islamic sect: And while Calgary is where his family intends to stay, Alburaki was west of Toronto over the weekend, attending Canada Jalsa Salana — an annual meeting of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, according to The Waterloo Record. He was one of hundreds of Syrian refugees attending the conference, according to Safwan Choudhry, a spokesperson for the Canadian chapter of the group. Wissam Alburaki, 41, brought his wife and three children to Canada as refugees last month, landing in Calgary by way of Kuwait and Dubai. Members of the Islamic sect are estimated to be in the tens of millions, Choudhry said. Before, we were seeing this on TV," Alburaki said. "But now we are in — we are part of this. And this year marks the 40th anniversary of the convention in Canada, which was attended by the community spiritual leader, Caliph Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who is from Pakistan. "It very difficult to express my feelings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

washington post: He didn't directly address a video obtained by The Washington Post and NBC News that was made public Friday showing the Republican presidential nominee bragging about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women."He insecure enough that he pumps himself up by putting other people down," Obama said, according to Brandon Sun. Obama spoke at a fundraiser for Rep. Obama then listed an array of groups that he said Trump has insulted during the course of the campaign. Tammy Duckworth, the candidate he hopes will win his old U.S. Senate seat. Mark Kirk, the incumbent. She is running against Republican Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

advocacy groups: She said her mother never told she and her sisters they were born in Iran because she did not think it mattered, according to Globe and Mail. The Justice Department says the advocacy groups' motion is similar to another ongoing case, titled Hassouna, which has granted stays of proceedings to about 60 people who have received citizenship revocation notices from the government. Monsef said she only learned that she was born in Iran, not Afghanistan as she had believed, after an inquiry from The Globe last month. The only difference between Hassouna and this motion is that the BCCLA and CARL claim that they should be granted standing to get a stay on behalf of 'those persons who cannot find a lawyer – or who do not know that they should even try,' read the government response. Laura Track, a lawyer with the BCCLA, said her team was blown away by the government response. Even if there was evidence showing there were individuals who received notices but did not have the 'knowledge, resources or skills' to hire a lawyer, that would not justify a wholescale suspension of the operation of law. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

appeal process: The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers launched a constitutional challenge to the federal law because they say there is no proper appeal process, according to The Chronicle Herald. They argue the government should stop all citizenship revocation until the matter is settled in court. Ottawa will not heed the demands of two civil society groups and impose a moratorium on its practice of citizenship revocation, said lawyer Angela Marinos, in a letter to the Federal Court. The government confirmed on Friday it won't be doing that. "We are very disappointed that the government refuses to stop stripping people of citizenship without a hearing, choosing to defend the last government unfair process in court instead," said BCCLA executive director Josh Paterson. Paterson said hiring lawyers are expensive and immigrants should have the right to a formal appeal process before losing their citizenship. Marinos said in her letter that people who have their citizenship revoked have the right to file for judicial review of the government decision. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian law: The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers launched a constitutional challenge to the federal law because they say there is no proper appeal process, according to CBC. McCallum: I'll consider moratorium on stripping citizenship without a hearing Maryam Monsef case highlights 'absurdity' of Canadian law, refugee lawyers say John McCallum acknowledges internal Liberal debate on immigration file They argue the government should stop all citizenship revocation until the matter is settled in court. Ottawa will not heed the demands of two civil society groups and impose a moratorium on its practice of citizenship revocation, said lawyer Angela Marinos, in a letter to the Federal Court. The government confirmed on Friday it won't be doing that. "We are very disappointed that the government refuses to stop stripping people of citizenship without a hearing, choosing to defend the last government unfair process in court instead," said BCCLA executive director Josh Paterson. Paterson said hiring lawyers is expensive and immigrants should have the right to a formal appeal process before losing their citizenship. Marinos said in her letter that people who have their citizenship revoked have the right to file for judicial review of the government decision. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian tradition: They are among the thousands who came to this country earlier this year as refugees, and now find themselves somewhere in the long task of building new lives for themselves, according to CBC. My wife, who has been helping them with everything from doctor appointments to birthday parties for several months now, was keen to introduce them to this Canadian tradition. On Sunday night, we're eating with old friends who are visiting from Vancouver, while on Monday night, we're hosting new friends from Syria. I'm looking forward to welcoming them to our home again, as they've welcomed me and my family several times before. Smoke hangs in the air over the city of Homs, where there has been continuous fighting, airstrikes and artillery shelling during the Syrian war. And yet I'm uneasy about explaining the idea of giving thanks to a family of refugees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

container homes: She also visited an art and handicrafts workshop where she talked with the female students, according to The Chronicle Herald. Around 5,000 Syrian refugees live in container homes in the camp, which was visited by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in September and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in April. The Anadolu Agency said Saturday the U.S. actress toured the social facilities and preschool in Nizip before giving refugee children there presents. Anadolu Agency said Friday that Lohan had visited a book fair in Istanbul Sultanbeyli district where she bought books for the refugee children. Source Source The Associated Press Photo: Caption: U.S. actress Lindsay Lohan holds a Syrian refugee child as she visits a Turkish government-run Syrian refugee camp in Nizip near Turkey border with Syria, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. The actress has been visiting refugee families and facilities around Turkey for the past two weeks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government proposal: The mayor led several hundred people protesting a government proposal to house a few dozen migrants in an abandoned wing of a psychiatric hospital while they apply for asylum or study other options, according to Metro News. Left-wing activists answered with their own, smaller rally to welcome the migrants — but then were drowned out by yet another gathering organized by the anti-immigrant, far-right National Front party. Competing rallies were held Saturday in Pierrefeu in Provence in southeast France, under watch of gendarmes. The National Front is making the Calais relocation plan a nationwide cause, urging mayors to resist and organizing protests across the country. President Francois Hollande has pledged to close the Calais camp before winter and relocate as many as 9,000 migrants living there to 164 sites around France while their cases are examined. Resistance to immigration is central to the campaign platform of National Front leader Marine Le Pen in her bid for the French presidency next year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

college: The public reporting focus for colleges and universities is often on the other end of the equation: enrolment, according to Brandon Sun. In fact, I get asked about our enrolment almost every day by some, but rare that someone asks about how many people actually graduate from the college.A few years back, our board of governors adopted an approach that put an increased emphasis on the college results rather than on our activities. That up from 954 in 2013. In 2013, they also approved a new strategic direction for the organization. This plan was informed by the overall situation in Manitoba. That plan asserted that the college needed to double that number of graduates by 2025. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lucien bouchard: He said Lisee campaign statements regarding limiting immigration made it clear he advocated for a "closed nationalism" that has some ideological parallels to European right-wing populist parties, according to The Chronicle Herald. Lisee, a one-time adviser to former premiers Jacques Parizeau and Lucien Bouchard, ran a campaign focused on immigration and identity issues that raised the ire of opponents and younger voters who saw him playing on fears and divisions in society. Couillard made the comments during a trip to Iceland only hours after Lisee, 58, was elected PQ leader on Friday. Lisee argued immigration has not been a great benefit to Quebec and that the province must reduce the number of immigrants it accepts every year in order to better integrate them. That what we see elsewhere in world." When questioned, he would not say which European parties he was referring to specifically. On Saturday, Couillard said the PQ seemed to be moving closer to "a kind of nationalism of the besieged, nationalism of the fearful, of people who don't want to deal with diversity, who prefer Quebec remains folded in on itself. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lucien bouchard: Lisee, a one-time adviser to former premiers Jacques Parizeau and Lucien Bouchard, said during the leadership campaign he would not hold a referendum in his first mandate as premier, according to Huffington Post Canada. The next election will be held in the fall of 2018, with the following one set for 2022. Jean-Francois Lisee, 58, was elected PQ leader Friday, winning more than 50 per cent of support on the second round of voting. Lisee became leader after beating out fellow members of the legislature Alexandre Cloutier and Martine Ouellet and the unelected Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. His strategy of not supporting a referendum in a first PQ mandate paid off at a time when polls consistently suggest Quebecers do not want another plebiscite on the province political future. Jean-Francois Lisee on Friday night. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mug game: That impressive show may be set to go full-blown Broadway on Greenberg, with a host of towering new players — in various stages of planning and approval — poised to hit this city downtown stage over the next five years, according to Metro News. Predicting skyscraper development is a mug game, says Greenberg, with economic and engineering contingencies almost exclusively driving what actually gets built and how. It actually is magical, says the city former urban design and architecture chief, whose perch near King and Bathurst Sts. puts him in the front row for the nightly performance. But as it stands, 10 projects boasting towers of 240 to 300-plus metres are slated to join Toronto skyscraper cast by around 2020 in what being called the Manhattanization of the city skyline. At 92 floors and 305 metres, the larger of these jagged King St. These include a two-tower project by Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry and theatre impresario David Mirvish in the Entertainment District. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

others right: Many of the refugees were sponsored by local church groups, according to CBC. Altona Mayor Melvin Klassen said the town has an intimate historical connection to immigration and the desire to start a new life abroad. More than 45 families from war-torn Syria have settled in the town since November 2015. Food was prepared together by newcomers and long-time residents of Altona. For many in the community, making newcomers feel at home is about acknowledging their own family origins on the Prairies, and extending the same openness their families received decades ago to the new wave of refugees and immigrants, Klassen said. "They're saying 'It payback time,'" Klassen said. "We need to do that for others right now." Khaldeye Daas and Abdo Haman both settled in Altona in the past year. Many in Altona are descendants of Russian and German Mennonite families that moved to Manitoba between the 1870s and 1920s, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee: She also visited an art and handicrafts workshop where she talked with the female students, according to Metro News. Around 5,000 Syrian refugees live in container homes in the camp, which was visited by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in September and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in April. The Anadolu Agency said Saturday the U.S. actress toured the social facilities and preschool in Nizip before giving refugee children there presents. Anadolu Agency said Friday that Lohan had visited a book fair in Istanbul Sultanbeyli district where she bought books for the refugee children. The actress has been visiting refugee families and facilities around Turkey for the past two weeks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

safety number: Since moving to Canada in January, Mustafa, Mona and their kids say they have a lot to be thankful for. "I like Canada, according to CTV. I like Altona because it safe for my family, I give thanks for that," Mona said. "Safety number one, good people, school, hospitals, everything is very good here," Mustafa added. Mustafa Alsaid Hammoud and his wife, Mona, both newcomers to the country, prepared enough shawarma to feed more than 100 guests at a community supper in the town. They are a part of a strong Syrian community that makes up 1 per cent of the town population. "We try our best to make a safe place for them to show them the love that a community can, and I think Altona community has done an amazing job with that," Cindy Klassen, a volunteer with Build a Villag, an organization that has helped 45 Syrian refugees move to Altona. Friday dinner was a chance for many in the community to meet their new neighbours. "It a celebration of the fact that there is an idea, the community embraced the idea, it a success, it not necessarily concluded yet, but it a success and we will continue working with them," Altona Mayor Mel Klassen said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sandor petofi: He had been enamoured for years of the 19th-century poetry of Janos Arany and Sandor Petofi, who evoked the plain quiet, boundless, bare beauty and who wrote eloquently of lonely shepherds, withered peasant women and wild horses, according to Hamilton Spectator. Through Hapsburg and Ottoman rule, this vast, empty plain, called the Puszta, was for Hungarians their own Big Sky Country, and it remained an untameable, immutable terrain symbolic of liberty, even when the nation farms were collectivized under the Soviets. It was an escape, a yearning for beauty amid economic malaise and depressing city life. In 1973, most of the great plain was designated Hungary first national park, and in 1999 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was September, and the refugee crisis at Hungary southern border with Serbia was an exodus of biblical proportions. My uncle, who taught high school English in Budapest, recalled recently how when he walked across the fields during that visit, "you could see and feel each of the words of these great poets, one by one — words that as a schoolboy, I had to learn and know now by heart." When he told me this, I was preparing to visit Hungary, specifically Hortobagy National Park in the Puszta. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

star newcomers: Phil Kessel, the team long-time game-breaker, was beginning his year in Pittsburgh after a summertime trade that was at the heart of an ongoing reconstruction project, according to Toronto Star. Dion Phaneuf, the miscast captain, was receding into the background as he awaited a trade that would ship him to Ottawa a few months later. Order this photo By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist Sat., Oct. 8, 2016 A year ago in Leafland, as the curtain was lifted on the 99th season in franchise history, nobody was expecting much of a show. And the star newcomers happened to both wear suits. And Mike Babcock, the team new coach, was stepping behind the bench after signing an eight-year deal worth $50 million that was the richest in the history of the sport. Lou Lamoriello, inserted as general manager in a surprising summertime hiring after 28 years in New Jersey, was making headlines for his old-school insistence on clean haircuts and no facial hair. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

washington post: In the recording, obtained by The Washington Post and NBC News, Trump describes trying to have sex with a married woman and brags about women letting him kiss and grab them because he is famous. "When you're a star they let you do it," Trump says. "You can do anything." He adds seconds later, "Grab them by the p----. You can do anything." The one-sentence response from the head of Trump Republican Party was devastating. "No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner, according to Hamilton Spectator. Ever," said Reince Priebus, who had stood by Trump through his past provocative comments. Trump tried to head off some of the damage by issuing a statement apologizing "if anyone was offended" by vulgar remarks captured on a 2005 tape and made public Friday. Other Republicans, painfully aware of the possible impact on their own political fates, were quick to chime in. Kelly Ayotte, who is locked in a close race, called the comments "totally inappropriate and offensive." Trump running mate, Indiana Gov. New Hampshire Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

youth voices: And, because of the intersections that exist in my own life: Woman, multi-racial woman, woman of colour, queer, bisexual, Mexican-Irish American, immigrant, and raised by families heavily rooted in Catholicism on both my Mexican & Irish sides, I am deeply invested in projects that allow our youth voices to be heard, and that support our youth in owning their own complex narratives so that we can show up for them in the ways they need us to." Sara - whose 'Grey Anatomy' character Callie Torres was also bisexual - took to Twitter after her speech to praise the True Colors Fund, which works to end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, according to Hamilton Spectator. She tweeted: "#Thank You @True Colors Fund 4 the work you do 2 end #LGBTQ #Youth Homelessness & your support #Woman #Latinx #Bisexual #Intersectionality ." The former 'Grey Anatomy' actress - who married Ryan Debolt in 2012 - revealed her sexuality in a powerful speech at the 40 to None Summit in Los Angeles on Saturday . She said: "So many of our youth experiencing homelessness are youth whose lives touch on many intersections - whether they be gender identity, gender expression, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, citizenship status. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election historians: Just one month before election day, the party is turning on Trump, according to The Waterloo Record. At least one-third of the party senators have now declined to support him, rescinded their support, asked him to resign, or declared they'll vote for someone else. Election historians say it unprecedented. As if that weren't enough, his own running mate publicly scolded him this weekend. Even the Terminator terminated his support; Arnold Schwarzenegger bailed. His wife issued an angry, if forgiving statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

irene grandparents: Irene Hain, a retired gynecologist and obstetrician, according to The Waterloo Record. They'll enjoy a traditional meal of turkey and mashed potatoes, locally made sausage, mashed turnip, pickled beets and of course pumpkin and "schnitz" pie for dessert. Between 30 and 35 people, some from as far as California and England, will meet Saturday at the home of Dr. This is a close family that loves tradition. After dinner, there is always some exercise, perhaps a game of soccer or football in Irene spacious backyard. They say the same grace that Irene grandparents, immigrants from Scotland, said when she was young. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lucien bouchard: He said Lisee campaign statements regarding limiting immigration made it clear he advocated for a "closed nationalism" that has some ideological parallels to European right-wing populist parties, according to Guelph Mercury. Lisee, a one-time adviser to former premiers Jacques Parizeau and Lucien Bouchard, ran a campaign focused on immigration and identity issues that raised the ire of opponents and younger voters who saw him playing on fears and divisions in society. Couillard made the comments during a trip to Iceland only hours after Lisee, 58, was elected PQ leader on Friday. Lisee argued immigration has not been a great benefit to Quebec and that the province must reduce the number of immigrants it accepts every year in order to better integrate them. That what we see elsewhere in world." When questioned, he would not say which European parties he was referring to specifically. On Saturday, Couillard said the PQ seemed to be moving closer to "a kind of nationalism of the besieged, nationalism of the fearful, of people who don't want to deal with diversity, who prefer Quebec remains folded in on itself. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee: She also visited an art and handicrafts workshop where she talked with the female students, according to Brandon Sun. Around 5,000 Syrian refugees live in container homes in the camp, which was visited by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in September and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in April. The Anadolu Agency said Saturday the U.S. actress toured the social facilities and preschool in Nizip before giving refugee children there presents. Anadolu Agency said Friday that Lohan had visited a book fair in Istanbul Sultanbeyli district where she bought books for the refugee children. The actress has been visiting refugee families and facilities around Turkey for the past two weeks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

youth voices: And, because of the intersections that exist in my own life: Woman, multi-racial woman, woman of colour, queer, bisexual, Mexican-Irish American, immigrant, and raised by families heavily rooted in Catholicism on both my Mexican & Irish sides, I am deeply invested in projects that allow our youth voices to be heard, and that support our youth in owning their own complex narratives so that we can show up for them in the ways they need us to." Sara - whose 'Grey Anatomy' character Callie Torres was also bisexual - took to Twitter after her speech to praise the True Colors Fund, which works to end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, according to The Waterloo Record. She tweeted: "#Thank You @True Colors Fund 4 the work you do 2 end #LGBTQ #Youth Homelessness & your support #Woman #Latinx #Bisexual #Intersectionality ." The former 'Grey Anatomy' actress - who married Ryan Debolt in 2012 - revealed her sexuality in a powerful speech at the 40 to None Summit in Los Angeles on Saturday . She said: "So many of our youth experiencing homelessness are youth whose lives touch on many intersections - whether they be gender identity, gender expression, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, citizenship status. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

alghabra: Ontario MP Omar Alghabra, the parliamentary secretary for consular affairs, told The Huffington Post Canada he was taken aback by some of the hundreds of responses on Twitter and Facebook after he published this tweet: It sad that Conservatives denied to give a unanimous consent to a motion in the House of Commons to condemn all forms of Islamophobia, according to Huffington Post Canada. It not unusual that I get the occasional troll online, but I was surprised by the magnitude and the number, he told Huff Post on Friday. Liberal MP Omar Alghabra speaks in the House of Commons on June 3, 2016. I don't believe this is representative of the majority of Canadians, but it highlights the importance of the need for public discourse and motions like the one the Conservatives unfortunately rejected, he added. Draws like to so-called 'values' debate The Liberal MP said he believes Conservative party leadership candidate Kellie Leitch call for screening newcomers for so-called Canadian values has also heightened tensions. He said talking about this type of disgusting behaviour allows an opportunity to speak collectively against it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

appeal process: The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers launched a constitutional challenge to the federal law because they say there is no proper appeal process, according to Metro News. They argue the government should stop all citizenship revocation until the matter is settled in court. Ottawa will not heed the demands of two civil society groups and impose a moratorium on its practice of citizenship revocation, said lawyer Angela Marinos, in a letter to the Federal Court. The government confirmed on Friday it won't be doing that."We are very disappointed that the government refuses to stop stripping people of citizenship without a hearing, choosing to defend the last government unfair process in court instead," said BCCLA executive director Josh Paterson. Paterson said hiring lawyers are expensive and immigrants should have the right to a formal appeal process before losing their citizenship. Marinos said in her letter that people who have their citizenship revoked have the right to file for judicial review of the government decision. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.