Galloway’s Banning Raises Questions

3/22/2009

Posted by Patti under Canadian News, Canadian Politics

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The Conservative government has denied controversial British MP George Galloway entry to Canada. He was due to arrive here next week for a speaking engagement. There appears to be some confusion over what the ban is about.

The Sun (British paper) reported it as being about his stand against the Afghanistan war while papers and some so called ‘officials’ this side of the pond attribute it to their claims of his supporting terrorism. In particular, they condemn him for his recently leading a convoy of 100 British citizens and vehicles into Gaza with humanitarian aid to the people there.

Canada, actually the minority Conservatives, refuse to recognize the elected Hamas government in Gaza as they are so staunchly supportive of Israel. Hamas and Hezbollah are legally terrorist groups under Canadian law. Galloway claims he will use every legal means available to him to fight the ban and will look at other ways of speaking to the group from outside Canadian borders, like presumably, teleconferencing.

Regardless of the actual action which has brought about his ban, the government claims Galloway is a threat to Canada’s national security. Bullshit!! He opposes the stands of the minority Conservatives but a threat to Canada, definitely not. Even naming Hamas as a terrorist group isn’t because they are a threat to our national security. They are a threat to Israel’s security.

I have issues with the behaviour of both Hamas and Israel. I also believe that Canada should have remained neutral and thus in a position to call the bad behaviour of either side of that ongoing conflict. However, back to Galloway.

Apparently, the government responded to an appeal by the Jewish Defense League in Canada (headed by Marc Weinstein) to deny Galloway entry to Canada. Now, Galloway hasn’t broken Canadian law, he’s just basically ticked off the JDL and in turn the govermnment who of course wants Jewish votes in the next election.

Now, Galloway doesn’t have as a right, access to Canada. He would be a guest in this country. However, since he hasn’t broken any law except to tick off the minority Conservatives, there is no particularly valid reason to declare him a threat to Canadian security or deny him access.

There is opposition to the Afghanistan mission here in Canada. To a large degree I hold the government partially to blame for the amount of opposition there is. They have failed miserably in their management of the public relations side of this war. They have engaged in a lot of rhetoric but very little in explaining the mission and highlighting the successes. We see all too easily the fallen Canadians returning home.

What I find particularly disturbing is viewing a film clip on YouTube in which one of the British media stations has both Galloway and Weinstein on. Weinstein seems determined to stick to some sort of script rather than actually debate Galloway about his views.

Towards the end of the clip when Galloway indicates he may speak to the group from outside Canada’s borders, Weinstein responds by stating that anyone listening to him would be looked into.

Hello? Since when is this Nazi Germany and Canadians who wish to hear a speaker can be subjected to background checks?? Weinstein needs to think twice about his threats. At that point he crossed the line himself between supporter of Israel and terrorism of his own.

When threats like that get made… the issue becomes not only free speech but a lot of other freedoms. What do you think?