Outspoken British anti-war member of parliament (MP) George Galloway Friday denounced as "outrageous" a decision by the Canadian authorities to refuse him entry on the grounds of national security.
Galloway, a former Labor politician who has now set up his own political party, said in London that he would not accept the ban imposed ahead of a speech he had planned to give in Toronto.
Mr Galloway, now a Respect Party MP, said the ban was "idiotic" and he would look at legal action to try to overturn it. British media reported the decision was due to his views on Afghanistan and the presence of Canadian troops there.
The anti-war MP was expelled from the Labour Party in 2003 because of his outspoken comments on the Iraq war and its support for military intervention overseas, 54-year-old ethical and vocal politician, created the Respect Party but was subsequently refused entry to Egypt in 2006.
He said the decision had been taken by border security officials "based on a number of factors" in accordance with the country's immigration act.
In 2006 he was detained "on grounds of national security" at Cairo airport after heading to Egypt to attend a "mock trial" of then PM Tony Blair and then US President George Bush.
Mr. Galloway became the figurehead for his anti-war Respect party after being expelled from Labour. His expulsion followed comments on the Iraq war which Labour chairman Ian McCartney said "incited foreign forces to rise up against British troops".
The party acted following a number of TV interviews, including one in which Mr Galloway accused Tony Blair and President Bush of acting "like wolves" in invading Iraq. Mr Galloway said it had been a "politically motivated kangaroo court"
Mr Galloway said he was not prepared to accept what he described as an "inexplicable decision" and indicated he would challenge it with all means at his disposal.
"This has further vindicated the anti-war movement's contention that unjust wars abroad will end up consuming the very liberties that make us who we are. All right-thinking Canadians, whether they agree with me over the wisdom of sending troops to Afghanistan or not, will oppose this outrageous decision," he said in London Friday. He was due to speak at a public forum entitled "Resisting war from Gaza to Kandahar" in Toronto on March 30.
According to the Press Association Friday, a spokesman for Canada's immigration minister, Jason Kenney, has made clear that the decision will not be overturned.
Galloway had been deemed "inadmissible" to Canada under section 34(1) of the country's immigration act. Kenney's spokesman, Alykhan Velshi said the act was designed to protect Canadians from people who fund, support or engage in terrorism."
"We're going to uphold the law, not give special treatment to this ~ street-corner Cromwell who actually brags about giving 'financial support' to Hamas, a terrorist organization banned in Canada," Velshi was quoted as saying by the British Press Association.
THIS CANNOT BE MY CANADA!
THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED! IT JUST CANNOT BE.
I CAN HARDLY SPEAK I AM SO UPSET.
I AM RIGHTEOUSLY ANGRY AND FURIOUS OVER THIS. DENISE SAVOIS, MY LOCAL MP, WILL HEAR FROM ME ON MONDAY MORNING! OMG THIS IS SUCH A SLAP TO CANADIANS. I WEEP FOR MY COUNTRY THAT OUR OUR "LEADERS" SHOULD DEMONSTRATE SUCH OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOUR. WE, THE CANADIAN PEOPLE, ARE ADULTS AND CAN DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHO AND WHAT WE WISH TO HAVE IN OUR COUNTRY SPEAKING TO US! WE ARE NOT CHILDREN TO BE PROTECTED FROM ONE OF THE FEW HONEST POLITICIANS ON THE PLANET! THIS IS A MAN WHO STANDS OUT BECAUSE HE TAKES ACTION AND SPEAKS WITH ETHICS, COURAGE, AND HONOUR ~ TRAITS NOTICEABLY ABSENT IN OUR CURRENT GOVERNMENT.
The decision to ban Mr. Galloway from Canada seems odd, but now it emerges that the Jewish Defence League (JDL) pressured the Canadian Government to so the action takes on sinister connotations for Canada, why? Because the Jewish Defence League are according to the FBI a Terrorist Group. In its report, Terrorism 2000/2001, the FBI referred to the JDL as a “violent extremist Jewish organization”. This “violent extremist Jewish organization” now it seems has power and influence over the Canadian Government. The JDL, sister of the ADL, pounces constantly on imaginary slights to protect their "Jewish identity" from imaginary assault by free thinkers. Please read and watch the following to learn who is really running our country and ruining our freedom of speech.
It has come to the attention of the Jewish Defence League that a UK MP George Galloway, will be speaking in Toronto. As you are aware, anti Jewish attacks are on the rise across the world. Some of our campuses have given platforms to proxies from Radical Iran. It is our hope that the Government of Canada will not permit George Galloway entry into Canada. I have enclosed some information about George Galloway below; “I don’t think Hamas is a terrorist organization” — Galloway “Hezb’allah has never been a terrorist organization” –Galloway “there’s no compulsion in Islam” — Galloway George Galloway has spoken in Canada before, in 2006, at Carleton University and Concordia University. Here is a link exposing the fact that his visit was partly financed by the Syrian Social Nationalist Movement: http://splatto.net/blog/?p=270 I remember seeing an on-line poster of this outfit, advertising Galloway’s visit, on the now defunct Judeoscope Blog. The poster had neo-Nazi trappings, in bright red and black. Mr.George Galloway, what is your connection with the organization “Toronto Coalition to Stop the War” ? http://www.nowar.ca/events.htm “Toronto Coalition to Stop the War” is organizing this Galloway event and they are one of the groups which attended the conferences organized by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. “Canadian antiwar activists sat down with terror groups” “… Canadian activists were out in force at a recent conference in Cairo that sought to … Many of the Canadian delegates were from the Canadian Peace Alliance, … banned Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian opposition parties,” It is my hope that the Government of Canada will do everything possible to keep this hater away from Canada. Thank You, Meir Weinstein, National Director (According to Wikipedia, Meir Weinstein is the national director of the Canadian branch of the extremist group, the Jewish Defense League)
Keep George Galloway out of Canada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLycQ5Jm8u8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51tKTxuM8AQ&feature=PlayList&p=D9E8A8E034B8A138&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJHJdLiuAf0
Blog describing the Galloway visit, the poster, and the SNNN: http://splatto.net/blog/?p=270
Hamas, Hezbollah delegates among those at Cairo Conference
Don Butler, The Ottawa Citizen ~ Published: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=5a15f760-ae58-4765-bbc6-6541fdd59e3f
Jewish Defence League of Canada
who and what CANADIANS
can and cannot hear?
WHAT IS EVEN WORSE,
HARPER LISTENS TO HIM
denying Canadians
their Chartered rights!
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!
NOT TO BE TOLERATED!
Fortunately for Canadians, your "superiors" cannot stop you hearing what George Galloway has to say through the internet.
ReplyDeleteyrjo