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October 31, 2005 TORONTO - The Muslim Canadian Congress has joined a Canada-wide coalition of community groups who are asking the Canadian government to prohibit Ariel Sharon from entering the country. The Coalition Against Israel's War Crimes, on October 28, delivered a letter to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration asking him to prohibit Ariel Sharon from entering Canada pursuant to section 35 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which renders individuals guilty of committing war crimes or crimes against humanity inadmissible for entry. Sharon is scheduled to speak on November 14 at the United Jewish Communities 2005 General Assembly being held in Toronto and one of the invited speakers is Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. The Muslim Canadian Congress has joined 70 other organisations in endorsing the letter. These organisations include Lawyers Against the War, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom - Canadian Section, Canadian Arab Federation, Al-Awda - Palestine Right of Return, Canadian Peace Alliance, Toronto Coalition to Stop the War, Canadian Union of Public Employees - Toronto District, and Jewish Women's Committee to End the Occupation. The letter further asks that the Minister of Foreign Affairs exercise his authority under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and declare Sharon persona non grata so that any entry he might make will be denied the protection of diplomatic immunity. Canada has obligations, under several international conventions to which it is a party, to arrest and prosecute international criminals such as Ariel Sharon. In pursuance of some of these obligations Canada has enacted the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act 2000. Hence, the letter also requests, should Sharon nevertheless enter Canada, that the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General commence proceedings under section 9(3) of the War Crimes Act to have him prosecuted for the offence of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, contrary to section 6 of the War Crimes Act. Sharon's responsibility for the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity as a result of his role in the 1982 Sabra and Shatilla massacres has been well-documented. In addition, multiple sources have documented continuous breaches of international law that have occurred throughout Sharon's tenure and under his direction and tacit authority. Amnesty International, B'Tselem, Human Rights Watch and United Nations organs have reported incidences in which the Israeli government committed war crimes or crimes against humanity with respect to combatants as well as civilians. The documents attached and referred to in the letter include 600 pages of reports from government and non-governmental organizations, as well as reports published in the International media. Contact: Khaled Mouammar The following 71 organizations have so far endorsed the letter:
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Canada's Fallen
Soldiers MCC grieves the loss of our sons and daughters in Afghanistan, who died serving Canada in the line of duty. We offer our condolences to the families of the dead soldiers and hope to see all our troops back home safely.
Earthquake!
The MCC asks that you give till it hurts to organizations like the IDRF
Who speaks
Views and opinions on who, if anyone, is the real voice for Canada's Muslims
Sharia courts
The MCC campaign against religious tribunals for family law
Equal Marriages
The MCC takes a stand for justice, equality and human rights
War on Terror
The MCC condemns both terrorism and the "war on terror"
Palestine
The MCC does more than just talk the talk. Read about walking the walk in Hebron
Islam
Speaking for Muslims: A new group stirs the pot with its progressive ideas |
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