convoy will leave from London and travel across Europe to Turkey, Syria and ultimately through the Rafah Gate into Gaza. Cooperation will be offered and sought with all relevant governments and agencies. It is expected the convoy will pick up vehicles and volunteers in each country through which it passes. The target is to enter Gaza with 500 vehicles.
The sea convoy will travel around the Mediterranean gathering ships, cargo, volunteers from each country. The target is to enter Gaza with 60 ships.
The aim will be to arrive on Gaza's frontiers at the same time. And to enter with the world's largest ever aid convoys. And to thereby render the siege null and void.
Please get in touch if you need further information. Please also sign up to the Viva Palestina mailing list - http://vivapalestina.org/alert.htm
Please pass this on to everyone you think might be interested in supporting the new convoy.
Mr. George Galloway, former member of the British Parliament, co-organizer and promoter of Freedom Flotilla and founder of the worldwide Viva Palestina movement, who has lead three land convoys to break the siege on Gaza held a press conference in Houston, Texas USA on Monday, May 31, 2010 at 10 a.m. Houston/Central Time regarding the Israeli attack on Freedom Flotilla.
Several media outlets were present at the press conference including Fox, CBS, NBC and Arab Voices.
To hear audio of the press conference (15 minutes), click here.
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Leader of the Viva Palestinan convoy and British MP George Galloway was deported from Egyptian soil moments after he set foot on it, crossing the border at Rafah from Gaza, organizers of the convoy said.
A statement from the group said Galloway and a colleague "were forcibly pushed into a van, refused exit and told that they were leaving the country," as they entered Egypt.
Egyptian security sources confirmed the decision to deport Galloway, saying officials had decided to bar the British MP from entering Egypt in the future and added the country would "also put all the convoy members on the black list after they leave." Officials were upset over the protests launched by the convoy, which spurred riots at the Rafah border, which lead to the death of an Egyptian police officer.
Tensions were high in Egypt even before Viva Palestina landed in the country. The convoy arrived shortly after a series of protests organized by an earlier group of Gaza supporters, the Gaza Freedom March. The march saw 1,300 internationals gather in Cairo in an attempt to enter Gaza for a solidarity march on New Year's Eve. Egyptian authorities permitted just over 80 delegates with Codepink into the Gaza Strip, and clamped down on protests organized by the hundreds of other supporters across Cairo.
At the same time, the Egyptian government had battled the Viva Palestina convoy several times over the route of the group and how many supporters would be allowed into Gaza. Egypt first refused entry to the group traveling from Jordan into Egypt via the Red Sea. Government officials said the convoy had to access the country via the Al-Arish port, on the Mediterranean.
Viva Palestina organizers and Egyptian officials both insist that they notified the other side of their intentions around travel arrangements/restrictions well in advance of the group's travel to Gaza.
When convoy members made alternative arrangements for supporters and aid to arrive in Egypt via Al-Arish, Egyptian officials announced they would only let the first 100 activists who arrived to the country into Gaza.
Viva Palestina organized a protest at the Rafah border demanding all of the supporters be allowed into Gaza. At the same time Hamas leaders in the southern Strip called for a simultaneous protest on the Gaza side of Rafah calling for Egypt to let the convoy into the beseiged area.
A riot broke out, some activists were injured and an Egyptian officer was shot and killed. That evening Egypt allowed the convoy into Gaza for 48-hours.
Upon leaving, Viva Palestina organizers said Egyptian riot police and plane clothes intelligence officers attacked a group of 55 Gaza supporters, detaining seven. The group was leaving early, on Wednesday morning.
Galloway himself was ushered into a police van, taken to the airport and deported to the UK. While at the airport Galloway reportedly learned about the detention of seven convoy members.
According to a statement from the group, "Galloway and Turkish MP's struck a deal with Egyptian authorities, part of this deal was that the 7 detainees were released without charge."
An international aid convoy is scheduled to take humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip from London, marking the first year anniversary of Israel's three week war against Gazans.
The Viva Palestina convoy of 250 vehicles will deliver medical, humanitarian and educational aid to Palestinians who are suffering a long-running Israeli blockade on their territory since Hamas took control of the region in June 2007.
The convoys will depart from London on Sunday to pass through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece and Turkey.
They are scheduled to enter Gaza on Dec. 27 after heading through Syria, Jordan and north along the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.
The trip marks the first-year anniversary of Israel's three week invasion of the Gaza Strip during which at least 1,350 Palestinians were killed.
Vive Palestina has been founded by British lawmaker George Galloway who has already delivered two convoys of aid to the Gaza Strip this year.
The Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) and outspoken British politician George Galloway (R)
Outspoken British lawmaker George Galloway is planning a new aid convoy to the besieged Gaza Strip that would include Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.
According to a report published by the Ma'an news agency, Galloway is currently in Egypt and is organizing a new solidarity convoy to Gaza - the Lifeline 2.
The convoy is scheduled to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing. Some 200 American solidarity activists will join the convoy.
The anti-siege convoy is likely to arrive at the Egyptian side of the crossing on Tuesday evening, and will enter the blockaded Gaza Strip by Wednesday.
The British House of Commons lawmaker also stressed that he will continue to organize solidarity convoys to the war-battered coastal sliver in a quest for lifting the Israeli siege which has plagued the terrain.
According to a newly released report from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Palestinians living in Gaza are 'trapped in despair.' Israel's two-year blockade has resulted in a complete economic breakdown of Gaza and more than 70 percent of the population is wrestling with destitution.
Galloway said that Israeli lobbyists had forwarded three requests to the US Attorney General Eric Holder, calling for measures to stop the convoy. However, the requests were rejected.
Terrorist organization that planned to bomb Concordia University advised Canadian government to ban MP George Galloway
By Scott Weinstein
An organization that planned to blow up Concordia University, and that the FBI, the U.S. State Department, and U.S. courts have branded a 'terrorist organization', has given advice to the Harper government that led Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to barring a British MP from Canada.
A Kenney spokesman said Kenney first heard about British MP George Galloway's visit from a Jewish Defense League (JDL) March 16 letter.
The Jewish Defense League, is categorized by the FBI as a "right-wing Jewish terrorist group", founded in 1968 by ultra Zionist Meir Kahane. Kanahe then founded the terrorist group Khach in Israel . JDL leader Meir Weinstein (no relation to the author) boasts of getting the Canadian government to ban Galloway .
Mr. Galloway, labeled a terrorist threat by the Conservative government, is freely touring the U.S. now. Galloway is scheduled to speak in four Canadian cities from March 30 to April 2 on "Resisting War from Gaza to Kandahar ". He plans to speak against the Conservative government's war in Afghanistan and uncritical support for Israel , which is why his Canadian defenders - and even some opponents - feel he is banned from speaking here.
The JDL can now claim further success because Concordia University just forbade a planned Galloway live video feed into their auditorium, citing Canada 's banning his entry into the country.
The JDL's well documented history of terrorism
It is impossible that the Harper government is unaware that the JDL's terrorism designation given how earnestly Canada and the US share such information, and how public information of some of their dozens of domestic terror acts is. (See here)
The US State Department designated the JDL's Israeli affiliates, Kach, founded by Kahane, and the Kahane Chai, named in honor of Kahane after his murder, as "foreign terrorist organizations" - a decision recently upheld by a US Appeals Court. The Israeli Cabinet declared them terrorist organizations in 1994.
Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Palestinians praying in a mosque in Hebron . The Jewish Defense League's states, "We view Dr. Goldstein as a martyr in Judaism's protracted struggle against Arab terrorism. And we are not ashamed to say that Goldstein was a charter member of the Jewish Defense League".
The JDL is still active with Hebron 's Jewish settlers, most visibly remarkable for its hate graffiti such as: "Arabs to the Gas Chambers". (See here)
In a 1986 study of domestic terrorism, the US Department of Energy concluded: "For more than a decade, the Jewish Defense League (JDL) has been one of the most active terrorist groups in the United States . Since 1968, JDL operations have killed 7 persons and wounded at least 22."
Despite their terrorist designation, and the post 9-11 war on terror, JDL leaders, members and chapters still function unhindered by security agencies in North America . One can only attribute it to the similarity between the JDL's ideology and our governments' Middle East and Muslim policies.
In 2001, JDL leader, Canadian Irv Rubin and another member were convicted of planning a terror attack in California against an Arab American congressman and a mosque. Rubin was also accused of planning to bomb Concordia University . Both JDL members were murdered in prison, although authorities claim Rubin's slashed neck and two-story fall was a suicide.
Rubin's death appeared to be the end of the JDL in North America .
The JDL resurfaces in fertile Canada
Canadian Jewish critics of Israel have noted the Harper government's numerous unholy alliances to contain opponents of its Middle East and Afghanistan policies. Some believe that the little known Canada-Israel Security Agreement maybe behind the Galloway ban. Certainly, the Conservatives have provided a political terrain that is now fertile for the JDL to operate.
It is contemptible that the Conservative government for "national security reasons" bans outspoken anti-war critic and Palestinian supporter British MP George Galloway while allowing a known terrorist organization a free pass to operate in Canada and advise their policies.
Given that Concordia University 's Security Department is run by a former RCMP officer, we should question their readiness to accept such a politicized chain of events leading to the University banning the Galloway video feed.
The recent past appears forgotten and forgiven for the JDL, which resurfaced in Toronto two years ago. Meir Weinstein answered the question by The Jewish Press if the JDL in Toronto adheres to the ideology of Meir Kahane? "I will always be a loyal disciple of Rabbi Kahane. Our ideology is based on the Jewish Idea as taught by Rabbi Kahane."
Last year Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) leader Bernie Farber's opinion on the JDL was "they have the right to exist" as long as they behave. The Canadian Jewish News on March 20, 2009 wrote the " CJC commends government for denying George Galloway entry to Canada ".
The Jewish B'nai Brith and the JDL both targeted the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) in 2007 to prevent them from debating a motion critical of Israel . The JDL is now going after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) for similar reasons. Liberal aide Warren Kinsella appeared last week at a meeting organized by the JDL as a surprise guest.
In last week's interview on British Channel 4 TV with George Galloway, JDL leader Meir Weinstein threatened any Canadian who attended or supported Galloway 's presentation would be "monitored" by the Canadian government. (Video here)
Perhaps the Conservative government is testing whether Canadians still care about their rights, or Canada 's policies in Afghanistan and the Middle East . Canada sinks into infamy when its government labels its enemies terrorist, while coddling its allies who are real terrorists.
George Galloway in Toronto by video on 30 March 2009 after the Canadian government denied him entry. The venue was the Metropolitan United Church. The title of his presentation was "Resisting Imperialism From Gaza To Kandahar".
The Canadian Government under rule of the Canadian Jewish Congress and the JDL consider George Galloway a Terrorist one of the reasons is that George was recently in Gaza making donations that will assist the people of Gaza that are under siege of Israel. Now we have the pope offering aid to the Gaza Strip. Do the whores for Israel in the Canadian Government have anything to say.Pope Benedict XVI is to direct offerings collected on Holy Thursday before Easter to the impoverished population of the Gaza Strip.
Those attending the Mass of the Last Supper presided over by the Pope "will be invited to make a charitable offering to support the Catholic community of Gaza," the Pontiff's office said in a statement.
The feast that is to be held on Thursday at the Vatican's Basilica of St. John Lateran commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.
Tel Aviv unleashed a three-week war on Gaza on December 27. Three weeks of ensuing air strikes and a ground incursion left over 1,350 Palestinians -- at least 1100 of whom were civilians -- dead and around 5,450 people injured.
Around 2,000 Christians comprising of Catholic, Greek Orthodox and evangelical Christians live in the coastal sliver.
The Gazan population currently lives under a 20-month Israeli-imposed blockade which prevents necessary humanitarian aid and assistance from reaching the 1.5 million people inside the strip -- nearly twice the size of Washington DC.
Eleven days into the carnage brought upon the strip, Pope Benedict XVI called for a cease-fire in Gaza and said military operations offer no solution.
Since Tel Aviv's January assault on the Palestinian strip, 520 families have been receiving aid from the church through affiliated organizations in the region.
"Come out and debate with me like a man," the old bruiser shouted over the video-link to Toronto. "Let's book the biggest hall in Canada and you and I will debate these issues of war and peace and freedom of speech and censorship... If we don't achieve a political settlement (in the Middle East), we're in for war. If there's no justice, there will be no peace for Palestine."
It was, of course, the old scallywag himself, George Galloway, fuming about the Canadian Immigration Minister James Kenney's refusal to allow him to speak in Canada on the grounds that he – Galloway – was involved in "terrorism". The Scottish-born MP was talking from an important centre of "world terror" – New York City.
Mr Kenney's spokesman, Alikhan Velshi, last week compared Mr Galloway to Oliver Cromwell and said he would not be allowed to enter Canada. Self-publicist, friend of dictators, reality TV show performer and general silly ass Mr Galloway may be. But he has no more in common with Cromwell than the minister has with Ghengis Khan.
But this is no laughing matter. How could the Canadian embassy in London have believed Mr Galloway's food and medicine shipment to Gaza, made with Israel's agreement, and its delivery to the Hamas government was a "terrorist" act, even if Stephen Harper's Canadian government regards Hamas as a "terrorist organisation".
Mr Galloway wasn't shipping guns and is touring the US with his anti-war, pro-Palestinian, non-terrorist speeches. "It's just not credible, Mr Kenney," Mr Galloway shouted, "to call a man touring the United States, playing to packed audiences... a terrorist or a security threat."
Quite so. After all, the US has lost thousands of soldiers in its "war on terror" in the Middle East. Canada's army in Afghanistan comprises barely 2,000 and has suffered fewer than 120 military casualties.
Only a Canadian Jewish organisation agreed with Mr Galloway's exclusion; one paper here suggested this might have prompted the ban. The right-wing National Post came out against the exclusion, though only because a "future left-wing Canadian government" might ban Israeli or US speakers.
But there's a bigger issue. Canada helped the US send an innocent Canadian citizen, Mahar Arar, to "rendition" in Syria, where he was savagely tortured. Only a few days ago, another Canadian Muslim told me how he was whipped with steel cables in Damascus as his torturers read out questions from the Canadian embassy. Yet another Canadian Muslim citizen, Abousfian Abdelrazik, has been living in the reception of the US embassy in Khartoum for 10 months after Canadian agents asked the enormously democratic Sudanese government to imprison him for terrorism. Now the government won't let him come home unless he's taken off not a Canadian, but a UN "terrorist" list. Cromwellian isn't the word for it. But the mystery is this: how did so many millions of decent Canadians come to be ruled by such a weird government?
"Come out and debate with me like a man," British MP George Galloway told Canada's Immigration Minister Jason Kenney tonight via video link from New York, ridiculing the government for barring him from the country.
In a speech delivered live to more than 600 supporters in a downtown Toronto church, the outspoken Galloway called the ban on his presence over his support of Gaza's Hamas government - a decision upheld hours earlier by a Canadian judge - as "foolish and counterproductive."
Loud applause greeted his challenge to Kenney for a one-on-one debate: "Let's book the biggest hall in Canada," said Galloway, "and you and I will debate these issues of war and peace and freedom of speech and censorship.
"You won't be able to hide behind your spokesman. You won't be able to hide behind your immigration officials that can't speak up for themselves (or) behind the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It will just be you and me and the Canadian public ....."
He continued, "It's just not credible, Mr. Kenney, to call a man touring the United States of America, playing to packed audiences ..... a terrorist or a security threat."
Earlier, Federal Court Justice Luc Martineau denied a bid for an emergency injunction that would have allowed the British politician to fulfill his Canadian speaking dates.
The Conservative government says regards Galloway as a security threat because he supports democraticallyelected governments like Hamas in Palestine.
In Monday night's speech, Galloway denied being a supporter of terrorists while criticizing the Conservative government's support of Israel and arguing a political solution with Palestinians is the only way to obtain Mideast peace.
"If we don't achieve a political settlement, we're in for war. If there's no justice, there will be no peace in Palestine."
Bernie Farber, chief executive officer of the Canadian Jewish Congress along with the Jewish Defence League praised Martineau's decision confirming what most already know : that the Canadian Government is a whore for Israel and there will be censorship and punishment for those that speak out against the Zionist agenda.
Galloway is a "well-respected British MP." and the whores in the Conservative Party and Liberal Party could learn a thing or two from him.
Minister of Censorship Jason Kenney's decision to ban British MP George Galloway from speaking in Canada has ignited a firestorm of protest across the country. Kenney's office and the entire Conservative caucus has been bombarded with thousands of e-mails, phone calls and messages of protest. A legal challenge has been launched by Galloway's legal counsel in Canada, and the media is reporting new developments every day.
The movement to reverse the ban on Galloway is big, and is growing by the minute.
We can defeat Jason Kenney's ban, but we need your help over the next few days. Please read below and forward this message everywhere!
This site is the clearinghouse for all update about the campaign and includes documents from the legal challenge, breaking news, ticket information, and action items. Please upload a link of this site to your website, upload it to all Galloway groups on facebook and on your profile, and forward it to all your friends. If you have any news or updates for the website, email info@nowar.ca.
2. Join our next organizing meeting in Toronto.
If you're not in Toronto, get active with local groups in the Palestine Solidarity movement or the anti-war movement. The Toronto meeting is as follows: Friday, March 27 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto (TTC: Spadina). The Toronto meeting will provide updates, distribute new materials, and make plans for weekend actions.
3. Picket Conservative MPs' offices on Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend, we need to make sure we keep the pressure up. Organize pickets at your local Conservative MP's office to say you want Jason Kenney to reverse the ban on Galloway. Ask passers-by to sign the petition, distribute leaflets to them, and display free speech placards. All materials petition, leaflets, and placards can be downloaded from www.defendfreespeech.ca. When you've filled out the petitions, fax them to Kenney's offices: 613-992-1920 (Ottawa office) and 403-225-3504 (Calgary office). A picket in Mississauga is already organized for Saturday, March 28 at 2:00pm at the office of Conservative MP Bob Dechert (Mississauga Erindale), 1270 Central Parkway West, Suite 101, Mississauga.
4. Come to federal court on Sunday in Toronto to hear the legal challenge to Jason Kenney¹s ban.
Galloway's legal team was informed that the hearing will be open to the public, so we need to pack out the courtroom to show how much opposition there is to Kenney's attacks on free speech. The hearing will take place on Sunday, March 29 at 11:00am at the federal courthouse at 180 Queen Street West, Toronto (TTC: Osgoode). This is where we'll find out if Kenney's ban on Galloway is overturned. Seating is limited, so show up early! In addition, Toronto organizers will hold a free speech rally outside the courthouse at 10:30am. Bring your flags and banners! And bring lots of people!
5. Keep e-mailing and phoning Jason Kenney's office.
If you've contacted him already, do it again. Tell them you won't stop until Kenney reverses the ban. Tell them you want a formal response in writing, explaining why Kenney has banned Galloway. If you phone and there's only voicemail, leave a long message asking that they call you back. Don't let up the pressure now. Keep phoning, e-mailing, faxing, etc. Kenney's e-mail addresses are: kennej@parl.gc.ca; kennej7@parl.gc.ca; minister@cic.gc.ca; harpes@parl.gc.ca. His phone numbers are: 613-992-2235 (Ottawa office) and 403-225-3480 (Calgary office). And don't stop e-mailing the entire Conservative caucus. You can find all their e-mail addresses in one block at www.defendfreespeech.ca.
6. Keep buying tickets.
George Galloway has personally committed to deliver a live, original, interactive speech to each of the four cities where he's scheduled to speak either live in person or live via broadcast. We want to make sure that he can see how many of us have come to hear his speech and to stand up for our right to hear it. Every empty seat or unsold ticket is a defeat for free speech and a victory for the Minister of Censorship. Buy your tickets now and help us sell out the event. Ticket information for all four events is available at www.defendfreespeech.ca.
7. Broadcast Galloway's live speech in your town or city.
If you live in a city where Galloway is not scheduled to speak (if you're not in Toronto, Mississauga, Montreal or Ottawa) but would still like to hear his speech, let us know. We are organizing now to broadcast his Toronto speech on Monday, March 30 to locations all over the country where he is not scheduled to speak. Book a room now that can accommodate large numbers of people, start promoting your event, and get a laptop/LCD projector so you can broadcast his speech live. We'll send you a private URL to log onto the Toronto broadcast. To get the private URL, please e-mail info@nowar.ca.
8. Join the ban-busting caravan to meet Galloway at the Canada-US border.
Organizers in Montreal are organizing a caravan of MPs, lawyers, anti-war activists and supporters to meet Galloway at the Canada-US border on the day he is scheduled to enter Canada. If we reverse the ban, we'll bring him across. If we don't reverse the ban, we'll hold a solidarity rally on the Canadian side while a delegation of MPs and lawyers meet Galloway in the US. Galloway will address the Canadian rally by phone (with sound amplification).
Here's the call-out from Montreal organizers:
On Monday, March 30, Montreal organizers for the Galloway speaking tour (SPHR) are calling for a mass presence at the Canadian-US border in Lacolle, Quebec to support Canadian and Quebec MPs and MNAs who plan to escort Galloway into Canada, if the ban is reversed.
A solidarity caravan will leave from Montreal on Monday morning. Please show up by 9:30am at Carre Cabot, on Ste. Catherine and Atwater, corner of rue Lambert Closse (across from the Pepsi Forum). There will be buses. If you have a car, we need you to help caravan people there to arrive by 12:00pm (noon).
If you have a car, please let us know how many people you can take. If you need a ride, please let us know how many seats you need. E-mail us at Galloway.Canada@gmail.com.
9. Don¹t let Kenney silence anti-war voices! Demonstrate on April 4.
The Canadian Peace Alliance and Le Collectif Échec à la guerre have called a pan-Canadian day of action for Saturday, April 4 to protest the 60th anniversary of NATO and to bring Canadian troops home from Afghanistan. Now that Kenney has expanded his attacks to the peace movement and our right to free speech, it's even more important to be in the streets. Tell Kenney that we won't be silenced! If Kenney doesn't overturn his ban on Galloway, join us on April 4 to demand that Kenney be fired from his job. For more information, please visit www.acp-cpa.ca.
