Fundraising is underway to raise money for the legal costs of Intervenor staus. The coalition has retained Roy Elliott Kim O'Connor LLP. Court documents are avaiolable for review at www.canadiansforjerusalem.com .
Canadians for Jerusalem:
1057 McNicoll Avenue
Toronto, Ontario Canada
M1W 3W6
Tel. (416) 493 - 8635
Fax (416) 493 - 9239
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.canadiansforjerusalem.com/
http://www.arab2000.net/wnewsDetails.asp?id=20835&cid=43
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2C4CD6F0-DB93-4E32-B9A2-81F6E8D29E4E.htm
Who is Canadians for Jerusalem?
Canadians for Jerusalem is a national coalition composed of more than thirty non-profit corporations, community groups, and university organizations across Canada, representing more than 1,000,000 Canadian Arabs, Christians, Muslims and Druze, including the Canadian Palestinian community. Theses organizations are active in the promotion of the rights of their communities in Canada through public education, political activity and judicial intervention.
Why was the coalition created?
Canadians for Jerusalem monitor and intervene in court cases concerning the status of Jerusalem and are applying to intervene in a case before the Federal Court of Canada filed by Mr. Eliyahu Veffer being supported by B'nai Brith. Mr. Veffer's court case claims that his constitutional rights as a Jerusalem-born Canadian are being infringed because the Government of Canada does not recognize Jerusalem as part of Israel.
Canadians for Jerusalem is concerned about a change in Canada's policy in January 2002 that no longer recognizes the pre-1948 status of Jerusalem, Palestine. Before May 14, 1948, all of Jerusalem was the recognized capital of Palestine. After May 14, 1948, in accordance with a resolution Canada supported at the United Nations, Jerusalem was recognized as an international city. The international community recognizes that Israel is illegally occupying parts of Jerusalem and has illegally confiscated Palestinian lands (and continues to illegally confiscate lands) in parts of Jerusalem. Canadians for Jerusalem's intervention will ask the Court to respect Canadian foreign policy and ensure
that the status of Jerusalem does not change.
Any change to the status of Jerusalem must be made by the mutual agreement of Palestinians and Israelis, by a resolution of the United Nations Security Council, or by a judgment of the International Court of Justice. Canadians for Jerusalem supports Canada's policy in light of the politically sensitive status of Jerusalem under international law. The status of Jerusalem is particularly sensitive because of its special significance to three of the world's great monotheistic religions.
The Case Concerning Eliyahu Veffer vs. Canada (The Minister of Foreign Affairs)
The current case before the federal court was filed on January 26, 2005, when Eliyahu Yehoshua Veffer, a 17-year-old student at the Hebrew Academy of Toronto filed an application for judicial review with the Federal Court in Winnipeg. The case challenges Canada's passport policy which does not recognize Jerusalem as part of Israel. Mr. Veffer claims that as a Jerusalem-born citizen of Israel he has a "right" to designate "Israel" as his country of birth on a Canadian passport. Mr. Veffer is asking the Federal Court to go against international law and force the Government of Canada to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Mr. Veffer feels that his rights are being infringed
because his religion teaches him that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, which is an integral part of his religious belief and identity.
Canadians for Jerusalem has consulted with one of the foremost specialists in international law, Professor John Quigley, and one of the leading experts in comparative religion in Canada, Professor Tom Faulkner. Both experts have offered their independent and expert opinions on this case. Professor Quigley is of the opinion that there is a stronger claim to Palestinian sovereignty over Jerusalem. It is also noteworthy to share Professor Faulkner's opinion: "Jerusalem is one of the most powerful organizing symbols by means of which each of the three religious communities of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, understand themselves." He also explained that, "the significance of Jerusalem to Judaism does not depend on the identification
of the city, or any part of the city, with the state of Israel."
Canadians for Jerusalem is requesting intervener status before the Federal Court to ensure that the Court is aware of the domestic and international ramifications of its decision and to bring to light the potential impact the Court's decision will have on the rights of Canadian Palestinians, and Canadian Muslims and Christians.
Canadians for Jerusalem has retained Mr. Douglas Elliott, a respected human rights lawyer at Roy Elliott Kim O'Connor LLP, a premier litigation firm in Toronto.
The Coalition Members
Al-Huda Lebanese Muslim Society - Toronto
Ahlul-Bayt Centre - Ottawa
Annahda Social Cultural Centre - Montreal
Arab Law Students' Association at Osgoode Hall - Toronto
Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians - Ottawa
Canaanite Canadian Knowledge Centre - Ottawa
Canada Palestine Association- Halifax
Canada Palestine Net - Ottawa
Canadian Arab Federation - National
Canadian Arab Justice Committee, ADALA - Vancouver
Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations - National
Canadian Druze Society (Ontario) - Toronto
Canadian Druze Society (Quebec) -Montreal
Canadian Palestinian Centre for Capital Region - Ottawa
Canadian Palestinian Foundation of Quebec - Montreal
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East -Montreal
Coalition of Arab Canadian Professionals and Community Associations - Ottawa
Etobicoke Muslim Community Organization - Toronto
Jewish Women's Committee to End the Occupation - Toronto
Hamilton Council of Canadian Arabs - Hamilton
Lebanese Canadian Progressive Society - Toronto
Lebanese Druze Centre - Edmonton
Moroccan Association of Toronto - Toronto
Muslim Canadian Congress - Toronto
Niagara Palestinian Association - Niagara Falls
Nile Association of Ontario - Toronto
Palestine House - Greater Toronto Area
Palestine Solidarity Society - Halifax
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights - National
Syrian Canadian Club - Ottawa
Syrian Canadian Cultural Club - Toronto
University of Waterloo Students for Palestinian Rights - Waterloo
Media Relations:
English: Hanadi Loubani (416) 833-1712
French and English: Mohamed Boudjenane (416) 294-3071
Arabic and Hebrew: Hilani Shehadeh (416) 553-2095
Niagara Palestinian Association http://groups.yahoo.com/group/niag_pal_news/ . To subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Niagara Coalition for Peace http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NC4P/ . To subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Howard-Azzeh Lawsuit http://www.caf.ca/caf.htm under What's New (Adobe)
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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