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Réflexions sur la guerre au terrorisme
Reflections on the war on terror
Monia Mazigh: More secure, but not safer: A review of national security policy from 2008 to the present
The Harper Record 2008-2015 - In the last seven years, the federal government has introduced and enacted a range of new laws dealing with anti-terrorism, national security, surveillance and related areas. In general, we can say these new policies have provided Canada's police forces, customs and border agents, and intelligence agencies with additional powers and funds to address perceived weaknesses in the state's current security capacities. The $400 million allotted for national security in the 2015 federal budget contrasts noticeably with the cuts, since 2008, in many other  departments, as described elsewhere in this book. At the same time, there has been virtually no movement on recommendations made in the 2006 Arar Commission report for more effective public and political oversight and review of national security activities. The result of the new Harper- era security legislation is, as exposed in this chapter, a dangerous imbalance between the ability of the state to collect large amounts of personal information and to define, monitor and attempt to neutralize perceived threats, on the one hand, and the public's ability to hold state agents accountable for their decisions - and mistakes - on the other. The policy choices of this government do not make Canada a safer place to live, but they have undermined privacy protections and civil liberties to a very worrying extent.
Q&A with Craig Forcese on national security and Canada's antiterrorism legislation
The Montreal Gazette 08/10/2015 - Q: Bill C-51 dominated headlines for months earlier this year, and yet there has been very little mention of it in this election campaign. Do you think it's received the attention it deserves? A: That's a hard question. It's an issue that requires close scrutiny and sober second thought, but when it comes up in the election campaign things are said that make me wince. Tories promise to turn the ratchet tighter, Liberals came out with a platform (Tuesday) that raises enhanced accountability, and other things to consider. The Liberals have offered the most detail. But it's not just what Bill C-51 says but what it doesn't do that's the problem. One of our objections is that it doesn't address what ails the anti-terrorism situation. It  makes it worse. Q: You've said that Canada's new anti-terrorism measures show that our government has not learned from mistakes made in the past, and from the Air India and Maher Arar inquiries. Can you give me an example? A: In the book we describe the perennial problems with Canadian anti-terrorism as being under-reaction and overreaction. In terms of under-reaction we haven't moved to ensure that our intelligence services and police services work in much closer lockstep. They work in parallel dimensions and exchange only very carefully lawyered information. So with the Toronto 18, CSIS knew the police were following the wrong guys but didn't tell them [whereas they legally could have]. Then there's the conundrum of converting intelligence to evidence (in court). The Air India inquiry laid out 500 pages on how to solve this, but C-51 doesn't improve the situation. In terms of over-reaction, there are those people swept into investigations without cause. We need checks and balances to minimize false positives but they are non- existent in C-51.
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Prime Minister's Office ordered halt to refugee processing
The Globe and Mail 08/10/2015 - The Prime Minister's Office directed Canadian immigration officials to stop processing one of the most vulnerable classes of Syrian refugees this spring and declared that all UN-referred refugees would require approval from the Prime Minister, a decision that halted a critical aspect of Canada's response to a global crisis. The Globe and Mail has learned that the Prime Minister intervened in a file normally handled by the Citizenship and Immigration department in the months before dramatic images of a dead toddler brought the refugee crisis to the fore. The processing stop, which was not disclosed to the public, was in place for at least several weeks. It is unclear when it was lifted. At the same time, an audit was ordered of all Syrian refugees  r eferred by theUnited Nations in 2014 and 2015. The Prime Minister's Office asked Citizenship and Immigration for the files of some Syrian refugees so they could be vetted by the PMO - potentially placing political staff with little training in refugee matters in the middle of an already complex process. PMO staff could have also had access to files that are considered protected, because they contain personal information, including a refugee's health history and narrative of escape, raising questions about the privacy and security of that information and the basis on which it was being reviewed. As a result of the halt, and the additional layers of scrutiny, families that had fled Syria and were judged by the United Nations refugee agency to be in need of resettlement had to wait longer to find refuge in Canada. It also meant there were fewer cases of UN-referred Syrians approved and ready for sponsorship when the public came forward in large numbers after the drowning death of three-year-old Alan Kurdi in August. |
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Islamophobie
Islamophobia
The Globe and Mail 07/10/2015 - "Too broken to write," I told my editor, after the onslaught of Conservative announcements. The niqab was condemned. Citizenship was revoked for convicted terrorists with dual citizenship. Canadians were reminded of "barbaric cultural practices," and the federal government's preference for mainly non-Muslim Syrian refugees was reiterated. Make no mistake: This divisive strategy is meant to prey upon fear and prejudice. Last May, I wrote that Canadian Muslims "are the low-hanging fruit in the politics of  fear. Omar Khadr is exhibit A; Zunera Ishaq is exhibit B. With an October election, it won't be surprising to see political machinations at our expense." Yet the sheer brazenness of the Conservatives leaves one speechless; a 2.0 version of Quebec's "charter of values" is being used to win votes on the backs of a vulnerable minority. The government's open hostility has given licence to bigots to vent xenophobia. A pregnant Muslim woman is assaulted in Montreal. A niqab-wearing woman is attacked while shopping with her daughters in Toronto. Mosques are taking precautions. Identifiable Muslim women feel a little less safe, and Muslim youth face difficult questions about identity and acceptance. Don't expect Conservative Leader Stephen Harper to call for calm; this cynical strategy seems to be working. What does this say about us, and our commitment to a just society? Read more - Lire plusMuslim convert attacked while wearing niqab in TorontoThe Globe and Mail editorial: The niqab is a distraction. Voters should focus on real issuesHarper's proposed civil service niqab ban ricochets through campaign The Canadian Press 07/10/2015 - Stephen Harper's proposed ban on the wearing of niqabs by anyone dealing with - or working for - the federal government ricocheted down the campaign trail Wednesday, drawing condemnation from opponents, premiers and Muslim groups. He told CBC's Power and Politics on Tuesday that, a re-elected Conservative government would look at legislation to nix niqabs in the public service - echoing similar comments last week in the French-language debate hosted by network TVA. Harper then went further, saying the Conservatives are examining Quebec's Bill 64, which requires Muslim women or others who wear face  coverings to remove them if they want to work in the public sector - or do business with government officials. Although tabled in the Quebec National Assembly, the bill has yet to be debated. On Wednesday, Harper praised the Quebec Liberal government's measured approach and pledged that when it came time for federal legislation, he would follow their lead. [...] While the prime minister may have been consistent in his comments that niqabs are contrary to Canadian values, that doesn't mean members of his own cabinet are all on the same page about a wider ban. Asked last spring whether the Conservatives would consider implementing similar measures to Quebec, federal Treasury Board President Tony Clement said the federal opposition to niqabs was limited to citizenship ceremonies. Read more - Lire plusConservative candidate 'personally offended' by workplace niqab banQuand le changement se bute au niqabNeil Macdonald: The barbaric cultural practice of election pronouncementsWhen Stephen Harper refers to "barbaric culture," he means Islam - an anti-Muslim alarm that's ugly and effective because it gets votes: Edward KeenanIf '22 Minutes' ran Tories' barbaric cultural practices tipline NYC becomes one more city criminalizing Muslim youth and communitiesJewish group stands with Muslim community: Commits to continue to challenge Islamophobia
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Canadien.nes détenu.es à l'étranger
Canadians détained abroad
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Citoyenneté
Citizenship
iPolitics 01/10/2015 - The new law enables the government to forcibly denationalize dual citizens convicted of terrorism offences anywhere in the world, at any point in time, and sentence to at least five years in prison. The initial applications of Strengthening Canadian Citizenship highlight several of the law's weaknesses, problems, and dangers; these flaws include: 1. The law's retroactive application. This undermines an axiomatic legal principle: that a criminal offence cannot be punished with a heavier penalty than existed at the time of commission. [...] 2. Its broad scope. Our prime minister, and his Minister of National Defence and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney, have justified citizenship-stripping as apt punishment for individuals who disloyally commit or plan acts of terrorism against their fellow Canadians. However, as the case of Mohamed Hersi (convicted of attempting to join al-Shabaab in Somalia) indicates,  denationalization is not restricted to those who execute violence on Canadian soil, and/or against Canadian citizens. [...] 3. Its under-inclusiveness. Strengthening Canadian Citizenship potentially targets those convicted of a wide range of offences deemed "terrorist," but leaves the citizenship of other, "non-terroristic" perpetrators of violence secure -- no matter how grotesque or costly their acts of violence may be. Take Justin Bourque, who went on an anti-RCMP shooting rampage in 2014, killing three officers and severely wounding two. Bourque was charged with "murder," not "terrorism," leaving him outside the reach of the government's citizenship-stripping power. And so, those who successfully kill and are charged with murder remain Canadian, while those who attempt but fail to commit violence and are charged with terrorism may lose their citizenship: a paradoxical result. The paradox symptomizes the problem with using such a politically laden and malleable concept as "terrorism" as the basis for banishment from citizenship. Despite Conservative rhetoric, terrorism is not the natural epitome of evil -- an inherently different and more atrocious form of violence than "non-terrorism" -- but a particular, constructed category of political crime. Patriotic name notwithstanding, Strengthening Canadian Citizenship does not fortify Canadian citizenship but weakens it, rendering it practically and symbolically more vulnerable to current political proclivities. Read more - Lire plusConservatives move to revoke citizenship from home-grown Canadian: WalkomLaw prof claims Tory candidate told him to renounce his heritage over citizenship law concernRick Salutin: If citizenship is a right, why can it be taken away?Stephen Hume: Harper turns 863,000 Canadians into second-class citizens Conservative candidate muses about deporting Mulcair under C-24
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Législation antiterroriste
Anti-terror legislation
Maclean's 16/09/2015 - The president of the National Firearms Association says the Conservative government offered to make changes to its gun licensing bill if the NFA held its fire on the controversial bill C-51, then reneged on the agreement. Sheldon Clare, who is running as an Independent candidate in British Columbia's Cariboo-Prince George riding, posted the details of  the alleged arrangement to quell dissent about C-51 on his Facebook page Monday. Clare said the NFA's opposition to C-51, which became law in June, was well known, and that there were "great legal minds" already arguing for changes. But the organization also decided to cancel its committee appearance to discuss C-51 because the government offered to make changes to C-42, another bill that worried the NFA. [...] Clare is now going public about the backroom deal. Read more - Lire plus
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Common Dreams 07/10/2015 - "Even war has rules," declared Dr. Joanne Liu, international president of Doctor's Without Borders (MSF), who announced Wednesday that the aid organization will take unprecedented action against the U.S. military by formally launching an international fact-finding inquiry into the bombing of its hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. The International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission, which was established by the Additional Protocols of the Geneva Conventions, is the only permanent body set up specifically to investigate violations of international humanitarian  law. Though it was established in 1991, this investigation marks the first time the Commission has been requested. "This was not just an attack on our hospital-it was an attack on the Geneva Conventions. This cannot be tolerated," Liu stated. "These Conventions govern the rules of war and were established to protect civilians in conflicts - including patients, medical workers and facilities. They bring some humanity into what is otherwise an inhumane situation." MSF has asserted that Saturday's airstrike amounts to nothing less than a war crime. Twenty-two people died in the attack, including 12 MSF staff members and 10 patients, and an additional 37 were wounded. Read more - Lire plusStephen Cornish, Executive Director of MSF: Afghan hospital bombing: An illegal attack, not a 'mistake'Doctors Without Borders airstrike: US alters story for fourth time in four daysBombardement de Kunduz : Obama présente ses excuses à Médecins sans frontièresNot satisfied with Obama apology, MSF repeats demand for independent probeWhy bombing the Kunduz hospital was probably a war crimeGlenn Greenwald: Why is the U.S. refusing an independent investigation if its hospital airstrike was an "accident"?Glenn Greenwald: CNN and the NYT are deliberately obscuring who perpetrated the Afghan hospital attackA short history of US bombing civilian facilities'Everybody is leaving Afghanistan': Refugees flee increasing violenceRussia accused of striking civilian targets in SyriaOne day after warning Russia of civilian casualties, the U.S. bombs a hospital in AfghanistanRussia admits targeting non-Isis groups in Syria as airstrikes continue |
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La Presse 06/10/2015 - La Cour de justice de l'Union européenne (CJUE) a porté un coup fatal aux règles qui régissent depuis quinze ans ces transferts à des fins commerciales. Connues sous le nom de «Safe Harbour», elles ne concernent pas seulement Facebook, cité dans cette affaire, mais des milliers d'entreprises. Les données en question sont constituées par toutes les informations permettant d'identifier un individu, de manière directe (nom, prénom, photo ou encore empreinte) ou indirecte (numéro de sécurité sociale ou même numéro de client par exemple). La décision de la CJUE «est un  coup majeur pour la surveillance de masse exercée par les États-Unis, qui repose lourdement sur des partenaires privés», s'est réjoui le juriste autrichien Max Schrems, à l'origine du recours en Irlande qui a conduit la justice européenne à se prononcer. S'appuyant sur les révélations concernant les pratiques du renseignement américain, en particulier après l'affaire Snowden, M. Schrems s'était adressé aux autorités de contrôle en Irlande, d'où la filiale irlandaise de Facebook transfère les données personnelles de ses abonnés européens vers des serveurs situés aux États-Unis. Il revendiquait le droit de s'opposer au transfert de ses données, considérant que les États-Unis n'offraient pas de garanties suffisantes de respect de la vie privée. Read more - Lire plusTransfert de données: l'UE sonne la fin du «Safe Harbour»Liberal Party says they will not expand powers for Canada's NSASnowden: Prepared for prison, but won't serve to discourage other whistleblowers |
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Autres nouvelles - More news
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Privacy
Vie privée
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Reflections on terrorism
Réflexions sur le terrorisme
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Terrorisme
Terrorism
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Terrorist listings
Listes d'entités terroristes
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Torture
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Report
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Action
Saudi Arabia: Stop the execution of juvenile activist Ali al-Nimr
Amnesty International - Two courts have upheld the death sentence against a Shi'a activist. He has exhausted his appeals and may be executed as soon as the King ratifies the sentence. Ali al-Nimr was sentenced to death on 27 May 2014 for offences he is alleged to have committed when he was 17 years old. The court seems to  have based its decision on "confessions" which Ali al-Nimr has said were extracted under torture and other ill-treatment and has refused to look into this allegation. When Ali al-Nimr was arrested in February 2012 he was not allowed to see his lawyer. He has said that GDI officers tortured him to make him sign a "confession". Read more and sign the petition now!
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Action
UPDATE Sign the Declaration of the Voices-Voix Coalition
Voices-Voix Coalition - United, we call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Respect the right to freedom of opinion and expression; 2. Act in accordance with Canada's democratic traditions and values; 3. Be transparent.  Both individuals and organizations can endorse the declaration.
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Action
Remind Prime Minister Harper: Canadians welcome Syrian refugees
Amnesty International - On September 2, 2015, the body of three year old Aylan Kurdi washed ashore on a Turkish beach. He and his young brother were among at least 11 people  believed to have drowned when their boat ran into trouble as they tried to reach the Greek island of Kos. Call on the Prime Minister and all party leaders to increase Canada's contribution to the Syrian refugee crisis!
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Action
PM Harper: Call on the UAE to free Canadian citizen Salim Alaradi now!
ICLMG - Salim Alaradi, a Canadian citizen and father of 5 young children, has been detained without charge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)  since August 2014. We are also worried that he was tortured. His health is deteriorating quickly as his family has informed us this week. Write to Prime Minister Harper to urge him to call on the UAE to free Salim Alaradi now!
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Action
All Parties: Commit to Repealing Citizenship Changes! Don't leave millions of us as second class Canadian citizens!
BCCLA, CARL - Canada is all about diversity. Many Canadians were born in other countries or are citizens of other countries because of their family history - and all of us are 100% Canadian. But the changes  made to Canadian law by Bill C-24 will shatter a core principle of Canadian citizenship - that all Canadians have equal rights. This new law makes second-class citizens out of every Canadian who's born elsewhere or who is a dual citizen.
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Action
Join the great Canadian petition drive to kill Bill C-51 and win prizes!
OpenMedia - If we want to get Bill C-51 repealed, we need to add as many voices as we can so our message can be heard far and wide. So to provide a little extra incentive to help us reach 300,000 signatures,  we've put together some pretty great prizes for those who help us reach the most people. Join the Great Canadian Petition Drive to Kill C-51 now with the chance to win an awesome pro-privacy prize pack! Are you ready to beat Margaret Atwood?
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Action
UAE: Free Canadian citizen Salim Alaradi!
Free Salim Alaradi Campaign - We urge the United Arab Emirates to stop the torture and unconditionally and immediately release Canadian citizen Salim Alaradi, who has been detained for over 285 days without charge.  Please sign the petition and share widely!
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Action
Send Canada's Privacy Plan to the party leaders
OpenMedia - Send the Crowdsourced Action Plan to the party leaders. The government has just rammed its anti-privacy Bill C-51 through the Senate.
Now we need to tell Party Leaders to #KillC51 and implement this positive alternative. Click below, read the plan and enter your information. They will use it to email the Privacy Plan to party leaders.
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Action
Petition: Call a Coroner's Inquest in to Abdi's death
End Immigration Detention Network - Abdi had been in immigration prison without charges, trial or date of release for three years at the time of his death in a maximum security prison in Lindsay, Ontario. Days after his death, 88 immigration detainees imprisoned at the same prison, the Central East Correction  Centre, defied sanctions to issue a joint petition calling for an inquiry into their friend's death. We at the End Immigration Detention Network have just been able to access to this petition. It reads: * Coroner's inquest must happen and made public. * Thorough inquest, must include talking to detainees. * Implementation (of recommendations) from the inquest must be made immediately. * The parties responsible must be made accountable.
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Action
Signez la pétition pour libérer le blogueur saoudien Raif Badawi
 Amnistie internationale - Raif Badawi, prisonnier d'opinion en Arabie saoudite, risque la mort pour avoir offert un débat sur la liberté religieuse. Exigeons des autorités saoudiennes que les coups de fouet cessent immédiatement, que Raif soit libéré sans condition, et qu'il soit réuni avec sa famille réfugiée au Canada. Exigeons de cet État qu'il respecte ses obligations en matière de droits humains et qu'il abolisse la flagellation.  English petition
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Les opinions exprimées ne reflètent pas nécessairement les positions de la CSILC - The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the positions of ICLMG
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The News Digest is ICLMG's weekly publication of news articles, events, calls to action and much more regarding national security, anti-terrorism, and civil liberties. The ICLMG is a national coalition of thirty-eight Canadian civil society organizations that was established in the aftermath of the September, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. +++
La revue de l'actualité est notre publication hebdomadaire de nouvelles, d'évènements, d'appels à l'action, et beaucoup plus, entourant la sécurité nationale, la lutte au terrorisme, et les libertés civiles. La CSILC est une coalition nationale de 38 organisations de la société civile canadienne qui a été créée suite aux attentats terroristes de septembre 2001 aux États-Unis.
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severity of allegations against him and according to Amnesty International, he is now at great risk of incommunicado detention, torture or death if returned to Algeria. 'Presumed terrorist' is the most damaging label someone can ever be given. For years, I had refused to talk about the subject of deportation because I was confident in the justice system, and always believed that justice would eventually prevail. This time, it's serious and very personal. Other than the deportation fight itself, we no longer have legal remedies. The large cloud that's been hanging over Moe's head just got bigger and darker and the situation is real, urgent, disturbing and scary all in one.
action was taken to denounce these crimes committed by the UAE state security. The statement also confirms that some detainees are experiencing life-threatening medical conditions. Our family believes that Salim is one of these. "This information is shocking and devastating, it has changed matters for my family and I. We cannot afford to wait until after the elections for action to be taken. My father's life is dependent on our government's intervention. I am appealing to the Prime Minister himself to please safe my father's life for the sake of my family," says Marwa Alaradi, Salim's eldest daughter.
promote and favour the interests of Canadian mining companies and to influence decisions over extractive projects and related policies. The trend of repression and deregulation in Canada to favour mining, oil, and gas projects is consistent with the model that the Canadian government promotes abroad. Concluding with a series of ideas and recommendations for discussion, the report seeks to spur debate and foster creative action to protect dissent in defence of land and the environment, and to question Canada's role in promoting the underlying economic development model that is putting communities at such a deadly disadvantage.
