you're never home

try to deport us all...

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:25:23 GMT

saturday night was incredible, so so awesome. LAL from toronto, along with kader B. & 23, and sam shalabi. with beautiful projections behind them. all in the church basement, same church where kader has been in sanctuary, defying deportation, for over 28 months (857 days as of today). here's an article from a friend leading up to the event...

oh, and you can listen here :
http://myspace.com/23andkader
http://www.myspace.com/lalforest

Hour: Finding sanctuary in hip-hop
by Stefan Christoff
http://hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=14551

Algerian refugee in sanctuary launches rap album...

Abdelkader Belaouni, an Algerian refugee living in sanctuary for more than two
years at St-Gabriel's Church in Pointe St-Charles, is launching a hip-hop
album. After a winter-long collaboration with the Muslim-American rapper 23
(Tu-Three) - who recently transplanted to Montreal - the duo has produced a
unique rap album, born within the walls of sanctuary and from a desire to fight
for a more just refugee determination process in Canada.

Over two years ago, in defiance of a deportation order from Citizenship and
Immigration Canada, Belaouni took sanctuary. Since, he has played an active
role in the campaign for the government to act on his case while developing
musical skills on the side. In the two years he's been living within the walls
at St-Gabriel's Church, Belaouni has learned to play flute and piano and is now
conveying his struggle through hip-hop.

"This is the first time I have made music in my life, let's be honest,"
explains Belaouni. "Many people would think that while in sanctuary I am simply
hiding. However, throughout this time I have been working hard on my music,
singing in sanctuary beside my bed."

Belaouni, backed by many community organizations and social justice groups, has
been fighting a very public battle with Immigration Canada. It's not the only
battle he's faced in this lifetime. In 1996, Belaouni escaped a violent civil
conflict in Algeria, which took an estimated 100,000 civilian lives, an escape
that began his journey and struggles as a refugee. He's also blind.

Despite his claims, Citizenship and Immigration Canada rejected Belaouni's
refugee application, issuing a deportation order that has led to the longest
standing sanctuary case in Canada, stretching out now for over 850 days.

"This is one of the rare opportunities that Abdelkader has to express himself
to the outside world, having been stuck between four walls for over two years,"
explains Mostafa Henaway from the Committee to Support Abdelkader Belaouni.

"In creating the album, Abdelkader's personality and struggle is expressed
through the music, a cultural expression surrounding the themes of personal
freedom and destiny and their relation to borders and global migration,"
explains hip-hop artist 23, Belaouni's collaborator. "After our first session
it was clear that we were really starting to build on something, that there was
a blessing for this project to work."

Themes on the album range from local issues relating to antipoverty and housing
struggles in Pointe St-Charles in Montreal's southwest, where St-Gabriel's
Church is located, to issues of an international scope such as the realities
faced by refugees in a time of war.

"One track is called Borders, a piece that highlights the privilege that a
limited number of people and multinational corporations have to cross
international borders freely," says 23. "In today's age of security and
surveillance we are faced with increasing oppression. Twenty years ago many
people celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall, however, today we are seeing
more and more walls going up throughout the world, from the U.S.-Mexico border
to Israel's apartheid wall in Palestine."

Today, the official position of the Canadian government is that Belaouni is not
allowed to remain within Canada's borders, and a deportation order still
stands.

* Info visit:http://www.soutienpourkader.net/

* View a performance from 23 featuring Abdelkader Belaouni:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGtC36LfLSk

urgent actions needed against new insecurity certificate legislation

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:47:48 GMT

We have just learned that the new security certificate legislation not
only passed House of Commons today, but has passed through First Reading in Senate. Apparently they have decided to fast-track in Senate. That makes this appeal URGENT!


THURSDAY AND FRIDAY: Saturate the Senate with Secret Trials Speaking Requests

Be one of 500 organizations, individuals, unions and faith-groups across
Canada requesting an appearance before the Senate committee scheduled to
discuss new secret trials legislation

WHO: You, an organization or an individual, concerned that there is new
"security certificate" legislation that will continue the scheme of secret hearings, two-tier justice, indefinite detention without charge, draconian house arrest, and deportation to torture.

WHAT: Write a letter and email it or fax it as soon as possible to the Clerk of the Committee, requesting to appear and stating why you want to speak to the Senate about the security certificate process. (details below)

WHEN: Right now! Time is short! Apparently Senate plans to hold second
reading vote tomorrow (Thursday), and, if it passes, refer it to the
committee for hearings on Monday afternoon! So to be heard, you would have to apply immediately. Given the rather tight time-frame, hasty
applications should be understood!

WHERE: Hearings take place in Ottawa, but if your application is accepted, the government will cover your travel and accommodation costs. (The hearings are public, so if you are in the Ottawa area, attending them would be another way of showing public interest, even if your application isn't accepted.)

WHY: A major role of the Senate (on paper, anyway) is to provide "sober,
second thought" on the work done by the House of Commons. It was a full
eight months after the Supreme Court ruled security certificates
unconstitutional that the Harper minority government introduced a new bill that, save for some fancy-sounding window dressing, is the same as the old one. The House committee "examining" the new legislation, called C-3, sent it back to the House of Commons with less than three weeks of study, and almost no understanding of the dire human rights implications of passing this bill. The House of Commons obligingly passed the bill with hardly a debate on February 6.

Now the Senate is being pressured to pass the bill before February 23, when the old law will expire: one week to not only have first, second, and third readings of the bill, but to also hold public hearings on it. Hardly an opportunity for sober second thoughts! There is in fact no legal obligation for a new law to be in place by February 23, and having the law expire would be a good thing. It could actually help to call the government's bluff: if they really have a case, why don't they do what the detainees have always requested, which is charge them and provide them a fair, open, public trial? If the government, with all of its resources and "intelligence" cannot even mount a case under criminal law, as they would have to for everyone else in the country, then it is clear that these men and their families should be allowed the freedom that was taken from them so many years ago.

Although it is very unlikely that everyone who applies will be asked to
speak, all letters received by the Clerk are translated and given to all
Committee members, so it will be an important opportunity for them to see the breadth of popular concern. In addition, if this final push can delay the bill, the old law will run out, hopefully forcing the government to charge the detainees or free them. And if the applications are not accepted, this will only serve to publicly expose the manner in which democratic debate and true discussion about serious issues is undermined by so-called "national security" paranoia, fear-mongering and racist attitudes.

--This public service announcement comes to you courtesy of the Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada, Justice for Adil, and the Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee.

DETAILS FOR APPLYING

--> Your application should state that you are applying to appear before
the Special Senate Committee on Anti-terrorism about "An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (certificate and special advocate) and to make a consequential amendment to another Act"

--> Your letter of application can include:

* the reasons that you should be heard (what "stakes" you have in the issue, as a member of Canadian society, as a member of a community that is racialized and targetted, or other);

* your thoughts on why this process is against principles of justice, is
dangerous, violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, etc;

* your personal experience of the detainees and their families;

* concern over some of the xenophobic and racist statements that were made by MPs during the debates in Parliament and in the committee hearings;

* your understanding that the Supreme Court upheld the right of everyone in Canada to a fair trial, your thoughts about why the security certificate process is unnecessary, questions about why two-tier justice is being continued and about why the government is passing a law that all legal experts are saying is unconstitutional.

Please be polite in your tone (letters comparing Harper to Hitler are not terribly helpful), and factually accurate (feel free to run your drafts by us first). Resources on C-3, including backgrounders, testimony by the law societies and briefs from NGOs, can be found at www.adilinfo.org.

If you are having trouble starting a letter, just think about what you as someone who lives here feels about the fact that the government, through C-3, is saying it is okay to detain some groups of people in Canada indefinitely without charge on secret suspicions, provide them the lowest standards of justice available, and then deport them to torture.

--> Your letters should be sent to:

Adam Thompson, Committee Clerk
Special Senate Committee on Anti-terrorism
The Senate of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario Canada, K1A 0A4
Fax. 613-990-1101
Email:  thompa@sen.parl.gc.ca

Please forward your letters to tasc@web.ca and justiceforadil@riseup.net.

More information: WWW.ADILINFO.ORG

this friday! double b-day housewarming dinner & party

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:01:00 GMT

hey all,
next friday oct. 26th, we're having a potluck dinner followed by party at our home. it's a housewarming for kinneret, who recently moved in, and a celebration of earl & nora's birthdays!! so come by and join us. we'll be eating dinner around 7:30/8pm, bring something to share if you like, and the party will get going...well, around party time. come when you like. bring your kids, bring your friends (& spread the word!), bring music for a dance party, bring something to drink (we might have drinks, too!). costumes are optional.

hope you can make it
xoxo
earl, kinneret & nora

p.s. we have a bunch of 2008 political prisoner calendars, bring some $$ ($15/calendar) if you can, cause it's an important fundraiser with $5 going directly to support kader's ongoing fight for status.

address: 5983 ave. du Parc (in between van horne and bernard)

DIRECTIONS (from the blue + green + orange metro lines)
*From Place des Arts: take the 80 du Parc bus north to the corner of Bernard and du Parc. continue walking north along Parc to 5983 du Parc.
*From Rosemont metro: take the 161 Van Horn west, get off at the corner of Van Horn and du Parc, walk south on Parc to 5983 du Parc.
*From Parc metro: take the 80 du Parc bus south, get off at the corner of Van Horn and du Parc, walk south on Parc to 5983 du Parc.
*From Outremont metro: take the 161 Van Horn east to Van Horn and du Parc, you get the point...

friends only!

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 22:51:32 GMT

ok, so i decided to make most entries here friends only, if you want to read stuff i post here, leave a comment.

dizzy spells

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:49:33 GMT

i fucking hate livejournal, it just deleted a huge posting i just wrote.
FUCK YOU LIVE JOURNAL.

and hi my friends. i love you all :)

xox n.

Lesbian Street Gangs Run Rampant?!!

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 15:00:15 GMT

whoa...this is out of control (from fox news, big surprise): http://bloggernista.com/2007/06/27/lesbian-gangs-run-rampant/

to find out more about one of the cases of "lesbian gangs" mentioned in the piece, check this out:

YOUNG LESBIANS FROM NEWARK NEED OUR SUPPORT!

On August 18, 2006, seven young African American lesbians traveled to the West Village from their homes in Newark for a regular night out. When walking down the street, a male bystander assaulted them with sexist and homophobic comments. The women tried to defend themselves, and a fight broke out. Thus began the women’s nightmare for almost a year. Three of the women accepted plea offers. On June 14th, 2007 Venice Brown (19), Terrain Dandridge (20), Patreese Johnson (20), and Renata Hill (24) received sentences
ranging from 3 ½ to 11 years in prison.

The women and their families now call on our communities for support. Their emotional and financial burdens have already been immense. These hardships will only continue as the women begin their prison terms and the process of appeal.

more info here: http://fiercenyc.org/

and here: http://www.workers.org/2007/us/nj4-0628/

scattergories....or how i pass time on my day off.

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:04:30 GMT

The game is SCATTERGORIES…it's harder than it looks! Here are the rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Your Name: nora

1. Famous Singer/Band: nina simone
2. 4 letter word: nice
3. Street: ninth
4. Color: neon pink
5. Gifts/Presents: nipple clamps
6. Vehicle: nanobot
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: nightstand
8. Boy Name: norman
9. Girl Name: nisha
10. Movie Title: notes on a scandal
11. Drink: nog
12. Occupation: naturopath
13. Celebrity: nicole richie
14. Magazine: new socialist
15. U.S. City: nyc
16. Pro Sports Teams: new jersey devils
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: new lover
19. Something You Throw Away: nail clippings
20. Things You Shout: no justice, no peace, u.s. out of the middle east/fuck the police/etc...!
21. Cartoon Character: nelson muntz from the simpsons (ok, i had to google this)

hello...

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 04:56:51 GMT

ha! a livejournal account. as if.
anyway, thought i'd give it a go, though i'll probably rarely post stuff here.

xo
nbb