The Conservative Party ad features a photo of the MV Sun Sea which arrived off the shores of British Colombia in August last year with 491 Tamil refugees fleeing war and persecution from Sri Lanka-a country marred by allegations of human rights violations, the denial of fundamental civil liberties, and extrajudicial killings. It calls the Tamils aboard "criminals" who trying to abuse Canadian generosity.
"This election ad is xenophobic and borders on racism," said Krisna Saravanamuttu, NCCT spokesman. "It is reminiscent of the political rhetoric used to turn back Sikhs and Hindus on board the Kamagata Maru in 1914, and Jewish refugees on board the MS St. Louis fleeing persecution in 1939. In these cases, refugees fleeing persecution were labeled "criminals" and vilified by politicians appealing to the worst instincts of Canadians to score political points and votes."
"We are confident that Prime Minister Harper would not have approved this ad, if he had seen it," said Saravanamuttu. "We urge the Prime Minister to review the ad and do the right thing by removing it from his party's campaign website as well as the party's You Tube account and apologize for labeling refugees and immigrants as criminals."
The NCCT also calls on the leaders of Canada's major political parties, Conservative candidates, and human rights groups like the Canadian Jewish Congress, Bnai Brith, and Amnesty International to review the CPC ad and join with us in calling for its retraction. "This election should be about uniting Canadians, no matter our ethnicity and how we arrived in Canada," noted Saravanamuttu.
You can see the ad via a link through the links above. Sorry. Blogger is screwing up Youtube embeds as well these days.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteMy, my, my..
ReplyDeleteMr. Murphy.
Far be it from me to give hints to "the enemy" for how to better beat back the blue menace.
But I'll give you one anyway.
I venture a guess that MOST Canadians will be over-joyed that the National Counsel of Canadian Tamils is unhappy.
I would imagine that most Canadians who watched, with anger, the Sun Sea blithley ignoring Canadian law and cruising into Esquimalt will not have a whole lot of sympathy for the NCCT.
I would imagine that most immigrants who have endured long lines and perpetual beaurocratic examination to enter our country through proper channels will not lose sleep over the idea that the Conservatives wish to put the breaks on human smuggling of potential terrorists jumping ahead of them.
See.. this is the thing.
While this story may play loudly at Carleton University, it will actually buy votes in much of Toronto, and Montreal, and Winnipeg, and Calgary, and Vancouver.
Better to get back to wasteful spending on jails for "unreported crimes".
Just my .02 worth.
To clarify.
ReplyDeleteThe story will buy Conservative votes.
"The story will buy Conservative votes."
ReplyDeleteGood. While the big red tent is rather large, there is no room inside for bigoted xenophobes who would be swayed to vote Conservative on the backs of displaced people in need. Buh-bye.
Keep up the good work Omar.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have a Conservative majority yet :)
RG Harvie, as an Albertan and a Calgarian, I will never vote for a bunch of racists who have stained the name "Conservative".
ReplyDeleteRG
ReplyDeleteWe'll have a Conservative government yet?
Can you actually point out a real Conservative in the CPoC?
Nope we might get a majority for the party of "spend, spend, spend and don't worry about paying the bill." But a Conservative win? Not for while yet.
Lol. You'll take their votes but not admit you talk to them?
ReplyDeleteJust like Fowler said: Say and do anything to get into power.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete"...But recent legal and media investigations of Refugee Board decisions have uncovered judges who, despite evidence to the contrary, turn down virtually any asylum seeker who steps into their quasi-judicial courtrooms. Others have been found to be so opposed to admitting a single claimant that they grill refugees relentlessly until they are found (in their distressed confusion) to make a mistake in their testimony.
ReplyDeleteThe problem at the top is that the minister's bruising public language is inclined to bring out the worst of his judges..."
http://wmtc.blogspot.com/2011/03/must-read-jason-kenneys-toxic-legacy.html