immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

attack america: Investigators are looking into whether it was a terrorist attack, according to Guelph Mercury. America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. The posts from Abdul Razak Ali Artan account came to light after Monday violence, which left 11 people injured. We are not weak. The posts were recounted by a law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation but wasnt authorized to discuss it publicly, and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. We are not weak, remember that, he wrote, using the Arabic term for the world Muslim community. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deportation order: Before he fled to Canada in 1997 to escape death threats, Figueroa was a volunteer for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front in El Salvador, according to Guelph Mercury. The group brought in a new era of democracy when it was voted into power in 2009. Jose Figueroa will be in court Wednesday in Vancouver asking it to rescind an eight-year-old report that said he was inadmissible to Canada due to his past membership in a political organization. He also said Monday he wants a federal deportation order quashed. If there is justice in this country, the Canada Border Services Agency should be found accountable for the harm that they have done to me, to my family, Figueroa told a news conference outside the University of Victoria law faculty building. Immigration Minister John McCallum granted a ministerial exemption last December that allowed Figueroa to leave the Walnut Grove Lutheran Church in Langley. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

michael ferguson: In addition, Ferguson found the government own evaluation, made public in September, painted an incomplete and inaccurate picture, according to Guelph Mercury. The Canada-U.S. Beyond the Border initiative was unfurled in December 2011 to help protect the continent from terrorist threats while ensuring the efficient passage of travellers and shipments across the 49th parallel. While departments and agencies completed many commitments of the high-profile Beyond the Border plan, they faced numerous challenges and lacked the means to measure results, auditor general Michael Ferguson said in a report released Tuesday. The issues are crucial last year close to 700 billion in goods traversed the border and people made nearly 150 million land crossings, with millions more travelling by air or water, Ferguson said. Government exists to do things for people, Ferguson told a news conference Tuesday. He urged a number of federal agencies to develop indicators so they can fully assess efforts involving everything from checked baggage screening to so-called trusted-trader programs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

things i: One of the things I told them before the game is, look, we need to have a close game, according to The Waterloo Record. We need to have an overtime game. And it may not be every night. We need to have a team make their first 10 shots and see how we respond. We need to be in tough physical battles and know who can respond. We need to shoot 32 per cent and still win a game. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

act republicans: It a key part of the bipartisan education law passed almost one year ago and signed into law by President Barack Obama to replace the No Child Left Behind Act, according to The Chronicle Herald. Republicans and teachers unions had complained that the draft rules released in May didn t provide states with the time they needed to assess schools in need of help. The rules, released Monday, provide a broad framework for states as they design new accountability systems to improve schools and narrow achievement gaps. Education Secretary John B. King Jr., says the department considered concerns from Congress, civil rights groups, teachers and others before issuing the updated rules. Under the new education law, states may design accountability systems that consider measures beyond test scores and high school graduation rates. The final rules give states more time and flexibility to provide every student with a high-quality, well-rounded education while ensuring that states and districts keep the focus on improving outcomes and maintaining civil rights protections for all of our children, particularly those who need our support the most, King said in a statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

art exhibitions: From public discussions and lectures to art exhibitions and music or poetry, the little building adjacent to Honest Ed is set to host its final event Wednesday, according to Metro News. It a real loss, said the centre founder Robert Massoud. Beit Zatoun has served as a community hub for the past seven years, hosting over 1,000 events on a wide range of political and social issues. There are so few places in the city that bring people together the same way we did. Beit Zatoun, an Arabic and Hebrew term which means House of Olive, started as a meeting place for people to connect with the Palestinian culture. A big character of the Mirvish Village will be lost. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

case figueroa: They come to Canada and claim refugee status, according to The Chronicle Herald. Over the next several years, they work and have three children. 2009 The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front is voted into power in El Salvador, ushering a new era of democracy. Here is a timeline of his case 1997 Figueroa and his wife flee El Salvador, fearing for their safety. May 2010 The Immigration and Refugee Board determines Figueroa cannot be admitted to Canada, arguing that he is a threat to national security because he worked with a student group that had ties to the revolutionary national liberation front in the 1980s. January 2011 Supporters launch a campaign called We are Jose, encouraging the federal government to overturn the deportation order. A deportation order is issued. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

community members: It began with the arrival in October 2015 of the Al Jasem family, an enormous clan of 14 parents, a grandmother, 11 kids, including two sets of twins, according to Metro News. It quickly snowballed into a homegrown resettlement project with community members stepping forward to rescue two other families related to the Al Jasems who arrived in February. Twelve months later, residents of the picturesque rural county near Belleville say the effort, which will eventually see seven families from war-torn Syria settled in and around the area, has been filled with ups and downs but one that achieved the unexpected goal of bringing the whole community together. And now they re awaiting the arrival of four other families they ve sponsored since then. It been a real community-building experience, said Carlyn Moulton, who owns an art gallery in the village of Bloomfield and was inspired to act after witnessing the magnitude of the refugee crisis during a visit to Europe in the summer of 2015. Courtesy carlyn moulton Twins Bachar and Majid Al Jasem are settling in well to their new home in Prince Edward County. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ctv vancouver: The racially-charged pamphlets suggest that white people have been marginalized by Richmond large Chinese population and urge readers to join the alt-right, a loosely-organized American political movement that has been galvanized by President-elect Donald Trump campaign rhetoric, according to CTV. To Liu, however, the flyers purpose is simple. We are here to show people our commitment to this community, rally organizer Edward Liu told CTV Vancouver. To divide our community according to ethnic origin, Liu said. Lisa Descary joined the protest. The majority of Richmond residents identify as Chinese. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deportation order: Before he fled to Canada in 1997 to escape death threats, Figueroa was a volunteer for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front in El Salvador, according to CTV. The group brought in a new era of democracy when it was voted into power in 2009. Jose Figueroa will be in court Wednesday in Vancouver asking it to rescind an eight-year-old report that said he was inadmissible to Canada due to his past membership in a political organization. He also said Monday he wants a federal deportation order quashed. If there is justice in this country, the Canada Border Services Agency should be found accountable for the harm that they have done to me, to my family, Figueroa told a news conference outside the University of Victoria law faculty building. Immigration Minister John McCallum granted a ministerial exemption last December that allowed Figueroa to leave the Walnut Grove Lutheran Church in Langley. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

democrats: According to much newly minted conventional wisdom, Democrats can and should win back downscale whites by cranking up economic populism, without losing minorities, women and other key components of their coalition, according to The Waterloo Record. We need to speak to their economic interests, that we get it, that we understand, that we talk about those things and we try to fight hard for those things, said Representative Tim Ryan D-Ohio who is challenging Representative Nancy Pelosi of ultra-diverse San Francisco for leadership of House Democrats. The one group Democrats did not target were their old mainstays, non-college-educated whites especially the males of that species who responded by giving Donald Trump a margin of 39 points over Hillary Clinton, while voters of colour failed to vote for her in the expected numbers. Easier said than done. Ohio and Pennsylvania also mine it. Consider Rust belt states that Trump turned red Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan heavily rely on coal for their electricity. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shot: I know my father was very proud to call him a friend, he said, according to Globe and Mail. The worst word he used in his statement on Saturday was controversial. He described Fidel Castro as a legendary revolutionary and orator and fondly recalled their old family ties. I guess that one way to describe how he dealt with his political opponents. Mr. He lined them up against a wall and shot them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hartley: Susan Benton Hartley is a Rotary peace fellow and a consultant in peace building and conflict studies, according to CBC. P.E.I. psychologist Susan Hartley studies peace, conflict at Rotary Peace Centre in Thailand Talking peace P.E.I. woman at head of global initiative A conversation about Hartley recent time at the Rotary Peace Centre in Bangkok led to an invitation to travel to Jordan. Sharon McKay is a young adult YA writer whose books have covered conflicts in the Middle East, Afghanistan and child soldiers in Uganda. I was chatting with Sharon and she was saying her next book project was about the Syrian refugee migration and she wanted to do both sides of the trail so she had gone to Toronto to interview resettled Syrian refugees, explained Hartley. Submitted by Susan Benton Hartley Hartley had contacts from her peace fellowship, and helped McKay get in touch. Sharon McKay and Susan Benton Hartley spent hours speaking with Syrian refugees, including children, during their 8 days in Jordan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

history: Halima Aden makes history as the first woman to compete wearing a burkini during the Miss Minnesota pageant Star Tribune Leila Navidi Leila Navidi November 27, 2016 Born in a Kenyan refugee camp, the Somali-American teenager wore the traditional Islamic dress and full-body burkini during the event swimsuit segment, according to Huffington Post Canada. Halima Aden starts off Miss Minnesota USA swimsuit segment to big cheers from the crowd. Over the weekend, the 19-year-old made history by wearing a burkini and hijab during the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. Announcer She making history tonight. Moving to St. Liz Sawyer ByLiz Sawyer November 27, 2016 She was welcomed with cheers and received support from all over the world. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

love: I really love the scent of your perfume, he suggested, according to CTV. You have a beautiful voice. Flirt offered a few examples to his class of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. He invited his students to take a stab. God created you only for me, he said, then tried another I love you. Essam Kadib al Ban, 20, raised his hand. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nations committee: After all, your international credibility is enhanced when your own house in order, according to Rabble. This week the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women CEDAW called on the federal, provincial and territorial governments to establish a comprehensive National Gender Equality Plan addressing the barriers to women equity in Canada. This makes it the perfect time to look at how well the Canadian government is tackling the epidemic of violence against women and girls. Canada was instructed to immediately address the gender wage gap, high rates of poverty among women, sex discrimination in the Indian Act, insufficient affordable childcare, inadequate civil legal aid and violence against women. Unfortunately, the adoption of a working plan for Gender Equality has been 21 years in the making -- so far. Within two years, Canada must provide a report to the committee detailing implementation of the CEDAW Inquiry recommendations, as well as progress made in developing and implementing an effective National Gender Equality Plan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

no-fly list: Canada, U.S. set up working group to tackle error-laden no-fly list Markham man on U.S. no-fly list stranded overseas, feels helpless Boy, 6, still flagged in no-fly list mix-up at Pearson, family says Speaking to reporters outside the cafeteria of Markham District High School, Goodale pointed to the American redress model, which provides a redress number to false-positives on the list that can be entered online anytime they make a booking to avoid additional screening, according to CBC. That the way the Canadian system should work, the public safety minister said, adding that once implemented, Canada system will be interactive, automatic and done entirely online. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale described the future system at a town hall on national security Saturday afternoon in Markham, Ont., which he attended along with Health Minister Jane Philpott and Immigration Minister John McCallum, both MPs in Markham ridings. Parents had hoped for interim solution In an email, Public Safety spokesperson Jean-Philippe Levert told CBC News solving the false name-match problem requires important regulatory and data system changes. Just how much that system will cost, he didnt say. Also required is a brand new and costly computer system, Goodale explained. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pickup lines: Flirt offered a few examples to his class of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, according to Toronto Star. I really love the scent of your perfume, he suggested. Michael Probst / AP By Kirsten Grieshaber The Associated Press Mon., Nov. 28, 2016 DORTMUND, GERMANY The subject was pickup lines, and Germany Mr. You have a beautiful voice. Essam Kadib al Ban, 20, raised his hand. He invited his students to take a stab. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

prince: Cole Burston / Toronto Star File Photo Scores of people turned up to a town hall meeting in Prince Edward County in 2015 to find out how they could help sponsor Syrian refugees, according to Toronto Star. SUPPLIED PHOTO Twins Bachar and Majid Al Jasem are settling in well to their new home in Prince Edward County. DANIEL VAUGHAN / VAUGHANGROUP.CA Carlyn Moulton, who spearheaded the Prince Edward County refugee project, says she was driven to act after witnessing the refugee crisis during a trip to Europe in the summer of 2015. Courtesy of Carlyn Moulton By Noor Javed News reporter Sun., Nov. 27, 2016 When residents of Prince Edward County came together to sponsor a Syrian refugee family last fall, they had little idea what the year would bring. It began with the arrival in October 2015 of the Al Jasem family, an enormous clan of 14 parents, a grandmother and 11 kids, including two sets of twins. Twelve months later, residents of the picturesque rural county near Belleville say the effort, which will eventually see seven families from wartorn Syria settled in and around the area, has been filled with ups and downs, but that it achieved the unexpected goal of bringing the whole community together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

undocumented ones: In a tweetstorm, he quoted Hillary Clinton Later Sunday, though, he made a real case that we should have no confidence in those same election results, alleging massive voter fraud Article Continued Below Trump, of course, is pointing only to fraud that benefited Clinton; Virginia, New Hampshire and California are all states she won, and the baseless idea that illegal immigrants voted by the millions is supposed to have helped Clinton, given the fact that immigrants and specifically undocumented ones overwhelmingly favour Democrats, according to Toronto Star. Trump was doing this to make the case that he didn t actually lose the popular vote, which has become a Democratic rallying cry following Clinton loss. Evan Vucci / AP By Aaron Blake The Washington Post Mon., Nov. 28, 2016 WASHINGTON On Sunday morning, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump assured us all that a recount of the 2016 election wouldn t change the outcome and was a waste of resources. It clearly a sore spot for Trump. The logical extension of his argument is that all results should not be trusted. But the president-elect is also, unwittingly and amazingly, calling into question the results of an election that he won nearly three weeks ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

val-dor protest: Ghislain Picard, chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, said there already a shortage of Indigenous police officers working on First Nations reserves, so it will be difficult to fill new positions, according to CBC. If there no extra funding coming from somewhere, then definitely the proposal is going to fall short, he told CBC Radio Daybreak. The stars have aligned All-Inuit team of RCMP makes up Iqaluit Friday night shift The new station will be devoted to community policing and will be staffed by a combination of S ret du Qu bec SQ officers and officers from Indigenous police forces. Ada Chevrier of Timiskaming First Nation took part in a Val-dOr protest earlier this month over the allegations of abuse against SQ officers. Higher Education Minister H l ne David committed to eliminating a 17,500 fee for the 900-hour police training program offered to Indigenous students at the CEGEP vocational college in Alma, north of Quebec City, a spokesperson confirmed to CBC News. Jonathan Montpetit/CBC Financial help for training The Quebec government took a step in that direction last week, making changes aimed at encouraging more Indigenous youth and visible minorities to work as police officers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deportation order: Before he fled to Canada in 1997 to escape death threats, Figueroa was a volunteer for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front in El Salvador, according to Brandon Sun. The group brought in a new era of democracy when it was voted into power in 2009. Jose Figueroa will be in court Wednesday in Vancouver asking it to rescind an eight-year-old report that said he was inadmissible to Canada due to his past membership in a political organization. He also said Monday he wants a federal deportation order quashed. If there is justice in this country, the Canada Border Services Agency should be found accountable for the harm that they have done to me, to my family, Figueroa told a news conference outside the University of Victoria law faculty building. Immigration Minister John McCallum granted a ministerial exemption last December that allowed Figueroa to leave the Walnut Grove Lutheran Church in Langley. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

german teacher: The nation prevalent can-do attitude has made it an economic powerhouse and a true positive world leader, according to The Waterloo Record. While certain individuals tried to shirk responsibility for the Holocaust, Germany as a nation never did. As a German teacher, Ive watched with interest from afar as Germany has evolved after the horrors of the first half of the 20th century. Perpetrators of genocide almost always deny their crimes but Germany has made Holocaust denial a crime. The remodelled parliament building in Berlin has a glass dome and a walkway with mirrors pointing down so that citizens can see into their Legislative Assembly. The Holocaust is taught in schools and always seems to be on the mind of Germans. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: Yet discussions about racial profiling, including the long-assailed police practice of street checks, also known as carding, rarely mention the experiences of women or trans people, according to NOW Magazine. Last week, the Toronto Police Services Board shuffled the deck yet again on carding, voting to adopt new rules for interactions with the public that critics say will do little to stop racial profiling. And a quarter of trans people in Canada, most of them people of colour, report having been harassed by police. The board also voted not to destroy data gathered from the stopping of individuals in the past. How can we achieve equality if we downplay the true reach of systemic racism The problem begins with what we mean by racial profiling. But by focusing only on the ways Black men experience racism from law enforcement across Ontario, and sidelining the experiences of women and non-binary people, racial profiling has been presented as one-dimensional. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights advocates: The Ku Klux Klan plans to mark Trump victory with a parade next month in North Carolina, according to Guelph Mercury. Civil rights advocates have recoiled, citing an uptick in harassment and incidents of hate crimes affecting blacks, Jews, Muslims, Latinos, gays, lesbians and other minority groups since the vote. Members of the self-declared alt-right have exulted over the Nov. 8 results with public cries of Hail Trump! and reprises of the Nazi salute. The president-elect has drawn repeated criticism for being slow to offer his condemnation of white supremacists. Further, Trump has named Stephen Bannon, the conservative media provocateur who shaped the final months of Trump campaign, as a White House chief strategist who will work steps from the Oval Office. His strongest denunciation of the movement has not come voluntarily, only when asked, and he occasionally trafficked in retweets of racist social media posts during his campaign. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

school community: Mark School of Texas headmaster David Dini issued the statement of criticism after a Nov. 19 rally in Washington where Spencer, a member of St, according to The Waterloo Record. Marks Class of 1997, shouted Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail victory! as supporters raised their arms in Nazi salutes. St. Without referring to Spencer by name, Dini said his activities have been deeply troubling and terribly upsetting to our whole school community. In his statement, posted on the school Facebook page, Dini hailed other St. We reject racism and bigotry in all its forms and expressions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.