Canada becomes the first and only country in the world to ban British MP George Galloway

Last updated 2009-03-23.

George Galloway, a British Member of Parliament, author, and talk show host, has been banned from entering Canada after the Jewish Defence League of Canada wrote “an open letter to the country's government urging it to do ‘everything possible to keep this hater away’.”

There are four players involved in this incident, so let’s take a look at each one separately:

1) Jewish Defence League

2) George Galloway

3) Stephen Harper

4) Canada

Jewish Defence League

The Jewish Defence League (JDL) is the same organization that the FBI in its Terrorism 2000/2001 report referred to as a “‘violent extremist Jewish organization’ and stated that the FBI was responsible for thwarting at least one of its terrorist acts.”

The 11 December 2001 FBI report documented a JDL planned bombing in Los Angeles, California.

“On December 11, 2001, Irving David Rubin and Earl Leslie Krugel were arrested by the Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force for conspiring to build and place improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City, California, and the local office of Congressman Darrell Issa. Rubin and Krugel were subsequently charged with conspiracy to destroy a building by means of an explosive, as well as possession of a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence. Rubin and Krugel were active members of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), a violent extremist Jewish organization. Statements by Rubin and Krugel indicated that they had planned the attack against the mosque to demonstrate the militancy of the JDL. Krugel further indicated that the attack was planned to provide a ‘wake up call’ to the Muslim community. It was determined that Rubin and Krugel had already acquired the necessary components to build an IED, including pipes, fuses, and smokeless powder.”

The National Consortium for the Study of Terror and Responses to Terrorism (START), “a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, tasked by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate with using state-of-the-art theories, methods, and data from the social and behavioral sciences to improve understanding of the origins, dynamics, and social and psychological impacts of terrorism,” in a March 2008 report stated the following regarding JDL’s founding philosophy and current goals:

“The Jewish Defense League (JDL) was an active terrorist organization based in the U.S. and active for roughly two decades. Shortly after its 1968 founding in New York City, the group would unleash a terrorist offensive in the United States. JDL was the second-most active group in the U.S. during its existence. Only the Puerto Rican separatist group, Armed Forces of National Liberation, was a larger terrorist threat at that time.”

“The Jewish Defense League began as a vigilante group in New York City, committed to protecting the orthodox Jewish population throughout the city and particularly in Brooklyn. Within a year of the JDL's founding, the group moved beyond mere ‘protection’ and initiated aggressive terrorist actions. The group began with the burglary of the Palestine Liberation Organization's UN mission, as well as attacks against Soviet institutions. Throughout the group's terrorist campaign, JDL repeatedly targeted Soviet institutions, but would also target facilities of any government that was believed anti-Semitic. In 1985, JDL moved beyond attacks against institutions and began to directly target individuals for assassination.”

“While JDL was founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, Kahane left the U.S. shortly after the group's formation. In 1971, Kahane emigrated to Israel and founded the Kach party. Despite his absence during most of the group's terrorist campaign, Rabbi Kahane remained the group's official leader until 1985. The assassination of Alex Odeh, director of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), finally prompted Meir Kahane to officially step down as JDL's leader.”

“The Jewish Defense League was dealt a significant blow in 1987 upon the conviction of several group members. Today, JDL is not actively engaged in terrorist actions. Two JDL members, however, were arrested in 2001 for their plot to bomb the office of a Lebanese-American Congressman from Orange County California and a mosque in Culver City California. Former JDL leader Irving Rubin committed suicide in prison while awaiting trial and West Coast Coordinator Earl Krugel pleaded guilty to the plot in 2003. In September 2005, Krugel was sentenced to 20 years in jail for his role in the plot. Two months later he was killed in prison by unknown assailants.”

George Galloway

George Galloway is a “notorious member of parliament, known for his outspoken views against the Iraq war.”

As he states on his website, he comes “from a time, politically, when communication was about meetings and street corner speeches and whatever media opportunities and soundbites one could muster.” He believes that he still does more meetings “than any other politician in the UK. More than 2000 since 9/11, covering hundreds of thousands of miles in Britain and abroad.” His philosophy is that “face-to-face contact is crucial.”

George Galloway "The West has DOUBLE STANDARDS when it comes to Israel" – January 2009

“George Galloway was born in the Scottish city Dundee. He left school at sixteen to become a factory worker with Michelin Tyres, where he joined the Transport and General Workers Union and remains a member to this day. He was the youngest ever elected chairman of the Labour party in Scotland at the age of twenty–six, having become a full-time party organiser three years earlier.

“In 1983, he moved to London as the General Secretary of War on Want, the international development agency, leaving the post upon his election to parliament in 1987. He first became involved in the Palestinian cause in the early 1970's, regularly visiting Lebanon and becoming an activist in support of the PLO. In 1980, he arranged the twinning of his city, Dundee with the Palestinian town Nablus. Thus, Dundee's city hall became the first public building in any western country to fly the Palestinian flag.

“Also, in 1980 he formed the British Trades Union Friends of Palestine and became its first General Secretary. In 1982, he founded the Emergency Committee against the invasion of Lebanon. In 1990, he was one of the leading opponents of the war in the Gulf although he had never visited Iraq [the only Arab country he had never visited] and would not have been welcomed there as he was a known opponent of the Iraqi government, not least over the Iran -Iraq War.

“In 1991 he formed the Emergency Committee on Iraq and remains its chairman. The Committee renamed itself the Emergency Committee on Iraq and Palestine [ECIP] in the year 2000. In 1990, he was awarded Pakistan's highest civil award, the Hilal-i-Quaid-i- Azam, for services to the restoration of Democracy in Pakistan. In 1996, he was awarded Pakistan's second highest civil award, the Hilal-i-Pakistan, for services to the cause of the Kashmiri people.”

George Galloway Savages SKY NEWS! 2006

“In 1998, he founded the Mariam Appeal named after the Iraqi child Mariam Hamza, who was brought to Britain amidst great controversy for cancer treatment. The Appeal campaigned around the issue of cancers caused by allied use of Depleted Uranium weapons in the Gulf.

“In the year 2000, he founded and is the chairman of the Great Britain - Iraq Society. He is a former Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Iran. He is also a founder member of the Cairo Conference bringing together Islamist, Nationalist and Socialist trends from around the world to work against globalization, occupation and war.

“He is a founder of the Stop the War Coalition UK and is currently its Vice-President. The Stop The War Coalition mobilized two million people to protest against the war on Iraq (the largest demonstration of people in British history). In 2003, George Galloway was expelled by Tony Blair from the Labour Party for his opposition to the illegal war on Iraq.

“In 2004 George Galloway founded RESPECT–The Unity Coalition, the anti-war party. Within weeks RESPECT had won the elections of June 10th in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. In 2005, he became Respect's first MP, for Bethnal Greenal & Bow.

“George currently has a show on ‘Talk Sport’ every Saturday and Sunday. George Galloway is the author of ‘Downfall: The Ceausescus and the Romanian Revolution’ 1990, ‘I’m Not the Only One’ 2004. And he is the author of a forthcoming biography of Fidel Castro. He is a frequent broadcaster, author, and public speaker. He was awarded ‘Parliamentary Debater’ of the year in 2003, by the Parliamentary Press Corps.”

Canada ban: Galloway faces his accusers a Jewish Defence League (JDL) "Terrorist" - 2009

Galloway, in 2006 stated that “Prime Minister Stephen Harper's foreign policy strategy is a joke and is causing Canada to be hated around the world.” This statement was made in reference to Harper insulting China at the APEC summit in Hanoi when he refused to make time to arrange a meeting with the Chinese president. Galloway stated that:

"The idea of Canada threatening China is absurd… The whole point of politics is to talk to each other, even if you hate each other."

Which brings us to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative governments decision to ban him from entering Canada “on grounds of national security” (sic) after the Jewish Defence League of Canada wrote “an open letter to the country's government urging it to do ‘everything possible to keep this hater away’.” Galloway’s response was quite subdued:

“This decision, gazetted in Rupert Murdoch's Sun, is a very sad day for the Canada we have known and loved – a bastion of the freedoms that supporters of the occupation of Afghanistan claim to be defending. This has further vindicated the anti-war movement's contention that unjust wars abroad will end up consuming the very liberties that make us who we are.

“This may be a rather desperate election ploy by a conservative government reaching the end of line, or by a minister who has not cottoned on to the fact that the George Bush era is over. All right-thinking Canadians, whether they agree with me over the wisdom of sending troops to Afghanistan or not, will oppose this outrageous decision.

“On a personal note – for a Scotsman to be barred from Canada is like being told to stay away from the family home.”

Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper “is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada, and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became Prime Minister after his party won a minority government in the January 2006 federal election. He is the first Prime Minister from the newly reconstituted Conservative Party, following a merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance Parties.

“Harper has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Calgary Southwest in Alberta since 2002. Earlier, from 1993 to 1997, he was the MP for Calgary West. He was one of the founding members of the Reform Party, but ended his first stint as an MP to join, and shortly thereafter head, the National Citizens Coalition. In 2002, he succeeded Stockwell Day as leader of the Canadian Alliance (the successor to the Reform Party) and returned to Parliament as Leader of the Opposition. In 2003, he reached an agreement with Progressive Conservative leader Peter MacKay for the merger of their two parties to form the Conservative Party of Canada.”

While the leader of the opposition, in 2003 he wanted Canada to join the Iraq invasion. He was so eager to convince Canadians to go to war with Iraq, he was actually foolish enough to plagiarize former Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s speech in Parliament.

This plagiarized speech was heard around the world. It not only shamed Canada but also indicated that Stephen Harper may not have the best interest of Canadians in mind.

Many around the world still question the origins of this speech. Was this speech prepared in Australia, or was it prepared by the Bush administration in the United States to trick Canadians and Australians into joining their invasion of Iraq? Unfortunately for Australians, it worked on them. Fortunately for Canadians, it failed to fool us.

For Canadians, one of Harper’s most appalling proposals is to have Canada spend billions implementing a failed and costly US prison system, by passing a bill to impose automatic jail terms for drug-related crimes that “would send people to jail for growing as little as one marijuana plant.”

One of Harper’s most infamous acts has been to axe $45 million from arts and culture funding, while at the same time giving billions of dollars to the banks – a bailout equivalent to the same amount per capita as the United States. This has angered millions across Canada.

Harper has also continuously lied to Canadians. He broke his own promise of fixed election dates, which became law with the passage of Bill C-16 in the spring of 2007, and he has continuously lied about the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.

The best way to expose Stephen Harper is to use his own words, so for those who want further information on Harper and his party’s agenda, I highly recommend reading the “speech made by Stephen Harper, then vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition, to a June 1997 Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing U.S. think tank, and taken from the council's website.” I have also included a copy of the speech in the following post: “The agenda that threatens Canada: Two telltale speeches by Stephen Harper.”

Every Canadian should read this speech, especially those who support Harper and his Conservatives. Exactly who do Stephen Harper’s supporters think that they are supporting, and why would they support someone who does not speak for the wellbeing of Canadians, but who’s purpose is to further the agenda of neoconservatives that have infested the governments of many western nations, ours included?

Canada

Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party have disgraced Canadians on the world stage multiple times over the last few years. This most recent incident, the banning of British MP George Galloway from entering Canada in an effort to silence an anti-war opinion and to appease the Jewish Defence League, a group that the FBI has categorized as a ‘violent extremist Jewish organization’, is beyond a doubt one of the most short sighted, partisan, disgraceful, appalling acts ever committed by this government.

When the news that Galloway “was being denied entry to visit Canada first appeared in the British press, it was supposedly because he had expressed opposition to the NATO-led Afghan war.” A spokesperson for Jason Kenney, Canada's current Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, stated that “Galloway is ‘inadmissible’ to Canada due to his opposition to the deployment of NATO troops in Afghanistan.”

As the New Democrat Immigration Critic Olivia Chow points out:

“By the Minister’s own twisted logic anyone who opposed the war in Afghanistan should be barred entry to Canada… Would the Minister do the same to veteran British Conservative MP Sir Peter Tapsell, who called the war ‘unwinnable’ and once said it was ‘widely understood’ that the Taliban were ‘not international terrorists’?…

“The Minister of Immigration is becoming the ‘Minister of Censorship’. This bunker mentality indicates a government afraid of hearing contradictory points of view… Canadians are able to make their own judgement on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and freedom of speech is critical in a democratic country,”

Keep in mind that Galloway has traveled to Canada on multiple occasions in the past. He was “last in Canada in 2007 for a speaking engagement and media appearances, and in 2006 appeared on CBC-TV's The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos. He has no criminal record,” and “has never been denied entry to any other country.”

MP George Galloway about the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq on ‘The Hour’ in 2006

“In 2006 the President of Egypt personally apologised to Galloway after he was detained for some hours on arrival in Cairo to speak at an anti-war conference.” I do not expect Stephen Harper or anyone else from the Conservative Party to apologise to Galloway for this incident.

The Conservative government in Canada, just like spoiled rotten children, continues to do stupid things, forcing us, their parents, to apologize to the world on their behalf. So, Mr. Galloway, consider this an apology from the Canadian people, we will do our best to make it up to you.

For those interested in overturning this ban, Galloway is asking everyone to sign a petition, join the Facebook group “Let Him Speak: Allow George Galloway To Speak In Canada”, and to write to MP Jason Kenny who is responsible for this decision.

I think it would also be worth while contacting your Member of Parliament. You can find your representative either by using your postal code or by the name of your Member of Parliament. Make sure your government representatives hear about your outrage.

In Canada, we have now twice elected a minority Conservative government that is controlled by special interest groups. In the next elections we should make sure that the next government actually cares about Canadians and what is best for Canada, instead of treating us as pawns on a grand chessboard.