Archive for the ‘Human Rights’ Category

Nov. 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Posted: November 25, 2008 in Aboriginal Peoples, Human Rights
Tags: ,
3

Marchers in Saskatchewan in July 2008, in the "Walk for Missing Sisters" to raise awareness about missing aboriginal women, children and men. Photo: Native Women's Association of Canada

It is tragically ironic on this day, declared by the United Nations to be “for the elimination of violence against women,” to read that the UN has called on Canada to properly investigate the disappearances and murders of over 500 aboriginal women that have occured since 1980.

According to a Canadian Press article, in today’s Winnipeg Free Press

The United Nations is calling on the Harper government to investigate why hundreds of deaths and disappearances of aboriginal women remain unsolved.

It’s asking Ottawa to report back in a year on the status of more than 500 cases that “have neither been fully investigated nor attracted priority attention, with the perpetrators remaining unpunished.”

The UN committee on the elimination of discrimination against women wants Canada to “urgently carry out thorough investigations” to trace how and why the justice system failed.

A federally funded $5-million study by the Native Women’s Association of Canada concludes that 510 aboriginal girls and women have vanished or been murdered since 1980. It calls for an emergency strategy.

This report from the UN is more evidence that the failure to investigate these disappearances is part of a larger, systemic failure to address violence against women, generally. According to the article

The UN committee also wants Ottawa to set minimum standards for welfare to better protect the most vulnerable citizens across Canada. And it raises alarms about lack of shelters for battered women, and Conservative government cuts that wiped out the Court Challenges Program — funding that helped advance minority rights.

Worldwide, according to a UN factsheet,

The most common form of violence experienced by women globally is physical violence inflicted by an intimate partner. On average, at least one in three women is beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused by an intimate partner in the course of her lifetime.

This two-page factsheet is a grim litany of the most abominable crimes against woman that contains disturbingly little on what is being done to end them.

Violence against women is so pervasive that it is easy to feel overwhelmed by it all and seek solace in the knowledge that we are not directly involved in harming women. However, as Albert Einstein reportedly observed:

The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.

So, if you are not already involved, start doing something about it by learning about the aboriginal girls and women who have vanished or been murdered since 1980. You can begin at Missing Native Women.ca. You can help hold Harper accountable by signing a petition, here. And you can get a swack of info at Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action.

And then there’s that matter of the war, where we are helping the Americans save the women and girls of Afghanistan, by dropping bombs on them . . .

al Naqba at 60 and the reflections of a recovered Zionist

Posted: May 15, 2008 in Human Rights
Tags: , ,
3

A Palestinian family piles into a truck, becoming part of the Nakba in 1948. (UNWRA). Source: Institute for Middle East Understanding

Like many Canadians of my generation, I came of age in the 1960s, a time of great idealism and social upheaval. As a teenager living in rural Manitoba, my personal exposure to the great movements for social change was vicarious; my world view largely conditioned by what I could read, watch on TV and absorb from the movies.

Looking back I am amazed at how easy it was to adopt completely contradictory political positions, for example, to cheer on American blacks in their struggle for civil rights and to be blissfully unaware of the grinding poverty and racist oppression of aboriginal people in my own community; to see the American invasion of Vietnam as a horrendous crime while cheering on the Israeli army as it triumphed in the “Six Day War” of 1967.

Young people are idealists by nature with an instinctive sympathy for underdogs of all kinds. Messages of freedom and equality resonate with youth, in part because they experience the inequality and lack of freedom that accompany parental control.

The direction their idealism takes and their ability to identify underdogs depends pretty much on what they learn, at home, at school, from the media. As the ‘60s progressed it became possible to understand the injustice and horror of the Vietnam War and the just demands of the American civil rights movement: these were on display on the evening TV news. Aboriginal people didn’t have a media voice; they were invisible. And as for Israel and my youthful Zionism, well, I blame American novelist Leon Uris.

His 1956 epic novel, Exodus, published in 50 languages, fell into my idealistic mitts in the mid-60s and I was entranced. Who wouldn’t be moved by the heroic saga of larger than life freedom fighters carving out a homeland where survivors of the Holocaust could find refuge? Who wouldn’t be inspired by the idealism of the kibbutzniks transforming an arid wasteland into an oasis, and building a democratic bastion on the frontiers of feudal ignorance and tyranny?

I imagine the book is still in print and widely available in libraries, as is the 1960 Oscar winning film of the same name starring Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint. You should check them out because they contain the major propaganda elements that underpin the Zionist project.

Like all effective propaganda, Exodus contains a mixture of verifiable facts on one hand and arguments made plausible by the omission of important information. The single most glaring omission is the concept that Palestinians had every right to remain in their homes and communities, free from violence and repression.

Nasser Flefel carves wooden keys to symbolize the Palestinian right of return in his Gaza City workshop. (Wissam Nassar, Maan Images) Source: Institute for Middle East Understanding

While Israelis are celebrating the 60th anniversary of what they refer to as their War of Independence, for Palestinians, this period in history is called “al Naqba” – “the Catastrophe.” They mark their forced expulsion from Palestine on May 15 every year.

By 1950, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency had registered 914,000 Palestinian refugees, nearly two thirds of the Palestinians living in Palestine before Israel was created in 1948. Some fled their homes out of fear, having heard of the civilians massacred at Deir Yassin. Others were forcibly driven from their homes, including the 70,000 people expelled from the towns of Lydda and Ramleh. Hundreds died in what became known as the Death March. Over 400 villages were wiped off the map.

Today we call this “ethnic cleansing.” It was as wrong in 1948 as it is today.

The situation in Israel today closely resembles the apartheid system that oppressed South African blacks for decades. I know this comparison will anger folks who never got beyond the Gospel According to Leon. However, a growing number of Canadians are standing up for Palestinian rights.

In April at its national convention, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers passed a resolution stating that CUPW will:

  • Call for and actively work towards an end to the suicide bombings, military assaults and other acts of violence that take the lives of innocent people and demand that the Israeli-West Bank barrier be immediately torn down in accordance with United Nations (UN) resolutions;
  • Demand that the Israeli government immediately withdraw from the occupied territories in accordance with UN resolution 242;
  • Call on the Canadian government to increase humanitarian aid to Palestinians;
  • Support the international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions until Israel recognizes the right of Palestinian people to self-determination and complies with international law including the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes as stipulated in UN resolution 194;
  • Work with Palestinian solidarity and human rights organizations in developing an education campaign about the apartheid nature of the state of Israel and Canada’s support for these practices;
  • Research the Canadian involvement in the occupation of Palestine;
  • Call on other Canadian unions to lobby against the apartheid like practices of the Israeli state and call for the immediate dismantling of the Israeli-West Bank wall.

This is encouraging and I think we will see many more efforts like this in the years to come.

The media choices, both alternative and mainstream, are vastly more numerous and accessible than they were in the ‘60s. There is no valid excuse for uncritical acceptance of official mythologies. On the subject of Palestine, a good place to start is http://electronicintifada.net/new.shtml.

104-year-old refugee Haseba Mahmud Ma'alim with her grandchildren in the Al-Amaree refugee camp in Ramallah. Haseba lost two children during the Nakba. (Mushir Abdelrahman, Maan Images) Source: Institute for Middle East Understanding

May 15 is also the day chosen by Bloggers Unite for Human Rights. Check it out.

And finally, the Winnipeg branch of CanPalNet is marking al Naqba today at the Manitoba Legislature. Events begin at 5:30, and if you feel like camping out, folks will be setting up a “Mock ’48 Refugee Tent City.” You can contact CanPalNet at canpalnetwinnipeg@yahoo.ca (204-947-5093).

Update: Raza family to remain in Canada

Posted: February 29, 2008 in Human Rights
Tags: ,
1

Raza family in 2006. Photo: CBC

Good news, for a change. After 18 months of sanctuary in a Winnipeg church, the Raza family is no longer in imminent threat of deportation.

A year has passed since I wrote about their situation in this space. Over that period, countless numbers of people have expressed their support and solidarity with the family in many ways.

The news release, issued by Reverend Barb Janes of Crescent Fort Rouge United Church follows. She and her congregation merit the admiration and respect of all Canadians. They have shown that citizens can stand up for justice and win.

On August 3, 2006, Crescent Fort Rouge United Church made a decision to offer sanctuary to the Raza family. We did this quickly, but not lightly, believing the well-being of the six Raza children would be in jeopardy should they be deported to Pakistan. Today, February 29, 2008, we are delighted to announce that the Raza family has been granted Temporary Resident Status, and their time of sanctuary is ended. This is the first step in a process that should see the Raza family obtain their Permanent Resident Status under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.

We are deeply thankful to the family’s lawyer, Kenneth Zaifman, for his work on this case. Our lawyer worked with the Immigration Canada and Canadian Border Services Agency to find a solution that balanced the circumstances that the Razas found themselves in and the requirements of the Immigration Act.

The family will continue to live with us while appropriate housing is found, and as we navigate a time of transition, both for the Razas and for the many volunteers who have been working with them. For 18 months, Crescent Fort Rouge United has been both home and prison to the family, and the change for the Raza family and for us in the church will be enormous. We have formed deep bonds, and we look forward to continuing to support the family as they return to our community, and begin a new life among us.

It has been an amazing journey, and there are many, many people to thank, both within the walls of this church and beyond. A public celebration is in the planning stages, but for now, we simply offer our thanks, and share with the Razas relief and joy.

Who is Alistair Butt and why is he so dangerous???

Posted: June 30, 2007 in Human Rights
Tags: , ,
0

Stephen the First, and hopefully the Last

The Star Chamber was an English court of law at the royal Palace of Westminster that sat between 1487 and 1641, when the court itself was abolished. Initially set up as a court of appeal, it evolved into an instrument of repression. Court sessions were held in secret, with no indictments, no right of appeal, no juries, and no witnesses. In that sense, it bears an amazing resemblance to Stephen Harper’s no-fly list.

Today the CBC reported that two boys named Alistair Butt were stopped while trying to board flights last week because their names matched Harper’s list. According to the Canadian Press, Transport Canada won’t confirm if the boys are on a U.S. no-fly list, an airline no-fly list or Canada’s new no-fly list, which went into effect on June 18.

The boys, aged 10 and 15, were eventually allowed to fly, but you have to wonder at the stupidity of it all. Our government, in the interests of protecting us from terrorism is detaining children at airports while it continues to ignore what the Senate has called “gaping holes” in airport baggage handling security.

And apparently they are letting an allegedly dangerous guy named Alistair Butt roam the country at will — except for flying, anyway. If this man is such a threat to our security, why hasn’t he been arrested and tried? And if he is not actually in the business of blowing up planes or whatever it is the authorities think he wants to do, why can’t he get on a plane unmolested?

These, of course, are rhetorical questions. Rather than perpetrators, the Alistair Butts of this world are the latest victims of the so-called “war against terrorism.”

What is not in question is that this latest version of the Star Chamber has gotta go. It is a dangerous infringement of our civil liberties. It protects no one and inconveniences innocent people. It’s only purposes are to instill fear (which nicely dovetails with its criminal “war against terrorism” in Afghanistan), and appease the Bush leaguers to the south.

Put Canada’s New Government on a No-Fly List

Posted: March 2, 2007 in Human Rights
Tags: , , ,
0

Transport Canada hopes to launch a no-fly list, officially known as Passenger Protect, as early as this spring. The stated objective is to guard against terrorist threats. A senior Transport Canada official told a Parliamentary Committee yesterday that individuals will not be told why they are on the list — only that they are on it. And, of course, they won’t be permitted to board the plane. Appeals will be permitted, but without knowing why one is on the list, it would be difficult to know how one could appeal. (The list will be compiled by the same spooks from CSIS and the RCMP who fingered Maher Arar. Hmmmm.)

Meanwhile, Health Canada has consolidated regulations regarding asbestos use; permitted uses include children’s toys and drywall joint cement. In case you missed it, asbestos is a highly toxic mineral; exposure can cause asbestosis, and malignant mesothelioma. It has been linked to autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Is there a pattern here? Is this a case of government “protecting” us against low risk threats (terrorist evildoers) while facilitating high risk threats (lung cancer, etc.) perpetrated by corporate evil doers.

According to Mining Watch,

“There has been a worldwide movement to ban both the mining and the use of white asbestos. France banned the use of white asbestos completely in 1997. The UK banned any new use of white asbestos in 1999. Further, by 2005 all EU nations must implement a prohibition on white asbestos. However, despite piles of reports showing the dangers of white asbestos, Canada continues to mine it and export it worldwide.”

Canada’s New Government provides $250,000 annually to the Chrysotile Institute (the mouthpiece for Canada’s asbestos industry), uses Canadian embassies to host asbestos promotion events and sends teams of lawyers around the world to oppose international efforts that might restrict the use of asbestos. (So did Canada’s Old Government!!)

Maybe it is time to rename Health Canada. Disease Canada? Death Canada? Any suggestions would be welcome. Alternatively, we could put Canada’s New Government on a no-fly list.

Urgent: Action needed to help Raza Family remain in Canada

Posted: February 27, 2007 in Human Rights
Tags: ,
0

Hassan Raza, his wife Sarfraz Kausar, and their children Rubab, 13, Mohsin, 12, Zain, 7, Ume Farve 6, Hassan, 4, and one-year-old Seema, took sanctuary in the Crescentwood-Ft. Rouge United Church in Winnipeg on Aug. 3, 2006 when they were threatened with deportation to their native Pakistan. The Shia-Sunni Muslim family fears they will face persecution if they are sent back. Given the sectarian strife between Shia and Sunni, this is a credible and reasonable fear.

The Razas wish to make Canada their home. The middle two children were born in the United States after the Razas left Pakistan in 1998 and sought asylum in the United States. They moved to Montreal in 2002 and came to Winnipeg in 2004 in search of better job opportunities and more affordable housing. The two youngest children are Canadians. It is only fair and compassionate that they be allowed to remain in Canada.

Many people in the Crescent-Ft. Rouge congregation (and others who are not involved in the church) have rallied to their side. Broader support is needed, and that is where you come in.

The family faces a deportation hearing in Winnipeg this Friday, Mar. 2 and is requesting letters of support from Canadians, urging the federal government to allow them to remain in Canada. I urge you to write an email indicating your support, and send it to the Raza family at raza@shaw.ca. Your letter will be presented along with many others at this hearing. Please do so without delay.

Much has been written about the Raza family and their struggle. A good source of information is at the Crescent-Ft. Rouge United Church web site.
The United Church, which has been supporting the family, advises letters be drafted with the following in mind:

  • maintain a polite and respectful tone always
  • ask the Minister of Citizenship & Immigration to make a compassionate intervention in the case of the Raza family to allow them to remain in Canada
  • ask the Minister of Public Safety to grant a “stay of removal” and allow them to leave sanctuary without fear of being apprehended
  • emphasize that there are six children – the two youngest (ages three and one) are Canadian-born citizens
  • note that the family has been in Canada for four years, the father, Hassan Raza was employed and has a job awaiting his freedom and that the children of school age have been in school
  • copy the letters to your own MP and to Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the House of Commons (you can get their contact information here).

In addition to sending a letter of support to the Raza family that can be presented at their hearing, letters to government ministers would be helpful as well.

Write to:

The Hon. Diane Finley,
Minister of Citizenship & Immigration,
House of Commons,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Phone 613-996-4974
Finley.D@parl.gc.ca

A copy may be sent to Ms Finlay’s Constituency Address: 70 Queensway West, Simcoe, ON, N3Y 2M6.

The Hon. Stockwell Day,
Minister of Public Safety,
House of Commons,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Phone 613-995-1702
Day.S@parl.gc.ca

A copy may be sent to Mr. Day’s Constituency Address: 202-301 Main Street, Penticton, BC V2A 5B7.

I’ve spent a bit of time with Hassan over the past few weeks, helping him with his English and I’ve met his family. They are good and gentle people. I like them. I’m pleased and proud that they want to live here. With our support, perhaps they can. Please take some time to write your letters today.

Newer Entries