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Citizenship, immigration and refugee rights
Homes Not Bombs 17/04/2013 - Early April news reports about the alleged involvement of Canadians in an Algerian gas plant attack have added fuel to the Harper government's ongoing efforts to control and restrict the number of individuals entitled to the full rights of citizenship. Chief among  what critics call two-tier citizenship is a private member's bill first introduced last year by Conservative Calgary MP Devinder Shory that would reduce by one year the residency requirements to obtain Canadian citizenship for permanent residents serving in the armed forces. Few have objected to this portion of Bill C-425, largely because it affects almost no one: citizenship is a prerequisite to being a member of the Canadian military except in very rare circumstances. Of greater concern is the possible Trojan Horse use of C-425, through which a benign-sounding proposal is being used to backdoor far more insidious measures to strip certain classes of people of Canadian citizenship. Read more
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Torture
U.S. tortured detainees and top officials are responsible: report
The Huffington Post 16/04/2013 - A two-year independent investigation by the Constitution Project released Tuesday said that U.S. forces engaged in torture and senior officials bear responsibility for it.  The nonpartisan, 577-page report concluded that the events of the "war on terror" following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were "unprecedented" in American history. While the authors concede that some U.S. forces have committed brutal acts, they wrote that there has been no evidence that a U.S. president and top officials discussed the legality and effectiveness of "inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in custody."
Read moreItalian pardon of US officer sets stage for impunity
Al Jazeera 18/04/2013 - The recent pardon of a US national convicted in absentia in the 2003 kidnapping case of Abu Omar is a major setback for human rights protection that shows Italian  President Giorgio Napolitano's shameful pandering to US government influence. Joseph Romano, a US Air Force officer, was the head of security at the Aviano air base in northern Italy in February 2003 when Abu Omar was abducted some 350km away in Milan by Italian and US operatives. Abu Omar was taken first to Aviano, and then transferred via Germany to Cairo, where he reported that he was tortured in Egyptian custody. In September 2012, Italy's highest court upheld convictions of Romano and 22 CIA agents for their involvement in the abduction. Read moreNYT editorial: Indisputable tortureNew torture report blames Obama and the media for not confronting the truthJoint letter to CIA Director Brennan on appointment of Director of Clandestine Service |
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Guantanamo
The New York Times 15/04/2013 - ONE man here weighs just 77 pounds. Another, 98. Last thing I knew, I weighed 132, but that was a month ago. I've been on a hunger strike since Feb. 10 and have lost well over 30 pounds. I will  not eat until they restore my dignity. I've been detained at Guantánamo for 11 years and three months. I have never been charged with any crime. I have never received a trial. I could have been home years ago - no one seriously thinks I am a threat - but still I am here. Years ago the military said I was a "guard" for Osama bin Laden, but this was nonsense, like something out of the American movies I used to watch. They don't even seem to believe it anymore. But they don't seem to care how long I sit here, either. Guantanamo Bay detainees and military clash; hunger strike continues
The Washington Post 13/04/2013 - The military at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, clashed with protesting detainees Saturday as the guard force at the base ended communal living conditions at one of the facility's camps and forced detainees back into single-man cells. A spokesman for the  military said the effort to reestablish control at Camp 6 where detainees have covered cameras and windows to prevent observation by guards was prompted by fears that the risk to the health and the security of the detainees "had reached an unacceptable level." "Detainees may continue to hunger strike," but medical staff will now be able to properly monitor their conditions, said the spokesman, Navy Capt. Robert Durand of Joint Task Force Guantanamo. He also said that Saturday's action was taken "to ensure that detainees are not being coerced by other detainees to participate in the hunger strike."
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Reflections on terrorism
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Airport security
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Anti-terror laws
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Militarism
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National security
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No-fly list
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Rule of law
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State secrecy
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Surveillance and privacy
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Terrorism
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War on terror
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Miscellaneous
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About us
The ICLMG is a national coalition of thirty-nine Canadian civil society organizations that was established in the aftermath of the September, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. You will find in this News Digest news articles, events, calls to action and much more regarding national security, anti-terrorism, civil liberties and other issues related to the mandate and concerns of ICLMG and its member organizations. Unless stated otherwise, the content of this News Digest does not necessarily reflect the positions of ICLMG. 
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Take action
Why are you proud to protect refugees?
Following recent changes to Canada's refugee determination system, it may be tougher to protect refugees in Canada.  Join the Canadian Council for Refugees in showing Canadians and the world why we are still proud to protect refugees and refugee rights.
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Take action
Deportation is not entertainment! Cancel the reality show Border Security
Dozens of people were interrogated, arrested, and detained by the Canadian Border Services Agency. One of them was my  husband. Shockingly, some of these traumatic experiences were filmed for a reality TV show "Border Security" which airs on National Geographic Channel. Sign the petition to urge National Geographic Channel and Force Four Entertainment, to cancel the show "Border Security" immediately.
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Take action
Donate to the legal fund for Mohamed Mahjoub
The security certificate process was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada in the 2007 Charkaoui ruling. A new certificate was issued against Mr. Mahjoub in February 2008 under  this new process and he was forced to begin the process all over again. The Federal Court has not yet ruled on the 'reasonability' of the new certificate against him. In the context of these new security certificate proceedings, Mr. Mahjoub was subject to an unprecedented violation of his rights. The present fund-raising initiative is aimed at obtaining a permanent stay of the unfair proceedings against him in light of this unprecedented violation. |
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Take action
"Hundred for Hassan" Campaign
Hassan will be put in prison if he does not pay his "creditor" - in this case, the Canadian government - $2,000 per month for the cost of his own surveillance. We invite you to be one of  100 people who care about due process and the presumption of innocence and oppose abusive extradition proceedings, by pledging $20 per month or more to share the cost of Dr. Diab's oppressive burden. This is our way of taking a public stand and saying, "This is just wrong." |
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thankfully - was careful not to use the word in his first press conference on the day of the bombings. But later on the following day - on Tuesday - Obama said, "Any time bombs are used to target civilians, it is an act of terrorism." What does it mean when we say something is "terrorism" and why does it matter? As a professor of Sociology and Law, I study how ordinary people understand the law and how the law itself, including law's categories and terms affect how people understand the world around them. Using terms like "terrorism" shapes what ordinary people expect of the police, the justice system and our government. It affects what kind of punishment we want and the level of fear we feel about what is going on around us. 
