Posted October 30th, 2008 by admin
Communiqué de presse
Le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF)
www.fmc-cmf.com
Le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF) rappelle les canadiens et québécois de mettre pression sur le gouvernement canadien pour rapatrier Omar Khadr sans attente
Omar Khadr doit être rapatrié sans plus tarder
Piquetage au : 24 Sussex Drive
14h00- 15h00
Le dimanche 2 novembre, 2008
La Coalition pour le rapatriement d’Omar Khadr ira porter un message au Premier ministre Stephen Harper à sa résidence officielle au 24 Sussex Drive ce dimanche le 2 novembre à 14h00. La coalition demandera au premier ministre de rencontrer ses représentants et à s’engager à faire tout son possible pour rapatrier Omar Khadr.
La semaine dernière, dans son rapport d’enquête interne sur les méthodes des responsables canadiens face à Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati et Muayyed Nureddin, le juge Iacobucci, a rappelé que les fonctionnaires canadiens sont tenus de «protéger la vie, les droits, les intérêts et les biens des citoyens canadiens lorsque ces-derniers sont menacés ou ignorés dans un territoire étranger. En tant que Premier ministre du Canada et chef des missions canadiennes mondialement, M. Harper a une responsabilité légale à venir en aide à Omar Khadr sans plus tarder.
La Coalition demande à M. Harper à intervenir d’urgence dans le cas d’Omar Khadr. Ce canadien enfant-soldat est toujours détenu illégalement à la prison de Guantanamo par les autorités militaires États-Uniennes.
M. Harper et le gouvernement actuel ont accentué le fait qu’ils entendent assurer la justice dans cette affaire mais ils n’agiront cependant pas, tant que les procédures judiciaires sont en cours. Les commissions militaires ne représentent pas la «justice», ils ne répondent pas aux normes juridiques internationales. Les commissions militaires sont incompatibles avec la justice et ne répondent pas aux normes juridiques internationales. De plus, depuis longtemps le Canada défend le fait que, conformément aux normes internationales des droits humains, aucun enfant-soldat ne devrait jamais faire face à un tribunal militaire. Aucun citoyen canadien, en particulier un enfant de 15 ans grièvement blessé, n’aurait jamais dû être abandonné à des régimes de torture systématique et à des traitements brutaux à Bagram et à Guantánamo Bay.
Il est grand temps pour M. Harper d’assurer l’application des “valeurs canadiennes” qu’il en a temps discuté lors de sa campagne électoral, soient appliquées à tous les citoyens, sans exception.
La Coalition pour le rapatriement d’Omar Khadr: http://www.bringomarhome.ca/en/home.htm
La pétition : www.petitiononline.com/omar567/petition.html
Les membres de la coalition: Amnistie International (section anglaise et francophone), Fédération canado-arabe, Conseil canadien des relations islamo-américaines (CAIR-CAN), Congrès islamique canadien, Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF), Alliance canadienne pour la paix, Conseil des Canadiens, Human Rights Working Group of McGill University, Independent Jewish Voices, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, Kids for Khadr, Lawyers Against the War, Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, Muslim Unity, Omar Khadr Project, Parole Arabe and Toronto Coalition to Stop the War.
Contact Média:
Ottawa: Hilary Homes, 613-744-7667 ext 247, hhomes@amnesty.ca
Toronto: Khaled Mouammar, 416-879-6766, benwalid@rogers.com &
James Clark, 416-795-5863 jamesbc75@yahoo.ca
Montreal: Ehab Lotayef, 514-941-9792, lotayef@gmail.com
Vancouver: Gail Davidson, 604-738-0338, law@portal.ca
Forum musulman canadien \ Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF)
C.P. 92037, Brossard,
Québec, Canada, J4W 3K8
info@fmc-cmf.com
www.fmc-cmf.com
Fondé en 1993, le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-FMC) est une organisation communautaire, non partisane sans but lucratif. Le FMC-CMF représente l’intérêt commun et collectif de la communauté musulmane sur les questions relatives à la politique publique et veille à protéger leurs droits civils.
Différent mais égaux- Different but equal
Posted October 30th, 2008 by admin
Press Release
For Immediate Release
The Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF)
www.fmc-cmf.com
The Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF) is calling all Canadians and Quebecers to pressure the Canadian Government to repatriate Omar Khadr without further delay
Picket at 24 Sussex Drive
2:00 to 3:00 pm
Sunday November 2nd, 2008
The Coalition for the Repatriation of Omar Khadr is taking the message to Prime Minister Stephen Harper at his official residence 24 Sussex Drive on Sunday November 2nd at 2:00pm. They are asking the Prime Minister to meet with their representatives and commit to doing all he can to repatriate Omar Khadr.
Last week, in his report the Internal Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin, Justice Iacobucci reiterated that Canadian officials are obligated to “protect the lives, rights, interests, and property of Canadian citizens… when these are endangered or ignored in the territory of a foreign state.” As the head of the Canadian government and its missions worldwide, Mr. Harper has a legal responsibility to come to Omar Khadr’s aid without further delay.
The Coalition is calling on Mr. Harper to urgently intervene in the case of Omar Khadr, the Canadian child soldier still unlawfully detained by the United States at the Guantánamo Bay detention facility.
Mr. Harper and the current government have stressed that they wish to ensure “justice is done” in this case and will not act as long as legal proceedings are underway. The military commissions do not represent “justice”, they fail to meet international legal standards. And Canada has long championed the fact that, in line with international human rights standards, no child combatant should ever face a military tribunal. No Canadian citizen, especially a seriously wounded 15-year-old, should ever have been abandoned to the regimes of systematic torture and ill-treatment at Bagram and Guantánamo Bay.
It is time for Mr Harper to ensure that the “Canadian values” he campaigned on are applied to all citizens.
The Coalition for the Repatriation of Omar Khadr: http://www.bringomarhome.ca/en/home.htm
La pétition : www.petitiononline.com/omar567/petition.html
Members of the coalition include: Amnesty International (English and French sections), Canadian Arab Federation, Canadian Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR-CAN), Canadian Islamic Congress, Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF), Canadian Peace Alliance, Council of Canadians, Human Rights Working Group of McGill University, Independent Jewish Voices, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, Kids for Khadr, Lawyers Against the War, Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, Muslim Unity, Omar Khadr Project, Parole Arabe and Toronto Coalition to Stop the War.
Media Contacts:
Ottawa: Hilary Homes, 613-744-7667 ext 247, hhomes@amnesty.ca
Toronto: Khaled Mouammar, 416-879-6766, benwalid@rogers.com &
James Clark, 416-795-5863 jamesbc75@yahoo.ca
Montreal: Ehab Lotayef, 514-941-9792, lotayef@gmail.com
Vancouver: Gail Davidson, 604-738-0338, law@portal.ca
Forum musulman canadien \ Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF)
C.P. 92037, Brossard,
Québec, Canada, J4W 3K8
info@fmc-cmf.com
www.fmc-cmf.com
Established in 1993, the Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF) is a community, non-partisan and non-profit organization. The FMC-CMF represents the collective and common interest of the Muslim Community on issues relating to public policy and defends and protects their civil rights.
Différent mais égaux- Different but equal
Posted October 23rd, 2008 by admin
Communiqué de presse
Pour Diffusion Immédiate
Le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF)
www.fmc-cmf.com
Le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF) demande la transparence de la part de la GRC et le SCRS dans la manière d’agir et de réformer les relations avec les organismes non canadiens
(Montréal: Le 22 octobre, 2008): Le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF) a reçu avec inquiétude les conclusions d’enquête fédérale concernant les trois Canadiens d’origine arabe: Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad El Maati et Muayyed Nureddin qui ont été détenus en Moyen-Orient sans accusations et les autorités canadiennes étaient au courant et pourtant ont gardé le silence.
« En dépit de la conclusion inquiétante de l’ancien juge Frank Iacobucci à la Cour suprême du Canada qui est inquiétante, nous avons encore un problème avec une enquête qui a été tenue à huis clos et qui n’a pas tenue compte de la nécessité de la transparence et de la responsabilité » a déclaré Samer Majzoub le directeur exécutif du Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF). M. Majzoub a également ajouté que « les trois hommes ont été maltraités par une agence de sécurité étrangère sous de fausses allégations basées sur les actions des responsables canadiens qui, basés sur l’enquête, ont contribué à leur tragédie.
«Notre sécurité est extrêmement précieuse, mais nous ne pouvons pas vivre une vraie sécurité dans le noir qui n’ont pas fait l’objet d’examen sérieux pour valider l’information» a déclaré Bilal Hamideh, vice-président des relations politiques du FMC-CMF. M. Hamideh a également ajouté que «l’information recueillie auprès des organisations non canadiennes ne devrait pas être prise pour acquis».
Le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF) croit que les enquêtes publiques ne devraient pas être compromises par le voile du secret et par le manque de transparence. Le FMC insiste sur le fait que l’intégrité de l’information de tous les Canadiens devrait être protégée et ne devrait pas être partagé avec les organismes étrangers qui peuvent compromettre leur sécurité. Cette enquête et toutes les enquêtes publiques sont de bonnes mesures en vue de la réalité et de la transparence ;Le FMC ajoute sa voix à d’autres organismes des droits de l’homme et met en garde que le voile du secret pourrait affaiblir la confiance du public dans les enquêtes et les recommandations.
Pour plus d’information;
· La Raport du juge Frank Iacobucci: http://www.iacobucciinquiry.ca/en/documents/final-report.htm
· Et l’historie des trios canadiens The story of the three Canadian; Ahmad El-Maati, Muayyed Nureddin, and Abdullah Almalki
Contacts Média:
Samer Majzoub
Le directeur exécutif
Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF)
(514) 884-0852
smajzoub@fmc-cmf.com
Bilal Hamideh
VP relations politiques
Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF)
(514) 817-5477
bhamideh@fmc-cmf.com
Fondé en 1993, le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-FMC) est une organisation communautaire, non partisane sans but lucratif. Le FMC-CMF représente l’intérêt commun et collectif de la communauté musulmane sur les questions relatives à la politique publique et veille à protéger leurs droits civils.
Différent mais égaux- Different but equal
Posted October 23rd, 2008 by admin
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=f4506ab1-876e-465c-9b39-439ebd5c8af1
Ahmad El-Maati
Ahmad El-Maati was the first of four Canadian citizens to be detained in Syria after 9/11.
He had travelled to Damascus to prepare for his wedding to a Syrian woman, Rola. In Syria, he was interrogated and tortured based on information he says could only have originated in Canada, and was eventually forced to sign a “confession” he didn’t write and wasn’t allowed to read. In order to end his torture, he says, he told his interrogators a lie: that he was planning to detonate a truck of explosives on Parliament Hill.
The Arar inquiry has revealed that confession was used to justify warrants executed in Canada.
Mr. El-Maati was transferred from Syria to Egypt, where he holds citizenship, in January 2002. He suffered further torture there, he says, until being released in January 2004.
A Kuwaiti-born Egyptian, Mr. El-Maati had emigrated to Canada with his family at the age of 17. He became a Canadian citizen in 1986. Mr. El-Maati lived in Toronto and Montreal and studied electronics and statistics at college and university.
In 1991, Mr. El-Maati travelled to Afghanistan where mujahedeen factions were fighting for control of the Afghan government, which was then in the hands of the Soviet backed President Mohammad Najibullah. Mr. El-Maati enlisted with the forces of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who would earn a reputation for ruthlessness during his 1994 bombardment of Kabul, which killed thousands of civilians.
Mr. El-Maati spent five years working in support of the Mr. Hekmatyar’s forces as a cook and ambulance driver.
He returned to Canada following the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan in 1997 and went to work as a trucker.
CSIS and the RCMP put Mr. El-Maati under intense scrutiny after 9-11 because of his personal history. Mr. El-Maati had also raised suspicion because a map had been found in his truck, which highlighted several government buildings in Ottawa. It later came to light the document was a government-issued visitors’ map. Mr. El-Maati has never been charged with a crime in Canada and denies any connection to terrorism.
- - -
Muayyed Nureddin
Muayyed Nureddin was detained by Syrian authorities in December, 2003 — one month after Maher Arar announced at a news conference that he had been tortured by Syrian Military Intelligence.
Mr. Nureddin was arrested as he crossed into Syria from Iraq, where he had travelled to visit his family in the northern town of Kirkuk.
In Syria, Mr. Nureddin says he was interrogated and tortured. He says he was asked the same questions earlier put to him by CSIS agents in Canada.
He was released 34 days later by the Syrians.
Mr. Nureddin, now 41, had come to Canada as a refugee in 1994. He had fled his native Iraq in 1991 and had spent three years in Turkey where he was eventually accepted as a United Nations-sponsored refugee.
In Canada, Mr. Nureddin studied English, then enrolled in Centennial College as a computer programmer and analyst.
After his graduation, he went to work as the principal of an elementary school sponsored by Toronto’s Salaheddin Islamic Centre, where Ahmed Said Khadr had once raised money.
The elementary school’s previous principal, Mahmoud Jaballah, had also attracted the attention of CSIS as a suspected member of the Egyptian terrorist group, al-Jihad.
Mr. Nureddin stayed at the school for two-and-a-half years, then launched his own car export business. He planned to ship used cars to Iraq, believing that the U.S. occupation would bring stability and business opportunities to the north.
Mr. Nureddin has never been charged with a crime in Canada and denies any connection to terrorism.
- - -
Abdullah Almalki
Abdullah Almalki was 16 years old when his family settled in Ottawa after emigration from Syria. He graduated from Lisgar Collegiate, then obtained an electrical engineering degree from Carleton University. He married a fellow Carleton student, economics major Khuzaiman Kalifah. They now have six children.
Mr. Almalki’s first contact with Canada’s security agencies came in the summer of 1998 when a CSIS agent phoned to arrange a meeting: she said some of his company’s communications equipment had been found in the hands of the Taliban. He met with agents several times to explain that his export company shipped store-bought equipment to a Pakistan firm, Microelectronics; he didn’t know what they did with it.
After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Mr. Almalki became the central focus of an RCMP joint forces team, Project A-O Canada, that investigated a number of terror suspects supplied by CSIS. The investigation would also ensnare Maher Arar.
CSIS targeted Mr. Almalki because of a number of suspicious circumstances.
In the early 1990s, Mr. Almalki had worked in Pakistan and Afghanistan for Human Concern International, an Ottawa-based charity that performed development work in the Muslim world. The man who would ultimately be identified as the highest-ranking Canadian member of al-Qaeda, Ahmed Said Khadr, was his boss at Human Concern International.
Mr. Almalki also had a business relationship with Mohamed Elzahabi, a U.S.-based Lebanese national who once trained sharpshooters at an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan.
Mr. Almalki left Canada in November 2001 because of what he considered CSIS’s harassment of him and his family. He went to live with his in-laws in Malaysia and later travelled to Syria to visit his ailing grandmother. He was detained at the Damascus airport on May 3, 2002 and taken to the Palestine Branch of the Syrian Military Intelligence, where he was repeatedly interrogated and tortured based on questions that he says could only have originated in Canada.
The Arar report revealed that the RCMP sent questions for Mr. Almalki to Syrian military officials in January 2003. One of the questions posed referred to Mr. Arar, who was then in Syrian custody.
Mr. Almalki was not visited by a Canadian consulate official during his 22-month Syrian detention. He was cleared and released by the Syrians in March 2004.
He has never been charged with a crime in Canada and denies any connection to terrorism.
- - -
Timeline
Sept. 11, 2001. On the same day that terrorists crash planes into New York City and Washington, CSIS agents arrive at Ahmad El-Maati’s door, asking questions about a map of Ottawa earlier found in the cab of his truck by U.S. border authorities. Mr. El-Maati said the map was not his, but was left in the truck by a previous driver. He has a letter from his company asserting as much.
Sept. 24 - 27, 2001. CSIS transfers responsibility for a number of national security investigations to the RCMP. This leads to the formation of Project A-O Canada, based in Ottawa. Ottawa engineer Abdullah Almalki becomes the focus of its investigation, which would later ensnare one of Mr. Almalki acquaintances, Maher Arar. The investigation would also expand to include Ahmad El-Maati.
The mandate of the project calls for prevention first, intelligence second and prosecution third.
Sept. 29, 2001. Mr. El-Maati is described as an “imminent threat” in a request for information sent to foreign agencies, including those in Syria and Egypt.
Oct. 4, 2001. In a letter to Syrian law enforcement officials Mr. Almalki is described as “an imminent threat” to national security and is linked to al-Qaeda.
Oct. 31, 2001. Project A-O Canada sends a notice to U.S. Customs, describing Maher Arar and his wife as “extremist individuals suspected of being linked to al-Qaeda movement.”
Nov. 11, 2001. Mr. El-Maati is questioned by police officers before he boards an airplane en route to Syria. He is detained the next day after he arrives in Damascus. He is interrogated and tortured for the next seven to 10 days in the same military prison that would later hold Abdullah Almalki, Maher Arar and Muayyed Nureddin.
Nov. 27, 2001. Feeling harassed by security agents, Mr. Almalki leaves Ottawa with his family for Malaysia to live with his in-laws.
Dec. 4, 2001. A meeting is held between Canadian and Syrian officials about Mr. El-Maati’s case.
December, 2001. CSIS sends questions to Syrian officials for Mr. El-Maati through another foreign agency.
Jan. 22, 2002. The RCMP execute seven search warrants on homes, including those of Mr. Almalki, one of Mr. Almalki’s brothers, Ahmad El-Maati and his father.
Jan. 25, 2002. Mr. El-Maati is flown from Syria to Cairo, Egypt, where he holds dual citizenship, imprisoned and tortured.
March/April, 2002. The RCMP shares a full database of documents prepared by A-O Canada with U.S. agencies.
May 3, 2002. Abdullah Almalki is detained in Syria after flying to the country to visit his ailing grandmother. He is taken to a military prison, interrogated and tortured.
July 4, 2002. Ambassador Franco Pillarella facilitates a meeting between General Hassan Khalil, the head of Syrian Military Intelligence, and Steve Covey, the RCMP’s liaison officer for the Middle East. Two weeks later, Mr. Covey meets with A-O Canada and justice department officials.
July 18, 2002. An RCMP briefing note directed to Commissioner Guiliano Zacardelli says there are indications Mr. El-Maati had been exposed to “extreme treatment” in Egyptian detention.
Sept. 26, 2002. U.S. officials detain Ottawa engineer Maher Arar in New York City while on his way home from Tunisia. He is later flown to the Middle East, taken to Syria’s military prison and tortured.
Nov. 23, 2002. A CSIS delegation meets with Syrian General Khalil and four other Syrian officials.
December, 2002. CSIS begins to share information with foreign agencies that says Mr. Nureddin is suspected of carrying money between Islamic extremists. The service later advises that it has “confirmed” that Mr. Nureddin is a courier for the Iraq-based Ansar al-Islam.
Jan. 12-15, 2003. An RCMP officer hands questions for Mr. Almalki in a sealed envelope to Ambassador Pillarella, who then delivers the package to Syrian Military Intelligence.
May, 2003. CSIS sends a statement to Egyptian authorities, expressing concern about what would happen in the event of Mr. El-Maati’s release.
Sept. 16, 2003. Muayyed Nureddin flies from Pearson International Airport to Germany, on his way to Iraq, with $10,500 U.S. and 4,000 Euros — money he’s carrying on behalf of other Iraqi families. He is questioned by security agents before boarding his plane in Toronto.
Oct. 5, 2003. Maher Arar is released from Syrian custody and is escorted home to Canada the next day.
Nov. 4, 2003. Mr. Arar holds a press conference to describe his rendition and overseas torture. He reveals that another Canadian, Mr. Almalki, remains in Syrian jail.
Dec. 11, 2003. Mr. Nureddin is arrested as he crosses into Syria from Iraq, where he has met his family. He’s later taken to the Palestine Branch military prison in Damascus.
Jan. 13, 2004. Mr. Nureddin is released after 34 days in detention, during which he is interrogated and tortured.
Jan. 14, 2004. Mr. El-Maati is released from detention in Egypt.
Feb. 5, 2004. The federal government establishes the inquiry into the Maher Arar affair.
March 10, 2004. Mr. Almalki is released from Syrian detention; a Syrian judge later acquits him of all charges.
June 29, 2005. Mr. Almalki, Mr. El-Maati and Mr. Nureddin are granted limited standing at the Arar inquiry.
Oct. 27, 2005. Professor Stephen Toope releases his fact-finding report for the Arar inquiry, which concludes that the three were truthful in their accounts of being tortured in Syria. “I believe that they suffered severe physical and psychological trauma while in detention in Syria,” he writes. “Mr. Almalki was especially badly treated, and for an extended period.”
Sept. 18, 2006. The Arar inquiry report is released. It finds that U.S. authorities “very likely” based their decision to send Mr. Arar to Syria on erroneous information supplied by Canada. He recommends a second inquiry review the cases of the three other men because of disturbing “investigative practices” common to them.
Dec. 11, 2006. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day announces the Iacobucci inquiry will examine the conduct of Canadian officials that may have led to the detention and mistreatment of Mr. Almalki, Mr. El-Maati and Mr. Nureddin. He instructs the judge to carry out his inquiry “largely in-camera.”
Posted October 23rd, 2008 by admin
NEWS RELEASE: For immediate release
Wanted: participants to tell their travel stories about
being caught on “no-fly” lists and border watch lists
Communiq No Fly list 20-10-08.pdf
OTTAWA – October 20, 2008 – Individuals who believe they have been targeted by the “no-fly” lists or government watch lists are invited to share their stories as part of a national research project on the surveillance of travellers.
The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) is collecting the stories of people who have been detained or prohibited from travelling. The information will be used for public education purposes, and to engage with officials about abusive practices such as racial and religious profiling.
“Since we launched this project, we have heard many stories from individuals who have been mistakenly targeted, either because their name was similar to a name on a terrorist watch list or because they were members of racialized communities which made them a target for interrogation and searches,” Roch Tassé, coordinator of the ICLMG said.
“The information collected, which will be kept confidential, will be used to document government practices, and to demonstrate the devastating impacts these measures are having on so many people on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border,” he said.
“We have already heard from some individuals snagged on the “no-fly” that they were told: “Change your name”, to avoid future problems while others were told to join airline loyalty programs when they complained. Moreover, a significant percentage of participants indicated they no longer travel abroad or even fly domestically for fear of being singled out,” Mr. Tassé said.
“It’s clear that the myriad of watch lists used by airlines, customs, and transport officials to screen travellers are having a serious impact on our freedom of movement and privacy rights.”
The website www.travelwacthlist.ca allows individuals to find out more about the research, read accounts from other travellers, and tell their own stories. There is also a toll-free number – 1 866-613-0778 or 514-484-2020 in the Montreal area.
For more information: Roch Tassé: 613-241-5298 or Patricia Poirier : 514-295-9364
Voir aussi : www.surveillancedesvoyageurs.ca
Posted October 23rd, 2008 by admin
COMMUNIQUÉ : pour diffusion immédiate
Listes de surveillance et d’interdiction de vol :
les voyageurs invités à faire connaître leur histoire
communiq Listes de surveillance et d_interdiction de vol 20-10-08.pdf
OTTAWA – Le 20 octobre 2008 – Les personnes qui soupçonnent avoir été ciblées injustement ou erronément par la liste d’interdiction de vol (no-fly) ou toute autre liste gouvernementale sont invitées à témoigner de leurs expériences dans le cadre d’un projet de recherche sur la surveillance des voyageurs.
La Coalition pour la surveillance internationale des libertés civiles (CSILC) est à la recherche de témoignages de personnes qui ont été détenues ou empêchées de voyager. Les renseignements recueillis serviront à la sensibilisation du public et à soutenir le travail de plaidoyer de la coalition ainsi qu’à dénoncer ces pratiques abusives comme le profilage racial et religieux.
« Depuis que nous avons lancé ce projet, nous avons recueilli plusieurs témoignages d’individus qui ont été faussement ciblés, soit parce que leur nom était semblable à un nom apparaissant sur une liste de surveillance de terroristes, ou parce que qu’ils étaient membres de communautés racialisées et susceptibles d’être fouillés et soumis à des interrogatoires supplémentaires », a expliqué le coordonnateur de la CSILC, Roch Tassé.
« Nous nous engageons à respecter la confidentialité des renseignements recueillis. Ils nous aideront à documenter les pratiques gouvernementales et à démontrer les effets dévastateurs de ces mesures sur un grand nombre d’individus des deux côtés de la frontière canado-étatsunienne », a-t-il précisé.
« Des personnes nous ont rapporté qu’elles se sont fait dire : ‘Changez votre nom’, lorsqu’elles ont été ciblées par les listes d’interdiction de vol. D’autres se sont fait dire de devenir membre du programme de fidélisation des compagnies aériennes pour éviter les ennuis et accélérer l’embarquement. Qui plus est, un pourcentage important des participants ont indiqué qu’ils ne voyagent plus à l’étranger et ne prennent plus l’avion au Canada de peur d’être interceptés », a ajouté M. Tassé.
« C’est évident que ces listes de surveillance ont un impact important sur notre liberté de mouvement et notre droit à la vie privée ».
La Coalition souhaite que les voyageurs communiquent avec elle pour raconter leurs démêlés avec les compagnies aériennes, les fonctionnaires des transports et les agents des douanes au Canada et aux États-Unis. Le site www.surveillancedesvoyageurs.ca explique les objectifs du projet et permet aux individus de faire connaître leur histoire. On peut aussi composer le numéro de téléphone sans frais : 1-866-613-0778 (dans la région de Montréal : 514-484-2020).
Renseignements : Roch Tassé 613-241-5298 ou Patricia Poirier 514-295-9364
Visitez aussi : www.travelwatchlist.ca
Posted October 17th, 2008 by admin
By Campbell Brown
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/13/campbell.brown.obama/index.html
Editor’s note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN’s “Campbell Brown: Election Center” at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the “Cutting through the Bull” segment of Monday night’s broadcast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LXMMmfd1lw
NEW YORK (CNN) — You may find it hard to believe that this remains an issue in this campaign, but it does.
The candidates, both candidates, are still getting questions about Barack Obama’s ethnicity and religion. If you are even semi-informed, then by now you already know that of course, Barack Obama is an American.
Of course, Barack Obama is a Christian. Yet just a few days ago, there was a woman at a rally for John McCain incorrectly calling Obama an Arab:
Woman at rally: I don’t trust Obama. I have read about him and he’s an Arab.
Sen. John McCain: No ma’am, no ma’am. He’s a decent family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. That’s what this campaign is all about. He’s not, thank you.
Now, I commend Sen. McCain for correcting that woman, for setting the record straight. But I do have one question — so what if he was?
So what if Obama was Arab or Muslim? So what if John McCain was Arab or Muslim? Would it matter?
When did that become a disqualifier for higher office in our country? When did Arab and Muslim become dirty words? The equivalent of dishonorable or radical?
Whenever this gets raised, the implication is that there is something wrong with being an Arab-American or a Muslim. And the media is complicit here, too. 
Watch Campbell’s commentary »
We’ve all been too quick to accept the idea that calling someone Muslim is a slur.
I feel like I am stating the obvious here, but apparently it needs to be said: There is a difference between radical Muslims who support jihad against America and Muslims who want to practice their religion freely and have normal lives like anyone else. iReport.com: iReporter pleads with voters to ’stop the racism’
There are more than 1.2 million Arab-Americans and about 7 million Muslim-Americans, former Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, successful business people, normal average Americans from all walks of life.
These are the people being maligned here, and we can only imagine how this conversation plays in the Muslim world. We can’t tolerate this ignorance — not in the media, not on the campaign trail.
Of course, he’s not an Arab. Of course, he’s not a Muslim. But honestly, it shouldn’t matter.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.
All About Barack Obama • John McCain • Racial Issues
Posted October 16th, 2008 by admin
Communiqué de presse
Pour Diffusion Immédiate
Le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF)
FMC et PA félicitent les députés élus et définissent l’ordre du jour qui suivront
Date: le 15 octobre 2008
(Montréal, mercredi le 15 octobre 2008) la coalition « avant de voter » menée par le Forum musulman canadien (FMC-CMF) et Parole Arabe ont publiés, aujourd’hui, un communiqué de presse félicitant les députés élus partout au Canada et ils ont envoyé une lettre personnelle aux chefs des partis politiques et à tous les députés au Québec les félicitant pour la confiance de la population en leur capacité de les représenter, une confiance qui sera scruter minutieusement à partir d’aujourd’hui.
Tout au long de la campagne électorale, la coalition a réussi à soulever des sujets qui n’ont pas été mentionnés lors du débat public. « Nous voudrions être sûrs que vous, en tant qu’un de nos député, se rend compte de ces points et que vous les porterez avec vous à Ottawa quand le parlement siégera » a dit Mohamed S. Kamel, président du Forum musulman canadien.
« Ce qui fait du Canada un pays unique, c’est qu’il avait toujours une vision au delà de son intérêt direct, recommandant un meilleur soutien de l’humanité, les missions de maintien de la paix de l’ONU ont commencés ainsi. Nous ne voulons pas qu’une telle vision canadienne soit une chose du passé. C’est pourquoi nous évoquons ces points maintenant », a dit Ehab Lotayef, communications du VP de Parole Arabe.
Dans le message la coalition a défini l’ordre du jour qui va suivre et surveiller pendant ce mandat.
Sur le plan local nous voulons voir un Canada qui pourrait:
· Reconnaître les dangers de l’islamophobie et prendre des mesures concrètes pour lutter contre ses éléments négatifs dans notre vie quotidienne;
· Sensibiliser l’ensemble du personnel de la GRC et le SCRS ainsi que les employés de tous les organismes gouvernementaux à combattre profilage racial et même l’éliminer;
· Réviser les lois d’immigration pour les rendre juste et équitable;
· Veiller à ce que des professionnels formés à l’étranger trouvent des possibilités de carrière compatibles avec leurs compétences;
· Réglementer la propriété des médias pour défendre le droit des personnes à être bien informé de manière équilibrée ;
· Réviser et abolir (lorsque nécessaire) les sections inappropriées et injustifiées de la législation antiterroriste;
· Se débarrasser de sa liste des passagers « interdits de vol » ou la « No Fly list »;
· Modifier son système électoral pour surmonter le déficit démocratique et pour l’autonomisation des personnes et
· Investir dans l’avenir du pays et son peuple en :
o Une énergie renouvelable, efficace et respectueuse de l’environnement;
o Réduisant les coûts de l’éducation, en augmentant les prestations fiscales pour enfants et fournir des réductions d’impôt pour les familles à faible revenu;
o Mettant en œuvre des soins de santé préventifs pour tous les Canadiens.
Sur la scène internationale, nous voulons voir un Canada qui:
· Affirme une position juste, équilibré et indépendante sur la scène internationale ;
· Exige que le gouvernement des États-Unis ferme Guantánamo et rapatrie Omar Khadr;
· Suit notre tradition historique en tant que gardien de la paix et retire les troupes canadiennes de la mission de combat en Afghanistan ;
· Mène une campagne proactive pour mettre fin à l’occupation israélienne illégale des terres palestiniennes et de respecter le droit des Palestiniens au retour et à l’autodétermination.
Ehab Lotayef
V.P. Communication, Parole Arabe
514.941.9792
lotayef@gmail.com
Mohamed S. Kamel
Président, Canadian Muslim Forum
(514) 863-9202
mskamel@fmc-cmf.com
