be leaving my house at 5:30 pm.
The Niagara Palestinian Association is lodging a complaint with the
province regarding both the Walk With Israel and the recent trip of
about 30 senior Ontario police officers to Israel.
From: Abbie Bakan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: POST WIDELY - Oppose Police Bias: Defend Palestinian Rights-
Forum Thurs., June 30 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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 the formal complaint against Police Chief Bill Blair for his
role in the May 29, 2005 "Walk with Israel".
Thursday, June 30
7:30 pm
Room 1240
Bahen Centre
40 St. George St.
University of Toronto
Speakers include:
Ali Mallah, Chair, Toronto Chapter, Canadian Arab Federation, Vice-
President, CUPE Toronto District; Steering Committee, Canadian Peace
Alliance; Member of Toronto Coalition to Stop the War
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
Representative, Islamic Society of York Region
Sue Goldstein, Jewish Women's Committee to End the Occupation
Henry Lowi, Jewish Peace Activist
Abbie Bakan, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, Toronto Region
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 th e
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 communi ty 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 openl y 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.
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.
For info. or to endorse: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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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{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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