campaign chair: Bannon has already declared that he sees Donald Trump as a blunt instrument for advancing his own beliefs he's shaped, articulated, refined a political philosophy, and the president of the United States is the delivery mechanism, according to Guelph Mercury. The gruff-looking ex-Navy man, Harvard grad, Goldman Sachs banker, film producer, and flame-throwing right-wing media exec swept into the epicentre of political power with new roles first as Trump's campaign chair, now as chief White House strategist. It's another rare distinction for a political staffer now being cast in popular culture as some alt-right Rasputin. Last week, he became the story. There are now reports Trump is miffed. White House insiders grumbled to media that he'd pushed ahead Trump's controversial travel restrictions, avoided departmental advice, and insisted on making it more aggressive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

iranian researcher: Nima Enayati was turned away last week when he tried to fly to New York from Italy, where he's working on a Ph.D. Enayati says, It feels great finally I'm here, according to Guelph Mercury. He says he acted quickly when he saw a judge rule against President Donald Trump's Jan. 27 executive order suspending America's refugee program and halting immigration to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries. An Iranian researcher who had been prevented from coming to the United States to do research at Stanford University has arrived safely at New York's Kennedy Airport. Enayati is on a visa for three months to conduct research at Stanford working on robotics that will help make surgeries less invasive and cheaper for patients. 9 25 p.m. The Los Angeles Times reports Sara Yarjani was among those caught in a confusing legal limbo after Trump signed the order Jan. 27, about seven hours before Yarjani landed in Los Angeles on a flight from Oslo. An Iranian graduate student who was denied entry into the United States under President Donald Trump's travel ban has returned to America after a judge halted the order. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

laval university: Taxi drivers such as Karim, 53, who didn't want to use his last name, are thankful for the outpouring of warmth towards the Muslim community from people across the city since last weekend's shootings, according to Guelph Mercury. But he and his colleagues at the airport taxi stand many of whom hail from French-speaking North Africa can't help but feel frustration at the society they feel hasn't fully accepted them, especially in the job market. Across the small, narrow trailer the television is broadcasting Thursday's funeral service in Montreal held for three of the six men murdered in a mosque across town. Karim, who came to Quebec from Morocco in 1991, completed a master's at Laval University in 1996 in management. I got two interviews. I sent hundreds of resumes, he said, about his job search after graduating. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

affairs columnist: Over that period, Quebecers have been subjected to a barrage of fear-mongering rhetoric purporting that the secular nature of their public institutions is under attack from an army of religious zealots mostly but not exclusively of the Muslim faith, according to Toronto Star. For much of the time, the sound of dog-whistle politics has dominated the conversation with depictions of the Muslim community often amounting to little more than caricature. MATHIEU BELANGER / AFP/GETTY IMAGES By Chantal H bert National Affairs Columnist Sat., Feb. 4, 2017 MONTREAL For more than a decade, Quebec has been the scene of a divisive and, so far, sterile debate as to what constitutes the reasonable accommodation of religious minorities by a secular state. Over his leadership campaign last year, Jean-Fran ois Lis e of the Parti Qu b cois hammered the notion that public safety required governments to consider banning the burka to prevent terrorists from wearing the full-body covering to hide lethal weapons. Its platform pointedly calls for vetting the values of immigrants to ensure they are aligned with the province's mainstream. Last summer, Quebec's third party, the Coalition Avenir Qu bec, flirted with the notion of a ban on body-covering bathing suits such as the burkini. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

butch otter: It is, Otter said during an interview on Idaho Public Television's Idaho Reports, according to Metro News. But we want a safe country. C.L. Butch Otter says he agrees with President Donald Trump that persecuted Christians should be treated as priority in the U.S. refugee program despite acknowledging that such preference is discriminatory. Otter made his remarks during an interview with Idaho Public Television's Idaho Reports, which aired Friday. The executive order signed by Trump suspends immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days and all refugee resettlement for 120 days. The 30-minute interview touched on the governor's thoughts on immigration, transportation and trade, but it also highlighted specifically President Donald Trump's latest actions regarding immigration and refugees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian muslims: Then came the massacre at a Quebec City mosque that struck another blow to a community already numbed by the Islamophobia its members have faced day in day out in Canada.A group of Muslims invited by the Star to a roundtable discussion last week described their immediate reactions to the disturbing events on both sides of the border with such phrases as not again, resistance and heavy heart, according to Toronto Star. It's a familiar narrative. Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Fri., Feb. 3, 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban against Muslims came as no surprise to Canadian Muslims, though they did not expect how harshly and quickly it happened. It's very real in our lives, said Gilary Massa, 31, whose family came to Canada from Panama in the late 1980s. This is what we say to ourselves to cope, but the shooting is an unfriendly reminder of how Islamophobia is well and alive in the country. Some people say at least we live in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fredericton mosque: It was one of several events in honour of the Quebec City victims held across New Brunswick and throughout Canada this week, according to CBC. Hundreds gather across province for Quebec shooting vigils Donations continue to pour in for new Fredericton mosque On Saturday, a March Against Islamophobia and Deportations, is planned for Fredericton at 12 30 p.m. starting at City Hall. He agreed to stay away from the mosque for now, he said, but he also helped organize a vigil at the University of Moncton. The local mosque will also open its doors to the public Sunday, starting at 10 a.m. I don't think people here, or people in the world want something like that again, he said. If anything, these events show how much people care, Badirou said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

october show: Nova Scotia immigrants say U.S. travel ban 'reeks of discrimination' The total included an influx of Syrian refugees, along with provincially nominated families and entrepreneurs, according to CBC. The province says it's also expecting another 2,150 people under the provincial nomination program this year, but it doesn't indicate how many more refugees may arrive. The province's Immigration Department says preliminary figures for last year to the end of October show 4,835 newcomers including about 1,500 refugees arrived in Nova Scotia, saying it's the highest number in decades. We have to ramp it up' However, Don Mills, a pollster who has supported a business push to increase immigration in the province, said he sees the figure as an improvement that is still short of what the province needs to replace an aging workforce, and notes the boom in refugees may decrease. But we have to ramp it up even quicker. We're going on in the right direction, he said in an interview. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people act: People act like whatever's going on in the U.S. does not happen in Canada, according to Metro News. But as we saw in Quebec, all these people got shot in a mosque. The rally, one of about a dozen across Canada, was organized in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban and to condemn last weekend's shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six men dead. We don't feel safe in our country with all the Islamophobic rhetoric that's going around. She said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should revoke the so-called safe third country agreement, which makes it difficult for refugees to seek asylum in Canada if they come through the U.S. They should also lift the cap on the number of private sponsorships so refugees can find safety here, she said. It's unjust, it's uncalled for, and it's absolutely wrong, said Sumaiya Zaman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rally organizer: One rally organizer, Hazim Ismail, says Winnipeg should follow in the steps of cities such as Toronto, which declared itself a sanctuary city in 2013, according to Toronto Star. He says the declaration would help ensure programs helping refugee claimants and other are maintained, and provide a safer environment for undocumented migrants. The Canadian Press By The Canadian Press Fri., Feb. 3, 2017 WINNIPEG Several dozen protesters braved the Winnipeg cold to push city council to declare the city a sanctuary for undocumented migrants. Speakers at the rally say Canada needs to offer more help after moves by the United States to ban refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Article Continued Below In a written statement, Bowman's press secretary said it's not clear what effect, if any, would come from declaring the city a sanctuary. react-text 154 Several dozen protesters braved the Winnipeg cold to push city council and the mayor to declare the city a sanctuary for undocumented migrants. /react-text JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS At this point, front line agencies and organizations helping and assisting new arrivals have not identified a need to declare Winnipeg a sanctuary city,' Jonathan Hildebrand wrote. Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman has been non-committal. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee targets: On Jan. 27 U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily restricting entry to the U.S. for travellers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, according to CBC. The restrictions are currently facing legal challenges in the U.S. No change to refugee targets despite travel ban ministerU.S. won't ban permanent residents The day after Trump signed the executive order, a tweet by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his own message to those seeking to come to Canada, and it was very different than Trump's. As more and more countries are taking a different approach, of closing their borders, or not being open to new people or ideas, we've chosen the opposite approach, which is being open to ideas, being open to people, being open to talent, being open to skills and investments and we'll continue to have that tradition, Ahmed Hussen told CBC Radio's The House. To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. It's been retweeted more than 427,000 times and was followed up with a photo showing Trudeau welcoming a newly arrived Syrian refugee child, with the hashtag Welcome to Canada. Diversity is our strength, it read. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

unemployment rate: Canadians are the ones that will make a decision about who will represent them and I have a lot of good faith in the common sense of Canadians, said Ambrose at the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives' annual meeting, according to The Chronicle Herald. Her remarks come just 15 days into a Trump presidency that was met with widespread protests on Jan. 21 followed just days later by banning citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The interim federal Conservative leader said that her party was fighting for taxpayers and job creation in Atlantic Canada at a time when Nova Scotia's unemployment rate hovers just above eight per cent and people are worried about the future. The ban was suspended as of Saturday. Leitch ran into widespread criticism from many in her own party after she proposed screening all immigrants and visitors to Canada for Canadian values' without clearly stating what they would entail. At least two out of the 14 federal Conservative leadership candidates have been likened to Trump Kellie Leitch and Kevin O'Leary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

winnable ridings: A premise that is especially important and significant to minorities, whose votes are generally insignificant within their ridings under our current flawed first-past-the-post FPP system, according to Rabble. Under an FPP system, minority representation is at the mercy of parties' decisions to choose their candidates in winnable ridings from minority groups. When the Liberals, the NDP, the BQ and the Greens included electoral reform in their platforms for the 2015 federal election, it was with the premise to make every vote count. If and when this happens, and if they win, those MPs are usually indebted to the party and thus limited in the power they have or their ability to speak in defence of their community when it is in contradiction to the party line. The picture would be very different under a proportional representation PR electoral system where the collective voices of minorities across the country are given real weight. Thus, such MPs from minority groups are more loyal to the party than to their community; the presence of minorities in the Parliament or government is more superficial than real. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian council: The largest group is likely to be in Montreal, where between 100 and 200 students from McGill, Universite du Quebec a Montreal and the University of Moncton are hosting a joint event, according to Guelph Mercury. Dubbed a research-a-thon, it will focus on gathering information for the Canadian Council for Refugees to help support a potential legal challenge to the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement. Between 300 and 500 students from all 22 of Canada's law schools have signed up for four-hour shifts where they'll conduct legal research relating to the recent travel bans in the United States and their impact in Canada, organizers say. It will also serve as a fundraiser for the refugee council. Montreal law student Rachelle Bastarache said she originally floated the idea of a study group for her fellow McGill students who wanted to help those affected by Trump's immigration policies. The future of the Trump law was unclear after a U.S. judge on Friday ordered a nationwide hold on the measure, backing a challenge by the states of Washington and Minnesota who are challenging it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people act: People act like whatever's going on in the U.S. does not happen in Canada, according to Guelph Mercury. But as we saw in Quebec, all these people got shot in a mosque. The rally, one of about a dozen across Canada, was organized in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban and to condemn last weekend's shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six men dead. We don't feel safe in our country with all the Islamophobic rhetoric that's going around. She said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should revoke the so-called safe third country agreement, which makes it difficult for refugees to seek asylum in Canada if they come through the U.S. They should also lift the cap on the number of private sponsorships so refugees can find safety here, she said. It's unjust, it's uncalled for, and it's absolutely wrong, said Sumaiya Zaman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

travel bans: Hours before their event was set to start, a U.S. judge ordered a nationwide hold on the measures Friday night, backing a challenge by the states of Washington and Minnesota who want the opportunity to challenge it, according to Guelph Mercury. The ruling suspends Trump's order to temporarily halt immigrants, refugees and visitors from seven Muslim majority countries. Students from all 22 of Canada's law schools signed up to take part in a daylong study blitz on Saturday to conduct legal research relating to the recent travel bans in the United States and their impact in Canada. But Montreal law student Rachelle Bastarache said the new development makes the research event more relevant, especially since Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to call the judge's decision ridiculous and his administration indicated it would appeal the ruling. It's even more important to get the word out in case the next order is worse. I don't think we can say that the U.S. is a safe country for refugees to claim asylum in, because the person on top has made it clear about how he feels about the situation, and that won't change, Bastarache said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aid station: Speaking about the cause, Chris said Every year MOAS rescue thousands of people who risk death at sea while searching for a better life, according to Hamilton Spectator. But for an accident of geography, those people could be us and we could be them. The band - Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion - have thrown their support behind Malta-based search-and-rescue charity MOAS Migrant Offshore Aid Station and will work with the organization on a long-term basis to aid its humanitarian work with migrants and refugees fleeing war and persecution in the Middle East. For this reason, we're proud to support MOAS' life-saving work. MOAS was founded in 2014 and is a non-profit organization that operates on the front line of the Mediterranean migration crisis. The announcement was made via a fundraising film called 'Rescue Humanity' which features the Coldplay frontman performing an a cappella version of Coldplay's 'Don't Panic' which is laid over real footage from a recent MOAS rescue which was filmed by artist Adam Broomberg. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mosque: Archbishops offer prayer, solidarity at funeral for men killed in mosque The Canadian Press It is time that the authors of this type of discourse, whether it be politicians, hosts or other public figures, that they realize the harm their words may cause, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a packed convention centre, according to Globe and Mail. Read more Can Peterborough stand as an inspiration to Quebec after mosque attack Andr Picard In wake of Quebec City shooting, Canada must break silence around gun control Read more After mosque attack, Quebec begins painful reckoning over treatment of Muslim community Premier Philippe Couillard reiterated how the events had become a turning point for Quebec society in a decade-long quest to strike a balance between francophones' desire to protect their culture and accommodating the needs of a growing number of immigrants in the province. An emotional ceremony featured numerous calls for empathy and solidarity with the country's Muslim communities, which have often been the target of xenophobic and racist slurs. Quoting Irish poet William Butler Yeats, Mr. The public funeral for Azzeddine Soufiane, 57, Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42 and Ibrahima Barry, 39, followed a similar service Thursday in Montreal for Khaled Belkacemi, 60, Aboubaker Thabti, 44, and Abdelkrim Hassane, 41. Couillard said There are no strangers here; only friends that have not yet met. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bowl appearance: I do what I think is best for the team, he says, according to Hamilton Spectator. For the better part of those 17 seasons, that approach has worked out well for the Patriots. And they are 10 words that he leans on whenever he is queried about what's gone into making his team an annual threat to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. They will make their seventh Super Bowl appearance under Belichick on Sunday when they take on the Atlanta Falcons. The 64-year-old coach has done it by having an uncanny ability of getting his teams to buy into a program that has become known as the Patriot Way. Along with quarterback Tom Brady, Belichick already is part of the winningest coach/quarterback combination in NFL post-season history, taking 24 games together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian council: The largest group is likely to be in Montreal, where between 100 and 200 students from McGill, Universite du Quebec a Montreal and the University of Moncton are hosting a joint event, according to Metro News. Dubbed a research-a-thon, it will focus on gathering information for the Canadian Council for Refugees to help support a potential legal challenge to the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement. Between 300 and 500 students from all 22 of Canada's law schools have signed up for four-hour shifts where they'll conduct legal research relating to the recent travel bans in the United States and their impact in Canada, organizers say. It will also serve as a fundraiser for the refugee council. Montreal law student Rachelle Bastarache said she originally floated the idea of a study group for her fellow McGill students who wanted to help those affected by Trump's immigration policies. The future of the Trump law was unclear after a U.S. judge on Friday ordered a nationwide hold on the measure, backing a challenge by the states of Washington and Minnesota who are challenging it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

friends: Since it was January, you can imagine the looks I got, according to Huffington Post Canada. But it's research for a story! I cajoled. Photo World Vision A few weeks ago, I challenged some of my friends to sleep outside for a night. As if that would change their minds. But that belief was being shaken by the responses I got from my friends. From Polar Bear dips to winter camping, I'd like to think that many Canadians are immune to the cold. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

group hamas: He says a campaign should be about the candidate and not the conduct of the candidate's staff, according to Hamilton Spectator. Kouvalis said last month that he posted false information about the governing Liberals in an effort to draw out left-leaning voters. Nick Kouvalis posted on Facebook that he is quitting because it has become clear he has become a distraction to Leitch's campaign. Last year Kouvalis tweeted a list of billions of dollars Justin Trudeau's Liberal government had supposedly given to international aid organizations in the last year, including 351 million for the designated terrorist group Hamas. Kouvalis also attracted media attention after using a slur against a constitutional expert who was critical of Leitch's policies. He later said the information was false, telling Maclean's magazine that he posted it to make the left go nuts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration policies: Microsoft seeks exception program on Trump immigration orders Silicon Valley pushes back at Trump immigration crackdown Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the president or his agenda, but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that, Kalanick, who had planned to attend a meeting of the group on Friday, said in the email, according to CBC. He said he spoke briefly to Trump about the immigration order and its issues for our community and told the president he would not join the economic council. The CEO of the ride-hailing service had been under mounting pressure from activists who oppose the administration's immigration policies, including Uber drivers, many of whom are immigrants themselves. The CEO came under increasing pressure to leave the council after Trump issued an executive order temporarily barring entry to people from seven majority-Muslim nations. The executive order is hurting many people in communities all across America, he wrote in a note to employees. There are many ways we will continue to advocate for just change on immigration, but staying on the council was going to get in the way of that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

island nations: The Australian government pays both countries to house the refugees, because it refuses to settle any of them in Australia, according to Metro News. That has resulted in many of them languishing inside the detention facilities for years. A look at what's at stake AUSTRALIA DOESN'T WANT BOAT REFUGEESUnder the Obama administration, the U.S. agreed to resettle a group of refugees who are being held at detention camps on the impoverished Pacific island nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. The conditions at the camps are grim and reports of detainees suffering abuse and attempting suicide are frequent. The refugees are, in fact, among around 1,250 asylum seekers who were transferred to the island detention centres after being intercepted while trying to reach Australia by boat. UNCLEAR HOW MANY ARE GENUINE REFUGEESPresident Donald Trump has repeatedly described the refugees as illegal immigrants and said in a tweet that there are thousands of them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

city: There was this feeling of Oh, here we go again.' In photos Hundreds gather at second funeral for mosque victims in Quebec City In Photos Hundreds gather in Montreal for funeral service of three Quebec City mosque victims Related 'I won't be scared of praying here' Quebec City mosque reopens for worship Read more Worshippers open doors to attacked Quebec City mosque, share their sorrows Sunday's murderous attack on the Quebec City mosque had eerie similarities to a firebombing attack on Masjid Al-Salaam, Peterborough, Ont.'s only mosque, less than 15 months ago, according to Globe and Mail. There was one profound difference six lives lost in Quebec, none in Peterborough but both attacks came around evening prayer, the fortunate difference in Peterborough being that the people had left before the attacker smashed through a window and set an accelerant on fire. Abdella says. The Peterborough incident had taken place the day after ISIS-claimed terrorist attacks in Paris had killed 130 people. This person is out there still, says Mr. Unlike in Quebec City, where 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette was quickly arrested and charged with six counts of murder and five of attempted murder, the firebomber in Peterborough has never been found. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim countries: This is a particular subset of children who require life-saving surgery, so, absent that surgery, they will certainly die, Hoskins told reporters Friday afternoon at Queen's Park, according to Toronto Star. I felt, particularly in light of the occurrences in the past week in Quebec, that Canadians and Ontarians would feel comfortable and confident in expressing our openness, our willingness, our generosity, he said, referring to Sunday's attack on a mosque that left six men dead. In the wake of Trump's temporary immigration ban against citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, which has affected thousands of families, Health Minister Eric Hoskins offered a prescription to help. What we're saying is that Canada is a country that has always looked to ways that it could reach out and support vulnerable people around the world. Sick Kids has been approached by a number of hospitals in the United States with regard to a number of cases, he said, noting most are for highly specialized cardiac care for infants as young as 4 months old. Article Continued Below Hoskins, a former aid worker in the Middle East and Africa and co-founder of War Child Canada, a non-governmental organization that helps kids from war zones, said Toronto's world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children is on the case. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.