http://www.fil-information.gouv.qc.ca/Pages/Article.aspx?aiguillage=ajd&...
AI francophone section, party spokespersons call for action to freen Saudi blogger Raif Badaw, who has already endured 50 lashes last week.
http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/estrie/2015/01/13/001-vigile-montreal...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/raif-badawi-flogging-vigil-held-a...
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/saudi-arabian-blogger-getting-support-from-am...
Terrible story. Thanks for posting.
You can sign the petition here: https://www.amnistie.ca/outils/petitions/index.php?PetitionID=69
But I clicked on "English" and it doesn't take you to the English version, as the English and French speaking sections are separate entities. The English AI Canada should probably have the petition as well, though.
Of course everyone could also write to their MP (but my MP is Alexandre Boulerice, and my MNA is Françoise David, so I'm sure they've already signed).
[url=http://www.ndp.ca/news/ndp-calls-release-saudi-free-speech-activist]NDP calls for the release of Saudi free speech activist[/url]
Official Opposition Critic for Human Rights Wayne Marston (Hamilton - Stoney Creek) issued the following statement today [January 9]:
"New Democrats are appalled that imprisoned Saudi Arabian free speech activist Raif Badawi will be flogged in public today as part of his sentence.
Raif Badawi has been imprisoned since June 2012 for founding a website to promote political and social debate in Saudi Arabia. He was charged with “setting up a website that undermines public security” and ridiculing Islamic religious figures.
Amnesty International reported numerous irregularities in his trial. Mr. Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes, 10 years in prison and a significant fine.
Last May I wrote to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, asking him to intervene with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia to secure Mr. Badawi’s release. While I have yet to receive a reply from Mr. Baird’s office, I reiterate that call to intervene today and urge him to call for Mr. Badawi’s immediate release before this awful sentence is carried out.
Mr. Badawi’s wife and children currently reside in Canada. Every effort should be made to free him so he can rejoin them, rather than suffer this horrific punishment for exercising freedom of speech."
http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/428819/un-charlie-nomme-badawi
Amir Khadir speaks out for Raif Badawi, and for the strange exemption the Saudi kingdom gets from "religious extremism".
Including execution by sword.
And without sidetracking, it is bizarre, given how many foreign workers there are in Saudi Arabia. According to this 2012 article, 90 percent of workers in the private sector are foreign nationals:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-to-fine-...
I was shocked when I came across that a few years ago.
As for the sentence, I heard an interview last year which described 50 lashes a week as effectively death by torture.
It is, as it doesn't give the body an opportunity to recover, and as for the mind, the anticipation of torture can easily cause someone to go utterly mad.
Leaving a destroyed but living victim can also be a desired effect of torture, as the victims often go on to wreak havoc on their families, friends and communities.
Does this deserve 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison? http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/14/-sp-saudi-blogger-extracts-... Obviously, that is a rhetorical question. But, it is a reminder of how critical unfettered free speech is to freedom in general.
Forgot to post the English version of Amnesty's appeal. Please send a message, write a letter, share with your friends, etc.
http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1770&ea.campaign.id=...
If we accept a culture where the [b]content[/b] of speech is censored due to [b]political considerations[/b] (e.g., no denying the Holocaust in France, or no speaking against the existing regime in Saudi Arabia, or hate speech laws in Europe and Canada), then we have no principled grounds on which to object when our speech is censored for political reasons when someone is in power who strongly disagrees with our ideas.
This is why I believe so strongly that a culture where free-flowing speech is allowed, regardless of content, is vital to freedom.
Pope Francis said today, [b]"one cannot make fun of faith"[/b] and [b]"One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people's faith, one cannot make fun of faith."[/b]
Good to know, Frank.
It really bothers me when someone insists, [b]"You cannot criticize me. You cannot make fun of me."[/b]
Frankie must have a hell of a time with that Boccaccio guy. Full of stories about horny, stupid, greedy, drunken or dishonest priests, nuns and Church bigshots...
Thanks, Unionist. I couldn't find the English version when I started this thread.
Frankie must have a hell of a time with that Boccaccio guy.
Pope Francis said today, [b]"one cannot make fun of faith"[/b] and [b]"One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people's faith, one cannot make fun of faith."[/b]
Oh come on, he oughta know. After all, the Pope is inphallible.
They have postponed his second round of lashing on medical grounds.
Evidently their torture doctors know how to keep people alive for awhile. Probably had good training.
It has been posponed because the optics are bad for Harper with the massive arms trade deal going through and the focus on defending free speech. The arms deal and Charlie Hebdo may save his life.
Along with much more grassroots pressure. Please keep it up.
The flogging has been suspended for another week, again "for medical reasons".
Québec solidaire MNAs' open letter to the Gazette in support of Raif Badawi:
http://montrealgazette.com/news/world/opinion-canadas-complacency-toward...
The Canada-Saudi arms deal provides the necessary leverage to include Badawi in the deal. And there's already a meeting arranged...
Baird Invited to 'Make or Break' Meeting on Syria
http://www.24news.ca/the-news/canada-news/87212-baird-invited-to-make-or...
"Invitees include senior political figures from Iraq, Jordan, France, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and The League of Arab States
Al Jazeera report on Raif, his wife Ensaf Haidar and other supporters here, as well as a bit more on the arms deal: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/01/150123085755115.html
Video: letter from Doudi to his dad Raif in a Saudi jail:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4ESiwgr8No&feature=youtu.be
Lovely shots of the hills of Sherbrooke in autumn, by the way.
Raif has been granted Quebec immigration selection.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/raif-badawi-granted-quebec-immigr...
http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/raif-badawi-again-spared-flog...
http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/montreal-the-moment/gazette-m...
Keep up the pressure on the Saudi and the Harperite petro-regimes!
Notwithstanding my opposition to imperialist aggression, I might support bombing Saudi Arabia back into the Stone Age, if they weren't still there.
Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie MP Alexandre Boulerice has launched a petition calling on the Canadian government to grant citizenship to Raif Badawi, to step up the pressure on Saudi Arabia and free Raif and reunite his family in Sherbrooke.
http://www.jappuie-boulerice.org/monsieur_trudeau_accordez_la_citoyennet...
J’exhorte le gouvernement à revenir sur sa décision de ne pas accorder la citoyenneté canadienne à Raif Badawi. Les spécialistes des droits de la personne, comme ceux d'Amnistie internationale, demandent au gouvernement d’accorder la citoyenneté canadienne à M. Badawi afin d’accentuer la pression sur le gouvernement de l’Arabie saoudite, en vue d'obtenir sa libération et de le ramener auprès de sa famille.
Cool. Imprtiant because [url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-says-it-wont-grant-i... says it won’t grant imprisoned Saudi blogger Canadian citizenship[/url] and [url=http://ipolitics.ca/2015/12/17/trudeau-not-ready-to-personally-intervene... not ready to personally intervene in case of jailed Saudi blogger[/url].
Yes, I know. I hope people will sign it. I didn't see an English version, but perhaps accessing Boulerice's site in English?
Feeling rather down about the chances on this one these days. I can't even get a simple "thank you for your e-mail" from the foreign minister or my Liberal MP to letters on the topic.
[url=https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/fr/Petition/Details?Petition=e-189]Please consider signing the petition to grant Raif Badawi honourary Canadian citizenship, launched by Sherbrooke MP Pierre-Luc Dusseault.[/url]
Thanks swallow, I've also sent it to my MP in hopes that he will also put it up on his site.
Helene Laverdiere is pushing the petition.
We probably need an English version too!
[url=http://www.jesuisraif.ca/]Please consider signing Amnesty International Quebec's new petition asking Justin Trudeau to intervene publicly for Raif Badawi[/url]
Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi is outraged by a suggestion from the Canadian government to ask for her father-in-law's help in hopes of securing the release of her husband.
Badawi's father is one of his most outspoken opponents and has reportedly gone on TV to denounce his son's website.
Haidar said the suggestion to reach out to her father-in-law is "unbelievable" and claimed the federal government is "doing nothing for Raif."
"I'm still searching for words," she said. "It's not normal — I am angry."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/raif-badawi-wife-outraged-suggest...
I do not support corporal punishment.
However, if Liberal MP Omar Alghabra were being incarcerated and lashed instead of Raif Badawi, I might not find the time to sign a petition.
These are low-life scum.
And the fact he made the suggestion shows how actively engaged he is in doing anything to help get Badawi out, despite the claims about just trying to help.
And the fact he made the suggestion shows how actively engaged he is in doing anything to help get Badawi out, despite the claims about just trying to help.
That's actually the most important conclusion from his "helpful" intervention. I was just showing my anger.
And that anger is absolutely in order. If the best a government can do for its citizens is tell people to ask their in laws to take care of it what are they good for?
Guess they are more concerned with important stuff like selling weapons.
William Sampson also had choice words for Canada's efforts on his behalf.
Guess they are more concerned with important stuff like selling weapons.
If JT's government told the Saudis: "We're subtracting one light armoured vehicle from your $15 billion order, unless and until you free Raif Badawi", I would celebrate. But that could be bad for our economy, right? So I'm not ordering any champagne just yet.
Canada has never stood up for Canadians in trouble in the world the way the US or the UK does.
I remember hearing about this case, and went to the beginning of the thread to get caught up.
I found this comment from lagatta4 interesting
Keep up the pressure on the Saudi and the Harperite petro-regimes!
Now from what I have seen from the federal liberals, in regards to this case/Saudia Arabia/petro industry, I do not see any difference? Do the liberals now have a nick name such as "Harperites petro regime" that I'm not familiar with? If so please share it! If not, then why?
I'm not a Liberal and have never voted for them. If you knew anything about the left in Québec, you would never have said such an ignorant thing. Stop stalking me.
Stalking you? I took the time to read the comments in this thread and found your passion and cause for human rights very noble. However, being a person myself who has experience with liberals and conservative mp's helping and not helping me with actualy reuniting family members, I have a valid opinion. Not to mention the fact that you are on a public forum making comments, you should expect that some people may have some questions and or opposing views that they may want to express as well! From how I understand your reply, you are basically saying no comment with a sarcastic twist. Ok lagatta4 no problem, all the best and please keep up your well placed activism!
The problem is that the only relevant response to that would be rude and vulgar and perhaps get me banned.
Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi is outraged by a suggestion from the Canadian government to ask for her father-in-law's help in hopes of securing the release of her husband.
Badawi's father is one of his most outspoken opponents and has reportedly gone on TV to denounce his son's website.
Haidar said the suggestion to reach out to her father-in-law is "unbelievable" and claimed the federal government is "doing nothing for Raif."
"I'm still searching for words," she said. "It's not normal — I am angry."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/raif-badawi-wife-outraged-suggest...
This is a very poorly written article. Who is Badawi's father? How influential is he likely to be? I note that the third party interviewed said that it should be attempted as a "leave no stone unturned" move.
Regarding post #28, here is the government response to petition e-189 (Raif Badawi): http://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/ePetitions/Responses/421/e-189/421-0144...
The petition asked the following: "We, the undersigned, Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to confer on Raif Badawi the title of honorary citizen of Canada."
The government said no: "The primary goal of Canada in this matter is to ensure the release of Mr. Badawi, and conferring honorary citizenship may not be a productive step to wards that goal. Many countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, do not recognize dual citizenship, and conferring honorary citizenship on Mr. Badawi will not open any additional doors to advocate for his release."
I think that the point is that, whoever Badawi's father may or may not be, is that Saudi Arabia is a highly patriarchal society. That refers not only to women, but also to son's obeying fathers.
