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Open Thread: Stand By Me

Sun, 04/05/2009 - 03:06 — McJ


I have been gathering up a lot of info on a variety of subject so I thought an open thread might be a good place to put it.

What's everybody else been up to? It's been kinda quiet around here lately. What's on you mind? What have you been reading? What are you listening to? Let's hear form you. typing away


Stand By Me: The International Version
Stand By Me is a favorite song of mine as well as everyone in my family. This version is from the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. This cover of the Ben E. King classic is by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it traveled the globe. It was ten years in the making. Producer Mark Johnson was interviewed by Bill Moyer on the Journal about the documentary. You can watch the interview here.

You are in for a treat if you haven't seen this before. This is way cool. cool Enjoy!


Note:
After you watch the video, if you cut and paste - Playing for Change: Song Around the World "One Love" - into the search box that appears at the top of the embedded video it will find another of these international musical collaborations - a cover of Bob Marley's 'One Love'. Just click on the first choice it gives you.

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George Galloway labeled a terrorist supporter and banned from entering Canada for giving humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza

Mon, 03/30/2009 - 01:06 — McJ


The outspoken peace activist and five term British MP, George Galloway, is scheduled to give a series of speeches titled "Resisting War from Gaza to Kandahar" in four Canadian cities this week. Earlier this month Mr. Galloway led the 99-vehicle 'Viva Palestina' convoy bringing a generator, medicine, food, clothing and toys from the UK into the Gaza strip after an historic 24-day journey through Europe and Africa. 300 people made the 5000 mile journey in a convoy that stretched for 3 miles.
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This incredible, humanitarian accomplishment, that went unremarked in the main stream press, was
a moment cherished by the Palestinians in Gaza. In a letter of thank you to George Galloway, Dalal Alhusseini Muhtadi writes:

"I welcome you as a Palestinian brother of mine...I think Mother Palestine is weeping today with joy not sadness, for having such a son, a hero, that along the many, many long years of suffering, refused to forget.... Refused to forget the horrifying suffering, the tremendous pain, the inhumane genocide...Her rape and torture in every way possible...And he kept on going and going...Until justice and defeat of the siege prevailed. Sir, this is not just a victory for Mother Palestine....but rather a victory for all of humanity indeed.

Upon entering Gaza, Mr. Galloway handed over the vehicles and supplies to the Hamas authorities.

Last week, after receiving letters from the Jewish Defense League (JDL) and B'nai Brith urging the Canadian government to do "everything possible to keep this hater away", the Canadian Border Services Agency informed Mr. Galloway he was considered a threat to the national security of Canada and would not be allowed to enter the country. The story is rather confusing (mostly because the officials involved keep changing their stories and passing the buck) but initially we learned it was because of his views on the Afghanistan war. Now, we're told it is because under Canada's anti-terrorism laws he is considered to have "financially supported" a terrorist group when he delivered humanitarian aid to Gaza's Hamas government.

Jason Kenney, Canada's Minister of Immigration and Multiculturism, has been under fire all week for the decision as Canadians rallied in protest. In a bizarre statement, Kenney's spokesman Alykhan Velshi, told Britain's Channel Four news that Galloway was an "infandous street-corner Cromwell" that would not be allowed into Canada to "pee on our carpet". (Watch here.)

George Galloway fired back with a statement of his own saying a "quick trawl" established that Kenney is "a gay-baiter, gung-ho armchair warrior, with an odd habit of exceeding his immigration brief" who "three years ago...attacked the pro-Western prime minister of Lebanon Fuad Saniora for being ungrateful to Canada for its support of Israeli bombardment of his country." And further said,

"being banned by such a man is like being told to sit up straight by the hunchback of Notre Dame or being lectured on due diligence by Lord Conrad Black – a Kenney ally, now breaking stones in the hot sun. On another, and personal, note for a Scotsman to be excluded from Canada is like being turned away from the family home."

March 20th in a Channel 4 News interview, Meir Weinstein (of the JDL) took credit for having had George Galloway banned from Canada. Galloway, who has legally challenged the Canadian Government's ruling, vowed to speak to Canadians by other means if he is not allowed to enter Canada. Weinstein threatened that "we will see to it that the Canadian government will be monitoring every individual and organization that will have anything to do with it” and that he and the JDL "will be looking into these organizations that invited him… their links to terror groups as well” and that he will “see to it that the Canadian Government will be monitoring every individual and organization that has anything to do with George Galloway”.

Galloway's lawyers were in court today to have the ruling overturned. The court room was packed for the hearing and there was a demonstration outside the court house. The judge will make a decision on the case before 2 pm tomorrow. Regardless of the outcome, a large convoy of lawyers, MP's and antiwar activists will be meeting Mr. Galloway at the US/Canada border on Tuesday.

Galloway is currently on his US leg of the speaking tour, having no problem getting into the US because he is not considered a terrorist supporter there. Unlike Galloway, the JDL has been called by the FBI "a violent extremist Jewish organization in their report "Terrorism 2000/2001" and whose activities have since been described in congressional testimony by FBI agents as terrorist".

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George Galloway will be on "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos, Canada's award-winning late-night TV talk show, on Monday, March 30. If you're in Canada, tune in on CBC at 11 pm. If not, catch the interview after it airs at http://www.cbc.ca/thehour. (I'll embed the video here if I can.)

Big Surprise: Human Rights Watch Says UK And Pakistani Agents Colluded In Torture

Fri, 03/20/2009 - 08:36 — Winter

A shocking new report alleges widespread complicity between British security agents and their Pakistani counterparts who have routinely engaged in the torture of suspects, a report in the Observer has revealed.

You can read the whole post here and/or comment below.

Screwed Again: Seymour Hersh Puts Pro-War Spin On What We Would Normally Call Acts Of Terrorism

Wed, 03/18/2009 - 11:52 — Winter

Famed investigative reporter Seymour Hersh ruffled a few feathers last week with comments in Minnesota regarding an alleged "executive assassination ring" -- a squad of elite killers who have allegedly been infiltrating foreign countries and murdering ... well, officially, nobody knows who their victims have been, really, but if this story were officially acknowledged (whatever that means these days), we would no doubt be told that the alleged victims of the alleged murders were "the worst of the worst", without whom America will now be safer, huzzah huzzah.

You can read the rest here, and/or comment below.

Sneaking Back In ... Again!

Tue, 03/17/2009 - 20:38 — Winter

I've resumed blogging. Huzzah! I hope to have more for you soon. In the meantime, thanks to James for all the good recent work, and to others as well for keeping this site so interesting in my absence. You can read my most recent post here, and/or comment below. And I will rejoin you as soon as I can.

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