From the Toronto Star (Black culture focus of school program by Louise Brown, July 19):
A math unit on racial profiling is part of a new black-focused curriculum expected to be tested by Canada's largest school board this fall.
The new "Africentric" curriculum is designed to boost pride and test scores among black students. The program, which would include 10 social-studies units, likely will be launched in November in grades 6, 7 and 8 at Brookview Middle School, on Jane St. north of Finch Ave. W.
Any teacher in the city would be free to use the units — roughly two weeks of lessons on a given topic — and they are to be taught to all children in a class, not just black students.
Proposals are being drawn up for similar units in grades 1 to 5. Details of the program are now being discussed by board staff.
The new curriculum is the board's response to numerous complaints that black students are lagging behind and represents a kind of middle ground in the often emotional debate. Some parents have called for entirely black schools, while others have argued against any race-based curriculum.
The new Africentric social-studies units, written by teachers and funded by Queen's Park, include lessons on Canada's first black politicians, black immigration to Canada and prominent black artists, such as composer Nathaniel Dett, who was born in Niagara Falls.
"And we're looking at a data-management unit that would use statistics about police and racial profiling — possibly from information used in the Toronto Star's series," said University of Windsor education professor Andrew Allen, a key consultant on black-focused curriculum.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Just what Toronto needs. A school board that teaches black students they are victims. After a summer of black-on-black gun violence, why would anyone still be talking about "racial profiling"? I hope the police are stopping a disproportionate number of young black men because young black men are doing most of the shooting. This curriculum is nonsense. It's bad enough they're teaching this stuff to black students. Do they have to expose other students to this propaganda?
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Afrocentric curriculum to include math unit on racial profiling. Beam me up Scotty. I can no longer deal with the insanity.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Toronto Star: Residents watched as teen was stripped down, beaten and stabbed to death
From the Toronto Star (Residents watched as teen beaten, stabbed by Robyn Doolittle and Curtis Rush, July 18):
Several residents of a North York housing complex watched as a teenage boy was stripped down to his underwear and slowly beaten to death Friday night, but they say they didn't intervene because it didn't look that serious and violence is so common in the area.
The teen's disfigured body was found in a nearby Flemingdon Park ravine at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday. He collapsed in a wooded area behind an apartment building on Don Mills Rd., near Eglinton Ave. E.
Police have identified the teen as 17-year-old Omar Wellington.
A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death as " a multitude of stab wounds to the neck," police said on Tuesday.
[. . .]
Police say they're unsure why residents didn't contact them when they noticed the clash, but say it may have been because they didn't think the boy was seriously injured.
"It's not really that bad of an area at all ... and we're getting a lot of help from residents," Sgt. Peter Churcher said. "(The most common problem) is kids end up getting in fights."
[. . .]
One man, who was walking by, saw the fight and pulled out his cellphone to call 911, but several of the assailants threatened him so he put his phone away and went home.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I'm puzzled by what Sgt. Peter Churcher says about this area. He says it's not that bad, but the story quotes an "elderly woman" who says:
"We have to live here - that's why nobody ever sees anything.... No one wants to get shot for something they weren't part of," she said. "And people may not understand that, but it's because they don't live here."
I don't know the Flemingdon Park area, but it sounds to me like another gang-infested part of Toronto. A boy was stripped naked, beaten and stabbed to death, but no one called the police. That's frightening. Maybe the situation in Toronto is worse than I thought. A lot depends on what part of the city you're in. I live in an area in the west end that's known for drugs and prostitution, but I feel safe most of the time. People in other areas obviously don't.
Several residents of a North York housing complex watched as a teenage boy was stripped down to his underwear and slowly beaten to death Friday night, but they say they didn't intervene because it didn't look that serious and violence is so common in the area.
The teen's disfigured body was found in a nearby Flemingdon Park ravine at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday. He collapsed in a wooded area behind an apartment building on Don Mills Rd., near Eglinton Ave. E.
Police have identified the teen as 17-year-old Omar Wellington.
A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death as " a multitude of stab wounds to the neck," police said on Tuesday.
[. . .]
Police say they're unsure why residents didn't contact them when they noticed the clash, but say it may have been because they didn't think the boy was seriously injured.
"It's not really that bad of an area at all ... and we're getting a lot of help from residents," Sgt. Peter Churcher said. "(The most common problem) is kids end up getting in fights."
[. . .]
One man, who was walking by, saw the fight and pulled out his cellphone to call 911, but several of the assailants threatened him so he put his phone away and went home.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I'm puzzled by what Sgt. Peter Churcher says about this area. He says it's not that bad, but the story quotes an "elderly woman" who says:
"We have to live here - that's why nobody ever sees anything.... No one wants to get shot for something they weren't part of," she said. "And people may not understand that, but it's because they don't live here."
I don't know the Flemingdon Park area, but it sounds to me like another gang-infested part of Toronto. A boy was stripped naked, beaten and stabbed to death, but no one called the police. That's frightening. Maybe the situation in Toronto is worse than I thought. A lot depends on what part of the city you're in. I live in an area in the west end that's known for drugs and prostitution, but I feel safe most of the time. People in other areas obviously don't.
Terrorist suspect Harkat ordered deported, but won't be leaving anytime soon
From CanWest News Service via the National Post (Terrorist suspect ordered deported by Andrew Duffy, July 18):
Accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat, who has been living at his Ottawa home for the past three weeks while on bail, has been ordered deported to Algeria, despite concerns he will be tortured.
The Canadian Border Services Agency notified Mr. Harkat of the decision on Friday, one day after a Federal Court panel dismissed the government's appeal of his bail order.
A federal bureaucrat with the agency, James Schultz, ruled in a 55-page decision that Mr. Harkat continued to pose a substantial danger to Canadians as an al-Qaeda operative. Mr. Schultz further decided that the danger posed by Mr. Harkat outweighed the Algerian-born man's right to be protected from abuse in his native country.
The decision, confirmed late yesterday by Mr. Harkat's lawyer, Paul Copeland, represents a milestone in the case, which has been before the courts for more than three years.
The decision, however, does not mean Mr. Harkat will be sent home any time soon.
Mr. Copeland yesterday vowed to seek leave for a judicial review of the Mr. Schultz decision.
What is more, Mr. Harkat's case is still before the Supreme Court and no deportation will take place until the court rules on whether the security certificate process is constitutional.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also Terrorism suspect Harkat ordered deported.
Martin Collacott's study, Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism, discusses at length the legal obstacles to deporting foreigners accused of having terrorist associations. Once someone claims refugee status, he can delay deportation for years, even decades, as the cases of suspected Tamil Tiger fundraiser, Manickavasagam Suresh and convicted Palestinian hijacker Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad show.
Accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat, who has been living at his Ottawa home for the past three weeks while on bail, has been ordered deported to Algeria, despite concerns he will be tortured.
The Canadian Border Services Agency notified Mr. Harkat of the decision on Friday, one day after a Federal Court panel dismissed the government's appeal of his bail order.
A federal bureaucrat with the agency, James Schultz, ruled in a 55-page decision that Mr. Harkat continued to pose a substantial danger to Canadians as an al-Qaeda operative. Mr. Schultz further decided that the danger posed by Mr. Harkat outweighed the Algerian-born man's right to be protected from abuse in his native country.
The decision, confirmed late yesterday by Mr. Harkat's lawyer, Paul Copeland, represents a milestone in the case, which has been before the courts for more than three years.
The decision, however, does not mean Mr. Harkat will be sent home any time soon.
Mr. Copeland yesterday vowed to seek leave for a judicial review of the Mr. Schultz decision.
What is more, Mr. Harkat's case is still before the Supreme Court and no deportation will take place until the court rules on whether the security certificate process is constitutional.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also Terrorism suspect Harkat ordered deported.
Martin Collacott's study, Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism, discusses at length the legal obstacles to deporting foreigners accused of having terrorist associations. Once someone claims refugee status, he can delay deportation for years, even decades, as the cases of suspected Tamil Tiger fundraiser, Manickavasagam Suresh and convicted Palestinian hijacker Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad show.
Toronto Star: Police worried by drug rip-off trend
From the Toronto Star (Drug rip-off trend makes police worry by Betsy Powell, July 17):
It's been called the perfect crime — and police say it's vastly under-reported, fuels violence and belies the notion there is honour among thieves or drug dealers.
And drug rip-offs, or rips as they're known, are bedevilling police at a time when they're already faced with the "wall of silence" from unco-operative witnesses and rising gun crime that's typically harder to solve because of the lack of physical evidence left at a scene.
The July 3 shooting of a Montreal man in the elevator on the 28th floor of the Westin Harbour Castle hotel attributed to a botched cocaine rip-off is but one example of an increasingly dangerous phenomenon, according to police.
Investigators are working on the theory that a man booked into the luxury lakeside hotel with four kilograms of cocaine to sell. But instead of cash, the buyers turned up with guns and handcuffed the man's associate in the room, trying to "extract" the location of the drugs — stashed, as it turned out, down the hall in the ice dispenser.
When the alleged dealer and his girlfriend came into the room and found the suspects, he turned and ran down the hallway and was shot in the leg and stomach. The handcuffed man ran downstairs and hid. The girlfriend was unhurt and the bandits left empty-handed. Police described the suspects as two men in their early 20s.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
A lot of crime in Toronto is unreported either because people are afraid or they plan to get revenge for themselves. Of course, minor crimes often go unreported because people don't believe it's worth the effort.
It's been called the perfect crime — and police say it's vastly under-reported, fuels violence and belies the notion there is honour among thieves or drug dealers.
And drug rip-offs, or rips as they're known, are bedevilling police at a time when they're already faced with the "wall of silence" from unco-operative witnesses and rising gun crime that's typically harder to solve because of the lack of physical evidence left at a scene.
The July 3 shooting of a Montreal man in the elevator on the 28th floor of the Westin Harbour Castle hotel attributed to a botched cocaine rip-off is but one example of an increasingly dangerous phenomenon, according to police.
Investigators are working on the theory that a man booked into the luxury lakeside hotel with four kilograms of cocaine to sell. But instead of cash, the buyers turned up with guns and handcuffed the man's associate in the room, trying to "extract" the location of the drugs — stashed, as it turned out, down the hall in the ice dispenser.
When the alleged dealer and his girlfriend came into the room and found the suspects, he turned and ran down the hallway and was shot in the leg and stomach. The handcuffed man ran downstairs and hid. The girlfriend was unhurt and the bandits left empty-handed. Police described the suspects as two men in their early 20s.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
A lot of crime in Toronto is unreported either because people are afraid or they plan to get revenge for themselves. Of course, minor crimes often go unreported because people don't believe it's worth the effort.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Montreal Lebanese protest
From the Globe and Mail (Montreal Lebanese protest government's stand on attacks by Bertrand Marotte and Caroline Alphonso and Tenille Bonoguore, July 17):
About 1,000 members of Montreal's Lebanese community protested yesterday against the Harper government's stand on the Middle East conflict, marching in the city's downtown, past the Israeli consulate to a federal government building.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who had a hand in crafting a statement from G8 leaders yesterday that called on both sides in the conflict to release prisoners and halt their offensive actions, said on Thursday he believed Israel's response to a raid by Hezbollah into Israeli territory had been measured.
[. . .]
Similar anger was shared by the Canadian Arab Federation. Khaled Mouammar, the national president of the federation, said his group and five others that had invited Public Security Minister Stockwell Day to join them at the Aug. 4 dinner have called off the event because of the "hostile" stand taken by the Prime Minister with regard to the current situation in the Middle East.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also
Lebanon terror hits home
Canadian family dies in attack
Good politics exposed as bad public policy
The Conservatives have been courting the ethnic vote which includes both Jews and Arabs, but there is an obvious problem. You can't please one without angering the other. As far as I know, most Canadian Jews vote Liberal. Will the Conservatives get more Jewish support in the next election? Will it be enough to win them some new seats?
About 1,000 members of Montreal's Lebanese community protested yesterday against the Harper government's stand on the Middle East conflict, marching in the city's downtown, past the Israeli consulate to a federal government building.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who had a hand in crafting a statement from G8 leaders yesterday that called on both sides in the conflict to release prisoners and halt their offensive actions, said on Thursday he believed Israel's response to a raid by Hezbollah into Israeli territory had been measured.
[. . .]
Similar anger was shared by the Canadian Arab Federation. Khaled Mouammar, the national president of the federation, said his group and five others that had invited Public Security Minister Stockwell Day to join them at the Aug. 4 dinner have called off the event because of the "hostile" stand taken by the Prime Minister with regard to the current situation in the Middle East.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also
Lebanon terror hits home
Canadian family dies in attack
Good politics exposed as bad public policy
The Conservatives have been courting the ethnic vote which includes both Jews and Arabs, but there is an obvious problem. You can't please one without angering the other. As far as I know, most Canadian Jews vote Liberal. Will the Conservatives get more Jewish support in the next election? Will it be enough to win them some new seats?
Vancouver Sun: Machete-wielding gang chops off 15-year-old's hand
From the Vancouver Sun (Machete-wielding gang chops off 15-year-old's hand by Jonathan Fowlie, July 17):
A Vancouver boy had his hand severed in a brutal machete attack early Sunday morning, and another is in intensive care with severe injuries, the uncle of one of the victims said in an interview late Sunday.
David Wilson said his 15-year-old nephew, Joe Wilson, was at a party on Charles Street near Commercial Drive at about 1 a.m. Sunday when four men arrived with three machetes.
"They just came to the door and started swinging," David said. "It's savage. It's one of the most savage things I've ever heard of."
He said the men had come to the party as a result of an earlier altercation that had nothing to do with his nephew, and that Joe was hit because he was standing closest to the door when the men arrived.
[. . .]
David said police told him they believe the attack was carried out by an organized gang that police have identified, adding officers told him they do not believe this to be the first time the gang has struck.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
CBC News says the boy was 16-years-old.
A Vancouver boy had his hand severed in a brutal machete attack early Sunday morning, and another is in intensive care with severe injuries, the uncle of one of the victims said in an interview late Sunday.
David Wilson said his 15-year-old nephew, Joe Wilson, was at a party on Charles Street near Commercial Drive at about 1 a.m. Sunday when four men arrived with three machetes.
"They just came to the door and started swinging," David said. "It's savage. It's one of the most savage things I've ever heard of."
He said the men had come to the party as a result of an earlier altercation that had nothing to do with his nephew, and that Joe was hit because he was standing closest to the door when the men arrived.
[. . .]
David said police told him they believe the attack was carried out by an organized gang that police have identified, adding officers told him they do not believe this to be the first time the gang has struck.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
CBC News says the boy was 16-years-old.
Guardian Angels start patrols
From the Toronto Sun (Angels tread softly for now by Jack Boland, July 17):
The Guardian Angels are taking a slow, easy approach to patrolling the city.
"We are just pacing ourselves, nice and easy for the first couple of months," said Lou Hoffer, national director of the newly launched Guardian Angels Canada.
"Thursday night was our first patrol and we got great community support," he said of their only patrol so far. "We'll will be right back out there Tuesday night."
About two dozen Angels did a two-hour walkabout through Regent Park and Moss Park, just getting to know the streets and the people who live in the neighbourhoods.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I don't know enough about the Guardian Angels to have an opinion. I don't think it hurts to have public-spirited citizens keeping a watchful eye on things, but at the same time, I don't see how a group like this could do much about Toronto's violent gangs.
The Guardian Angels are taking a slow, easy approach to patrolling the city.
"We are just pacing ourselves, nice and easy for the first couple of months," said Lou Hoffer, national director of the newly launched Guardian Angels Canada.
"Thursday night was our first patrol and we got great community support," he said of their only patrol so far. "We'll will be right back out there Tuesday night."
About two dozen Angels did a two-hour walkabout through Regent Park and Moss Park, just getting to know the streets and the people who live in the neighbourhoods.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I don't know enough about the Guardian Angels to have an opinion. I don't think it hurts to have public-spirited citizens keeping a watchful eye on things, but at the same time, I don't see how a group like this could do much about Toronto's violent gangs.
Teen found beaten to death
From the Toronto Sun (Boy's body in grove by Kim Bradley, July 17):
Police are trying to identify a teenage boy who witnesses say was beaten bloody Friday night and ran the length of two football fields in his underwear before collapsing dead in a wooded area in Flemingdon Park.
The teen's body was undiscovered for 24 hours after he was involved in a fight in a townhouse complex at 61 Grenoble Dr., near Don Mills Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E.
Adults walking behind 725 Don Mills Rd. found the body at 6:35 p.m. Saturday, the day after the fight, police said.
Residents say the teen, who they think is between 14 and 17 years old, ran across a large field behind the complex, across Gateway Blvd. and across another field behind a shopping plaza towards Don Mills Rd. before collapsing in a wooded ravine.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
This is the kind of story that makes me worry about Toronto's future.
Police are trying to identify a teenage boy who witnesses say was beaten bloody Friday night and ran the length of two football fields in his underwear before collapsing dead in a wooded area in Flemingdon Park.
The teen's body was undiscovered for 24 hours after he was involved in a fight in a townhouse complex at 61 Grenoble Dr., near Don Mills Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E.
Adults walking behind 725 Don Mills Rd. found the body at 6:35 p.m. Saturday, the day after the fight, police said.
Residents say the teen, who they think is between 14 and 17 years old, ran across a large field behind the complex, across Gateway Blvd. and across another field behind a shopping plaza towards Don Mills Rd. before collapsing in a wooded ravine.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
This is the kind of story that makes me worry about Toronto's future.
Is Quebec nationalism "civic" or "ethnic"?
From the Globe and Mail (Embracing the nation in Quebec by Andrew Stark, July 17):
Michael Ignatieff enjoys a well-deserved global reputation as a writer and thinker on the topic of nationalism. One of his contributions has been to distinguish between two kinds of nationalism: ethnic nationalism, the racially tinged nationalism of blood, tribe, and roots, which he criticizes, and "civic nationalism," which Mr. Ignatieff says is open to anyone "regardless of race, colour . . . or ethnicity" who subscribes to a "nation's political creed." In Western democracies, of course, such a creed would centre on a core of democratic, pluralistic values.
So it is noteworthy that Mr. Ignatieff, both as a journalist and now as a politician, has never been able to decide whether Quebec nationalism is of the ethnic or the civic sort. Yet if Mr. Ignatieff is right when he predicted, some months ago, that "we're getting into another moment of storms" on the matter of Quebec sovereignty -- and given the way the question "Is Quebec a nation?" recently caught fire -- it seems as if the nature of Quebec nationalism is too important a matter to leave in a state of unaddressed confusion.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Ignatieff didn't come up with the distinction between "ethnic" and "civic" nationalisms. These concepts had been around long before he started writing about them and they aren't the only way to distinguish between types of nationalism. Different social and political theorists have developed various ways of classifying nationalist movements. When I started exploring this topic a few years ago, I discovered there is a huge amount of theoretical literature dealing with it. I've only read a small fraction of that literature, but even that adds up to more than a dozen books. It seems to me one of the biggest difficulties in discussing nationalism is that people can't agree on a definition. That two authors are both discussing something each calls "nationalism" doesn't always mean they are studying the same phenomenon.
I linked to the Wikipedia article on nationalism. It's not ideal but I think it gives the reader a general idea of how academics approach the subject. This article from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is clearer, I think. The Nationalism Project has some interesting material though I find some of it impenetrable. The section, What is Nationalism?, has some excerpts from the work of academics who have written about the subject.
There is a lot I'd like to say about nationalism, but it's a big topic and I don't want to spend the evening writing about it. Maybe I can say this much. I think the distinction between "ethnic" and "civic" nationalism is simplistic. I would argue that all nationalism has an ethnic element.
Even a country like the United States, which has been called a proposition nation by some, has an ethnic base. The American nation is built on an English foundation. Over the years, the US has gradually but successfully assimilated waves of immigrants so that someone with a German or Polish name can be an ethnic American. By "ethnic American", I mean his culture and identity are American. That a nation has disparate origins doesn't make it less ethnic if the people have been living together for a long time and have come to share a common culture and identity. Multiple origins doesn't necessarily mean multiple cultures and identities.
Michael Ignatieff enjoys a well-deserved global reputation as a writer and thinker on the topic of nationalism. One of his contributions has been to distinguish between two kinds of nationalism: ethnic nationalism, the racially tinged nationalism of blood, tribe, and roots, which he criticizes, and "civic nationalism," which Mr. Ignatieff says is open to anyone "regardless of race, colour . . . or ethnicity" who subscribes to a "nation's political creed." In Western democracies, of course, such a creed would centre on a core of democratic, pluralistic values.
So it is noteworthy that Mr. Ignatieff, both as a journalist and now as a politician, has never been able to decide whether Quebec nationalism is of the ethnic or the civic sort. Yet if Mr. Ignatieff is right when he predicted, some months ago, that "we're getting into another moment of storms" on the matter of Quebec sovereignty -- and given the way the question "Is Quebec a nation?" recently caught fire -- it seems as if the nature of Quebec nationalism is too important a matter to leave in a state of unaddressed confusion.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Ignatieff didn't come up with the distinction between "ethnic" and "civic" nationalisms. These concepts had been around long before he started writing about them and they aren't the only way to distinguish between types of nationalism. Different social and political theorists have developed various ways of classifying nationalist movements. When I started exploring this topic a few years ago, I discovered there is a huge amount of theoretical literature dealing with it. I've only read a small fraction of that literature, but even that adds up to more than a dozen books. It seems to me one of the biggest difficulties in discussing nationalism is that people can't agree on a definition. That two authors are both discussing something each calls "nationalism" doesn't always mean they are studying the same phenomenon.
I linked to the Wikipedia article on nationalism. It's not ideal but I think it gives the reader a general idea of how academics approach the subject. This article from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is clearer, I think. The Nationalism Project has some interesting material though I find some of it impenetrable. The section, What is Nationalism?, has some excerpts from the work of academics who have written about the subject.
There is a lot I'd like to say about nationalism, but it's a big topic and I don't want to spend the evening writing about it. Maybe I can say this much. I think the distinction between "ethnic" and "civic" nationalism is simplistic. I would argue that all nationalism has an ethnic element.
Even a country like the United States, which has been called a proposition nation by some, has an ethnic base. The American nation is built on an English foundation. Over the years, the US has gradually but successfully assimilated waves of immigrants so that someone with a German or Polish name can be an ethnic American. By "ethnic American", I mean his culture and identity are American. That a nation has disparate origins doesn't make it less ethnic if the people have been living together for a long time and have come to share a common culture and identity. Multiple origins doesn't necessarily mean multiple cultures and identities.
One in five on Ontario municipal voter lists may not be citizens
From the Toronto Star (Doubts cast on legality of many voters by Kerry Gillespie, July 17):
Across the province, one in five people on an early voters' list for November's municipal election are not confirmed citizens.
In Toronto, for example, that means there are more than 300,000 people on the list who may — or may not — be legally allowed to vote.
"It really is unconscionable running elections with this sloppy and inaccurate voters' list. It is pretty shocking," said Ryerson University politics professor Myer Siemiatycki.
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, which is responsible for voters' lists for municipal elections and property tax assessments, told the Toronto Star there have always been unconfirmed citizens on the voters' list but that this is the first year they have indicated whose citizenship is in question.
The category was added at the request of municipalities, said Syd Howes, manager of elections information at the assessment corporation.
"Municipalities, particularly the large ones that have large immigrant populations, were concerned about the fact that maybe not everyone coming in to vote was a Canadian citizen ... but they had no objective criteria to challenge anybody."
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I can't say I'm surprised.
Across the province, one in five people on an early voters' list for November's municipal election are not confirmed citizens.
In Toronto, for example, that means there are more than 300,000 people on the list who may — or may not — be legally allowed to vote.
"It really is unconscionable running elections with this sloppy and inaccurate voters' list. It is pretty shocking," said Ryerson University politics professor Myer Siemiatycki.
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, which is responsible for voters' lists for municipal elections and property tax assessments, told the Toronto Star there have always been unconfirmed citizens on the voters' list but that this is the first year they have indicated whose citizenship is in question.
The category was added at the request of municipalities, said Syd Howes, manager of elections information at the assessment corporation.
"Municipalities, particularly the large ones that have large immigrant populations, were concerned about the fact that maybe not everyone coming in to vote was a Canadian citizen ... but they had no objective criteria to challenge anybody."
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I can't say I'm surprised.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Another Sun columnist is disillusioned with Toronto
Last Monday I linked to a Toronto Sun column by Sue-Ann Levy, in which she wrote about "Toronto's tired, shabby and decrepit state." Friday's Toronto Sun has a column by Connie Woodcock that says pretty much the same thing. She writes (T.O.'s too expensive, dirty, dangerous, July 14):
My daughter and I used to visit Toronto once a month for a doctor's appointment and spend the rest of the day wandering around, visiting bookstores, shopping along Bloor Street, eating lunch at a nice restaurant.
But sorry, not anymore. We come and go as fast as we can, not even pausing for lunch.
The thought of spending a day in Toronto "enjoying" myself makes me tired. As for my daughter, it frightens her.
She refuses to walk along the street alone because she's terrified of panhandlers and she's barely comfortable even when I'm walking with her. And frankly, I'm nervous about squeegee people, who seem to be popping up all over the place again. Funny, I thought that was illegal now, but apparently not.
And then there's the dirt, the garbage blowing in the streets, the weeds growing up between the cracks, the general air of neglect.
Let's not even discuss the possibility of being caught in the crossfire of a passing gunfight because although the chances may be slight, they certainly exist and that's not attractive either.
Read the whole column.
My blog focuses on Toronto's problems because I believe more attention needs to be paid to them. Sometimes I worry, however, that I'm exaggerating the situation. If the only things people knew about Toronto came from this blog, they might think this city is in worse shape than it is.
I haven't travelled in a while, so it's hard for me to compare Hogtown to other places. Even though Toronto has serious problems which have the potential to become worse, the city is still in reasonably good shape. However, if something isn't done soon it won't be for much longer.
Maybe I can put it this way. The social fabric is still holding together, but it's showing signs of wear. It has started to fray and it wouldn't take much to tear it apart completely. The situation requires immediate measures to stop further deterioration.
Immigration reform is one necessary step. I would go so far as to say we need a moratorium. I'm not saying we should stop all immigration forever, but I think we need time to deal with the problems created by decades of bad immigration policy.
In particular we need time to address the problem of poverty. Flooding the city with immigrants, both legal and illegal, has pushed wages down. That's great for employers and consumers, but not for those struggling to make ends meet.
There are signs that an underclass is developing. See, for example, the United Way report Poverty by Postal Code. Recently, David Pecaut of the Toronto City Summit Alliance called the plight of the working poor a smouldering crisis. Government documents show that recent immigrants are lagging behind economically.
My daughter and I used to visit Toronto once a month for a doctor's appointment and spend the rest of the day wandering around, visiting bookstores, shopping along Bloor Street, eating lunch at a nice restaurant.
But sorry, not anymore. We come and go as fast as we can, not even pausing for lunch.
The thought of spending a day in Toronto "enjoying" myself makes me tired. As for my daughter, it frightens her.
She refuses to walk along the street alone because she's terrified of panhandlers and she's barely comfortable even when I'm walking with her. And frankly, I'm nervous about squeegee people, who seem to be popping up all over the place again. Funny, I thought that was illegal now, but apparently not.
And then there's the dirt, the garbage blowing in the streets, the weeds growing up between the cracks, the general air of neglect.
Let's not even discuss the possibility of being caught in the crossfire of a passing gunfight because although the chances may be slight, they certainly exist and that's not attractive either.
Read the whole column.
My blog focuses on Toronto's problems because I believe more attention needs to be paid to them. Sometimes I worry, however, that I'm exaggerating the situation. If the only things people knew about Toronto came from this blog, they might think this city is in worse shape than it is.
I haven't travelled in a while, so it's hard for me to compare Hogtown to other places. Even though Toronto has serious problems which have the potential to become worse, the city is still in reasonably good shape. However, if something isn't done soon it won't be for much longer.
Maybe I can put it this way. The social fabric is still holding together, but it's showing signs of wear. It has started to fray and it wouldn't take much to tear it apart completely. The situation requires immediate measures to stop further deterioration.
Immigration reform is one necessary step. I would go so far as to say we need a moratorium. I'm not saying we should stop all immigration forever, but I think we need time to deal with the problems created by decades of bad immigration policy.
In particular we need time to address the problem of poverty. Flooding the city with immigrants, both legal and illegal, has pushed wages down. That's great for employers and consumers, but not for those struggling to make ends meet.
There are signs that an underclass is developing. See, for example, the United Way report Poverty by Postal Code. Recently, David Pecaut of the Toronto City Summit Alliance called the plight of the working poor a smouldering crisis. Government documents show that recent immigrants are lagging behind economically.
CP: Membership in a terrorist group won't be enough to put someone on Canada's no-fly list
From the Canadian Press via CNEWS (Terror links may not lead to spot on no-fly list: sources by Jim Bronskill, July 16):
Being a member of a terrorist organization won't necessarily land someone on Canada's no-fly list, The Canadian Press has learned.
Proposed criteria would limit inclusion on the roster to those who pose "an immediate threat to aviation security," say internal briefing notes prepared by Transport Canada.
Draft regulations, disclosed by a source familiar with details of the plan, confirm the no-fly list will be tightly focused and reviewed every 30 days to keep it up to date.
"You cannot be put on the list on the sole basis that you're a member of a 'terrorist group'," said the source. "In addition, you have to be a demonstrable threat to aviation safety."
The no-fly initiative, known as Passenger Protect, will also feature an independent appeal process - but it won't provide financial compensation to those improperly placed on the list, said the source, who asked not be named.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Being a member of a terrorist organization won't necessarily land someone on Canada's no-fly list, The Canadian Press has learned.
Proposed criteria would limit inclusion on the roster to those who pose "an immediate threat to aviation security," say internal briefing notes prepared by Transport Canada.
Draft regulations, disclosed by a source familiar with details of the plan, confirm the no-fly list will be tightly focused and reviewed every 30 days to keep it up to date.
"You cannot be put on the list on the sole basis that you're a member of a 'terrorist group'," said the source. "In addition, you have to be a demonstrable threat to aviation safety."
The no-fly initiative, known as Passenger Protect, will also feature an independent appeal process - but it won't provide financial compensation to those improperly placed on the list, said the source, who asked not be named.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Man acquitted in Air India trial wants standing at the judicial inquiry
From the Vancouver Sun (Acquitted Air India defendant seeks role at inquiry by Kim Bolan, July 15):
Vancouver businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik wants standing at the judicial inquiry into the Air India bombing so he can "confront any evidence that might impugn his character," his lawyer says in a written submission.
And Malik, who was acquitted in the Air India case last year, wants the right to move the inquiry behind closed doors when he sees fit, "so that the media do not report or broadcast portions of testimony," says the document prepared by Vancouver lawyer Brent Olthuis.
Malik's position on standing will be reviewed next week in Ottawa when retired Supreme Court of Canada justice John Major assesses 20 applications for standing at his historic inquiry, which will begin hearing witnesses in late September.
Ajaib Singh Bagri, the other man acquitted in the terrorism case, has not applied for standing.
Several relatives of Air India victims, as well as a group representing the victims' families, the World Sikh Organization, the Attorney-General of Canada, and groups representing both Muslims and Jews, also have sought standing. Each will have the chance to make a 15-minute oral submission July 18 and 19 or make written submissions as Malik has done.
In an affidavit, Malik says he should be able to have a significant role in the inquiry given that he spent four years in jail before the not-guilty verdict.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I plan to follow the proceedings of the inquiry as best I can, but I doubt there will be any important revelations. I think Jeffrey Simpson was right when he said Harper launched the inquiry because he wants to win the Indo-Canadian vote. The best way to avoid future Air Indias would be to reform our immigration and refugee policies.
Vancouver businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik wants standing at the judicial inquiry into the Air India bombing so he can "confront any evidence that might impugn his character," his lawyer says in a written submission.
And Malik, who was acquitted in the Air India case last year, wants the right to move the inquiry behind closed doors when he sees fit, "so that the media do not report or broadcast portions of testimony," says the document prepared by Vancouver lawyer Brent Olthuis.
Malik's position on standing will be reviewed next week in Ottawa when retired Supreme Court of Canada justice John Major assesses 20 applications for standing at his historic inquiry, which will begin hearing witnesses in late September.
Ajaib Singh Bagri, the other man acquitted in the terrorism case, has not applied for standing.
Several relatives of Air India victims, as well as a group representing the victims' families, the World Sikh Organization, the Attorney-General of Canada, and groups representing both Muslims and Jews, also have sought standing. Each will have the chance to make a 15-minute oral submission July 18 and 19 or make written submissions as Malik has done.
In an affidavit, Malik says he should be able to have a significant role in the inquiry given that he spent four years in jail before the not-guilty verdict.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
I plan to follow the proceedings of the inquiry as best I can, but I doubt there will be any important revelations. I think Jeffrey Simpson was right when he said Harper launched the inquiry because he wants to win the Indo-Canadian vote. The best way to avoid future Air Indias would be to reform our immigration and refugee policies.
The Orange Order has its annual parade
From the Toronto Sun (186th year for Orange parade by Vivian Son, July 16):
The 186th Annual Orange Parade -- the longest-running, continuously staged parade in North America -- drew about 1,000 participants and spectators to the downtown core yesterday.
Senior ladies in their Sunday finery and brimming church hats marched alongside their dapper male counterparts who stepped proudly in time with the bands. The 7-km route began at the legislature and ended at the CNE.
The Orange Parade commemorates the infamous 1690 Battle of the Boyne in Ireland, where Protestant King "Billy," or William III, defeated the Catholic King James II.
The parade, though peaceful, has been criticized for being anti-Catholic.
Read the whole article.
The Protestant Orange Order used to be very influential in Toronto, but that was before my time. The group had lost its influence before I was born, even though the Toronto of my youth was still largely Protestant. Now, because of immigration from places like Italy, Portugual, Poland and the Philippines there are more Catholics than Protestants. I would be surprised if most Torontonians today have even heard of the Order. Times change, of course, but I think there's something sad in the decline of this organization. Maybe that's just nostalgia on my part. I don't know what it would have been like to have been Catholic in an earlier era. It is often said that Catholics were second-class citizens at the time of the Orange Order's ascendancy, but experience has taught me to take claims like that with a grain of salt. I don't know to what extent Catholics used to suffer discrimination in Toronto, but there was at least some anti-Catholic prejudice. Then again, Catholics didn't like Protestants much either.
The 186th Annual Orange Parade -- the longest-running, continuously staged parade in North America -- drew about 1,000 participants and spectators to the downtown core yesterday.
Senior ladies in their Sunday finery and brimming church hats marched alongside their dapper male counterparts who stepped proudly in time with the bands. The 7-km route began at the legislature and ended at the CNE.
The Orange Parade commemorates the infamous 1690 Battle of the Boyne in Ireland, where Protestant King "Billy," or William III, defeated the Catholic King James II.
The parade, though peaceful, has been criticized for being anti-Catholic.
Read the whole article.
The Protestant Orange Order used to be very influential in Toronto, but that was before my time. The group had lost its influence before I was born, even though the Toronto of my youth was still largely Protestant. Now, because of immigration from places like Italy, Portugual, Poland and the Philippines there are more Catholics than Protestants. I would be surprised if most Torontonians today have even heard of the Order. Times change, of course, but I think there's something sad in the decline of this organization. Maybe that's just nostalgia on my part. I don't know what it would have been like to have been Catholic in an earlier era. It is often said that Catholics were second-class citizens at the time of the Orange Order's ascendancy, but experience has taught me to take claims like that with a grain of salt. I don't know to what extent Catholics used to suffer discrimination in Toronto, but there was at least some anti-Catholic prejudice. Then again, Catholics didn't like Protestants much either.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Why Swedes need to be tolerant
'Federalist' Charest believes Quebec has the right to separate
I agree with Peter Brimelow and others that Quebec already is a nation even if it hasn't chosen to separate, yet. As far as I can tell, most French-speaking Quebecers see themselves as a distinct people whose attachment to Canada is more practical than emotional. Recently while visiting France, Quebec's federalist premier, Jean Charest, made some comments that reinforce my view of Quebec as a nation. William Johnson writes in the Globe and Mail (Charest's a federalist?, July 11):
On Friday in Paris, the Premier taped an interview with France's TV5. His statement on secession earned him big headlines in Saturday's newspapers, including Montreal's La Presse: "A surprising statement by Jean Charest on French TV: 'Quebec has the means to become independent.' " Parti Québécois Leader André Boisclair declared triumphantly: "It is a definitive victory for the sovereigntists." Former premier Bernard Landry added that Mr. Charest "has just sterilized all the economic fears and panics that some federalists agitated and abused."
The Premier was moved by the outcry to send a letter to La Presse that was published on Sunday. There, he outlined his conception of the federal bond with respect to Quebec: It simply doesn't exist. "Quebec possesses the means of choosing its destiny and is free to do so, but it is not in the interest of Quebeckers to turn its back on Canada to become a separate state." So Quebec, according to the Premier, is bound to the federation and to Canada by nothing more than its own self-interest. It has no obligation toward this country and enjoys total freedom to remain or to leave.
All of Johnson's column can be found here but it's behind a subscriber wall. You might try clicking anyway.
Richard Gwyn commented on Charest's statement in a Toronto Star column (Charest comments pose tricky problem for Harper, July 14):
It's also always been pretty clear that while Quebec would experience some considerable difficulties if it ever did separate, in the end it could make a go of things on its own.
Once, to have written words like those would have made a columnist feel vaguely traitorous. Now, they seem almost trite. The fact is that separation is no longer the big deal that it was back in the days of Pierre Trudeau and of Meech Lake and of that prolonged and agonized national debate about special status, distinct society and the rest.
Lots of nations are now striking out on their own, including tiny micro-states like Montenegro, Kosovo and East Timor. It will be no great surprise if Catalonia — about the same size as Quebec — eventually detaches itself from Spain.
This doesn't make separation a good thing. It always causes pain, to both sides. Often, its only real benefits are enjoyed by those members of the local political elite who get to become ambassadors.
So we should all stay cool and recognize that Charest has said nothing that is new, or that is threatening to other Canadians.
Except in one respect. Johnson has a point when he complains that Charest is limiting Quebec's involvement in Canada to that of "self-interest."
Read all of Gwyn's column.
On Friday in Paris, the Premier taped an interview with France's TV5. His statement on secession earned him big headlines in Saturday's newspapers, including Montreal's La Presse: "A surprising statement by Jean Charest on French TV: 'Quebec has the means to become independent.' " Parti Québécois Leader André Boisclair declared triumphantly: "It is a definitive victory for the sovereigntists." Former premier Bernard Landry added that Mr. Charest "has just sterilized all the economic fears and panics that some federalists agitated and abused."
The Premier was moved by the outcry to send a letter to La Presse that was published on Sunday. There, he outlined his conception of the federal bond with respect to Quebec: It simply doesn't exist. "Quebec possesses the means of choosing its destiny and is free to do so, but it is not in the interest of Quebeckers to turn its back on Canada to become a separate state." So Quebec, according to the Premier, is bound to the federation and to Canada by nothing more than its own self-interest. It has no obligation toward this country and enjoys total freedom to remain or to leave.
All of Johnson's column can be found here but it's behind a subscriber wall. You might try clicking anyway.
Richard Gwyn commented on Charest's statement in a Toronto Star column (Charest comments pose tricky problem for Harper, July 14):
It's also always been pretty clear that while Quebec would experience some considerable difficulties if it ever did separate, in the end it could make a go of things on its own.
Once, to have written words like those would have made a columnist feel vaguely traitorous. Now, they seem almost trite. The fact is that separation is no longer the big deal that it was back in the days of Pierre Trudeau and of Meech Lake and of that prolonged and agonized national debate about special status, distinct society and the rest.
Lots of nations are now striking out on their own, including tiny micro-states like Montenegro, Kosovo and East Timor. It will be no great surprise if Catalonia — about the same size as Quebec — eventually detaches itself from Spain.
This doesn't make separation a good thing. It always causes pain, to both sides. Often, its only real benefits are enjoyed by those members of the local political elite who get to become ambassadors.
So we should all stay cool and recognize that Charest has said nothing that is new, or that is threatening to other Canadians.
Except in one respect. Johnson has a point when he complains that Charest is limiting Quebec's involvement in Canada to that of "self-interest."
Read all of Gwyn's column.
Drug tunnel under border "could have generated $165,000 (U.S.) per day"
Yesterday, I linked to a CBC story about three men from British Columbia who were convicted in the US of smuggling drugs through a tunnel they had constructed under the Canadian border. There's a more detailed story about the case in today's Globe and Mail (Tunnel builders get nine years by Petti Fong, July 15):
Transporting drugs through the tunnel could have generated $165,000 (U.S.) per day.
To build the tunnel, two properties were purchased, one in Aldergrove for $595,000 (Canadian) and a second on the other side of the border, in Lynden, Wa., for $215,000 (U.S.). The cost to construct the tunnel, set out in court documents, included $16,156.80 for wooden boards, $1,742.82 for 125 bags of concrete to make the shaft and $259 for a garage door opener.
The plan was to import more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States just to cover the costs of the tunnel, the U.S. District Attorney calculated.
Mr. Valenzuela, one of the men sentenced, said 120 kilograms of cocaine was smuggled into Canada from the United States in June, 2005, a month before the three men were arrested.
The tunnel was a gold mine for the defendants, according to the testimony of one American law enforcement officer.
Mr. Raj, who paid for the building materials for the tunnel, offered one person his share of the tunnel for $3-million; 10 per cent was to be used to pay off Vietnamese gangs for a load of marijuana lost prior to the construction of the tunnel.
The tunnel was the first found between the United States and Canada, although tunnels between Mexico and the United States have been uncovered before. They were mainly used for smuggling illegal immigrants.
Canada's Border Services Agency first noticed the tunnel in February, 2005, and U.S. and Canadian police began monitoring activities using audio and video surveillance.
Read the whole article.
Every time an American expresses concern about the Canadian border, Canadians become defensive. They respond as if American worries are completely unfounded, but as this drug tunnel story shows, Americans have a right to be concerned. Last year when the Minutemen were monitoring the Canada-US border, some in the Canadian media made it seem like the group was nuts. I remember one CBC TV story where one of the first things the reporter said was something like "The Minutemen claim they aren't racist." Of course, there were plenty of clips of immigration activists saying they were. Reporters always deny they have a bias but an experienced viewer understands the subtext of what is being reported. When a newsman says "The Minutemen claim they aren't racist" he's already suggesting the possibility they might be. The reporter is winking at the audience. Without saying it out loud, he's sending the message "They claim they aren't racist, but you and I know they really are." How would you react if someone said of you, "He claims he doesn't beat his wife."? He's not overtly saying you are beating your wife, but he is still tarnishing your reputation by raising the possiblity you might be.
Transporting drugs through the tunnel could have generated $165,000 (U.S.) per day.
To build the tunnel, two properties were purchased, one in Aldergrove for $595,000 (Canadian) and a second on the other side of the border, in Lynden, Wa., for $215,000 (U.S.). The cost to construct the tunnel, set out in court documents, included $16,156.80 for wooden boards, $1,742.82 for 125 bags of concrete to make the shaft and $259 for a garage door opener.
The plan was to import more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States just to cover the costs of the tunnel, the U.S. District Attorney calculated.
Mr. Valenzuela, one of the men sentenced, said 120 kilograms of cocaine was smuggled into Canada from the United States in June, 2005, a month before the three men were arrested.
The tunnel was a gold mine for the defendants, according to the testimony of one American law enforcement officer.
Mr. Raj, who paid for the building materials for the tunnel, offered one person his share of the tunnel for $3-million; 10 per cent was to be used to pay off Vietnamese gangs for a load of marijuana lost prior to the construction of the tunnel.
The tunnel was the first found between the United States and Canada, although tunnels between Mexico and the United States have been uncovered before. They were mainly used for smuggling illegal immigrants.
Canada's Border Services Agency first noticed the tunnel in February, 2005, and U.S. and Canadian police began monitoring activities using audio and video surveillance.
Read the whole article.
Every time an American expresses concern about the Canadian border, Canadians become defensive. They respond as if American worries are completely unfounded, but as this drug tunnel story shows, Americans have a right to be concerned. Last year when the Minutemen were monitoring the Canada-US border, some in the Canadian media made it seem like the group was nuts. I remember one CBC TV story where one of the first things the reporter said was something like "The Minutemen claim they aren't racist." Of course, there were plenty of clips of immigration activists saying they were. Reporters always deny they have a bias but an experienced viewer understands the subtext of what is being reported. When a newsman says "The Minutemen claim they aren't racist" he's already suggesting the possibility they might be. The reporter is winking at the audience. Without saying it out loud, he's sending the message "They claim they aren't racist, but you and I know they really are." How would you react if someone said of you, "He claims he doesn't beat his wife."? He's not overtly saying you are beating your wife, but he is still tarnishing your reputation by raising the possiblity you might be.
Disturbing information about the man who murdered Dutch immigration reformer Pim Fortuyn
Did the man who murdered Pim Fortuyn kill once before? Snouck Hurgronje writes:
It looks as if Volkert was a tool for other people who knew what he was up to and what he was capable of and did not want him stopped. Fortuyn was threatened and had asked the Ministry of the Interior for protection against assasination. This protection was denied by the Minister himself, Labour politician Klaas de Vries. Fortuyn had also said on TV that if he would be shot the blood would be on the hands of the politicians denying him protection.
In conclusion: Klaas de Vries was in charge of the police, which had the arrest team ready to apprehend Volkert as he killed Fortuyn, but which did not search Volkert's house until at least some of the evidence had dissappeared.
Read the whole thing.
See also Steve Sailer's Vdare article, Pim Fortuyn’s Murderer Revealed As Immigration Enthusiast
It looks as if Volkert was a tool for other people who knew what he was up to and what he was capable of and did not want him stopped. Fortuyn was threatened and had asked the Ministry of the Interior for protection against assasination. This protection was denied by the Minister himself, Labour politician Klaas de Vries. Fortuyn had also said on TV that if he would be shot the blood would be on the hands of the politicians denying him protection.
In conclusion: Klaas de Vries was in charge of the police, which had the arrest team ready to apprehend Volkert as he killed Fortuyn, but which did not search Volkert's house until at least some of the evidence had dissappeared.
Read the whole thing.
See also Steve Sailer's Vdare article, Pim Fortuyn’s Murderer Revealed As Immigration Enthusiast
Meet Jim Karygiannis - Liberal MP and Tamil Tiger enabler
There's an article in today's Toronto Star about Scarborough MP Jim Karygiannis who is the national director of former immigration minister Joe Volpe's Liberal leadership campaign. Among other things the article (`Jimmy K' boosting Volpe campaign by Linda Diebel, July 15) mentions Karygiannis' efforts to win ethnic votes for Volpe:
In the leadership contest, he has focused on bringing "allophones" under the Volpe tent, or what's generally referred to as the "ethnic" vote. As he sees it: "Canada is a table with four legs — aboriginal, English, French and allophone."
He says the Volpe team has attracted recruits in religious, ethnic and aboriginal communities, who were largely ignored by Liberals. It was important, he says, for candidate Volpe to meet early with the Canada Ethnic Press Council and to respond to an invitation from the Canada Arab Network.
A letter from the non-partisan committee of GTA groups and business leaders posted at campaign headquarters says four leadership candidates — Quebec MP Stéphane Dion, former Ontario premier Bob Rae, Kennedy and Volpe — accepted an invitation to meet.
"Mr. Volpe ranked first based on the very positive answers he provided, including a strong immigration policy that would clear up the backlog and fast-track credentials before immigrants arrive to Canada," says the letter.
"He also expressed that he would work with the democratically elected government in Palestine without preconditions."
Read the whole article.
There is a glaring omission in this profile of Karygiannis. The writer makes no mention of the MP's connections to the terrorist Tamil Tigers. Over the years Karygiannis has attended pro-Tiger rallies in Toronto. (see Stewart Bell's book Cold Terror for some of the details.) After the December 2004 Asian tsunami he made a controversial trip to Tiger-controlled areas of Sri Lanka for which he was criticized by another Liberal MP, David Kilgour. Karygiannis represents a riding that has a large number of Tamil voters. He is one of the reasons the Liberal government repeatedly refused to ban the Tigers in Canada - something Harper finally did this year. Karygiannis, who is Greek, also opposed Canadian diplomatic recognition of Macedonia.
Last November, James Travers of the Toronto Star wrote a column strongly critical of Volpe's politically-motivated proposal to raise Canada's annual immigration intake to 300,000.
In the leadership contest, he has focused on bringing "allophones" under the Volpe tent, or what's generally referred to as the "ethnic" vote. As he sees it: "Canada is a table with four legs — aboriginal, English, French and allophone."
He says the Volpe team has attracted recruits in religious, ethnic and aboriginal communities, who were largely ignored by Liberals. It was important, he says, for candidate Volpe to meet early with the Canada Ethnic Press Council and to respond to an invitation from the Canada Arab Network.
A letter from the non-partisan committee of GTA groups and business leaders posted at campaign headquarters says four leadership candidates — Quebec MP Stéphane Dion, former Ontario premier Bob Rae, Kennedy and Volpe — accepted an invitation to meet.
"Mr. Volpe ranked first based on the very positive answers he provided, including a strong immigration policy that would clear up the backlog and fast-track credentials before immigrants arrive to Canada," says the letter.
"He also expressed that he would work with the democratically elected government in Palestine without preconditions."
Read the whole article.
There is a glaring omission in this profile of Karygiannis. The writer makes no mention of the MP's connections to the terrorist Tamil Tigers. Over the years Karygiannis has attended pro-Tiger rallies in Toronto. (see Stewart Bell's book Cold Terror for some of the details.) After the December 2004 Asian tsunami he made a controversial trip to Tiger-controlled areas of Sri Lanka for which he was criticized by another Liberal MP, David Kilgour. Karygiannis represents a riding that has a large number of Tamil voters. He is one of the reasons the Liberal government repeatedly refused to ban the Tigers in Canada - something Harper finally did this year. Karygiannis, who is Greek, also opposed Canadian diplomatic recognition of Macedonia.
Last November, James Travers of the Toronto Star wrote a column strongly critical of Volpe's politically-motivated proposal to raise Canada's annual immigration intake to 300,000.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Royson James says leave Guardian Angels alone
Sometimes the Toronto Star surprises me. In today's paper, Royson James writes (Guardian Angels deserve a chance here, July 14):
The little dust-up over the Guardian Angels is instructive.
Most residents see little wrong with allowing the street patrols — if a neighbourhood wants them. Yes, the presence suggests that local crime-fighting measures are not particularly successful, but what's more important? Optics, or feelings of safety, real or perceived.
For 27 years, the Angels have patrolled crime-ridden areas of cities, effected citizens' arrests, caught criminals in the act and held them until police arrived, been shot at and shot — all, they say, without being convicted of any crime such as using undue force.
The once menacing-looking dudes are a harmless-looking brigade now. Men and women from a local community, who feel so afraid or concerned that they are prepared to walk the pavement of a besieged area to disrupt or scare away the bad guys, sign up as Angels.
Toronto's do-gooders, the politically correct, the defenders of the status quo, the guardians of the ruling political party should leave them alone — until they prove themselves more of a menace than the criminals.
Read all of Royson James' column. More about the Guardian Angels' presence in Toronto can be found here, here and here.
The little dust-up over the Guardian Angels is instructive.
Most residents see little wrong with allowing the street patrols — if a neighbourhood wants them. Yes, the presence suggests that local crime-fighting measures are not particularly successful, but what's more important? Optics, or feelings of safety, real or perceived.
For 27 years, the Angels have patrolled crime-ridden areas of cities, effected citizens' arrests, caught criminals in the act and held them until police arrived, been shot at and shot — all, they say, without being convicted of any crime such as using undue force.
The once menacing-looking dudes are a harmless-looking brigade now. Men and women from a local community, who feel so afraid or concerned that they are prepared to walk the pavement of a besieged area to disrupt or scare away the bad guys, sign up as Angels.
Toronto's do-gooders, the politically correct, the defenders of the status quo, the guardians of the ruling political party should leave them alone — until they prove themselves more of a menace than the criminals.
Read all of Royson James' column. More about the Guardian Angels' presence in Toronto can be found here, here and here.
300,000 census forms outstanding in BC
From Vancouver Sun (Census collection called a 'screw-up' by Darah Hansen, July 14):
A record number of British Columbians have failed to complete their 2006 census forms, according to Statistics Canada.
And while federal bureaucrats are pointing the finger at public apathy, a former census enumerator said the government's failure to collect hundreds of thousands of census forms since the May 16 deadline has more to do with a general lack of organization in the enumeration system.
"It was such a screw-up from the beginning," said Brian Horgan, who worked as a census enumerator before calling it quits last Friday. "It's so disorganized -- it's embarrassing, actually."
To date, more than 300,000 census forms remain outstanding in B.C. -- a figure significantly higher than the number not returned in 2001, said Jerry Page, western regional director for Statistics Canada, said B.C.'s return rate on this latest round of census forms was among the lowest in the country.
That year, he said, "B.C. led the nation in terms of mailed response."
[. . .]
Read the whole Vancouver Sun article.
A record number of British Columbians have failed to complete their 2006 census forms, according to Statistics Canada.
And while federal bureaucrats are pointing the finger at public apathy, a former census enumerator said the government's failure to collect hundreds of thousands of census forms since the May 16 deadline has more to do with a general lack of organization in the enumeration system.
"It was such a screw-up from the beginning," said Brian Horgan, who worked as a census enumerator before calling it quits last Friday. "It's so disorganized -- it's embarrassing, actually."
To date, more than 300,000 census forms remain outstanding in B.C. -- a figure significantly higher than the number not returned in 2001, said Jerry Page, western regional director for Statistics Canada, said B.C.'s return rate on this latest round of census forms was among the lowest in the country.
That year, he said, "B.C. led the nation in terms of mailed response."
[. . .]
Read the whole Vancouver Sun article.
Trudeau the opera with guest appearances by Fidel Castro and Mao Zedong. But will it be bilingual?
From CBC News (Trudeau perfect subject for new opera, Clarke says, July 12):
Trudeau is a much-studied subject, with TV biopics, several biographies and the 1980 play Maggie and Pierre chronicling his life.
But Clarke believes opera can capture the exuberance and passion of Canada during the Trudeau years, as well as some of the many changes that were happening in society.
And he's keen to portray some of the contradictions of Trudeau the man.
"He's a figure about whom it is almost impossible to say anything definitive, because he is …encompassed by so many contradictions, but that's what makes him interesting," Clarke said.
In Trudeau: Long March/Shining Path, Clarke intends to stage the multicultural Trudeau, as he puts it, the one who appealed to what Clarke has called a "third force" in Canadian life, the ethnocultural and "visible" Canadians.
The opera will focus on Trudeau's experiences on the international stage: Historical characters including Fidel Castro, Nelson Mandela and Mao Zedong have been written into the piece.
But there will also be duets with his wife Margaret Trudeau and with members of the press corps, with whom he had such an uncomfortable relationship.
Read the whole article.
Trudeau is a much-studied subject, with TV biopics, several biographies and the 1980 play Maggie and Pierre chronicling his life.
But Clarke believes opera can capture the exuberance and passion of Canada during the Trudeau years, as well as some of the many changes that were happening in society.
And he's keen to portray some of the contradictions of Trudeau the man.
"He's a figure about whom it is almost impossible to say anything definitive, because he is …encompassed by so many contradictions, but that's what makes him interesting," Clarke said.
In Trudeau: Long March/Shining Path, Clarke intends to stage the multicultural Trudeau, as he puts it, the one who appealed to what Clarke has called a "third force" in Canadian life, the ethnocultural and "visible" Canadians.
The opera will focus on Trudeau's experiences on the international stage: Historical characters including Fidel Castro, Nelson Mandela and Mao Zedong have been written into the piece.
But there will also be duets with his wife Margaret Trudeau and with members of the press corps, with whom he had such an uncomfortable relationship.
Read the whole article.
Teen arrested in Toronto terror sweep granted bail
From CBC News (Teen facing terrorism-related charges released on bail, July 14):
One of the teens facing terrorism-related charges in Ontario has been granted bail, making him the first of 17 suspects arrested in connection with an alleged bomb plot to be released from jail.
The 18-year-old is one of the five youths and 12 men arrested in southern Ontario on June 2 and 3.
The accused, who cannot be named because he was 17 when alleged to have committed the offences, faces charges of belonging to and training with a terrorist organization.
A justice of the peace made the decision Friday in a court in Brampton, Ont., and the teen was expected to be released from jail later in the day.
[. . .]
Read the whole article
One of the teens facing terrorism-related charges in Ontario has been granted bail, making him the first of 17 suspects arrested in connection with an alleged bomb plot to be released from jail.
The 18-year-old is one of the five youths and 12 men arrested in southern Ontario on June 2 and 3.
The accused, who cannot be named because he was 17 when alleged to have committed the offences, faces charges of belonging to and training with a terrorist organization.
A justice of the peace made the decision Friday in a court in Brampton, Ont., and the teen was expected to be released from jail later in the day.
[. . .]
Read the whole article
Drug tunnel under the US-Canada border
From CBC News (9-year jail terms for drug-tunnel trio, July 14):
Three men from B.C. who were arrested in Washington state last summer following the discovery of a pot-smuggling tunnel under the Canada-U.S. border in the Fraser Valley have been sentenced to nine years in prison.
A U.S. Federal Court judge handed down the sentences in a Seattle courtroom on Friday.
Francis Devandra Raj, 31; Timothy Woo, 35; and Jonathan Valenzuela, 28 — all of Surrey — had been convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to import marijuana.
The three will be allowed to serve their sentences in a Canadian prison.
They were arrested in July 2005 by U.S. authorities following an extensive investigation of their sophisticated 110-metre cross-border tunnel.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
BC's solicitor general said he was glad the men were arrested in the US rather than Canada, because American sentences are tougher.
Three men from B.C. who were arrested in Washington state last summer following the discovery of a pot-smuggling tunnel under the Canada-U.S. border in the Fraser Valley have been sentenced to nine years in prison.
A U.S. Federal Court judge handed down the sentences in a Seattle courtroom on Friday.
Francis Devandra Raj, 31; Timothy Woo, 35; and Jonathan Valenzuela, 28 — all of Surrey — had been convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to import marijuana.
The three will be allowed to serve their sentences in a Canadian prison.
They were arrested in July 2005 by U.S. authorities following an extensive investigation of their sophisticated 110-metre cross-border tunnel.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
BC's solicitor general said he was glad the men were arrested in the US rather than Canada, because American sentences are tougher.
Harkat can stay out on bail
From the Globe and Mail (Court allows Harkat to remain free on bail by Jeff Sallot, July 14):
The federal government failed again yesterday to put terrorist suspect Mohamed Harkat back behind bars while he fights deportation to his native Algeria.
The Federal Court of Appeal rejected the government's second motion within a month to have bail rescinded.
The strict bail conditions, including a requirement that Mr. Harkat wear an electronic tracking bracelet around his ankle, should be sufficient to protect national security, the panel of three appeal court judges said in an unanimous ruling.
[. . .]
Judge Letourneau said the appeals court is not questioning the lower courts' findings that Mr. Harkat had lied under oath and that the federal government had reason to believe he is an al-Qaeda terrorist.
But the delays in federal proceedings to determine whether it is safe enough for him to be deported home to Algeria have been unreasonably long, Judge Letourneau said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
The federal government failed again yesterday to put terrorist suspect Mohamed Harkat back behind bars while he fights deportation to his native Algeria.
The Federal Court of Appeal rejected the government's second motion within a month to have bail rescinded.
The strict bail conditions, including a requirement that Mr. Harkat wear an electronic tracking bracelet around his ankle, should be sufficient to protect national security, the panel of three appeal court judges said in an unanimous ruling.
[. . .]
Judge Letourneau said the appeals court is not questioning the lower courts' findings that Mr. Harkat had lied under oath and that the federal government had reason to believe he is an al-Qaeda terrorist.
But the delays in federal proceedings to determine whether it is safe enough for him to be deported home to Algeria have been unreasonably long, Judge Letourneau said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Tomasz Winnicki jailed for "spreading hate." Defied court order to stop.
From the Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (White supremacist jailed, July 13):
An unabashed neo-Nazi who defied an court order to stop spreading hatred over the Internet has been sentenced to nine months in jail for contempt, a punishment his lawyer called harsh.
In a scathing decision, a Federal Court judge ruled that Tomasz Winnicki, of London, Ont., had shown blatant disdain for the justice system in continuing his hate campaign against Jews and people of colour.
[. . .]
The ruling relates to Winnicki’s violation of a Federal Court injunction last October ordering him to stop spreading hate via the Internet until the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled on a complaint against him.
The tribunal, which ruled in April that Winnicki, 30, had in fact violated the Canadian Human Rights Act, brought the contempt motion in a case heard July 4 on the grounds that Winnicki had violated the injunction by continuing to post hate messages.
Dominic Lamb, the Ottawa lawyer who defended Winnicki, said he was considering an appeal and called the nine-month sentence ``really harsh.”
“I’ve heard of a six-month sentence on a contempt hearing, but I don’t recall ever reading any cases that imposed a nine-month sentence,” said Lamb, who added his client was taken into custody on Thursday.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Read the court's decision in PDF format
An unabashed neo-Nazi who defied an court order to stop spreading hatred over the Internet has been sentenced to nine months in jail for contempt, a punishment his lawyer called harsh.
In a scathing decision, a Federal Court judge ruled that Tomasz Winnicki, of London, Ont., had shown blatant disdain for the justice system in continuing his hate campaign against Jews and people of colour.
[. . .]
The ruling relates to Winnicki’s violation of a Federal Court injunction last October ordering him to stop spreading hate via the Internet until the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled on a complaint against him.
The tribunal, which ruled in April that Winnicki, 30, had in fact violated the Canadian Human Rights Act, brought the contempt motion in a case heard July 4 on the grounds that Winnicki had violated the injunction by continuing to post hate messages.
Dominic Lamb, the Ottawa lawyer who defended Winnicki, said he was considering an appeal and called the nine-month sentence ``really harsh.”
“I’ve heard of a six-month sentence on a contempt hearing, but I don’t recall ever reading any cases that imposed a nine-month sentence,” said Lamb, who added his client was taken into custody on Thursday.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Read the court's decision in PDF format
The Suresh exception
This appeared at the bottom of an article in the Globe and Mail (Arbour's role in torture case under fire by Kirk Makin, June 27):
The so-called Suresh exception appears in an early 2002 Supreme Court of Canada judgment that dealt with the deportation of a suspected Tamil terrorist, Manickavasagam Suresh:
"It follows that insofar as the Immigration Act leaves open the possibility of deportation to torture, the Minister should generally decline to deport refugees where, on the evidence, there is a substantial risk of torture. We do not exclude the possibility that in exceptional circumstances, deportation to face torture might be justified, either as a consequence of the balancing process mandated by S.7 of the Charter or under S.1. (A violation of S.7 will be saved by S.1 'only in cases arising out of exceptional conditions, such as natural disasters, the outbreak of war, epidemics and the like.')
"Insofar as Canada is unable to deport a person where there are substantial grounds to believe he or she would be tortured on return, this is not because Article 3 of the [Convention Against Torture] directly constrains the actions of the Canadian government, but because the fundamental justice balance under S.7 of the Charter generally precludes deportation to torture when applied on a case-by-case basis.
"We may predict that it will rarely be struck in favour of expulsion where there is a serious risk of torture. However, as the matter is one of balance, precise prediction is elusive. The ambit of an exceptional discretion to deport to torture, if any, must await future cases."
The so-called Suresh exception appears in an early 2002 Supreme Court of Canada judgment that dealt with the deportation of a suspected Tamil terrorist, Manickavasagam Suresh:
"It follows that insofar as the Immigration Act leaves open the possibility of deportation to torture, the Minister should generally decline to deport refugees where, on the evidence, there is a substantial risk of torture. We do not exclude the possibility that in exceptional circumstances, deportation to face torture might be justified, either as a consequence of the balancing process mandated by S.7 of the Charter or under S.1. (A violation of S.7 will be saved by S.1 'only in cases arising out of exceptional conditions, such as natural disasters, the outbreak of war, epidemics and the like.')
"Insofar as Canada is unable to deport a person where there are substantial grounds to believe he or she would be tortured on return, this is not because Article 3 of the [Convention Against Torture] directly constrains the actions of the Canadian government, but because the fundamental justice balance under S.7 of the Charter generally precludes deportation to torture when applied on a case-by-case basis.
"We may predict that it will rarely be struck in favour of expulsion where there is a serious risk of torture. However, as the matter is one of balance, precise prediction is elusive. The ambit of an exceptional discretion to deport to torture, if any, must await future cases."
Mahmoud Jaballah denies he has terrorist ties. CSIS links him to 1998 embassy bombings.
From the National Post (Suspect explains alleged terror links by Allison Hanes, July 13):
He may once have offered a polite cup of tea to the patriarch of Canada's so-called al-Qaeda clan and his lawyer in Egypt may be a leader of the shadowy Al Jihad terror network, but when Mahmoud Jaballah took the stand in Federal Court in Toronto this week, the terror suspect insisted his dealings with a range of international figures linked to Islamic extremism were totally innocent -- the product of happenstance, coincidence or misfortune.
The Egyptian national, who has been detained on the basis of secret intelligence for nearly five years, described himself as a victim of political persecution in his homeland who has continued to be dogged by false allegations of terror ties since coming to Canada.
Mr. Jaballah said he has already adequately explained his relationships with allegedly dangerous men when the first security certificate issued against him in 1999 was quashed.
His arrest on a second certificate in August, 2001, he believes, smacks of guilt by association.
In a summary of secret evidence disclosed to his lawyers, CSIS contends Mr. Jaballah is a full-fledged member of Al Jihad, playing a role in the group's co-ordinated bombings in 1998 of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania -- attacks that left 200 dead and 5,000 injured.
[. . .]
Read the rest of this article for the details of Jaballah's associations. Among other charges, CSIS says he had an "operational" relationship with Ahmed Said Khadr in Pakistan. The Jaballah case is important because its final result may determine under what circumstances if any Ottawa may deport people facing a substantial risk of torture in their home countries. Many terrorist suspects come from countries where prisoners are sometimes tortured. If Canada can't deport suspects to those countres, it will be stuck with some very dangerous people.
He may once have offered a polite cup of tea to the patriarch of Canada's so-called al-Qaeda clan and his lawyer in Egypt may be a leader of the shadowy Al Jihad terror network, but when Mahmoud Jaballah took the stand in Federal Court in Toronto this week, the terror suspect insisted his dealings with a range of international figures linked to Islamic extremism were totally innocent -- the product of happenstance, coincidence or misfortune.
The Egyptian national, who has been detained on the basis of secret intelligence for nearly five years, described himself as a victim of political persecution in his homeland who has continued to be dogged by false allegations of terror ties since coming to Canada.
Mr. Jaballah said he has already adequately explained his relationships with allegedly dangerous men when the first security certificate issued against him in 1999 was quashed.
His arrest on a second certificate in August, 2001, he believes, smacks of guilt by association.
In a summary of secret evidence disclosed to his lawyers, CSIS contends Mr. Jaballah is a full-fledged member of Al Jihad, playing a role in the group's co-ordinated bombings in 1998 of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania -- attacks that left 200 dead and 5,000 injured.
[. . .]
Read the rest of this article for the details of Jaballah's associations. Among other charges, CSIS says he had an "operational" relationship with Ahmed Said Khadr in Pakistan. The Jaballah case is important because its final result may determine under what circumstances if any Ottawa may deport people facing a substantial risk of torture in their home countries. Many terrorist suspects come from countries where prisoners are sometimes tortured. If Canada can't deport suspects to those countres, it will be stuck with some very dangerous people.
Tamil refugee to be deported for gang-related activities. Believed to have links to Tamil Tigers.
From the Toronto Star (Convicted of crimes, Sri Lankan to be deported by Michelle Shephard, July 12):
A Sri Lankan refugee convicted of gang-related crimes and accused of ties to the Tamil Tigers has exhausted all legal appeals and will be deported from Canada.
Niranjan Claude Fabian has challenged his deportation for eight years, arguing that he will be tortured or killed if he is returned to Sri Lanka. He has admitted his former involvement with a Toronto street gang, but denied any connections to the Tamil Tigers.
The 37-year-old refugee, who came to Canada in 1990, says he faces a risk both from the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for more than two decades for an independent homeland in the north and east.
Fabian has been detained since 2001 at a Lindsay jail. The government is making travel arrangements for his removal but will not confirm on what day he'll be flown out of Toronto.
"If anything happens, my blood will be on the Canadian public's hands," Fabian said yesterday in a telephone interview from the detention facility. "I do not deserve this. I paid for whatever things that I did and I apologized to the court ... the past is passed. I cannot change my past."
[. . .]
Read all of Michelle Shephard's article.
Earlier this year, Canada deported another Tamil refugee, Jeyaseelam Thuraisingam, for gang-related activities. Manickavasagam Suresh, believed by CSIS to be a Tamil Tiger fundraiser, has been fighting deportation for more than ten years. His claim that he would be tortured if he were sent back to Sri Lanka led to the Supreme Court decision that established the so-called Suresh exception. The court ruled Ottawa may deport people facing a "substantial risk of torture", but only under "exceptional circumstances." The court didn't spell out what those circumstances are. They will have to be determined by rulings in future cases. One possible test case will be that of Mahmoud Jaballah.
A Sri Lankan refugee convicted of gang-related crimes and accused of ties to the Tamil Tigers has exhausted all legal appeals and will be deported from Canada.
Niranjan Claude Fabian has challenged his deportation for eight years, arguing that he will be tortured or killed if he is returned to Sri Lanka. He has admitted his former involvement with a Toronto street gang, but denied any connections to the Tamil Tigers.
The 37-year-old refugee, who came to Canada in 1990, says he faces a risk both from the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for more than two decades for an independent homeland in the north and east.
Fabian has been detained since 2001 at a Lindsay jail. The government is making travel arrangements for his removal but will not confirm on what day he'll be flown out of Toronto.
"If anything happens, my blood will be on the Canadian public's hands," Fabian said yesterday in a telephone interview from the detention facility. "I do not deserve this. I paid for whatever things that I did and I apologized to the court ... the past is passed. I cannot change my past."
[. . .]
Read all of Michelle Shephard's article.
Earlier this year, Canada deported another Tamil refugee, Jeyaseelam Thuraisingam, for gang-related activities. Manickavasagam Suresh, believed by CSIS to be a Tamil Tiger fundraiser, has been fighting deportation for more than ten years. His claim that he would be tortured if he were sent back to Sri Lanka led to the Supreme Court decision that established the so-called Suresh exception. The court ruled Ottawa may deport people facing a "substantial risk of torture", but only under "exceptional circumstances." The court didn't spell out what those circumstances are. They will have to be determined by rulings in future cases. One possible test case will be that of Mahmoud Jaballah.
Report says Vancouver should change its coat of arms: two 'white guys' don't reflect city
From the Vancouver Sun (City staff suggest new coat of arms by Emily Chung, July 13):
Two white guys supporting a big shield. Does that image say "Vancouver" to you?
That is the image on Vancouver's current coat of arms, which the city has used to represent its "visual identity" since 1969.
However, the city should think about revamping its visual brand, and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide the opportunity to do so, says a staff report going to city council for approval next Tuesday.
The report notes the coat of arms features two Caucasian males even though "other cultural groups also played a significant role in the development of Vancouver."
Using the current coat of arms undermines the image of an innovative government, the report says.
[. . .]
"You think of livable city, and you think of innovative city, and you think of green, sustainable city," said Clement in an interview Wednesday. "And then you see the coat of arms. Need I say more?"
[. . .]
Read the whole article
Why can't two 'Caucasian males' symbolize Vancouver? If it weren't for "white guys" the city wouldn't exist. Do you ever get the feeling that the people who run Canada think of white men as the enemy? The supporters on the shield represent a lumberjack and a fisherman. Some snobbish urbanites apparently forget this, but it's the resource industries that made Vancouver possible. I don't live in Vancouver and I don't care whether the city changes its coat of arms or not. But I don't like remarks that seem to denigrate white men. Other cultural groups played a significant role in developing Vancouver? Really? Until recently Vancouver was overwhelmingly white, as much as some people would like to forget that.
Two white guys supporting a big shield. Does that image say "Vancouver" to you?
That is the image on Vancouver's current coat of arms, which the city has used to represent its "visual identity" since 1969.
However, the city should think about revamping its visual brand, and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide the opportunity to do so, says a staff report going to city council for approval next Tuesday.
The report notes the coat of arms features two Caucasian males even though "other cultural groups also played a significant role in the development of Vancouver."
Using the current coat of arms undermines the image of an innovative government, the report says.
[. . .]
"You think of livable city, and you think of innovative city, and you think of green, sustainable city," said Clement in an interview Wednesday. "And then you see the coat of arms. Need I say more?"
[. . .]
Read the whole article
Why can't two 'Caucasian males' symbolize Vancouver? If it weren't for "white guys" the city wouldn't exist. Do you ever get the feeling that the people who run Canada think of white men as the enemy? The supporters on the shield represent a lumberjack and a fisherman. Some snobbish urbanites apparently forget this, but it's the resource industries that made Vancouver possible. I don't live in Vancouver and I don't care whether the city changes its coat of arms or not. But I don't like remarks that seem to denigrate white men. Other cultural groups played a significant role in developing Vancouver? Really? Until recently Vancouver was overwhelmingly white, as much as some people would like to forget that.
CAIR-CAN wants Ottawa to ban evangelist Franklin Graham (Billy's son)
[Update: Loyalist and Kathy Shaidle both predicted this would happen.]
From a CAIR-CAN press release:
Muslims say entry of Islamaphobe raises 'double standard' on free speech
Thursday, July 13, 2006 10:27 am
Government asked to clarify position barring Imam, but allowing entry of 'Islam is evil' reverend
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 07/12/06) - CAIR-CAN is asking the federal government to clarify its position on freedom of speech after the outcry over a planned visit to Canada of a British Imam and the official silence about the upcoming entry of a U.S. evangelist who has called Islam "a very evil and a very wicked religion."
A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said "we do not welcome hate-mongers in Canada" when explaining why the federal government recently instituted barriers to prevent the visit of British Imam Riyad ul-Haq. Ul-Haq was accused of having made hateful comments against Jews, homosexuals and other minorities.
The federal government has not said whether U.S. evangelist Reverend Franklin Graham, who is scheduled to visit Winnipeg in October 2006, will face similar barriers to entry.
In a 2001 interview, Graham called Islam "a very evil and a very wicked religion" and in 2005 Graham told an ABC reporter that he had not changed his opinion and made further inflammatory comments against Muslims. Graham has also said that Hindus are "bound by Satan's power."
None of the interest groups who called for ul-Haq to be barred from entry have spoken out about Graham's views or his visit to Canada.
For more information about Graham's Islamophobic comments, see: Franklin Graham: Islam Still Evil
"Based on the different reactions to the comments of both religious leaders, some Canadian Muslims are wondering whether a double standard is being applied," says CAIR-CAN Executive Director Karl Nickner. "As Muslims and as Canadians, we stand firmly against any hateful religious speech by representatives of all faiths."
Nickner says freedom of speech is a cornerstone of Canadian society that should not be so easily abandoned when existing hate speech legislation is sufficient to deal with hateful commentary made on Canadian soil.
From a CAIR-CAN press release:
Muslims say entry of Islamaphobe raises 'double standard' on free speech
Thursday, July 13, 2006 10:27 am
Government asked to clarify position barring Imam, but allowing entry of 'Islam is evil' reverend
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 07/12/06) - CAIR-CAN is asking the federal government to clarify its position on freedom of speech after the outcry over a planned visit to Canada of a British Imam and the official silence about the upcoming entry of a U.S. evangelist who has called Islam "a very evil and a very wicked religion."
A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said "we do not welcome hate-mongers in Canada" when explaining why the federal government recently instituted barriers to prevent the visit of British Imam Riyad ul-Haq. Ul-Haq was accused of having made hateful comments against Jews, homosexuals and other minorities.
The federal government has not said whether U.S. evangelist Reverend Franklin Graham, who is scheduled to visit Winnipeg in October 2006, will face similar barriers to entry.
In a 2001 interview, Graham called Islam "a very evil and a very wicked religion" and in 2005 Graham told an ABC reporter that he had not changed his opinion and made further inflammatory comments against Muslims. Graham has also said that Hindus are "bound by Satan's power."
None of the interest groups who called for ul-Haq to be barred from entry have spoken out about Graham's views or his visit to Canada.
For more information about Graham's Islamophobic comments, see: Franklin Graham: Islam Still Evil
"Based on the different reactions to the comments of both religious leaders, some Canadian Muslims are wondering whether a double standard is being applied," says CAIR-CAN Executive Director Karl Nickner. "As Muslims and as Canadians, we stand firmly against any hateful religious speech by representatives of all faiths."
Nickner says freedom of speech is a cornerstone of Canadian society that should not be so easily abandoned when existing hate speech legislation is sufficient to deal with hateful commentary made on Canadian soil.
Toronto Star: Mounties had a mole in alleged Toronto terror cell
From the Toronto Star (Mounties had mole in alleged terror cell by Michelle Shephard, July 13):
A well-known member of Toronto's Muslim community worked as a police agent to infiltrate an alleged terrorism cell that police say was planning attacks in Canada, the Toronto Star has learned.
Although his identity is now known within the community and also to some of the 17 terrorism suspects arrested June 2, his name cannot be published due to Canadian laws.
Sources say the man worked for the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, and then became a paid RCMP agent once a criminal investigation was launched.
It's an offence under the Witness Protection Program Act to disclose the name of an RCMP agent.
While the names of sources in national security cases are often protected, this witness has agreed to testify in open court when his identity will be made public, sources say.
His name has not been revealed during court proceedings now underway to determine if any of the 17 accused will be released on bail. A publication ban prevents the reporting of any evidence heard during the bail hearings.
[. . .]
Read all of Michelle Shephard's article
A well-known member of Toronto's Muslim community worked as a police agent to infiltrate an alleged terrorism cell that police say was planning attacks in Canada, the Toronto Star has learned.
Although his identity is now known within the community and also to some of the 17 terrorism suspects arrested June 2, his name cannot be published due to Canadian laws.
Sources say the man worked for the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, and then became a paid RCMP agent once a criminal investigation was launched.
It's an offence under the Witness Protection Program Act to disclose the name of an RCMP agent.
While the names of sources in national security cases are often protected, this witness has agreed to testify in open court when his identity will be made public, sources say.
His name has not been revealed during court proceedings now underway to determine if any of the 17 accused will be released on bail. A publication ban prevents the reporting of any evidence heard during the bail hearings.
[. . .]
Read all of Michelle Shephard's article
Commute times getting longer - transportation infrastructure strained by population growth
From the Toronto Star (The long and grinding road by Steve Rennie, July 13):
If you live in the GTA, you spend an average of 79 minutes each day driving to and from work, but don't feel smug if you use public transit because you eat up just under two hours a day commuting.
The numbers mean we spend more time than anyone else in the country getting to work and back. And it doesn't look like it's going to improve any time soon.
"We're probably way behind the rest of the planet," said Baher Abdulhai, the Canada Research Chair in intelligent transportation systems. "There's no single solution that you could buy from somewhere, put it on the road today and tomorrow there's no congestion. It's not going to happen."
The StatsCan report released yesterday surveyed regions across Canada including the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area, which stretches from Oakville to Durham Region and north to Bradford.
The report found the average Greater Toronto car commuter spends two weeks a year in transit. The average time for a round trip to work in the GTA has increased by 11 minutes since 1992 and by three minutes since 1998, according to Statistics Canada.
[. . .]
Average commuting times have risen since 1992 in three of the country's largest cities, with Toronto, Montreal (76 minutes) and Calgary (66 minutes) all showing gains. Vancouver's average commuting time has remained almost constant since 1992, dropping slightly to 67 minutes from 70 minutes.
Abdulhai said Canada lags behind other nations when it comes to transportation infrastructure. He said many major U.S. cities use ramp metering, essentially a stop light at the entrance to freeways, to control the flow of traffic.
"When you bring in more people and you don't put in the infrastructure to move them, things will actually get worse. We're not doing much to improve things. We're just playing wait and see and hiding our heads in the sand. If nothing major happens, it makes for a longer commute," he said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
If you live in the GTA, you spend an average of 79 minutes each day driving to and from work, but don't feel smug if you use public transit because you eat up just under two hours a day commuting.
The numbers mean we spend more time than anyone else in the country getting to work and back. And it doesn't look like it's going to improve any time soon.
"We're probably way behind the rest of the planet," said Baher Abdulhai, the Canada Research Chair in intelligent transportation systems. "There's no single solution that you could buy from somewhere, put it on the road today and tomorrow there's no congestion. It's not going to happen."
The StatsCan report released yesterday surveyed regions across Canada including the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area, which stretches from Oakville to Durham Region and north to Bradford.
The report found the average Greater Toronto car commuter spends two weeks a year in transit. The average time for a round trip to work in the GTA has increased by 11 minutes since 1992 and by three minutes since 1998, according to Statistics Canada.
[. . .]
Average commuting times have risen since 1992 in three of the country's largest cities, with Toronto, Montreal (76 minutes) and Calgary (66 minutes) all showing gains. Vancouver's average commuting time has remained almost constant since 1992, dropping slightly to 67 minutes from 70 minutes.
Abdulhai said Canada lags behind other nations when it comes to transportation infrastructure. He said many major U.S. cities use ramp metering, essentially a stop light at the entrance to freeways, to control the flow of traffic.
"When you bring in more people and you don't put in the infrastructure to move them, things will actually get worse. We're not doing much to improve things. We're just playing wait and see and hiding our heads in the sand. If nothing major happens, it makes for a longer commute," he said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Toronto Somalis want Ottawa to intervene in their former homeland
From the Toronto Star (Hopes pinned on Canadaby Surya Bhattacharya, July 12):
At the traffic light near Chetta Place, near Dixon and Islington, someone climbed the pole on July 1 and attached a flag commemorating the independence day of a country that has lacked a real government for 15 years.
On a recent balmy afternoon, Somalia's flag, a white star on a bright-blue rectangle, lies limp over the neighbourhood nicknamed Little Mogadishu, where people living in three highrises gather to talk politics over coffee at a plaza doughnut shop.
It's an anxious time for Toronto's Somalis, who watch as their homeland creeps closer to a Taliban-style state and potential terrorist base, and ask: Why isn't Canada doing more to prevent it?
So far, their efforts to get a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay to plea for a special envoy to Somalia's peace negotiations haven't succeeded. Somalis who came here as refugees over the past 20 years have tasted Canadian democracy, and many deeply want to see elected government installed in the African nation, which fell into clan warfare in the early 1990s.
Eleven have actually left behind secure jobs and homes in Canada to serve as members of parliament in a struggling 275-member transitional government, formed in 2004 after protracted negotiations.
Minister of Telecommunications Ali Ahmed Jama and Minister of State for Defence Ali Mohamed Hareed are Canadian citizens.
[. . .]
Read all of Surya Bhattacharya's Star article. Some "Canadians" fly foreign flags; others serve foreign governments. Too many Canadian citizens feel loyalty to countries other than Canada. Having grown up as part of Toronto's Ukrainian community, which is passionately interested in Ukraine, I do understand why many immigrants continue to care about the countries they left. It's hard to shut off your feelings especially if the people you left behind are suffering.
Dual loyalties might not be such a problem if the number of immigrants was small, but almost half of Toronto's residents were born abroad and that doesn't include their Canadian-born children who may also care about their parents' former homelands.
I don't mean to be callous, but I can't see any reason why Ottawa should involve itself in Somali politics. There might be a reason I'm unaware of, but Ottawa should be guided by Canada's national interest and not the wishes of any one ethnic community. Historian Jack Granatstein has expressed concern about Ottawa pandering to ethnic groups when making foreign policy.
We have more than enough serious problems in Toronto. In fact, many of these problems are caused by the immigration and refugee policies that brought the Somalis here in the first place.
At the traffic light near Chetta Place, near Dixon and Islington, someone climbed the pole on July 1 and attached a flag commemorating the independence day of a country that has lacked a real government for 15 years.
On a recent balmy afternoon, Somalia's flag, a white star on a bright-blue rectangle, lies limp over the neighbourhood nicknamed Little Mogadishu, where people living in three highrises gather to talk politics over coffee at a plaza doughnut shop.
It's an anxious time for Toronto's Somalis, who watch as their homeland creeps closer to a Taliban-style state and potential terrorist base, and ask: Why isn't Canada doing more to prevent it?
So far, their efforts to get a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay to plea for a special envoy to Somalia's peace negotiations haven't succeeded. Somalis who came here as refugees over the past 20 years have tasted Canadian democracy, and many deeply want to see elected government installed in the African nation, which fell into clan warfare in the early 1990s.
Eleven have actually left behind secure jobs and homes in Canada to serve as members of parliament in a struggling 275-member transitional government, formed in 2004 after protracted negotiations.
Minister of Telecommunications Ali Ahmed Jama and Minister of State for Defence Ali Mohamed Hareed are Canadian citizens.
[. . .]
Read all of Surya Bhattacharya's Star article. Some "Canadians" fly foreign flags; others serve foreign governments. Too many Canadian citizens feel loyalty to countries other than Canada. Having grown up as part of Toronto's Ukrainian community, which is passionately interested in Ukraine, I do understand why many immigrants continue to care about the countries they left. It's hard to shut off your feelings especially if the people you left behind are suffering.
Dual loyalties might not be such a problem if the number of immigrants was small, but almost half of Toronto's residents were born abroad and that doesn't include their Canadian-born children who may also care about their parents' former homelands.
I don't mean to be callous, but I can't see any reason why Ottawa should involve itself in Somali politics. There might be a reason I'm unaware of, but Ottawa should be guided by Canada's national interest and not the wishes of any one ethnic community. Historian Jack Granatstein has expressed concern about Ottawa pandering to ethnic groups when making foreign policy.
We have more than enough serious problems in Toronto. In fact, many of these problems are caused by the immigration and refugee policies that brought the Somalis here in the first place.
Harper may challenge aboriginal fisheries
From the Globe and Mail (PM's letter reignites native fishery issue by Petti Fong and Bill Curry, July 12):
The long-running, racially charged issue of native fisheries was reignited this week with a pledge from Prime Minister Stephen Harper that his government will oppose "racially divided" programs.
A letter to the editor signed by the Prime Minister that appeared in the Calgary Herald last week is making the rounds at a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations in Vancouver and raising concerns among native leaders.
"Let me be clear -- in the coming months, we will strike a judicial inquiry into the collapse of the Fraser River salmon fishery and oppose racially divided fisheries programs," Mr. Harper's letter states.
Since 1992 and for the past 14 fishing seasons, natives and non-natives have been fighting in the courts over native-only fisheries.
That tension has, on occasion, spilled over into violence on the Fraser River.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
The long-running, racially charged issue of native fisheries was reignited this week with a pledge from Prime Minister Stephen Harper that his government will oppose "racially divided" programs.
A letter to the editor signed by the Prime Minister that appeared in the Calgary Herald last week is making the rounds at a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations in Vancouver and raising concerns among native leaders.
"Let me be clear -- in the coming months, we will strike a judicial inquiry into the collapse of the Fraser River salmon fishery and oppose racially divided fisheries programs," Mr. Harper's letter states.
Since 1992 and for the past 14 fishing seasons, natives and non-natives have been fighting in the courts over native-only fisheries.
That tension has, on occasion, spilled over into violence on the Fraser River.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Suspect in New York bomb plot may have sought visa to Canada
From the Canadian Press via the Globe and Mail (Bomb-plot suspect sought visa to Canada by Dene Moore, July 12):
A former Quebec university student suspected in a terrorist plot to bomb commuter trains in New York had applied for a visa to return to Canada before his arrest, according to a terrorism expert familiar with the case.
Fawaz Gerges, chairman of Middle Eastern studies at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, said Lebanese security forces told him that Assem Hammoud had applied to the Canadian embassy in Lebanon prior to his April 27 arrest.
"The rationale within the Lebanese intelligence community is that he was planning to go to Canada after he completed military training in Pakistan," Prof. Gerges, a U.S. news media commentator, said in an interview from Beirut yesterday. "The rationale is that the reason why he wanted to go to Canada was the proximity to the United States."
An official from Citizenship and Immigration Canada could not confirm whether the embassy in Lebanon had received such an application from Mr. Hammoud.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
A former Quebec university student suspected in a terrorist plot to bomb commuter trains in New York had applied for a visa to return to Canada before his arrest, according to a terrorism expert familiar with the case.
Fawaz Gerges, chairman of Middle Eastern studies at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, said Lebanese security forces told him that Assem Hammoud had applied to the Canadian embassy in Lebanon prior to his April 27 arrest.
"The rationale within the Lebanese intelligence community is that he was planning to go to Canada after he completed military training in Pakistan," Prof. Gerges, a U.S. news media commentator, said in an interview from Beirut yesterday. "The rationale is that the reason why he wanted to go to Canada was the proximity to the United States."
An official from Citizenship and Immigration Canada could not confirm whether the embassy in Lebanon had received such an application from Mr. Hammoud.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
7-year sentence for beating Jomar Lanot to death. What role did race play in the killing?
From the CBC (7-year sentence for teen killer, July 12):
The only person convicted in the fatal swarming of a Vancouver teen in 2003 has been given a seven-year jail term — a tougher sentence than asked for by the Crown.
Muzil Abdullah, 19, had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the beating death of Jomar Lanot, 17, near Sir Charles Tupper Secondary in East Vancouver.
Lanot was chased and then beaten to death by a group of teens.
[. . .]
The judge called it a planned, cold-blooded killing of a defenceless innocent young man who was on his way home when he was set upon by the group, beaten and left to die.
[. . .]
Read all of the CBC article. This article says nothing about the ethnicity of either the victim or his attackers, but according to an earlier CBC article:
The Filipino student was swarmed by a group of Indo-Canadian youths at Sir Charles Tupper School, and was badly beaten. He died later of head injuries at Vancouver General Hospital.
Also from an article in the Asian Pacific Post (Vancouver School Board says racism charges are “illogical”, July 9):
The Vancouver School Board is describing charges by a Filipino youth group that it is systemically racist as illogical and ludicrous.
The charges were leveled by the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance during the recent sentencing hearing for Jomar Lanot's killer.
“In November 2003, 17 year-old Mao Jomar Lanot was beaten outside of Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School by a group of teens. Nearly three years after his death, we as an organization of Filipino youth and students, still question whether things have improved since Mao Jomar’s death,” the alliance said in a statement.
“The tragic death of Mao Jomar Lanot is a concrete example of systemic racism in Canadian institutions such as the Vancouver School Board which puts up barriers to the genuine equality and development of Filipino and other youth of colour.”
“One of these barriers is the Vancouver School Board and other institutions’ severe lack of understanding about the realities of Filipino and youth of colour,” the alliance said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
The only person convicted in the fatal swarming of a Vancouver teen in 2003 has been given a seven-year jail term — a tougher sentence than asked for by the Crown.
Muzil Abdullah, 19, had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the beating death of Jomar Lanot, 17, near Sir Charles Tupper Secondary in East Vancouver.
Lanot was chased and then beaten to death by a group of teens.
[. . .]
The judge called it a planned, cold-blooded killing of a defenceless innocent young man who was on his way home when he was set upon by the group, beaten and left to die.
[. . .]
Read all of the CBC article. This article says nothing about the ethnicity of either the victim or his attackers, but according to an earlier CBC article:
The Filipino student was swarmed by a group of Indo-Canadian youths at Sir Charles Tupper School, and was badly beaten. He died later of head injuries at Vancouver General Hospital.
Also from an article in the Asian Pacific Post (Vancouver School Board says racism charges are “illogical”, July 9):
The Vancouver School Board is describing charges by a Filipino youth group that it is systemically racist as illogical and ludicrous.
The charges were leveled by the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance during the recent sentencing hearing for Jomar Lanot's killer.
“In November 2003, 17 year-old Mao Jomar Lanot was beaten outside of Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School by a group of teens. Nearly three years after his death, we as an organization of Filipino youth and students, still question whether things have improved since Mao Jomar’s death,” the alliance said in a statement.
“The tragic death of Mao Jomar Lanot is a concrete example of systemic racism in Canadian institutions such as the Vancouver School Board which puts up barriers to the genuine equality and development of Filipino and other youth of colour.”
“One of these barriers is the Vancouver School Board and other institutions’ severe lack of understanding about the realities of Filipino and youth of colour,” the alliance said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
National Post apologizes to Portuguese soccer fans.
Correction: I made a mistake. The Post's apology was for another blog entry not the one by Shawn Micallef from Spacing Wire that I cited. The Post did print part of Shawn Micallef's blog post, but that's not the one they apologized for. The apology was for quoting another blog entirely. That other blog apparently had some racist comments. See Matt B's comment below. The Post's use of Shawn Micallef's blog entry without permission is discussed here.
I saw this notice in today's National Post:
AN APOLOGY
Our mailbox has filled up this week with e-mails from readers concerned about our "Blogtown" excerpt of a Web posting critical of how residents of the west end, particularly those of Portuguese heritage, were celebrating the World Cup. The "Blogtown" feature is a regular item meant to be a snapshot of what Torontonians are talking about, and including it in the paper was not an endorsement of what was said. In retrospect, though, the item should not have been included in the paper, and we unreservedly apologize for it.
I did a search and this is the blog entry the National Post excerpted: Is it cute multiculturalism or scary hooliganism? I don't see why the Post apologized for printing part of it. [I made a mistake. Please see correction above.] It is an accurate account of what was happening in the west end during the World Cup. Here's an excerpt:
A few of us have been complaining about the World Cup celebrations going on around Toronto. Quietly, to ourselves, not wanting to be the inevitable naysayer or rain on somebody’s else’s parade. I even want to like it.
[. . .]
This World Cup though, there are maniacs out in the streets before the games even begin, screaming and baying, seemingly ready to drag ethnic corpses through the streets like Toronto was Mogadishu. Sweaty, drunken, shirtless nationalism performing for TV cameras — nothing seems organic or natural and most importantly, happy. On Dundas last week the Fire Department had to hose the blood off the streets after a brawl.
The blog includes an excerpt from a column by the Globe and Mail's John Barber. The comments are interesting too. Some Portuguese fans are offended:
Wow! To say that I am shocked and appaled at reading not only the article by John Barber but subsequent posts by people supporting this garbage is an understatement. Pardon my grammar and spelling but at the moment all I see is red! I am Portuguese and have been amongst the horde of “drunken, macho, aggressive date-rape-ready gauntlet” as Shawn put it. From my perspective it has all been about the celebration for our country’s success , a success that we have never achieved in that level of competition to date ...
I don't think this guy would like my comments about Portuguese fans either. See, for example, this entry: More obnoxious Portuguese soccer fans. I'm not saying all Portuguese fans are the same, but I saw a lot of reckless driving during the World Cup. I don't know about "date-rape ready" or "drunken", but "macho" and "aggressive" certainly apply. I can't say the Portuguese were worse than others, but in my part of town they were the ones I saw. Ukrainians were celebrating in the Bloor-High Park area and apparently some non-Ukrainians weren't too happy about it. Italian fans were upsetting other people.
I felt an undercurrent of aggression during the celebrations. The way the fans raced down residential streets honking their horns and waving flags out the window made it seem to me like they were claiming my neighbourhood as their territory.
A lot of us aren't Portuguese and this is our neighbourhood too. More than anything else we're living in Canada not Portugal. While some of the people waving Portuguese flags would be waving Canadian flags if Canada won a sports tournament, a lot of them wouldn't be.
My parents were born in Europe and I've lived my whole life surrounded by immigrants. I've met far too many who care more about where they came from than about where they're living now. Multiculturalism tells them it's ok to feel this way. That's not the intention of the policy, but that's the effect in many cases.
Again, I'm not saying all immigrants are the same. I've met newcomers who have a real appreciation for Canada, because they don't take for granted what a lot of native-born Canadians do.
Newspapers, especially the Toronto Star, publish a lot of fluff pieces about how everyone in Toronto gets along and how Canadians have succeeded in building a peaceful, tolerant multicultural society. We're told we're better than those intolerant Americans who supposedly insist immigrants assimilate or those nasty Europeans who supposedly force immigrants to live in ghettos.
Things aren't that simple. Toronto is not a multicultural paradise. There is a fair amount of ethnic and racial tension in this city. It's mostly muted, but every once in a while it bursts out into the open. Look at some of the examples I've blogged about:
black students harassing and sexually abusing a white girl
the murder of a white boy by a South Asian mob
a clash between Filipino and white youth that led to the police shooting of Jeffrey Reodica
rival Somali and Jamaican girl gangs at a Toronto high school
I realize some people would scoff at me for saying this, but Toronto is tinder-box waiting to explode. That's why the World Cup celebrations concern me. All this passionate waving of foreign flags shows how divided this city is. One out of control soccer celebration would be enough to start a major riot. Nothing is inevitable, but the potential is definitely there.
I saw this notice in today's National Post:
AN APOLOGY
Our mailbox has filled up this week with e-mails from readers concerned about our "Blogtown" excerpt of a Web posting critical of how residents of the west end, particularly those of Portuguese heritage, were celebrating the World Cup. The "Blogtown" feature is a regular item meant to be a snapshot of what Torontonians are talking about, and including it in the paper was not an endorsement of what was said. In retrospect, though, the item should not have been included in the paper, and we unreservedly apologize for it.
I did a search and this is the blog entry the National Post excerpted: Is it cute multiculturalism or scary hooliganism? I don't see why the Post apologized for printing part of it. [I made a mistake. Please see correction above.] It is an accurate account of what was happening in the west end during the World Cup. Here's an excerpt:
A few of us have been complaining about the World Cup celebrations going on around Toronto. Quietly, to ourselves, not wanting to be the inevitable naysayer or rain on somebody’s else’s parade. I even want to like it.
[. . .]
This World Cup though, there are maniacs out in the streets before the games even begin, screaming and baying, seemingly ready to drag ethnic corpses through the streets like Toronto was Mogadishu. Sweaty, drunken, shirtless nationalism performing for TV cameras — nothing seems organic or natural and most importantly, happy. On Dundas last week the Fire Department had to hose the blood off the streets after a brawl.
The blog includes an excerpt from a column by the Globe and Mail's John Barber. The comments are interesting too. Some Portuguese fans are offended:
Wow! To say that I am shocked and appaled at reading not only the article by John Barber but subsequent posts by people supporting this garbage is an understatement. Pardon my grammar and spelling but at the moment all I see is red! I am Portuguese and have been amongst the horde of “drunken, macho, aggressive date-rape-ready gauntlet” as Shawn put it. From my perspective it has all been about the celebration for our country’s success , a success that we have never achieved in that level of competition to date ...
I don't think this guy would like my comments about Portuguese fans either. See, for example, this entry: More obnoxious Portuguese soccer fans. I'm not saying all Portuguese fans are the same, but I saw a lot of reckless driving during the World Cup. I don't know about "date-rape ready" or "drunken", but "macho" and "aggressive" certainly apply. I can't say the Portuguese were worse than others, but in my part of town they were the ones I saw. Ukrainians were celebrating in the Bloor-High Park area and apparently some non-Ukrainians weren't too happy about it. Italian fans were upsetting other people.
I felt an undercurrent of aggression during the celebrations. The way the fans raced down residential streets honking their horns and waving flags out the window made it seem to me like they were claiming my neighbourhood as their territory.
A lot of us aren't Portuguese and this is our neighbourhood too. More than anything else we're living in Canada not Portugal. While some of the people waving Portuguese flags would be waving Canadian flags if Canada won a sports tournament, a lot of them wouldn't be.
My parents were born in Europe and I've lived my whole life surrounded by immigrants. I've met far too many who care more about where they came from than about where they're living now. Multiculturalism tells them it's ok to feel this way. That's not the intention of the policy, but that's the effect in many cases.
Again, I'm not saying all immigrants are the same. I've met newcomers who have a real appreciation for Canada, because they don't take for granted what a lot of native-born Canadians do.
Newspapers, especially the Toronto Star, publish a lot of fluff pieces about how everyone in Toronto gets along and how Canadians have succeeded in building a peaceful, tolerant multicultural society. We're told we're better than those intolerant Americans who supposedly insist immigrants assimilate or those nasty Europeans who supposedly force immigrants to live in ghettos.
Things aren't that simple. Toronto is not a multicultural paradise. There is a fair amount of ethnic and racial tension in this city. It's mostly muted, but every once in a while it bursts out into the open. Look at some of the examples I've blogged about:
black students harassing and sexually abusing a white girl
the murder of a white boy by a South Asian mob
a clash between Filipino and white youth that led to the police shooting of Jeffrey Reodica
rival Somali and Jamaican girl gangs at a Toronto high school
I realize some people would scoff at me for saying this, but Toronto is tinder-box waiting to explode. That's why the World Cup celebrations concern me. All this passionate waving of foreign flags shows how divided this city is. One out of control soccer celebration would be enough to start a major riot. Nothing is inevitable, but the potential is definitely there.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Study says Canada not doing enough to integrate immigrants
From the Globe and Mail (Canada not welcoming to immigrants, study finds by Marina Jimenez, July 11):
Canada is undermining the integration of immigrants and contributing to their social isolation despite the fact that the country relies on immigration for population and labour market growth, says a new report obtained by The Globe and Mail.
The latest waves of newcomers are better educated than their predecessors, but they have had a more difficult time obtaining employment, reuniting with their families and getting language training, proper housing and even health services.
Some of the more than three dozen immigrants interviewed said they are worse off than they were in their homelands, according to the report, which was undertaken on behalf of Community Foundations Canada and the Law Commission of Canada.
[. . .]
Every year, between 230,000 and 260,000 immigrants come to Canada. The RBC Financial Group recently found that immigrants who have arrived during the past two decades have had a harder time catching up to their Canadian-born counterparts, a trend attributed in part to cutbacks in settlement programs and difficulty finding work.
One in six young, highly educated male immigrants leaves Canada within a year due to the job market, a 2006 Statistics Canada study shows. "That is quite shocking. Canada should be trying to keep those people," says Ms. Wayland.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Canada is undermining the integration of immigrants and contributing to their social isolation despite the fact that the country relies on immigration for population and labour market growth, says a new report obtained by The Globe and Mail.
The latest waves of newcomers are better educated than their predecessors, but they have had a more difficult time obtaining employment, reuniting with their families and getting language training, proper housing and even health services.
Some of the more than three dozen immigrants interviewed said they are worse off than they were in their homelands, according to the report, which was undertaken on behalf of Community Foundations Canada and the Law Commission of Canada.
[. . .]
Every year, between 230,000 and 260,000 immigrants come to Canada. The RBC Financial Group recently found that immigrants who have arrived during the past two decades have had a harder time catching up to their Canadian-born counterparts, a trend attributed in part to cutbacks in settlement programs and difficulty finding work.
One in six young, highly educated male immigrants leaves Canada within a year due to the job market, a 2006 Statistics Canada study shows. "That is quite shocking. Canada should be trying to keep those people," says Ms. Wayland.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Youth job plan failing
From the Toronto Sun (Job plan failing by Brodie Fenlon, July 11):
Corporate Toronto has badly failed a much-hyped challenge to create 1,000 jobs for youths from the city's neediest neighbourhoods because of racial stereotypes and boardroom bureaucracy, a Malvern youth employment worker says.
The Youth ONE program, announced in late March by the Toronto Board of Trade and the city, seeks to partner businesses with young people from the poorest and most dangerous neighbourhoods.
The goal was to create 1,000 jobs and training experiences by Sept. 1 in 13 priority neighbourhoods identified in the city's Community Safety Plan. To date, only 82 positions have been created by just 20 participating firms, despite the board having 10,000 members.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Corporate Toronto has badly failed a much-hyped challenge to create 1,000 jobs for youths from the city's neediest neighbourhoods because of racial stereotypes and boardroom bureaucracy, a Malvern youth employment worker says.
The Youth ONE program, announced in late March by the Toronto Board of Trade and the city, seeks to partner businesses with young people from the poorest and most dangerous neighbourhoods.
The goal was to create 1,000 jobs and training experiences by Sept. 1 in 13 priority neighbourhoods identified in the city's Community Safety Plan. To date, only 82 positions have been created by just 20 participating firms, despite the board having 10,000 members.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Lawyer claims Canada's anti-terror laws are 'racist'
From the Toronto Sun (Terror laws racist: Lawyer by Ian McDougall):
Canada's anti-terror legislation is discriminatory because it focuses solely on Muslim and "brown" organizations, lawyer Rocco Galati charged yesterday in a courtroom here.
The legislation is unfair because it fails to list "white" groups, like the Ku Klux Klan, in an index of organizations considered by Ottawa to have terrorist links, Galati said.
[. . .]
Galati was arguing in front of Justice Bruce Durno why his client, Ahmad Ghany, should have his bail hearing in front of a Superior Court Justice instead of a justice of the peace. Ghany was one of 18 arrested in last month's counterterrorism raids.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Canada's anti-terror legislation is discriminatory because it focuses solely on Muslim and "brown" organizations, lawyer Rocco Galati charged yesterday in a courtroom here.
The legislation is unfair because it fails to list "white" groups, like the Ku Klux Klan, in an index of organizations considered by Ottawa to have terrorist links, Galati said.
[. . .]
Galati was arguing in front of Justice Bruce Durno why his client, Ahmad Ghany, should have his bail hearing in front of a Superior Court Justice instead of a justice of the peace. Ghany was one of 18 arrested in last month's counterterrorism raids.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Toronto is in decline - Sun columnist
Sue-Ann Levy writes in the Toronto Sun (Our city's in decline, July 9):
On Canada Day, I took a trek by bike to the Toronto Islands.
What should have been an easy five-kilometre jaunt down to the ferry docks from my Yorkville home turned into an obstacle course. I found myself weaving around a gauntlet of construction crews repairing two separate water main breaks, potholes, sidewalk cracks that looked more like gullies, windblown coffee cups and papers and a phalanx of street people.
[. . .]
Camber, who lives on an island off the northeast coast of Florida, was just one of dozens of people who responded to a column I wrote two Sundays ago about Toronto's tired, shabby and decrepit state.
I received e-mails from readers living both in Toronto and far beyond it -- all expressing despair about the city's less than beautiful parks; the grafitti, posters and filled-to-overfilling litter bins that are too few and far between; the cracked sidewalks decorated with dog poop and unkempt weeds; the sour smells from city sewers and even the the highly touted "litter vacuums" that some say leave behind as much trash as they pick up.
For most, the plethora of panhandlers around the city is by far the biggest sign Toronto has fallen into disrepair.
[. . .]
Read all of Sue-Ann Levy's column.
On Canada Day, I took a trek by bike to the Toronto Islands.
What should have been an easy five-kilometre jaunt down to the ferry docks from my Yorkville home turned into an obstacle course. I found myself weaving around a gauntlet of construction crews repairing two separate water main breaks, potholes, sidewalk cracks that looked more like gullies, windblown coffee cups and papers and a phalanx of street people.
[. . .]
Camber, who lives on an island off the northeast coast of Florida, was just one of dozens of people who responded to a column I wrote two Sundays ago about Toronto's tired, shabby and decrepit state.
I received e-mails from readers living both in Toronto and far beyond it -- all expressing despair about the city's less than beautiful parks; the grafitti, posters and filled-to-overfilling litter bins that are too few and far between; the cracked sidewalks decorated with dog poop and unkempt weeds; the sour smells from city sewers and even the the highly touted "litter vacuums" that some say leave behind as much trash as they pick up.
For most, the plethora of panhandlers around the city is by far the biggest sign Toronto has fallen into disrepair.
[. . .]
Read all of Sue-Ann Levy's column.
RCMP questions suspect in New York bomb plot
From the Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (RCMP watch suspect in N.Y. bomb plot by Jim Bronskill, July 10):
A suspected accomplice in a plot to bomb tunnels in New York City was questioned by RCMP for an entire day and remains under surveillance in Montreal, The Canadian Press has learned.
A source familiar with the investigation said the man is a friend of Assem Hammoud, pegged by U.S. authorities as a key figure in the purported scheme to flood lower Manhattan by blowing up commuter tunnels.
The 31-year-old Hammoud, who taught business ethics and human resources courses at a Beirut school, earned a commerce degree from Montreal's Concordia University four years ago after seven years of study in Canada.
[. . .]
The Canadian was not named by authorities.
However, CP reported Friday that Canadian police questioned a man they suspected of active involvement in the alleged conspiracy.
He was released because there wasn't enough evidence to hold him.
Still, sources say Canadian authorities are actively pursuing leads as part of a six-country investigation into the alleged plot.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
A suspected accomplice in a plot to bomb tunnels in New York City was questioned by RCMP for an entire day and remains under surveillance in Montreal, The Canadian Press has learned.
A source familiar with the investigation said the man is a friend of Assem Hammoud, pegged by U.S. authorities as a key figure in the purported scheme to flood lower Manhattan by blowing up commuter tunnels.
The 31-year-old Hammoud, who taught business ethics and human resources courses at a Beirut school, earned a commerce degree from Montreal's Concordia University four years ago after seven years of study in Canada.
[. . .]
The Canadian was not named by authorities.
However, CP reported Friday that Canadian police questioned a man they suspected of active involvement in the alleged conspiracy.
He was released because there wasn't enough evidence to hold him.
Still, sources say Canadian authorities are actively pursuing leads as part of a six-country investigation into the alleged plot.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Harkat denies he's a security risk. CSIS says he's an al-Qaeda sleeper agent.
From the Globe and Mail (Not a security risk, Harkat says, seeking charges or freedom by Jeff Sallot, July 10):
In his first public statement since his release on bail, Mohammed Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, denied federal government allegations that he poses a national security risk to Canada.
[. . .]
Mr. Harkat, 37, has been held in various Canadian jails for more than three years, fighting deportation to his native Algeria, where he says he would be tortured or killed. The Federal Court set conditions for his release on bail last month while he challenges the constitutionality of the deportation order in the Supreme Court of Canada.
[. . .]
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service alleges that Mr. Harkat is an al-Qaeda “sleeper agent” and was trained in Afghanistan at one of Osama bin Laden's camps.
Mr. Harkat denied ever setting foot in Afghanistan but acknowledges working for a while in the 1990s for a charity in neighbouring Pakistan.
He acknowledged, however, that he used a false passport to make his way to Canada, where he claimed refugee status.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also The CSIS case against Mohamed Harkat
In his first public statement since his release on bail, Mohammed Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, denied federal government allegations that he poses a national security risk to Canada.
[. . .]
Mr. Harkat, 37, has been held in various Canadian jails for more than three years, fighting deportation to his native Algeria, where he says he would be tortured or killed. The Federal Court set conditions for his release on bail last month while he challenges the constitutionality of the deportation order in the Supreme Court of Canada.
[. . .]
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service alleges that Mr. Harkat is an al-Qaeda “sleeper agent” and was trained in Afghanistan at one of Osama bin Laden's camps.
Mr. Harkat denied ever setting foot in Afghanistan but acknowledges working for a while in the 1990s for a charity in neighbouring Pakistan.
He acknowledged, however, that he used a false passport to make his way to Canada, where he claimed refugee status.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
See also The CSIS case against Mohamed Harkat
They want to change Canada's motto. From sea to sea is too "Eurocentric".
From the Globe and Mail (Sea change coming for our motto? by Ingrid Peretz, July 10):
If boosters get their way, Canada would amend its "From sea to sea" motto by tacking on a reference to the Arctic Ocean. In a country defined by its geography, engraving "sea to sea to sea" into the official motto would give the overlooked North its due, they say.
More than symbolism, as climate change melts the North's ice and exposes its shorelines, the newly minted motto would help Canada assert its sovereignty over the Arctic, advocates say.
And besides, it's too Eurocentric:
Some say the existing motto reflects a Eurocentric view of Canada. Former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson, who supports the change, says "sea to sea" marks an outdated view of Canada.
"It's in European terms: You go marching across [from sea to sea]," Ms. Clarkson said in an interview. "But going up, which more and more people realize is the way we have to conceptualize ourselves, is something that should be in our motto.
Read the whole article.
If boosters get their way, Canada would amend its "From sea to sea" motto by tacking on a reference to the Arctic Ocean. In a country defined by its geography, engraving "sea to sea to sea" into the official motto would give the overlooked North its due, they say.
More than symbolism, as climate change melts the North's ice and exposes its shorelines, the newly minted motto would help Canada assert its sovereignty over the Arctic, advocates say.
And besides, it's too Eurocentric:
Some say the existing motto reflects a Eurocentric view of Canada. Former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson, who supports the change, says "sea to sea" marks an outdated view of Canada.
"It's in European terms: You go marching across [from sea to sea]," Ms. Clarkson said in an interview. "But going up, which more and more people realize is the way we have to conceptualize ourselves, is something that should be in our motto.
Read the whole article.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
See. I told you. I'm not the only one annoyed by noisy soccer celebrations
Edward Michael George writes:
Italy beats France in a shoot-out and takes the 2006 World Cup ... Suffice it to say that, in spite of my total indifference to the competition, I am extremely disappointed by the outcome. Anyone who lives within a stone's throw of the Corso Italia, as I do, will understand this.
[. . .]
I live within walking distance and I do understand.
Italy beats France in a shoot-out and takes the 2006 World Cup ... Suffice it to say that, in spite of my total indifference to the competition, I am extremely disappointed by the outcome. Anyone who lives within a stone's throw of the Corso Italia, as I do, will understand this.
[. . .]
I live within walking distance and I do understand.
More ethnic pandering from Stephen Harper
This statement from Stephen Harper was sent out on his public email list.
July 9, 2006
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on Italy's World Cup final victory.
“Canadians gathered today in our cities, towns and public squares to watch the World Cup soccer final in a vivid example of our country's passion for athletics and competition. I was pleased to watch the game with my son, Ben, and friends in Calgary.
“On behalf of Canada’s New Government, I would like to congratulate Italy on its World Cup victory, and wish Italian-Canadians the most joyous of celebrations.
“I would also like to congratulate France and its supporters on a hard-fought tournament, and take this opportunity to express my deep desire to see Canada join the world's best in South Africa in 2010.”
Why should the victory of a foreign soccer team concern the Prime Minister of Canada? I think this announcement is part of the Conservative Party's continuing effort to woo ethnic votes. I suspect the same motive explains Ottawa's decision to contribute $27 million to the construction of a soccer stadium in Toronto. I know that a lot of people see these soccer celebrations as harmless fun. To some extent they are, but they are also divisive and carry with them the potential for violence.
July 9, 2006
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on Italy's World Cup final victory.
“Canadians gathered today in our cities, towns and public squares to watch the World Cup soccer final in a vivid example of our country's passion for athletics and competition. I was pleased to watch the game with my son, Ben, and friends in Calgary.
“On behalf of Canada’s New Government, I would like to congratulate Italy on its World Cup victory, and wish Italian-Canadians the most joyous of celebrations.
“I would also like to congratulate France and its supporters on a hard-fought tournament, and take this opportunity to express my deep desire to see Canada join the world's best in South Africa in 2010.”
Why should the victory of a foreign soccer team concern the Prime Minister of Canada? I think this announcement is part of the Conservative Party's continuing effort to woo ethnic votes. I suspect the same motive explains Ottawa's decision to contribute $27 million to the construction of a soccer stadium in Toronto. I know that a lot of people see these soccer celebrations as harmless fun. To some extent they are, but they are also divisive and carry with them the potential for violence.
Race and Canadian identity
On Saturday June 24, I wrote this:
It takes time, but many Ukrainians, Germans, Italians, Poles, etc. do lose their ethnic identities and become simply Canadian. But is that the case for non-whites?
I'm not saying you have to be white to feel Canadian, but since Canada is still a white majority society, I suspect most non-whites can't help but have a dual identity. Yes, they are Canadian, but they can't escape the fact that they are also black, Asian, etc. Race is such a powerful force in human affairs that racial minorities are constantly reminded that they are in some ways different from the majority even if any differences outside of physical appearance can't be pinpointed.
Of course, there is some speculation in what I wrote. Being white myself, I can't speak for people of other races. I do know that my European ancestry is one aspect of my personal identity and would assume that being Asian, black, etc. would be an aspect of other peoples identities. I don't believe anyone is colour-blind.
I mention all this, because today I came across this passage in a Toronto Star article (The ties that bind us by Prithi Yelaja and Nicholas Keung, June 24):
After five years in Canada, Tandon, now a United Way manager, watches television channels from India, sees Bollywood movies on DVD and reads Indian newspapers online.
"I'm from Delhi, which is the political hub of the country, so I have to keep up with what's going on," he argues, but points out that he's equally interested in Canadian news and politics. His heart may be in India, but he loves Canada for its sense of social justice, progressiveness and inclusion.
"I think of myself as an Indo-Canadian. I have a foot in both worlds and the best of both worlds. My mother and sister live in India, but if they were here, this would be the best place in the world."
That today's immigrants are likely to be "visible minorities" may also affect their feelings of belonging and thus connection to Canada.
When it comes to identity, says Stephen Lam, if you're Chinese, "You are Chinese no matter what. In that sense, you can't be `Canadian' because you look Chinese. But we all have Canadian citizenship and we share the definition of Canadian, that it is a mixture of many different identities and it's not just one."
Yet Lam says he found a sense of belonging here he never had in Hong Kong, which he left in 1992.
"Hong Kong is a city. It wasn't a country. It wasn't really part of the United Kingdom or China. People there never had a strong identity of who they were," says Lam, 62, now a Markham social worker. "That's why I was so emotional when I sang Canada's national anthem at the citizenship ceremony, because I finally found a place where I belong."
Canada's racial demography is changing rapidly, because the vast majority of new immigrants come from outside Europe. (See, for example, the previous item about police using cricket to recruit new officers from Toronto's fast growing South Asian population.)
This demographic change is bound to have a profound affect on Canadian life. The people who promote immigration know this. That's why the Toronto Star runs special reports on the subject. Yet, this transformation is happening without any public debate, because virtually all criticism of immigration for whatever reason is dismissed as racism.
Last year when Ontario's environmental commissioner, Gord Miller, wrote a report warning of the environmental impact of high levels of immigration, some people accused him of racism. If a man can be called racist for talking about immigration and the environment, you can imagine how anyone who openly opposed Canada's racial transformation would be treated.
But why shouldn't we talk about it? If Canada is a democracy, Canadians, most of whom are white, should have the right to decide whether they want Canada to become a white-minority country. I don't want to be part of a racial minority. Who does?
It takes time, but many Ukrainians, Germans, Italians, Poles, etc. do lose their ethnic identities and become simply Canadian. But is that the case for non-whites?
I'm not saying you have to be white to feel Canadian, but since Canada is still a white majority society, I suspect most non-whites can't help but have a dual identity. Yes, they are Canadian, but they can't escape the fact that they are also black, Asian, etc. Race is such a powerful force in human affairs that racial minorities are constantly reminded that they are in some ways different from the majority even if any differences outside of physical appearance can't be pinpointed.
Of course, there is some speculation in what I wrote. Being white myself, I can't speak for people of other races. I do know that my European ancestry is one aspect of my personal identity and would assume that being Asian, black, etc. would be an aspect of other peoples identities. I don't believe anyone is colour-blind.
I mention all this, because today I came across this passage in a Toronto Star article (The ties that bind us by Prithi Yelaja and Nicholas Keung, June 24):
After five years in Canada, Tandon, now a United Way manager, watches television channels from India, sees Bollywood movies on DVD and reads Indian newspapers online.
"I'm from Delhi, which is the political hub of the country, so I have to keep up with what's going on," he argues, but points out that he's equally interested in Canadian news and politics. His heart may be in India, but he loves Canada for its sense of social justice, progressiveness and inclusion.
"I think of myself as an Indo-Canadian. I have a foot in both worlds and the best of both worlds. My mother and sister live in India, but if they were here, this would be the best place in the world."
That today's immigrants are likely to be "visible minorities" may also affect their feelings of belonging and thus connection to Canada.
When it comes to identity, says Stephen Lam, if you're Chinese, "You are Chinese no matter what. In that sense, you can't be `Canadian' because you look Chinese. But we all have Canadian citizenship and we share the definition of Canadian, that it is a mixture of many different identities and it's not just one."
Yet Lam says he found a sense of belonging here he never had in Hong Kong, which he left in 1992.
"Hong Kong is a city. It wasn't a country. It wasn't really part of the United Kingdom or China. People there never had a strong identity of who they were," says Lam, 62, now a Markham social worker. "That's why I was so emotional when I sang Canada's national anthem at the citizenship ceremony, because I finally found a place where I belong."
Canada's racial demography is changing rapidly, because the vast majority of new immigrants come from outside Europe. (See, for example, the previous item about police using cricket to recruit new officers from Toronto's fast growing South Asian population.)
This demographic change is bound to have a profound affect on Canadian life. The people who promote immigration know this. That's why the Toronto Star runs special reports on the subject. Yet, this transformation is happening without any public debate, because virtually all criticism of immigration for whatever reason is dismissed as racism.
Last year when Ontario's environmental commissioner, Gord Miller, wrote a report warning of the environmental impact of high levels of immigration, some people accused him of racism. If a man can be called racist for talking about immigration and the environment, you can imagine how anyone who openly opposed Canada's racial transformation would be treated.
But why shouldn't we talk about it? If Canada is a democracy, Canadians, most of whom are white, should have the right to decide whether they want Canada to become a white-minority country. I don't want to be part of a racial minority. Who does?
Police use cricket to attract South Asian recruits
From the Toronto Star (Toronto police find a wicket way to recruit by Prithi Yelaja, July 8):
Toronto police are planning a recruitment drive today using the usual draw for young males: sports.
The twist? The targets are South Asian, and the game cricket.
"Whether you come from India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, cricket is the main game," says Zul Kassamali, co-chair of the force's South Asian Consultative Committee. "It's like hockey is to Canada."
At a time when Toronto police are competing with the OPP, RCMP and other local forces for recruits that will help them better reflect the communities they serve, today's youth/officer match in Scarborough is a friendly way to introduce the idea of a police career to one of several groups the force is targeting — including blacks, Chinese, aboriginals, gays and women.
South Asians are poised to become the largest visible-minority group in this country by 2017, with 1.8 million people, according to Statistics Canada.
But in a culture that puts a premium on upward mobility, persuading South Asians to enter policing is a bit of an uphill battle, Kassamali admits.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Toronto police are planning a recruitment drive today using the usual draw for young males: sports.
The twist? The targets are South Asian, and the game cricket.
"Whether you come from India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, cricket is the main game," says Zul Kassamali, co-chair of the force's South Asian Consultative Committee. "It's like hockey is to Canada."
At a time when Toronto police are competing with the OPP, RCMP and other local forces for recruits that will help them better reflect the communities they serve, today's youth/officer match in Scarborough is a friendly way to introduce the idea of a police career to one of several groups the force is targeting — including blacks, Chinese, aboriginals, gays and women.
South Asians are poised to become the largest visible-minority group in this country by 2017, with 1.8 million people, according to Statistics Canada.
But in a culture that puts a premium on upward mobility, persuading South Asians to enter policing is a bit of an uphill battle, Kassamali admits.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
More on immigration and interracial marriage
This article by Steve Sailer was written in 2000, but it could well serve as a response to the optimistic Star article about interracial marriage that I just blogged about. Sailer writes (Continued Immigration Retards Growth of Interracial Marriage, June 8, 2000):
Interracial marriage, however, is not a panacea. As my earlier columns on Latin American intermarriage showed, the Mexicans and Brazilians have been intermarrying for 480 years, but the lightest colored Latins remain firmly in control of their darkest colored countrymen. Nor does intermarriage guarantee in which direction assimilation will occur: for example, the majority of our Anglo-Hispanic families speak Spanish at home. Further, intermarriage has its victims. For example, African-American women and East Asian men have trouble finding spouses because other races tend to find them less sexy than black men or East Asian women.
[. . .]
Nonetheless, intermarriage remains the best hope for melding America's races into one nation. In 20th Century America, intermarriage played a major role in melding WASP's, Italians, Germans, Poles, and Jews into a single white race. What broke down the barriers preventing white ethnics from intermarrying? A host of factors including World Wars and the draft, aggressive government-sponsored assimilation programs, and the rise of self-assertive non-white minorities to remind European-Americans of how small their genetic and cultural differences were relative to racial groups from other continents. One of the most important forces, however, was the great mid-century pause in immigration brought about by the 1924 restrictions. This restricted the inflow of potential marriage partners from the Old Country, encouraging young people to consider people from other white racial groups.
Read all of Steve Sailer's article. In May 2000, Sailer wrote a three-part "series on the Mexican racial hierarchy and its implications for America." See here, here and here.
Interracial marriage, however, is not a panacea. As my earlier columns on Latin American intermarriage showed, the Mexicans and Brazilians have been intermarrying for 480 years, but the lightest colored Latins remain firmly in control of their darkest colored countrymen. Nor does intermarriage guarantee in which direction assimilation will occur: for example, the majority of our Anglo-Hispanic families speak Spanish at home. Further, intermarriage has its victims. For example, African-American women and East Asian men have trouble finding spouses because other races tend to find them less sexy than black men or East Asian women.
[. . .]
Nonetheless, intermarriage remains the best hope for melding America's races into one nation. In 20th Century America, intermarriage played a major role in melding WASP's, Italians, Germans, Poles, and Jews into a single white race. What broke down the barriers preventing white ethnics from intermarrying? A host of factors including World Wars and the draft, aggressive government-sponsored assimilation programs, and the rise of self-assertive non-white minorities to remind European-Americans of how small their genetic and cultural differences were relative to racial groups from other continents. One of the most important forces, however, was the great mid-century pause in immigration brought about by the 1924 restrictions. This restricted the inflow of potential marriage partners from the Old Country, encouraging young people to consider people from other white racial groups.
Read all of Steve Sailer's article. In May 2000, Sailer wrote a three-part "series on the Mexican racial hierarchy and its implications for America." See here, here and here.
Toronto Star article about mixed-race families
From the Toronto Star (Are we all going to be latte? by Andrew Chung, July 9):
Charmaine is half black — Asare was born in Ghana. The girl's other half is mostly Chinese. But also East Indian, Spanish, and black — all the ethnic parts that make up her father, whose family emigrated from the Caribbean.
Kids like Charmaine are the new faces of Toronto. As one of the world's most ethnically diverse cities continues its long simmer as a racial and cultural melting pot, there will be more children like Charmaine who blend traditions that were once locked into geographical and ethnocentric isolation.
They are the New Métis. While there are mixed-race individuals a generation older than Charmaine, experts say that today there's a much greater willingness among such adults to define themselves as mixed-race rather than allying themselves with the background of one parent.
Just like the Métis, a culture is emerging around mixed-race people, with its own distinct identity — they have their own websites, books, clothing lines, even dolls. No matter how diverse their backgrounds, these individuals share remarkably similar experiences — including the feeling they don't belong in the culture of either parent.
It's not just happening in Toronto, of course. Statistics Canada reports that 452,000 people were in mixed marriages and common-law unions in 2001, up 35 per cent from 1991.
Furthermore, 328,115 people marked more than one box in the 2001 Canada census question on visible minorities. That's probably an underestimation, sociologists point out, because for a variety of reasons, some people might still check just one box, and recent studies show that many parents also designate their children's background as that of one parent.
In Toronto, where visible minorities are expected to represent more than half the population within the next decade, we're in for a lot more blending.
Read all of Andrew Chung's Star article.
Charmaine is half black — Asare was born in Ghana. The girl's other half is mostly Chinese. But also East Indian, Spanish, and black — all the ethnic parts that make up her father, whose family emigrated from the Caribbean.
Kids like Charmaine are the new faces of Toronto. As one of the world's most ethnically diverse cities continues its long simmer as a racial and cultural melting pot, there will be more children like Charmaine who blend traditions that were once locked into geographical and ethnocentric isolation.
They are the New Métis. While there are mixed-race individuals a generation older than Charmaine, experts say that today there's a much greater willingness among such adults to define themselves as mixed-race rather than allying themselves with the background of one parent.
Just like the Métis, a culture is emerging around mixed-race people, with its own distinct identity — they have their own websites, books, clothing lines, even dolls. No matter how diverse their backgrounds, these individuals share remarkably similar experiences — including the feeling they don't belong in the culture of either parent.
It's not just happening in Toronto, of course. Statistics Canada reports that 452,000 people were in mixed marriages and common-law unions in 2001, up 35 per cent from 1991.
Furthermore, 328,115 people marked more than one box in the 2001 Canada census question on visible minorities. That's probably an underestimation, sociologists point out, because for a variety of reasons, some people might still check just one box, and recent studies show that many parents also designate their children's background as that of one parent.
In Toronto, where visible minorities are expected to represent more than half the population within the next decade, we're in for a lot more blending.
Read all of Andrew Chung's Star article.
A second Michele Mandel column about Canadians duped into marriages of convenience
Two weeks ago I linked to a Toronto Sun column by Michele Mandel about a Cuban man who had duped a Canadian woman into marrying him so that he could come to Canada. Once here, he abandoned her. Mandel has another column about this topic in today's Sun. She writes (Runaway spouses get golden ticket, July 9):
After she bravely told her tale, we were deluged with e-mails and calls from others who also thought they had found true love overseas, only to discover they had been duped into marriages of convenience.
The Canadian Marriage Fraud Victim Society has already documented 200 cases and believes there are many, many more. "Most of those that we have involve spouses from India because we deal largely with the Indo-Canadian community but I think it's happening in all immigrant communities," says spokesman Navdeet Dhillon, an abandoned bride living in Vancouver. "We believe there are thousands of cases but people are too embarrassed to come forward."
[. . .]
These runaway spouses come from every possible nation -- from the Dominican Republic and China to India and Pakistan, even Fiji -- with one common intent, to use a short-term Canadian marriage to escape poverty back home and enjoy the good life here.
[. . .]
In any overseas marriage, says immigration spokesman Melanie Carkner, "they are counselled that this could happen. It's on their application."
In 2005, 45,403 immigrants were sponsored here as spouses or partners. Citizenship and immigration does not keep track of how many complaints they receive about fraudulent marriages but insists that "for the vast majority, it's a positive program."
Read all of Michele Mandel's column.
Last October the Vancouver Province and the Calgary Herald ran a special series about Indian women who had been abandoned by their Indo-Canadian husbands.
Melanie Carkner, the immigration department spokesman quoted in the article, doesn't seem to care that foreigners are conning their way into Canada. It doesn't seem to occur to her that someone who uses fraud to get here may also defraud other Canadians later. Do we want people of this character becoming citizens? This doesn't just concern the abandoned spouses. The integrity of our immigration system is at stake. Ottawa deports people accused, but not convicted, of war crimes if it believes those people lied to immigration authorities. A person who commits fraud isn't a war criminal, but can't they be deported for lying as well? What would prevent a terrorist or a member of a criminal organization from using this method to come to Canada?
After she bravely told her tale, we were deluged with e-mails and calls from others who also thought they had found true love overseas, only to discover they had been duped into marriages of convenience.
The Canadian Marriage Fraud Victim Society has already documented 200 cases and believes there are many, many more. "Most of those that we have involve spouses from India because we deal largely with the Indo-Canadian community but I think it's happening in all immigrant communities," says spokesman Navdeet Dhillon, an abandoned bride living in Vancouver. "We believe there are thousands of cases but people are too embarrassed to come forward."
[. . .]
These runaway spouses come from every possible nation -- from the Dominican Republic and China to India and Pakistan, even Fiji -- with one common intent, to use a short-term Canadian marriage to escape poverty back home and enjoy the good life here.
[. . .]
In any overseas marriage, says immigration spokesman Melanie Carkner, "they are counselled that this could happen. It's on their application."
In 2005, 45,403 immigrants were sponsored here as spouses or partners. Citizenship and immigration does not keep track of how many complaints they receive about fraudulent marriages but insists that "for the vast majority, it's a positive program."
Read all of Michele Mandel's column.
Last October the Vancouver Province and the Calgary Herald ran a special series about Indian women who had been abandoned by their Indo-Canadian husbands.
Melanie Carkner, the immigration department spokesman quoted in the article, doesn't seem to care that foreigners are conning their way into Canada. It doesn't seem to occur to her that someone who uses fraud to get here may also defraud other Canadians later. Do we want people of this character becoming citizens? This doesn't just concern the abandoned spouses. The integrity of our immigration system is at stake. Ottawa deports people accused, but not convicted, of war crimes if it believes those people lied to immigration authorities. A person who commits fraud isn't a war criminal, but can't they be deported for lying as well? What would prevent a terrorist or a member of a criminal organization from using this method to come to Canada?
Canadian Press: New York terror plot suspect went to Concordia but isn't Canadian
From the Canadian Press via Globe and Mail (Terror plot suspect attended university in Montreal: official by Jim Bronskill and Bill Graveland, July 8):
The man pegged as ringleader of an alleged terrorist plot to bomb tunnels in New York attended Montreal's Concordia University in the mid-1990s, The Canadian Press has learned.
And a Beirut TV station says Assem Hammoud was recruited into al-Qaida in 1994 while the Lebanese national was studying in the city.
A source familiar with the case denied media reports that Mr. Hammoud, identified by the FBI as central figure in the scheme, held a valid Canadian passport.
The source told CP on Saturday that neither the 31-year-old Mr. Hammoud nor his parents are Canadian citizens — meaning that if he did ever travel on a Canadian passport, the document was a fake.
Nor has Foreign Affairs received a request for assistance from Mr. Hammoud, as might be expected when a Canadian passport holder runs into trouble abroad.
[. . .]
The source confirmed that Mr. Hammoud, who taught economics at the Lebanese International University in Beirut, where he has been in custody since late April, may still have a girlfriend in Montreal.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. In recent years Concordia has been the scene of clashes between Jewish and Arab students over middle east politics. In September, 2002 a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu was cancelled because of violent protests. Montreal is home to a large number of Arabs from former French colonies such as Algeria. Canada's most notorious Muslim terrorist, Ahmed Ressam, was a failed refugee claimant from Algeria.
The man pegged as ringleader of an alleged terrorist plot to bomb tunnels in New York attended Montreal's Concordia University in the mid-1990s, The Canadian Press has learned.
And a Beirut TV station says Assem Hammoud was recruited into al-Qaida in 1994 while the Lebanese national was studying in the city.
A source familiar with the case denied media reports that Mr. Hammoud, identified by the FBI as central figure in the scheme, held a valid Canadian passport.
The source told CP on Saturday that neither the 31-year-old Mr. Hammoud nor his parents are Canadian citizens — meaning that if he did ever travel on a Canadian passport, the document was a fake.
Nor has Foreign Affairs received a request for assistance from Mr. Hammoud, as might be expected when a Canadian passport holder runs into trouble abroad.
[. . .]
The source confirmed that Mr. Hammoud, who taught economics at the Lebanese International University in Beirut, where he has been in custody since late April, may still have a girlfriend in Montreal.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. In recent years Concordia has been the scene of clashes between Jewish and Arab students over middle east politics. In September, 2002 a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu was cancelled because of violent protests. Montreal is home to a large number of Arabs from former French colonies such as Algeria. Canada's most notorious Muslim terrorist, Ahmed Ressam, was a failed refugee claimant from Algeria.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Daniel Stoffman on the consequences of unchecked immigration
Daniel Stoffman writes in the Toronto Star (When immigration goes awry, July 7):
It's 2020 and, in Toronto, the days when everyone used the public health-care system are gone. So is the time when a majority of affluent, middle-class parents sent their kids to public schools. In 2020, vast tracts of suburban slums occupy what used to be good farmland on the city's outskirts.
Traffic congestion and air pollution are unbearable. Toronto's reputation as one of North America's most livable cities is a distant memory. It's now known as the "Sao Paulo of the north."
This dystopian vision of the future of Canada's largest city is hardly far-fetched. Toronto is already suffering severe growing pains, the result of the federal government's insistence on maintaining the world's largest per capita annual immigration intake — around 250,000 people a year of whom about 43 per cent come to Toronto. That's more than 100,000 newcomers year after year after year.
It is impossible for any city to maintain its social and physical infrastructure in the face of such relentless population growth.
By 2020, Greater Toronto's population will have ballooned from 5 million to 7 million, or even more if immigration levels are raised higher still.
[. . .]
Read all of Daniel Stoffman's commentary.
It's 2020 and, in Toronto, the days when everyone used the public health-care system are gone. So is the time when a majority of affluent, middle-class parents sent their kids to public schools. In 2020, vast tracts of suburban slums occupy what used to be good farmland on the city's outskirts.
Traffic congestion and air pollution are unbearable. Toronto's reputation as one of North America's most livable cities is a distant memory. It's now known as the "Sao Paulo of the north."
This dystopian vision of the future of Canada's largest city is hardly far-fetched. Toronto is already suffering severe growing pains, the result of the federal government's insistence on maintaining the world's largest per capita annual immigration intake — around 250,000 people a year of whom about 43 per cent come to Toronto. That's more than 100,000 newcomers year after year after year.
It is impossible for any city to maintain its social and physical infrastructure in the face of such relentless population growth.
By 2020, Greater Toronto's population will have ballooned from 5 million to 7 million, or even more if immigration levels are raised higher still.
[. . .]
Read all of Daniel Stoffman's commentary.
Another example of how failed refugee claimants can delay deportation with repeated appeals
From CBC News (Deportation mix-up brings family back to Canada, July 7):
A family of three headed to Colombia on a deportation order on Thursday turned around in Buffalo, N.Y., when they found out a court had said they could stay in Canada after all.
The St. Catharines Standard reported that Ivan Fernandez Ortega, his wife Morelia Henao and their six-year-old son Michael left St. Catharines, where they had lived for four years, believing their request for a stay of their deportation had been dismissed.
[. . .]
But only their appeal on humanitarian grounds was dismissed, while the second motion, which called for a review of their pre-removal risk assessment, was accepted.
[. . .]
The judicial review of their case could take several months to a year.
Read the whole article.
A family of three headed to Colombia on a deportation order on Thursday turned around in Buffalo, N.Y., when they found out a court had said they could stay in Canada after all.
The St. Catharines Standard reported that Ivan Fernandez Ortega, his wife Morelia Henao and their six-year-old son Michael left St. Catharines, where they had lived for four years, believing their request for a stay of their deportation had been dismissed.
[. . .]
But only their appeal on humanitarian grounds was dismissed, while the second motion, which called for a review of their pre-removal risk assessment, was accepted.
[. . .]
The judicial review of their case could take several months to a year.
Read the whole article.
Montreal newspaper says 50,000 Canadian passports have fallen into the hands of criminals or terrorists
From CBC News (Missing passports in hands of terrorists, criminals: newspaper, July 7):
About 50,000 Canadian passports that were lost or stolen in the last four years have fallen into the hands of criminals or terrorists, a Montreal newspaper reported on Friday.
Le Journal de Montréal said it found the information in documents RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli filed with Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, dated Feb. 6. It acquired the documents through the Access to Information Act.
[. . .]
In the auditor general's report in 2004, Sheila Fraser said about 25,000 passports are reported lost or stolen every year.
Read the whole article.
Canadian Press reports (Tens of thousands of missing Canadian passports fell into criminal hands, July 8):
Although tens of thousands of lost or stolen Canadian passports have fallen into criminal hands over the last few years, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said swift action rendered the documents useless.
"(The missing passport) is immediately communicated onto the policing networks and into the border agencies and that's done on a 24-7 basis," he said.
"Those passports are immediately annulled and deactivated."
Some of the 50,000 lost and stolen passports obtained by criminals may have fallen into terrorist hands, said a report in Le Journal de Montreal.
Day said the number was actually closer to 35,000.
[. . .]
Read all of this article.
About 50,000 Canadian passports that were lost or stolen in the last four years have fallen into the hands of criminals or terrorists, a Montreal newspaper reported on Friday.
Le Journal de Montréal said it found the information in documents RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli filed with Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, dated Feb. 6. It acquired the documents through the Access to Information Act.
[. . .]
In the auditor general's report in 2004, Sheila Fraser said about 25,000 passports are reported lost or stolen every year.
Read the whole article.
Canadian Press reports (Tens of thousands of missing Canadian passports fell into criminal hands, July 8):
Although tens of thousands of lost or stolen Canadian passports have fallen into criminal hands over the last few years, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said swift action rendered the documents useless.
"(The missing passport) is immediately communicated onto the policing networks and into the border agencies and that's done on a 24-7 basis," he said.
"Those passports are immediately annulled and deactivated."
Some of the 50,000 lost and stolen passports obtained by criminals may have fallen into terrorist hands, said a report in Le Journal de Montreal.
Day said the number was actually closer to 35,000.
[. . .]
Read all of this article.
Immigration and the decline of institutional Catholicism
From a letter sent to Vdare in 2001:
The Irish and Italians had a great advantage not enjoyed by the Mexicans and Central Americans. During the 19th century Irish Catholicism experienced an extraordinary institutional revival that quickly extended into the Irish-American communities. By the turn of the century, Irish and Italian peasants and artisans were received on the East Coast by triumphant armies of bishops, priests, and nuns who dedicated their lives above all to raising the moral, cultural, and education levels of immigrant children. Anyone who attended parochial schools before the collapse of institutional Catholicism in the 1960s knows they experienced something special--there was nothing quite like it before and there is no sign that anything like it will be seen again. The Irish and Italians had Bishop Sheen and Sister Mary Angelus to lift them up. The institutions having equivalent influence on today's Hispanic newcomers are Hollywood and the public teachers unions. No contest.
Read the whole letter.
I wonder what Bishop Sheen and Sister Mary Angelus would have thought of the situation at James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School. Come to think of it, has anyone from the Archdiocese of Toronto said anything about the goings-on there? I don't understand the relationship between the archdiocese and Catholic schools, but I think the school board is independent.
The Irish and Italians had a great advantage not enjoyed by the Mexicans and Central Americans. During the 19th century Irish Catholicism experienced an extraordinary institutional revival that quickly extended into the Irish-American communities. By the turn of the century, Irish and Italian peasants and artisans were received on the East Coast by triumphant armies of bishops, priests, and nuns who dedicated their lives above all to raising the moral, cultural, and education levels of immigrant children. Anyone who attended parochial schools before the collapse of institutional Catholicism in the 1960s knows they experienced something special--there was nothing quite like it before and there is no sign that anything like it will be seen again. The Irish and Italians had Bishop Sheen and Sister Mary Angelus to lift them up. The institutions having equivalent influence on today's Hispanic newcomers are Hollywood and the public teachers unions. No contest.
Read the whole letter.
I wonder what Bishop Sheen and Sister Mary Angelus would have thought of the situation at James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School. Come to think of it, has anyone from the Archdiocese of Toronto said anything about the goings-on there? I don't understand the relationship between the archdiocese and Catholic schools, but I think the school board is independent.
An important article about the economics of immigration
Steve Sailer has written another important article about the economics of immigration. In the article Sailer discusses the work of economist George Borjas. See also Sailer's The Debacle of the Economists. Is there some way to get Maurizio Bevilacqua to read Sailer's articles? Harper should take a look as well. The Globe and Mail's Doug Saunders especially needs to read them. They should also read two articles by the Toronto Star's James Travers. See here and here.
Canadian member of al-Qaeda said to have stabbed US prison guard in the eye
From the National Post (Fork attack scuttles Canadian's plea deal by Stewart Bell, July 8):
A Canadian al-Qaeda member jailed in New York stabbed a prison guard in the eye with a fork, according to several sources familiar with the case.
The sources said Mohammed Jabarah was distraught over the death of his brother, Abdul Rahman, also a Canadian al-Qaeda terrorist, when he attacked the guard.
As a result of the alleged assault, a plea agreement between Mr. Jabarah and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan was torn up, according to the sources.
Mr. Jabarah is a highly trained al-Qaeda member who spent more than a year at boot camps in Afghanistan learning, among other things, combat techniques.
The alleged incident partly explains why, four years after he surrendered himself to U.S. authorities in exchange for leniency, Mr. Jabarah's case remains unresolved.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Stewart Bell wrote a book about Jabarah called The Martyr's Oath. Bell is also the author of Cold Terror, a book about foreign terrorists operating in Canada. The CBC website has some background information about Jabarah.
A Canadian al-Qaeda member jailed in New York stabbed a prison guard in the eye with a fork, according to several sources familiar with the case.
The sources said Mohammed Jabarah was distraught over the death of his brother, Abdul Rahman, also a Canadian al-Qaeda terrorist, when he attacked the guard.
As a result of the alleged assault, a plea agreement between Mr. Jabarah and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan was torn up, according to the sources.
Mr. Jabarah is a highly trained al-Qaeda member who spent more than a year at boot camps in Afghanistan learning, among other things, combat techniques.
The alleged incident partly explains why, four years after he surrendered himself to U.S. authorities in exchange for leniency, Mr. Jabarah's case remains unresolved.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Stewart Bell wrote a book about Jabarah called The Martyr's Oath. Bell is also the author of Cold Terror, a book about foreign terrorists operating in Canada. The CBC website has some background information about Jabarah.
Canadian co-conspirator in plot to blow up New York tunnels?
From Canadian Press via the National Post (Canadian co-conspirator possible in alleged plot to blow up NY tunnels: sources by Robert Russo, July 7):
Authorities believe a Canadian co-conspirator was involved in the alleged plot to blow up New York tunnels and submerge lower Manhattan under a torrent of flood waters.
The Canadian Press has learned that Canadian police questioned a man they suspect of active involvement in the conspiracy, but he was released because there wasn't enough evidence to hold him beyond the period of interrogation.
The questioning took place in Canada.
Canadian police are involved in a six-country investigation into the alleged plot and are actively pursuing leads, sources with knowledge of the investigation said Friday. Other suspects were scattered over three continents.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Authorities believe a Canadian co-conspirator was involved in the alleged plot to blow up New York tunnels and submerge lower Manhattan under a torrent of flood waters.
The Canadian Press has learned that Canadian police questioned a man they suspect of active involvement in the conspiracy, but he was released because there wasn't enough evidence to hold him beyond the period of interrogation.
The questioning took place in Canada.
Canadian police are involved in a six-country investigation into the alleged plot and are actively pursuing leads, sources with knowledge of the investigation said Friday. Other suspects were scattered over three continents.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Friday, July 07, 2006
More about the deported Salvadoran woman "stranded" at the airport
Today's Vancouver Sun (Deported woman's conditions to improve by Maurice Bridge, July 7) has another story about Esperanza Rivera Vaquerano, a failed asylum seeker who has been living at El Savador International Airport since being deported from Canada a week ago. It seems the airport has promised to give her a mattress and access to a bathroom. According to Thursday's story, Vaquerano says she can't enter El Salvador because she renounced her Salvadoran citizenship. But in Friday's story, we read this:
Upon arrival at the airport, she was refused entry to the country because she has renounced her El Salvadoran citizenship and will not sign a form saying she wishes to regain it.
If it's true that she's refusing to sign a form saying she wants her citizenship back, it's her own fault she's living in the airport. Six years after she came to Canada and four years after her refugee claim was denied, she was still here until finally being deported last week. Now Canadian lawyers are fighting to allow her to come back.
Ottawa and the courts have created a refugee-determination system that makes it difficult and costly to remove anyone who claims asylum on Canadian soil. If someone's claim is refused, they just can keep appealing until they've lived in Canada for several years and then, when the appeals run out, they can ask for permission to stay because they've established roots here.
Upon arrival at the airport, she was refused entry to the country because she has renounced her El Salvadoran citizenship and will not sign a form saying she wishes to regain it.
If it's true that she's refusing to sign a form saying she wants her citizenship back, it's her own fault she's living in the airport. Six years after she came to Canada and four years after her refugee claim was denied, she was still here until finally being deported last week. Now Canadian lawyers are fighting to allow her to come back.
Ottawa and the courts have created a refugee-determination system that makes it difficult and costly to remove anyone who claims asylum on Canadian soil. If someone's claim is refused, they just can keep appealing until they've lived in Canada for several years and then, when the appeals run out, they can ask for permission to stay because they've established roots here.
Multiculturalism and Canada's "professional guiltmongering class"
Today's edition of Lew Rockwell's libertarian webzine has an interesting article about Canadian multiculturalism. Daniel M. Ryan writes (Multiculturalism in Canada: Government’s Paradise, July 7):
No, it’s because Canada now has a professional guiltmongering class latched right on to the rest of us.
[. . .]
The way the multiculturalism game works is simple in conception: divide and rule. Bribery from the public treasury is the usual means by which garrison mentalities are financed, but sometimes threats are used, too . . .
[. . .]
The same causal forces are, of course, at work in the present United States. A government huge enough to grow its own governing class will eventually find it filled with people who are very skilled at keeping the government dollars flowing. Hysteria amongst the disadvantaged is encouraged to keep the guilt racket going. Enclaving is also encouraged to keep the hysteria levels buoyant. Guilting is tied to increasingly subtle levels of ludicrousness in order to keep the taxpayers pacified. A demand for victims calls forth a supply of new ones. Enclave conformity encourages real victims to stick with professional pleaders. An increasingly aggressive moralizing begins to crowd out what used to be the "impractical idealist" circuit, who also wait for the new crop of governors to come to their senses.
Read all of Mr. Ryan's article. He also has his own website.
There's a lot of truth in what he says. There are people who make their living by supposedly helping those said to be powerless and disadvantaged. While I won't deny some do good work with people who really need help, there are government bureaucrats and others who are more interested in building careers than in helping those who need it.
There are those who have a vested interest in convincing others to see themselves as victims, because those victims are a source of work and an opportunity for career advancement. By encouraging citizens to think of themselves as members of ethnic groups, multiculturalism serves the interests of bureaucrats who want more victims to help. Every ethnic community becomes a potential group of clients to be assisted.
Of course, ethnic consciousness would exist without multiculturalism, but this ideology - and that's what multiculturalism is, an ideology - reinforces ethnic identity. The government can't make immigrants assimilate into the common culture, but it can encourage assimilation instead of discouraging it as it does now.
No, it’s because Canada now has a professional guiltmongering class latched right on to the rest of us.
[. . .]
The way the multiculturalism game works is simple in conception: divide and rule. Bribery from the public treasury is the usual means by which garrison mentalities are financed, but sometimes threats are used, too . . .
[. . .]
The same causal forces are, of course, at work in the present United States. A government huge enough to grow its own governing class will eventually find it filled with people who are very skilled at keeping the government dollars flowing. Hysteria amongst the disadvantaged is encouraged to keep the guilt racket going. Enclaving is also encouraged to keep the hysteria levels buoyant. Guilting is tied to increasingly subtle levels of ludicrousness in order to keep the taxpayers pacified. A demand for victims calls forth a supply of new ones. Enclave conformity encourages real victims to stick with professional pleaders. An increasingly aggressive moralizing begins to crowd out what used to be the "impractical idealist" circuit, who also wait for the new crop of governors to come to their senses.
Read all of Mr. Ryan's article. He also has his own website.
There's a lot of truth in what he says. There are people who make their living by supposedly helping those said to be powerless and disadvantaged. While I won't deny some do good work with people who really need help, there are government bureaucrats and others who are more interested in building careers than in helping those who need it.
There are those who have a vested interest in convincing others to see themselves as victims, because those victims are a source of work and an opportunity for career advancement. By encouraging citizens to think of themselves as members of ethnic groups, multiculturalism serves the interests of bureaucrats who want more victims to help. Every ethnic community becomes a potential group of clients to be assisted.
Of course, ethnic consciousness would exist without multiculturalism, but this ideology - and that's what multiculturalism is, an ideology - reinforces ethnic identity. The government can't make immigrants assimilate into the common culture, but it can encourage assimilation instead of discouraging it as it does now.
Whatever you do, don't tell Saunders. He'll want to send them all here.
From Reuters (Thousands of migrants at Europe's gates - Morocco by Lamine Ghanmi, July 6):
Morocco says thousands more African migrants are lurking in its woods and city slums in hopes of entering Europe via a Spanish enclave after the latest mass assault on the razor wire separating the two continents.
At least three Africans died this week when up to 70 stormed the enclave of Melilla in a bid to breach wealthy Europe's land border with the world's poorest continent.
[. . .]
H/T: Modern Tribalist
Does Saunders know about this? I hope not. He'll want to send them all here.
I understand that people are suffering. I don't know what can be done to help them, but importing their misery isn't the solution.
Morocco says thousands more African migrants are lurking in its woods and city slums in hopes of entering Europe via a Spanish enclave after the latest mass assault on the razor wire separating the two continents.
At least three Africans died this week when up to 70 stormed the enclave of Melilla in a bid to breach wealthy Europe's land border with the world's poorest continent.
[. . .]
H/T: Modern Tribalist
Does Saunders know about this? I hope not. He'll want to send them all here.
I understand that people are suffering. I don't know what can be done to help them, but importing their misery isn't the solution.
Failed asylum seeker claims El Salvador won't take her back
There's a story in Thursday's Vancouver Sun (Vaquerano held at EL Salvador airport by Maurice Bridge, July 6) about a failed asylum seeker who was recently deported to El Salvador. According to the Sun she has been living for a week at El Salvador International Airport because she was refused entry.
She says they won't let her in because she renounced her El Salvadoran citizenship in the hope that this would prevent officials from sending her home. Lawyers are now fighting to have her admitted back into Canada. Immigration officials contradict her version of events.
She made a refugee claim in 2001. It was rejected in August, 2002, but she didn't leave. At some point a Pentecostal church gave her sanctuary. She lived in the church for a year, but was arrested this June when the wife of one of the ministers took her out for a trip to the beach. Even though it would probably be a public relations nightmare, the government should crack down on churches that give sanctuary to illegal immigrants. Churches shouldn't have the right to decide who gets to live in Canada.
I wonder whether someone advised her to give up her citizenship. If she's allowed to stay in Canada for this reason, there were will be other people doing the same thing. What would stop MS-13 gang members from pulling the same stunt?
Canada already has a problem with countries that won't take their citizens back. Just the other day I linked to a story about a Liberian refugee who has been convicted of crimes 37 times since he came to Canada. According to the Star article, Canada tried to deport him but Liberia refused to take him back. Lucky us. Does Canada give any foreign aid to Liberia? Just wondering.
There's another thing about this El Salvadoran woman's story that bothers me. She came to Canada from the US. She should have made her claim there. Most refugee-receiving countries require asylum seekers to make their claim in the first safe country they enter. For a long time Canada didn't do this, but recently signed a third safe country agreement with the US. It, however, contains exceptions. According to Martin Collacott's report, Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism, most countries don't bother to sign third safe country agreements. They just tell asylum seekers to return to the first safe country they came to. Unlike Canada they don't tolerate asylum shopping.
She says they won't let her in because she renounced her El Salvadoran citizenship in the hope that this would prevent officials from sending her home. Lawyers are now fighting to have her admitted back into Canada. Immigration officials contradict her version of events.
She made a refugee claim in 2001. It was rejected in August, 2002, but she didn't leave. At some point a Pentecostal church gave her sanctuary. She lived in the church for a year, but was arrested this June when the wife of one of the ministers took her out for a trip to the beach. Even though it would probably be a public relations nightmare, the government should crack down on churches that give sanctuary to illegal immigrants. Churches shouldn't have the right to decide who gets to live in Canada.
I wonder whether someone advised her to give up her citizenship. If she's allowed to stay in Canada for this reason, there were will be other people doing the same thing. What would stop MS-13 gang members from pulling the same stunt?
Canada already has a problem with countries that won't take their citizens back. Just the other day I linked to a story about a Liberian refugee who has been convicted of crimes 37 times since he came to Canada. According to the Star article, Canada tried to deport him but Liberia refused to take him back. Lucky us. Does Canada give any foreign aid to Liberia? Just wondering.
There's another thing about this El Salvadoran woman's story that bothers me. She came to Canada from the US. She should have made her claim there. Most refugee-receiving countries require asylum seekers to make their claim in the first safe country they enter. For a long time Canada didn't do this, but recently signed a third safe country agreement with the US. It, however, contains exceptions. According to Martin Collacott's report, Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism, most countries don't bother to sign third safe country agreements. They just tell asylum seekers to return to the first safe country they came to. Unlike Canada they don't tolerate asylum shopping.
Bail in Jane Creba case. Third time's a charm.
From the Toronto Sun (Bail in Creba case by Natalie Pona, July 7):
A man charged with manslaughter in the Boxing Day shootout that killed 15-year-old Jane Creba was released on bail yesterday -- the third time Andrew Smith, 20, has been let out of custody with charges pending, court documents show.
The details of the bail hearing can't be published and Smith's lawyer would only say the judge did the right thing.
[. . .]
The first time, July 1, 2005, he was arrested and charged with domestic assault. He was freed on $2,000 bail on July 14 and ordered not to possess weapons. On Aug. 27, 2005, he was charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He was released three days later on $10,000 bail with a curfew and a second weapons ban.
Smith was ordered to live with his mother, who acted as his guarantor on both occasions. Yesterday the judge agreed to bail only with two additional guarantors.
[. . .]
Read all of Natalie Pona's Sun article
A man charged with manslaughter in the Boxing Day shootout that killed 15-year-old Jane Creba was released on bail yesterday -- the third time Andrew Smith, 20, has been let out of custody with charges pending, court documents show.
The details of the bail hearing can't be published and Smith's lawyer would only say the judge did the right thing.
[. . .]
The first time, July 1, 2005, he was arrested and charged with domestic assault. He was freed on $2,000 bail on July 14 and ordered not to possess weapons. On Aug. 27, 2005, he was charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He was released three days later on $10,000 bail with a curfew and a second weapons ban.
Smith was ordered to live with his mother, who acted as his guarantor on both occasions. Yesterday the judge agreed to bail only with two additional guarantors.
[. . .]
Read all of Natalie Pona's Sun article
London bombing anniversary
A year ago today 52 Londoners lost their lives to Muslim suicide bombers. Would this have happened if the UK had followed Enoch Powell's advice?
Two Canadian truckers arrested on drug charges in US.
From the Toronto Star (Local truck in Iowa drug bust by Nasreen Gulamhusein, July 7):
Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer Richard Basset was working the Dallas County scale near Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday when two Ontario men were arrested.
"This vehicle came across out of Canada," Basset told KCCI News in Iowa. "They acted like they hadn't been in the area before because of the way they pulled on the scale and stuff."
He said he noticed the Canadian licence plates and remembered being told that Brampton, Ont., has become a hub for drug dealers. ``I kind of had a — what do you call it? — a feeling that this was going to happen here," he told the TV station.
"Basically, I got into the vehicle and was checking the load for further securement and there was footprints on top of the load. This is unusual," he said.
The footprints stopped at a suitcase that he said was filled with 24 kilograms of cocaine. Kuldeep Singh Samra of Mississauga and Sarabjit Singh Chima of Brampton were arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and failure to affix a drug tax stamp.
Read the whole article
When I saw this story, my first thought was South Asian gangs. I don't know if that's the case here, but I do know gangs are a growing problem in Toronto's outer suburbs.
Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer Richard Basset was working the Dallas County scale near Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday when two Ontario men were arrested.
"This vehicle came across out of Canada," Basset told KCCI News in Iowa. "They acted like they hadn't been in the area before because of the way they pulled on the scale and stuff."
He said he noticed the Canadian licence plates and remembered being told that Brampton, Ont., has become a hub for drug dealers. ``I kind of had a — what do you call it? — a feeling that this was going to happen here," he told the TV station.
"Basically, I got into the vehicle and was checking the load for further securement and there was footprints on top of the load. This is unusual," he said.
The footprints stopped at a suitcase that he said was filled with 24 kilograms of cocaine. Kuldeep Singh Samra of Mississauga and Sarabjit Singh Chima of Brampton were arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and failure to affix a drug tax stamp.
Read the whole article
When I saw this story, my first thought was South Asian gangs. I don't know if that's the case here, but I do know gangs are a growing problem in Toronto's outer suburbs.
A prediction I hope won't come true
I have a bad feeling we're about to be subjected to news stories unfairly accusing the police and prosecutors of racism in the Cardinal McGuigan case. One reason I say that is this. I found a small item in the Globe and Mail by Joe Friesen, who earlier wrote some stories about the Jane and Finch area that I didn't like. Today Friesen writes:
The sexual assault case against 16 black teens that elicited cries of racism from some of their parents and tarred a school ended yesterday after one youth pleaded guilty and another admitted some responsibility for breaking his bail conditions.
Doesn't his use of the word "tar" imply the school has been unfairly maligned or am I reading more into the word than is actually there?
The sexual assault case against 16 black teens that elicited cries of racism from some of their parents and tarred a school ended yesterday after one youth pleaded guilty and another admitted some responsibility for breaking his bail conditions.
Doesn't his use of the word "tar" imply the school has been unfairly maligned or am I reading more into the word than is actually there?
Two guilty pleas in Cardinal McGuigan sexual abuse case. No jail time.
From the Toronto Sun (Teens dodge jail time by Sam Pazzano, July 7):
Two teens facing the most serious allegations in the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl at James Cardinal McGuigan Secondary School were spared jail time yesterday.
[. . .]
A 17-year-old former student at the North York school pleaded guilty to sexual assault and got a 45-day conditional sentence to be served in the community and two years probation.
Crown attorney Michael Waby said the 17-year-old dragged the girl into a staff bathroom, an event captured on security video.
Once inside the bathroom, the teen hurled her against a wall and demanded sex. When she refused, the teen groped her breasts and shoved his hand down her pants. She struggled, escaped and reported the incident. The school called police.
It was the second time on that day, Oct. 17, 2005, the teen had manhandled the girl. She had been watching a girls' basketball game when he pulled her to a stairwell and propositioned her. She declined and freed herself. Later, she was walking along the second-floor corridor when the teen yanked her into the bathroom.
[. . .]
The youths received lenient sentences because they pleaded guilty early, sparing the victim time in court, Justice Derek Hogg said.
[. . .]
Read all of Sam Pazzano's Sun article.
This doesn't seem right to me. A boy drags a girl into a washroom, demands sex, shoves his hands down her pants and doesn't get any jail time? What is the atmosphere like at this Catholic high school? The father describes a frightening situation both in the neighbourhood and the school. The Globe's Christie Blatchford paints a picture of a school where things are out of control. This was a frontpage news when it broke last November. Today I had trouble finding anything out about it. Maybe I didn't look hard enough or more will come later, but the story seems to have been buried. There was a news item last night on CFRB radio, but I haven't been able to find much online so far.
Two teens facing the most serious allegations in the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl at James Cardinal McGuigan Secondary School were spared jail time yesterday.
[. . .]
A 17-year-old former student at the North York school pleaded guilty to sexual assault and got a 45-day conditional sentence to be served in the community and two years probation.
Crown attorney Michael Waby said the 17-year-old dragged the girl into a staff bathroom, an event captured on security video.
Once inside the bathroom, the teen hurled her against a wall and demanded sex. When she refused, the teen groped her breasts and shoved his hand down her pants. She struggled, escaped and reported the incident. The school called police.
It was the second time on that day, Oct. 17, 2005, the teen had manhandled the girl. She had been watching a girls' basketball game when he pulled her to a stairwell and propositioned her. She declined and freed herself. Later, she was walking along the second-floor corridor when the teen yanked her into the bathroom.
[. . .]
The youths received lenient sentences because they pleaded guilty early, sparing the victim time in court, Justice Derek Hogg said.
[. . .]
Read all of Sam Pazzano's Sun article.
This doesn't seem right to me. A boy drags a girl into a washroom, demands sex, shoves his hands down her pants and doesn't get any jail time? What is the atmosphere like at this Catholic high school? The father describes a frightening situation both in the neighbourhood and the school. The Globe's Christie Blatchford paints a picture of a school where things are out of control. This was a frontpage news when it broke last November. Today I had trouble finding anything out about it. Maybe I didn't look hard enough or more will come later, but the story seems to have been buried. There was a news item last night on CFRB radio, but I haven't been able to find much online so far.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Kathy Shaidle celebrates an anniversary
Kathy Shaidle at Relapsed Catholic is celebrating the sixth-year anniversary of her blog, which has had well over one million unique visitors since it began. I'm envious, but not surprised. She has a direct style that is very engaging. I've always liked her blog even though I'm not nearly as certain in my religious beliefs as she seems to be in hers. (She's a relapsed Catholic. I'm simply lapsed or maybe, semi-lapsed.) She doesn't need my help to promote her blog, but if you haven't visited it yet, do yourself a favour and take a look.
Poor old Saint George: too militaristic and potentially offensive to Muslims
From the Sunday Times (St Alban is holier than St George by Christopher Morgan, July 2):
THE Church of England will debate making St Alban an alternative patron saint because critics claim St George is too militaristic, potentially offensive to Muslims — and foreign.
Supporters of the change, to be unveiled in a General Synod motion this week, claim Alban may be more appropriate not only because he was real while George may be mythical, but because of his self-sacrifice.
Alban was a 4th century martyr who was put to death after hiding a Christian priest from the Romans in what is now the Hertfordshire city named after him.
The proposal may dismay many England fans, who have been flying George’s banner in support of their football team. The flag of St Alban would be a diagonal yellow cross on a blue background.
[. . .]
Yellow, eh? How appropriate. Potentially offensive to Muslims? Could someone please tell me what isn't potentially offensive to Muslims.
Read the whole article. See also Will George be slayed as England's patron saint?
H/T: Little Green Footballs
THE Church of England will debate making St Alban an alternative patron saint because critics claim St George is too militaristic, potentially offensive to Muslims — and foreign.
Supporters of the change, to be unveiled in a General Synod motion this week, claim Alban may be more appropriate not only because he was real while George may be mythical, but because of his self-sacrifice.
Alban was a 4th century martyr who was put to death after hiding a Christian priest from the Romans in what is now the Hertfordshire city named after him.
The proposal may dismay many England fans, who have been flying George’s banner in support of their football team. The flag of St Alban would be a diagonal yellow cross on a blue background.
[. . .]
Yellow, eh? How appropriate. Potentially offensive to Muslims? Could someone please tell me what isn't potentially offensive to Muslims.
Read the whole article. See also Will George be slayed as England's patron saint?
H/T: Little Green Footballs
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Liberian refugee sentenced for crime spree. 37 convictions since entering Canada.
We can add another name to the list of refugees who have committed serious crimes in Canada. From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (Liberian man jailed for lengthy crime spree by Peter Small, July 5):
A Liberian political refugee with a string of Canadian convictions has been sentenced to seven years, nine months in prison after assaulting a bouncer, pointing a firearm at a woman, and smashing into four police cruisers during a west Toronto street chase.
Eric Kusi, 41, apologized for his crimes before Justice Frank Marrocco sentenced him for 11 counts, including assault, firearms infractions, and mischief for trashing three jail cells.
After crediting Kusi four years for the 22 months he has spent in pretrial custody, the judge sentenced him to another three years and nine months.
[. . .]
The judge noted that Canadian immigration officials had tried to deport Kusi back to Liberia, but the country refused to take him.
“Mr. Kusi wants to return to Liberia,” the judge said. “He is clearly having trouble establishing life in Canada.”
Three years after arriving in Canada in 1989, Kusi began piling up a string of 37 convictions, including theft, robbery, assault, and uttering threats.
Today, he was sentenced for crimes dating from 2004 to 2006, to which he pleaded guilty.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Some other refugees and failed asylum seekers who have committed serious crimes in Canada:
Mohamed Hagi Mohamud
Fernando Zola
Charles Kembo
Jeyaseelam Thuraisingam
A Liberian political refugee with a string of Canadian convictions has been sentenced to seven years, nine months in prison after assaulting a bouncer, pointing a firearm at a woman, and smashing into four police cruisers during a west Toronto street chase.
Eric Kusi, 41, apologized for his crimes before Justice Frank Marrocco sentenced him for 11 counts, including assault, firearms infractions, and mischief for trashing three jail cells.
After crediting Kusi four years for the 22 months he has spent in pretrial custody, the judge sentenced him to another three years and nine months.
[. . .]
The judge noted that Canadian immigration officials had tried to deport Kusi back to Liberia, but the country refused to take him.
“Mr. Kusi wants to return to Liberia,” the judge said. “He is clearly having trouble establishing life in Canada.”
Three years after arriving in Canada in 1989, Kusi began piling up a string of 37 convictions, including theft, robbery, assault, and uttering threats.
Today, he was sentenced for crimes dating from 2004 to 2006, to which he pleaded guilty.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Some other refugees and failed asylum seekers who have committed serious crimes in Canada:
Mohamed Hagi Mohamud
Fernando Zola
Charles Kembo
Jeyaseelam Thuraisingam
God bless those cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
Well, those much maligned cheese-eating surrender monkeys accomplished what the Saxonist entity could not. France 1, Portugal 0 Is it in bad taste to celebrate someone else's loss? I have no quarrel with the Portuguese soccer team. I just want my neighbours to stop driving recklessly with Portuguese flags hanging out the window.
Some Christians are very anxious to meet their Lord
I saw this ad today: Iraqi Children's Fund
Dear friend in Christ,
Even as Iraq struggles to stabilize, you can touch the very heart of Iraq by reaching its children for Christ!
This opportunity has been years in the making, and now is the time to act. You see, Campus Crusade for Christ staff teams in Iraq have been working since the American-led liberation, reaching people there with the Gospel. They have seen a tremendous response to the Good News, but recognize the time to so boldly reach out may be short.
Our staff are currently pursuing a major effort to reach Iraq's next generation-concentrating on reaching orphans and very poor children with Christ's love and message!
The goal, over the next year, is to distribute 100,000 gift packs to these little ones. The content varies somewhat depending on availability and area of distribution, but each gift includes evangelistic material like a New Testament, an evangelistic activity book, and/or a special version of the JESUS film for children-all in Arabic. Also included will be fun treats (such as toys or candy), as well as desperately needed practical goods like pencils and paper for school, clothing, and more.
[. . .]
Given the, shall we say, lack of enthusiasm for Christianity in Iraq, I can only conclude that some Christians are extremely anxious to meet their Lord. I'm Catholic. Not a good one, but I was brought up in the church. I do understand the Christian imperative to spread the gospel and I know that good people have been martyred doing just that, but using the American occupation of a foreign country as a missionary opportunity smacks of arrogance. Doesn't activity like this reinforce the Muslim belief that American troops are crusaders intent on replacing Islam with Christianity? To the extent that Christian proselytizing angers Iraqis, doesn't it endanger the lives of American soldiers?
Dear friend in Christ,
Even as Iraq struggles to stabilize, you can touch the very heart of Iraq by reaching its children for Christ!
This opportunity has been years in the making, and now is the time to act. You see, Campus Crusade for Christ staff teams in Iraq have been working since the American-led liberation, reaching people there with the Gospel. They have seen a tremendous response to the Good News, but recognize the time to so boldly reach out may be short.
Our staff are currently pursuing a major effort to reach Iraq's next generation-concentrating on reaching orphans and very poor children with Christ's love and message!
The goal, over the next year, is to distribute 100,000 gift packs to these little ones. The content varies somewhat depending on availability and area of distribution, but each gift includes evangelistic material like a New Testament, an evangelistic activity book, and/or a special version of the JESUS film for children-all in Arabic. Also included will be fun treats (such as toys or candy), as well as desperately needed practical goods like pencils and paper for school, clothing, and more.
[. . .]
Given the, shall we say, lack of enthusiasm for Christianity in Iraq, I can only conclude that some Christians are extremely anxious to meet their Lord. I'm Catholic. Not a good one, but I was brought up in the church. I do understand the Christian imperative to spread the gospel and I know that good people have been martyred doing just that, but using the American occupation of a foreign country as a missionary opportunity smacks of arrogance. Doesn't activity like this reinforce the Muslim belief that American troops are crusaders intent on replacing Islam with Christianity? To the extent that Christian proselytizing angers Iraqis, doesn't it endanger the lives of American soldiers?
Why does Canada even entertain refugee claims made by HIV-positive "gay couples"?
From the Globe and Mail (Lawyer alleges refugee official biased by Maria Jimenez, July 5):
Immigration and Refugee Board member Shamshuddin Alidina was motivated to reject the asylum bids of a gay Mexican couple to extend his time on the board, according to a document filed in Federal Court last month.
Mr. Alidina heard the claim on Jan. 27, the day his four-year term on the board expired, and petitioned for extra time to decide the case. Immigration lawyer Michael Battista alleges that Mr. Alidina was biased against the two claimants, who are both HIV-positive.
[. . .]
In his 14-page decision, Mr. Alidina found that there was adequate state protection for the two claimants, who claimed persecution on the basis of membership in the particular social group of HIV-positive, gay Mexican males.
State authorities in Mexico are making serious efforts to train police and to discipline them for misconduct, his March 22, 2006 ruling noted. Mexico has a national anti-discrimination law that includes protection for sexual preference, and the government subsidizes the cost of AIDS medication, he said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Canada's health-care system is already strained. Why are we entertaining refugee claims from people who are HIV-positive? How many HIV-positive refugees and immigrants live in Canada? What does it cost the health-care system to treat them? More about Canada's policy of allowing homosexuals to claim refugee status can be found here: Canada allows homosexuals to claim refugee status. See also The Pink Trail to Canada.
Immigration and Refugee Board member Shamshuddin Alidina was motivated to reject the asylum bids of a gay Mexican couple to extend his time on the board, according to a document filed in Federal Court last month.
Mr. Alidina heard the claim on Jan. 27, the day his four-year term on the board expired, and petitioned for extra time to decide the case. Immigration lawyer Michael Battista alleges that Mr. Alidina was biased against the two claimants, who are both HIV-positive.
[. . .]
In his 14-page decision, Mr. Alidina found that there was adequate state protection for the two claimants, who claimed persecution on the basis of membership in the particular social group of HIV-positive, gay Mexican males.
State authorities in Mexico are making serious efforts to train police and to discipline them for misconduct, his March 22, 2006 ruling noted. Mexico has a national anti-discrimination law that includes protection for sexual preference, and the government subsidizes the cost of AIDS medication, he said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Canada's health-care system is already strained. Why are we entertaining refugee claims from people who are HIV-positive? How many HIV-positive refugees and immigrants live in Canada? What does it cost the health-care system to treat them? More about Canada's policy of allowing homosexuals to claim refugee status can be found here: Canada allows homosexuals to claim refugee status. See also The Pink Trail to Canada.
How long does it take to deport a CONVICTED Palestinian terrorist? 18 years and counting.
From Canadian Press via the Globe and Mail (Convicted terrorist pleads poor health to avoid deportation, July 5):
A convicted terrorist fighting deportation says his failing health should entitle him to remain in Canada.
Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad turns 64 in two weeks and says he's too sick to be deported to Lebanon.
His diabetes, heart failure and hepatitis would be exacerbated if he were to be sent back, Mr. Mohammad's lawyer Barbara Jackman has argued.
Mr. Mohammad is a former member of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was part of the terrorist team that hijacked an Israeli airliner in Athens on Dec. 26, 1968, killing an Israeli citizen.
In March, 1970, a Greek court convicted Mr. Mohammad of manslaughter and other offences and sentenced him to 17 years in prison.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. The Toronto Star recently described Mohammad's counsel, Barbara Jackman, as the go-to lawyer for terrorist suspects. When I wrote recently about human rights extremists, I had in mind people like Jackman. Of course, it's her job to defend her client, but she advances legal arguments, which when accepted by the courts, make it difficult to deport dangerous people. She also represents Manickavasagam Suresh who has been identified by Canada's security agencies as a fundraiser for the Tamil Tigers. He's been fighting deportation for more than ten years.
A convicted terrorist fighting deportation says his failing health should entitle him to remain in Canada.
Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad turns 64 in two weeks and says he's too sick to be deported to Lebanon.
His diabetes, heart failure and hepatitis would be exacerbated if he were to be sent back, Mr. Mohammad's lawyer Barbara Jackman has argued.
Mr. Mohammad is a former member of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was part of the terrorist team that hijacked an Israeli airliner in Athens on Dec. 26, 1968, killing an Israeli citizen.
In March, 1970, a Greek court convicted Mr. Mohammad of manslaughter and other offences and sentenced him to 17 years in prison.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. The Toronto Star recently described Mohammad's counsel, Barbara Jackman, as the go-to lawyer for terrorist suspects. When I wrote recently about human rights extremists, I had in mind people like Jackman. Of course, it's her job to defend her client, but she advances legal arguments, which when accepted by the courts, make it difficult to deport dangerous people. She also represents Manickavasagam Suresh who has been identified by Canada's security agencies as a fundraiser for the Tamil Tigers. He's been fighting deportation for more than ten years.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
About that family Ottawa just deported: most countries wouldn't even consider a refugee claim made by Costa Ricans.
[Update: I edited this entry to make it clearer. I changed the subject line. The first one was sarcastic, but that may not have been obvious.]
Yesterday I blogged about a Costa Rican family that was being deported after their refugee claim had been rejected. The family had been in Canada for five years. I wrote that I didn't take any pleasure in their deportation but that the law had to be enforced, because despite what some libertarians may argue, Canada can only accept a limited number of immigrants each year. Illegal immigrants and people who file false refugee claims have to be deported out of fairness to those who play by the rules. It's not right to reward people who jump the queue.
I linked to a Toronto Sun column by Michele Mandel in which she portrays the deportation as a heartless act. A small sample of Mandel's writing style:
On a morning when they should have been celebrating Canada Day, the nation they love showed them the door.
Their appeals exhausted, their tears and their pleas raining on deaf ears, the heartbroken Lizano-Sossa family was deported to Costa Rica yesterday, five years after they arrived here with bright hopes of beginning a new life.
But yesterday that Canadian dream lay bleeding outside the cold departure gate of Pearson Airport's Terminal 3.
"That Canadian dream lay bleeding?" This phrase reminds me of an Elton John song.
I have complained about stories like this before. In April, I wrote about a Toronto Star article that portrayed illegal immigrants from Portugal as victims. I said the article was part of a propaganda campaign by the Star to promote amnesty for illegal immigrants. I call these one-sided articles sob stories because they focus on the distress felt by the families involved while ignoring issues such as the rule of law and Canada's limited capacity to absorb newcomers. Seen in isolation, these stories tug at the reader's emotions, but they often leave out important facts. For one thing, no mention is made of the many foreigners who are trying to come here legally. The reader is encouraged to sympathize with the people who have no right to be here but no thought is spared for those trying to come here the right way.
This brings me back to the Costa Rican family I wrote about yesterday. As far as I can remember, none of the news reports I saw ever mentioned that Canada is one of the only countries in the world that even considers refugee claims from Costa Rica. Most refugee-receiving nations consider Costa Rica a safe country of origin and summarily dismiss claims made by that country's nationals. From page 32 of Martin Collacott's Fraser Institute report: Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism:
Safe countries of origin are those that are democratic, have a good human rights record, and have signed the UN convention on refugees. Most refugee-receiving nations refuse even to consider refugee claims from nationals of such countries. Canada, however, has no such restrictions. We are, in fact, the only country in the world where Americans are permitted to make refugee claims and, in 2003, allowed 317 to do so. In the same year, Canada also received several thousand claims from people from such countries as COSTA RICA, Uruguay, Grenada, and St. Lucia - once again being the only state to do so. While none of the Americans whose cases were decided in 2003 was granted refugee status, and only 38 of the 2,102 Costa Ricans were, applications from nationals of these two countries helped to clog up a system that should be concentrating on people from areas where there is a real possibility of persecution taking place. Even so, the hundreds of applicants from such democratic states as Uruguay, Granada (sic) and St. Lucia enjoyed modest success in that more than 20 percent of their claims to be refugees were approved (UNCHR, 2003, table 8)
Writers like Mandel use the fact that the family has been here for five years as an argument for letting them stay. The reader is told the family has put down roots and it's unfair to make them leave after so much time has passed. Mandel, however, never asks the crucial question. Why did it take five years to deport the family? Why weren't they removed as soon as they made their claim? Canada has a refugee determination process that allows asylum seekers to make appeal after appeal and if the appeals fail, the claimants ask to be allowed to stay on "humanitarian grounds." In other words, they ask to be rewarded for dragging out their deportation. The sense of entitlement is breathtaking. It's as if the failed asylum seekers are saying: "We put so much effort into pursuing our false refugee claim. How dare you deny us?"
Yesterday I blogged about a Costa Rican family that was being deported after their refugee claim had been rejected. The family had been in Canada for five years. I wrote that I didn't take any pleasure in their deportation but that the law had to be enforced, because despite what some libertarians may argue, Canada can only accept a limited number of immigrants each year. Illegal immigrants and people who file false refugee claims have to be deported out of fairness to those who play by the rules. It's not right to reward people who jump the queue.
I linked to a Toronto Sun column by Michele Mandel in which she portrays the deportation as a heartless act. A small sample of Mandel's writing style:
On a morning when they should have been celebrating Canada Day, the nation they love showed them the door.
Their appeals exhausted, their tears and their pleas raining on deaf ears, the heartbroken Lizano-Sossa family was deported to Costa Rica yesterday, five years after they arrived here with bright hopes of beginning a new life.
But yesterday that Canadian dream lay bleeding outside the cold departure gate of Pearson Airport's Terminal 3.
"That Canadian dream lay bleeding?" This phrase reminds me of an Elton John song.
I have complained about stories like this before. In April, I wrote about a Toronto Star article that portrayed illegal immigrants from Portugal as victims. I said the article was part of a propaganda campaign by the Star to promote amnesty for illegal immigrants. I call these one-sided articles sob stories because they focus on the distress felt by the families involved while ignoring issues such as the rule of law and Canada's limited capacity to absorb newcomers. Seen in isolation, these stories tug at the reader's emotions, but they often leave out important facts. For one thing, no mention is made of the many foreigners who are trying to come here legally. The reader is encouraged to sympathize with the people who have no right to be here but no thought is spared for those trying to come here the right way.
This brings me back to the Costa Rican family I wrote about yesterday. As far as I can remember, none of the news reports I saw ever mentioned that Canada is one of the only countries in the world that even considers refugee claims from Costa Rica. Most refugee-receiving nations consider Costa Rica a safe country of origin and summarily dismiss claims made by that country's nationals. From page 32 of Martin Collacott's Fraser Institute report: Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism:
Safe countries of origin are those that are democratic, have a good human rights record, and have signed the UN convention on refugees. Most refugee-receiving nations refuse even to consider refugee claims from nationals of such countries. Canada, however, has no such restrictions. We are, in fact, the only country in the world where Americans are permitted to make refugee claims and, in 2003, allowed 317 to do so. In the same year, Canada also received several thousand claims from people from such countries as COSTA RICA, Uruguay, Grenada, and St. Lucia - once again being the only state to do so. While none of the Americans whose cases were decided in 2003 was granted refugee status, and only 38 of the 2,102 Costa Ricans were, applications from nationals of these two countries helped to clog up a system that should be concentrating on people from areas where there is a real possibility of persecution taking place. Even so, the hundreds of applicants from such democratic states as Uruguay, Granada (sic) and St. Lucia enjoyed modest success in that more than 20 percent of their claims to be refugees were approved (UNCHR, 2003, table 8)
Writers like Mandel use the fact that the family has been here for five years as an argument for letting them stay. The reader is told the family has put down roots and it's unfair to make them leave after so much time has passed. Mandel, however, never asks the crucial question. Why did it take five years to deport the family? Why weren't they removed as soon as they made their claim? Canada has a refugee determination process that allows asylum seekers to make appeal after appeal and if the appeals fail, the claimants ask to be allowed to stay on "humanitarian grounds." In other words, they ask to be rewarded for dragging out their deportation. The sense of entitlement is breathtaking. It's as if the failed asylum seekers are saying: "We put so much effort into pursuing our false refugee claim. How dare you deny us?"
Tamil Tiger leader offers Harper some unsolicited political advice
From the Toronto Star (Tamil Tiger leader lectures Harper by Andrew Mills, July 4):
In a villa surrounded by tall jak fruit trees and a squad of cadres toting T-56 assault rifles, S.P. Thamilselvan, the political leader of the Tamil Tiger guerrillas, sits pondering the political missteps of Stephen Harper's rookie government.
"We know the complexity of the political problems any party would normally come across during a period of transition or a change from one party to another," he says.
Thamilselvan says he's been searching for a plausible reason Harper's government ignored Canada's 200,000-strong Tamil community and placed their "freedom-fighting organization" alongside Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah on a list of criminal terrorist groups. (Hyphenated Canadian: the 200,000 figure is disputed. Some say the number of Tamils in Canada is smaller. I don't have a citation handy.)
Canada used to be well-respected here in Tiger land. It was known as a haven for thousands of Tamil refugees fleeing persecution by the Sinhalese-dominated government during a civil war that raged in the 1980s and '90s, leaving 64,000 people dead.
But since Ottawa's decision in April, Canada is now thought of as a country that turned its back on the Tigers' fight for a separate Tamil homeland.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
In a villa surrounded by tall jak fruit trees and a squad of cadres toting T-56 assault rifles, S.P. Thamilselvan, the political leader of the Tamil Tiger guerrillas, sits pondering the political missteps of Stephen Harper's rookie government.
"We know the complexity of the political problems any party would normally come across during a period of transition or a change from one party to another," he says.
Thamilselvan says he's been searching for a plausible reason Harper's government ignored Canada's 200,000-strong Tamil community and placed their "freedom-fighting organization" alongside Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah on a list of criminal terrorist groups. (Hyphenated Canadian: the 200,000 figure is disputed. Some say the number of Tamils in Canada is smaller. I don't have a citation handy.)
Canada used to be well-respected here in Tiger land. It was known as a haven for thousands of Tamil refugees fleeing persecution by the Sinhalese-dominated government during a civil war that raged in the 1980s and '90s, leaving 64,000 people dead.
But since Ottawa's decision in April, Canada is now thought of as a country that turned its back on the Tigers' fight for a separate Tamil homeland.
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
Man accused of having ties to Sikh terrorists deported
From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (Detainee sent back to India, July 3):
A man suspected of having ties to terrorists has been deported to his native India despite a request by the United Nations to delay his transfer, the man's lawyer said yesterday.
Sogi Bachan Singh, 45, had been held at a detention centre in Montreal since August 2002, following a one-year investigation by the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service that began soon after his arrival in Canada.
[. . .]
Authorities believe Singh has ties to Babbar Khalsa International, the group allegedly responsible for the 1985 Air India bombing that killed 331 people — claims that he has denied.
[. . .]
A man suspected of having ties to terrorists has been deported to his native India despite a request by the United Nations to delay his transfer, the man's lawyer said yesterday.
Sogi Bachan Singh, 45, had been held at a detention centre in Montreal since August 2002, following a one-year investigation by the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service that began soon after his arrival in Canada.
[. . .]
Authorities believe Singh has ties to Babbar Khalsa International, the group allegedly responsible for the 1985 Air India bombing that killed 331 people — claims that he has denied.
[. . .]
Racial minorities having fewer babies
From the Toronto Star (Minorities have fewer babies by Nicholas Keung, July 4):
While visible minority women in Canada have more babies on average than white women, their fertility rate is declining even more swiftly than the general population as they adapt to the national norm.
That's according to a new Statistics Canada report, which confirms that the country's overall fertility rate continues to drop — from 1.69 children per woman in 1996, to 1.57 in 2001.
In those five years, Canada's visible-minority population jumped from 3.2 million to 4 million, nearly a 25 per cent increase — far higher than the 1.3 per cent growth among the rest of Canadians. But that growth was fuelled more by immigration than by a higher birthrate. During those same five years, fertility rates among visible-minority women dropped from 1.94 children per woman to 1.70.
Any rate below the replacement level of 2.1 spells a gradually aging populace.
If current trends continue, StatsCan predicts, annual deaths will outnumber births by 2030
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
This story illustrates one of the weaknesses of the argument that Canada needs more immigrants to compensate for a low birthrate and aging population. From pp.11-2 of Martin Collacott's 2002 immigration report:
after a generation or two, most immigrants take on the same aging and family-size characteristics as those of native-born North Americans and we would have to continue quadrupling our population every 50 years to maintain current dependency ratios.
While visible minority women in Canada have more babies on average than white women, their fertility rate is declining even more swiftly than the general population as they adapt to the national norm.
That's according to a new Statistics Canada report, which confirms that the country's overall fertility rate continues to drop — from 1.69 children per woman in 1996, to 1.57 in 2001.
In those five years, Canada's visible-minority population jumped from 3.2 million to 4 million, nearly a 25 per cent increase — far higher than the 1.3 per cent growth among the rest of Canadians. But that growth was fuelled more by immigration than by a higher birthrate. During those same five years, fertility rates among visible-minority women dropped from 1.94 children per woman to 1.70.
Any rate below the replacement level of 2.1 spells a gradually aging populace.
If current trends continue, StatsCan predicts, annual deaths will outnumber births by 2030
[. . .]
Read the whole article.
This story illustrates one of the weaknesses of the argument that Canada needs more immigrants to compensate for a low birthrate and aging population. From pp.11-2 of Martin Collacott's 2002 immigration report:
after a generation or two, most immigrants take on the same aging and family-size characteristics as those of native-born North Americans and we would have to continue quadrupling our population every 50 years to maintain current dependency ratios.
Canadian asylum seekers regularly visit the countries allegedly persecuting them
From page 34 of Martin Collacott's February 2006 Fraser Institute report, Canada's Inadequate Response to Terrorism:
An indication of Canadian laxity in granting refugee status is the frequency with which claimants from some countries go back for visits even though their applications were based on the argument that they were unsafe there and had to flee. Such activity has been particularly common among Sri Lankan Tamils making refugee claims in Canada. According to the records of the consular section of the Sri Lankan High Commission in Ottawa, more than 8,600 Sri Lankans with refugee claims pending in Canada applied for travel documents to visit Sri Lanka in a single years (Kaihla, 1996).
In comparison with Canada, other countries have accepted relatively few refugee claims from Sri Lankan Tamils as they do not consider them to have been persecuted. In 2003 Canada accepted 1,749 Sri Lankan claimants (UNHCR, 2003, table 8), while the rest of the world combined gave refugee status to only 1,160. Canada's acceptance rate was 76.3 percent, while the average for other countries was 15.8 percent. The UK accepted 2 percent of those making claims and Germany less than 4 percent. Altogether Canada accepted over 37,000 claims from Sri Lankans between 1989 and 2004, far more than from the nationals of any other country in the world.
You can download the full report free of charge at the Fraser Institute website. Two other Fraser Institute reports worth reading are Martin Collacott's 2002 immigration report and an October 2005 immigration report by economist Herb Grubel.
An indication of Canadian laxity in granting refugee status is the frequency with which claimants from some countries go back for visits even though their applications were based on the argument that they were unsafe there and had to flee. Such activity has been particularly common among Sri Lankan Tamils making refugee claims in Canada. According to the records of the consular section of the Sri Lankan High Commission in Ottawa, more than 8,600 Sri Lankans with refugee claims pending in Canada applied for travel documents to visit Sri Lanka in a single years (Kaihla, 1996).
In comparison with Canada, other countries have accepted relatively few refugee claims from Sri Lankan Tamils as they do not consider them to have been persecuted. In 2003 Canada accepted 1,749 Sri Lankan claimants (UNHCR, 2003, table 8), while the rest of the world combined gave refugee status to only 1,160. Canada's acceptance rate was 76.3 percent, while the average for other countries was 15.8 percent. The UK accepted 2 percent of those making claims and Germany less than 4 percent. Altogether Canada accepted over 37,000 claims from Sri Lankans between 1989 and 2004, far more than from the nationals of any other country in the world.
You can download the full report free of charge at the Fraser Institute website. Two other Fraser Institute reports worth reading are Martin Collacott's 2002 immigration report and an October 2005 immigration report by economist Herb Grubel.
To all my American readers: Happy Independence Day
I would like to wish all my American readers a happy Independence Day. The United States is a great nation and Canadians are lucky to have Americans as neighbours. Over at Vdare, James Fulford has some timely thoughts about immigration and American independence: “There Shall Be Closed Borders”
Drug-related shooting at luxury hotel in downtown Toronto
A man was shot three times last night at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. From the Toronto Star (Guests in dark about shooting by Curtis Rush, July 4):
According to police, shortly after 9 p.m. a 36-year-old man was shot three times in an attack in the hallway of the 28th floor. The victim was discovered moments later in an elevator stopped on the 16th floor of the waterfront hotel, located on Queens Quay at the foot of Yonge St.
The victim was taken to St. Michael's Hospital after being shot once in the stomach and twice in the thigh. He is expected to live.
Police are probing whether a quantity of cocaine reportedly found on the 28th floor was tied to the shooting.
Later, police Chief Bill Blair said it appeared the shooting was "a direct result of a drug transaction gone bad."
"Our first concern is for our hotel guests," said the hotel's general manager, David Ogilvie, who was called back early from vacation to deal with the matter. He praised staff and said "the hotel is back to normal operations."
He also said the victim was a guest at the hotel.
Read the whole article.
According to police, shortly after 9 p.m. a 36-year-old man was shot three times in an attack in the hallway of the 28th floor. The victim was discovered moments later in an elevator stopped on the 16th floor of the waterfront hotel, located on Queens Quay at the foot of Yonge St.
The victim was taken to St. Michael's Hospital after being shot once in the stomach and twice in the thigh. He is expected to live.
Police are probing whether a quantity of cocaine reportedly found on the 28th floor was tied to the shooting.
Later, police Chief Bill Blair said it appeared the shooting was "a direct result of a drug transaction gone bad."
"Our first concern is for our hotel guests," said the hotel's general manager, David Ogilvie, who was called back early from vacation to deal with the matter. He praised staff and said "the hotel is back to normal operations."
He also said the victim was a guest at the hotel.
Read the whole article.
Monday, July 03, 2006
America's great immigration debate
I have my hands full trying to keep up with Canadian news and haven't had time to comment on American events. However, I would like to point out that immigration is a huge political issue in the US right now. If you watch Lou Dobbs, you'll know this already. In any case, the best place to follow American developments is Vdare. Go to the main site for full articles. Visit the blog for up to the minute news. Use Vdare's search engine to find articles about Canada, including a couple by me. Steve Sailer is also a good source of information.
A multiculturalism enthusiast recoils at the aggressive behaviour of Portuguese soccer fans.
Adam Radwanski wrote in the National Post (Misguided identities, June 30):
I'm not sure what this says about me, but last weekend a traffic jam did what charges against 17 homegrown terror suspects and an entire National Post series could not: It convinced me that maybe our approach to multiculturalism could use a little work.
It probably wouldn't have happened if we hadn't stupidly driven smack into the west end of Toronto's downtown just after Portugal had polished off the Netherlands to move on to the World Cup quarterfinals. But after about 20 minutes of hyperaggressive young men riding atop jeeps and vans waving flags in the faces of passers-by - a scene that's played out repeatedly during the World Cup, occasionally ending in violence - I was starting to feel uncomfortably like a Canadian nationalist.
For the record, I'm about as pro-multiculturalism as it gets - so much so that I recall making the case that the best way to sell Toronto to tourists would be to take them on tours of the city's various ethnic neighbourhoods. When several Post columnists tried recently to pin the alleged Toronto terror plot - involving, by all appearances, a small number of social outcasts - as a sweeping indictment of our liberal attitudes toward newcomers, I recoiled.
[. . .]
Read all of Adam Radwanski's column, which was reposted on his blog.
Maybe if I lived in a different neighbourhood I wouldn't be as bothered by the World Cup celebrations. I don't think I would like people waving foreign flags under any circumstances, but I am particularly bothered by the aggressive behaviour of the Portuguese fans in my neighbourhood. That aggressiveness is the reason I worry about a possible soccer riot. We had visitors from East York yesterday. They noticed the aggression too. In fact, they made a point of mentioning it.
Meanwhile Martin Kelly continues to blog about Portuguese soccer fans in the UK. See, for example, this entry about the disturbances on the island of Jersey. Martin's blog has lots of links to stories and pictures of celebrating Portuguese fans. Please note, Martin is not saying all the problems were caused by the Portuguese fans.
I'm not sure what this says about me, but last weekend a traffic jam did what charges against 17 homegrown terror suspects and an entire National Post series could not: It convinced me that maybe our approach to multiculturalism could use a little work.
It probably wouldn't have happened if we hadn't stupidly driven smack into the west end of Toronto's downtown just after Portugal had polished off the Netherlands to move on to the World Cup quarterfinals. But after about 20 minutes of hyperaggressive young men riding atop jeeps and vans waving flags in the faces of passers-by - a scene that's played out repeatedly during the World Cup, occasionally ending in violence - I was starting to feel uncomfortably like a Canadian nationalist.
For the record, I'm about as pro-multiculturalism as it gets - so much so that I recall making the case that the best way to sell Toronto to tourists would be to take them on tours of the city's various ethnic neighbourhoods. When several Post columnists tried recently to pin the alleged Toronto terror plot - involving, by all appearances, a small number of social outcasts - as a sweeping indictment of our liberal attitudes toward newcomers, I recoiled.
[. . .]
Read all of Adam Radwanski's column, which was reposted on his blog.
Maybe if I lived in a different neighbourhood I wouldn't be as bothered by the World Cup celebrations. I don't think I would like people waving foreign flags under any circumstances, but I am particularly bothered by the aggressive behaviour of the Portuguese fans in my neighbourhood. That aggressiveness is the reason I worry about a possible soccer riot. We had visitors from East York yesterday. They noticed the aggression too. In fact, they made a point of mentioning it.
Meanwhile Martin Kelly continues to blog about Portuguese soccer fans in the UK. See, for example, this entry about the disturbances on the island of Jersey. Martin's blog has lots of links to stories and pictures of celebrating Portuguese fans. Please note, Martin is not saying all the problems were caused by the Portuguese fans.
"The sneaky process that resulted in Dominion Day's assassination"
David Menzies writes in the National Post (We should be celebrating Dominion Day, June 30):
The sneaky process that resulted in Dominion Day's assassination is certainly a story worth retelling. The deed took place in Parliament on July 9, 1982, back when the Trudeau regime was calling the shots. Purging Dominion Day from the Canadian lexicon occurred on an otherwise laidback Friday afternoon, the last day of Parliament before the summer recess. A mere 13 members were present, seven short of an official quorum.
Alas, so much for formalities: a private member's bill seeking to officially expunge "Dominion Day" and replace it with "Canada Day" was quickly rubberstamped. Faster than you could say, "fuddle duddle" more than a century of history disappeared.
The move was "consistent with what Liberal governments have been doing since [Lester] Pearson took over, which is trying to 're-brand' Canada," notes Stephen Clarkson, a University of Toronto history professor who specializes in Canadian politics and Pierre Trudeau. "I think for people like me, I'm sort of the last vestige of the British Empire, so [Dominion Day] has nostalgic qualities."
While it's hard to determine precisely how many Canadians are or were upset over the "re-branding", Clarkson does note that those most likely to take umbrage -- "white Anglo-Saxon protestants" -- were already the "minority in Canada by the early '80s."
[. . .]
Read all of David Menzies' op-ed.
The sneaky process that resulted in Dominion Day's assassination is certainly a story worth retelling. The deed took place in Parliament on July 9, 1982, back when the Trudeau regime was calling the shots. Purging Dominion Day from the Canadian lexicon occurred on an otherwise laidback Friday afternoon, the last day of Parliament before the summer recess. A mere 13 members were present, seven short of an official quorum.
Alas, so much for formalities: a private member's bill seeking to officially expunge "Dominion Day" and replace it with "Canada Day" was quickly rubberstamped. Faster than you could say, "fuddle duddle" more than a century of history disappeared.
The move was "consistent with what Liberal governments have been doing since [Lester] Pearson took over, which is trying to 're-brand' Canada," notes Stephen Clarkson, a University of Toronto history professor who specializes in Canadian politics and Pierre Trudeau. "I think for people like me, I'm sort of the last vestige of the British Empire, so [Dominion Day] has nostalgic qualities."
While it's hard to determine precisely how many Canadians are or were upset over the "re-branding", Clarkson does note that those most likely to take umbrage -- "white Anglo-Saxon protestants" -- were already the "minority in Canada by the early '80s."
[. . .]
Read all of David Menzies' op-ed.
Failed asylum seekers finally sent home to Costa Rica
From Canadian Press via the Globe and Mail (Costa Rican family deported on Canada Day, July 1):
Five members of a Costa Rican family living in Toronto are marking Canada Day on a plane back to their native country.
[. . .]
On Thursday, the Federal Court denied their appeal to stave off the deportations.
Justice Richard Mosley said in a written decision there was no compelling reason to allow them to stay.
Justice Mosley noted the family had previously failed to report for removal and to tell immigration authorities where they were.
[. . .]
Even though I've said more than once that this family should be deported, I can't say I take any pleasure in their situation. I don't blame foreigners for wanting to come here but the law must be followed. Canada can't accept every would-be immigrant who wants to settle here. Every time Ottawa allows someone who has skirted the rules to stay, we send the message that legal immigrants are suckers. It bothers me that some journalists don't understand the importance of enforcing our immigration laws. I wish school board officials could also understand this. Finally, Freespeecher made a good point worth thinking about:
Assuming for the moment they were telling the truth, (for the record, I don't believe their story) what prevented them from 'fleeing' to a nearby Spanish-speaking country like Panama or Mexico? If not there, why not further afield to Argentina or Chile? Barring those optional routes for reasons known only to themselves, and if by land transport, why not the United States where, they had to pass through en route to Canada?
Five members of a Costa Rican family living in Toronto are marking Canada Day on a plane back to their native country.
[. . .]
On Thursday, the Federal Court denied their appeal to stave off the deportations.
Justice Richard Mosley said in a written decision there was no compelling reason to allow them to stay.
Justice Mosley noted the family had previously failed to report for removal and to tell immigration authorities where they were.
[. . .]
Even though I've said more than once that this family should be deported, I can't say I take any pleasure in their situation. I don't blame foreigners for wanting to come here but the law must be followed. Canada can't accept every would-be immigrant who wants to settle here. Every time Ottawa allows someone who has skirted the rules to stay, we send the message that legal immigrants are suckers. It bothers me that some journalists don't understand the importance of enforcing our immigration laws. I wish school board officials could also understand this. Finally, Freespeecher made a good point worth thinking about:
Assuming for the moment they were telling the truth, (for the record, I don't believe their story) what prevented them from 'fleeing' to a nearby Spanish-speaking country like Panama or Mexico? If not there, why not further afield to Argentina or Chile? Barring those optional routes for reasons known only to themselves, and if by land transport, why not the United States where, they had to pass through en route to Canada?
Hindu parents insist teen accused of terrorist activity isn't a Muslim
From the Globe and Mail ('I cannot accept my son could be caught up in this situation' by Colin Freeze, July 3):
The family of recent immigrants insists their son was never a Muslim. Yet police allege he took part in "al-Qaeda-inspired" terrorist training along with more than a dozen other recruits, some of whom are accused of planning to bomb targets in Toronto.
In the bedroom he shared with an older brother, there are no images of Osama bin Laden, just an old poster of SpongeBob SquarePants.
In the living room of the family's modest, two-bedroom apartment in Scarborough, there are pictures and statues of Durga, Shiva and Ganesh. Those are the same Hindu gods whose images some of the 17 suspects allegedly shot at for target practice during a terrorist training camp in December, as The Globe and Mail reported June 7.
Read all of Colin Freeze's Globe article.
The family of recent immigrants insists their son was never a Muslim. Yet police allege he took part in "al-Qaeda-inspired" terrorist training along with more than a dozen other recruits, some of whom are accused of planning to bomb targets in Toronto.
In the bedroom he shared with an older brother, there are no images of Osama bin Laden, just an old poster of SpongeBob SquarePants.
In the living room of the family's modest, two-bedroom apartment in Scarborough, there are pictures and statues of Durga, Shiva and Ganesh. Those are the same Hindu gods whose images some of the 17 suspects allegedly shot at for target practice during a terrorist training camp in December, as The Globe and Mail reported June 7.
Read all of Colin Freeze's Globe article.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
More obnoxious Portuguese soccer fans. This time in the UK.
Martin Kelly reports that Toronto isn't the only place where Portuguese soccer fans are making a nuisance of themselves. They are also causing trouble on the island of Jersey. Martin writes:
This is not Portugal; and the sight of foreign nationals waving the daubs of their countries of origin in triumph sticks in the craw.
The practice is too Mexican for my taste.
He took the words out of my mouth. I think the practice of waving foreign flags on the streets of Toronto, especially on Canada's national holiday, is outrageous and I don't understand the attitude of those who seem to think it's no big deal. As Martin says:
If they want to have all the physical benefits of living in the UK while their hearts remain forever Portugese, then fine - celebrate quietly, behind closed doors.
This is not Portugal; and the sight of foreign nationals waving the daubs of their countries of origin in triumph sticks in the craw.
The practice is too Mexican for my taste.
He took the words out of my mouth. I think the practice of waving foreign flags on the streets of Toronto, especially on Canada's national holiday, is outrageous and I don't understand the attitude of those who seem to think it's no big deal. As Martin says:
If they want to have all the physical benefits of living in the UK while their hearts remain forever Portugese, then fine - celebrate quietly, behind closed doors.
How do 'Canadians' celebrate Canada Day? By waving the Portuguese flag, of course.
Damn English! What are you good for? I was counting on you to silence my Portuguese neighbours, but you let me down. Now I'm going to have to put up with more of this nonsense. From the Toronto Star (Portuguese fans chant 'Final!' by Anna Piekarski, July 2):
The contingent of English fans was loyal, but they were outnumbered by the Portuguese cheering section.
Outside on the patio, twice as many people were cheering for Portugal.
Those who couldn't get seats lined up along the patio fence to watch the game.
Cars stopped on the side of the road, passengers leaning out of windows to get a glimpse of the action on the outdoor television screens.
As soon as the match ended, Portugal fans began pouring out of bars and restaurants onto College St., many waving flags and yelling.
A group of teenage boys had high expectations for their team, as they chanted "Final! Final!"
Read the whole article.
The contingent of English fans was loyal, but they were outnumbered by the Portuguese cheering section.
Outside on the patio, twice as many people were cheering for Portugal.
Those who couldn't get seats lined up along the patio fence to watch the game.
Cars stopped on the side of the road, passengers leaning out of windows to get a glimpse of the action on the outdoor television screens.
As soon as the match ended, Portugal fans began pouring out of bars and restaurants onto College St., many waving flags and yelling.
A group of teenage boys had high expectations for their team, as they chanted "Final! Final!"
Read the whole article.
Lorrie Goldstein on the Reodica inquest
Lorrie Goldstein writes in the Toronto Sun (An inquest is not a trial, July 2):
Am I the only person disturbed by what's been going on at the inquest into the death of Jeffrey Reodica?
An inquest examines the circumstances of a death and how similar deaths can be prevented. It doesn't lay blame. It's not a criminal trial. It doesn't use the same rules of evidence.
But this inquest increasingly resembles, in my view, an unfair trial of the Toronto plainclothes officer who fatally shot Reodica, 17, in May 2004, even though the officer, Det.-Const. Dan Belanger, has not been charged with any offence.
[. . .]
There's so much more to consider. Why were rival groups of teens in an escalating, racially-charged confrontation to begin with, one where police were called only after things had reached a crisis stage? How can we help defuse such volatile situations before they erupt?
[. . .]
Read all of Lorrie Goldstein's column.
We are going to hear more accusations of racism levelled against the police as Toronto's racial demography changes. No one is colour-blind. Everyone is aware of race to one degree or another. Some people are less race conscious than others but I don't think anyone has the ability to completely set aside race. When a white police officer kills someone of another race, it's almost inevitable that someone will accuse the officer of racism. There will always be political activists and opportunistic lawyers ready to stir up latent racial tensions.
Am I the only person disturbed by what's been going on at the inquest into the death of Jeffrey Reodica?
An inquest examines the circumstances of a death and how similar deaths can be prevented. It doesn't lay blame. It's not a criminal trial. It doesn't use the same rules of evidence.
But this inquest increasingly resembles, in my view, an unfair trial of the Toronto plainclothes officer who fatally shot Reodica, 17, in May 2004, even though the officer, Det.-Const. Dan Belanger, has not been charged with any offence.
[. . .]
There's so much more to consider. Why were rival groups of teens in an escalating, racially-charged confrontation to begin with, one where police were called only after things had reached a crisis stage? How can we help defuse such volatile situations before they erupt?
[. . .]
Read all of Lorrie Goldstein's column.
We are going to hear more accusations of racism levelled against the police as Toronto's racial demography changes. No one is colour-blind. Everyone is aware of race to one degree or another. Some people are less race conscious than others but I don't think anyone has the ability to completely set aside race. When a white police officer kills someone of another race, it's almost inevitable that someone will accuse the officer of racism. There will always be political activists and opportunistic lawyers ready to stir up latent racial tensions.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Dominion Day
Psalm 72, verse 8
Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare
et a flumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum.
Canada Day? Never heard of it.
Toronto Star: Ottawa urged to lobby for Khadr's return
From Toronto Star (Ottawa urged to lobby for Khadr's return by Michelle Shephard, July 1):
Lawyers for a Toronto teenager held prisoner at Guantanamo Bay said this week's U.S. Supreme Court decision that shut down hearings on the military base should prompt Ottawa to lobby for his release or return to Canada to face charges here.
Omar Khadr, 19, is one of 10 detainees to be charged for war crimes and is the only one charged with murder for allegedly throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier during a July 2002 battle in Afghanistan. The top U.S. court ruled Thursday that the Bush administration's plan to try the detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law.
[. . .]
Khadr is the second youngest son of Ahmed Said Khadr, a reputed Al Qaeda financier who was killed by Pakistani forces in 2003. Omar was 15 when he was captured.
[. . .]
In 1996, then prime minister Jean Chrétien intervened in the case of Khadr's father, who had been arrested in Pakistan on the suspicion of financing a terrorist bombing. After Chrétien spoke with then prime minister Benazir Bhutto about the case, Khadr was released without charges.
[. . .]
Read all the whole article.
Background information about the Khadr family can be found at CBC News. Daniel Pipes has also written about the Khadrs: The Khadrs: Canada's First Family of Terrorism.
Lawyers for a Toronto teenager held prisoner at Guantanamo Bay said this week's U.S. Supreme Court decision that shut down hearings on the military base should prompt Ottawa to lobby for his release or return to Canada to face charges here.
Omar Khadr, 19, is one of 10 detainees to be charged for war crimes and is the only one charged with murder for allegedly throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier during a July 2002 battle in Afghanistan. The top U.S. court ruled Thursday that the Bush administration's plan to try the detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law.
[. . .]
Khadr is the second youngest son of Ahmed Said Khadr, a reputed Al Qaeda financier who was killed by Pakistani forces in 2003. Omar was 15 when he was captured.
[. . .]
In 1996, then prime minister Jean Chrétien intervened in the case of Khadr's father, who had been arrested in Pakistan on the suspicion of financing a terrorist bombing. After Chrétien spoke with then prime minister Benazir Bhutto about the case, Khadr was released without charges.
[. . .]
Read all the whole article.
Background information about the Khadr family can be found at CBC News. Daniel Pipes has also written about the Khadrs: The Khadrs: Canada's First Family of Terrorism.
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