Please post widely. Endorse this important event.
Oppose Police Bias: Defend Palestinian Rights
Join us in a public meeting to express outrage at police bias and to support for the formal complaint against Police Chief Bill Blair for his role in the May 29, 2005 "Walk with Israel".
Representative, Islamic Society of York Region; Rashid Abu-Ghazalah, Arab Students Collective, University of Toronto, and Coalition for Just Peace in Palestine and Israel; Judith Weisman, Coalition for a Just Peace in Palestine and Israel; Sue Goldstein, Jewish Women's Committee to End the Occupation; Abbie Bakan, SPHR, Torono Region
Thursday, June 30
7:30 pm
Room 1240
Bahen Centre
40 St. George St.
University of Toronto
Speakers include:
On May 29th, 2005, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair took on the role of
leading this year's "Walk with Israel". This immediately followed his
United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation-sponsored tour of Israel. These events are overtly political, and serve as a divisive stance within the Toronto community, challenging any public perception of impartiality on the part of Toronto's chief law enforcement officer.
A series of letters to Bill Blair and to Toronto Mayor David Miller
following these events were sent, including two by Mr. Khaled Mouamer,
former president of Canadian Arab Federation and one by Mr. Elias
Hazineh, President of Palestine House.
Mr. Mouamer stated: "Bill Blair's participation in a walk whose declared aim is to express solidarity with the State of Israel will be perceived as endorsing such a political stand. . . .Furthermore, Bill Blair's participation in the Israel Walkathon, coming on the heel of his recent trip to Israel which was sponsored by the UJA Federation, sends the wrong message
to the public and the police force that he is a partisan in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Needless to say, this is sowing deep fear amongst Arab Canadians and all supporters of the Palestinian people who suspect they will now be targeted and harassed by the police for expressing support for the Palestinian people's quest for freedom and self-determination."
Mr. Hazineh stated:
"I am writing to convey to you our community's deep concerns in your participation in 'Walking with Israel' . . . As chief of police, you sir, must always remain above politics. By supporting Israel, you have sided with a state that incarcerates people without trial, demolish homes, uproots farmer's trees, confiscates Arab land to build exclusive Jewish neighborhoods as well as tortures prisoners to obtain confessions. Is this the Israel that you support? We in the Arab community are extremely worried by this slanted and biased view of Israel as many of our members are refugees that were mistreated and persecuted by Israel."
Show Your Support for Palestinian Rights and Against Police Bias
A formal complaint against the police for Police Chief Bill Blair's actions has been launched. The progressive community in Toronto, including those rooted in both the Arab and Jewish constituencies, needs to indicate our support for this complaint.
As head of our police forces - a representative authority charged with upholding laws as well as ensuring the safety and security of each and every citizen regardless of ethnicity, race, religious views, age, or gender, Bill Blair is himself expected to remain impartial.
His position demands that he must act in a manner that is representative of the entire, diverse community of Toronto. To lead a procession that advocates the support of Israel, a state that has for the past 57 years openly engaged in the ethnic cleansing against the indigenous Palestinian population, is not only discriminatory. It also undermines the basic principles of social justice upon which the police mandate is built.
The "Walk with Israel" event claims to represent Toronto's Jewish population under the cloak of a racist, Zionist, state enterprise. However, there is a growing voice within the Jewish population which oppose the illegal occupation of Palestine and which supports the movement for Palestinian human rights.
Join Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), Toronto Region, by endorsing this meeting, and building a broad based, united response to this overt act of unprofessional, biased, and unacceptablebehavour on the part of the Toronto Chief of Police.
We invite all those interested in mobilizing around the issue to a public meeting on the Thursday, June 30, 2005 at 7:30 PM, at the University of Toronto, St. George Campus.
We invite all progressive organizations to: 1) endorse this meeting; 2) send a speaker to address the meeting for 3-5 minutes to indicate your organization's support for the formal complaint.
Address endorsements and speaker's names to: Sarah Karmi at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Oraganized by: SPHR-Toronto Regional Coordinating Committee.
Endorsed by: Islamic Society of York Region; Coalition for a Just Peace in Palestine and Israel; Niagara Coalition for Peace NC4P; Niagara Palestinian Association.
Niagara Coalition for Peace http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NC4P/ . To subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Howard-Azzeh Lawsuit http://www.montrealmuslimnews.net/susan.htm http://www.caf.ca/caf.htm
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