Bush should not be welcomed in Canada or anywhere else

Press release-Communiqué de presse Canadian Muslim Forum (CMF-FMC)

Montreal Nov 22, 2004: The Canadian Muslim Forum (CMF-FMC) condemns the upcoming visit by US President George W. Bush to Canada. This visit comes at a time when people around the globe are expressing widespread and deep-seated dissatisfaction with the arrogant warmongers in the US Administration, and it makes Canada appear to be a partner in the daily killing of Iraqi people which is in violation of numerous international laws and conventions.

Dr. Bachar Elsolh, President of the Canadian Muslim Forum, stated that: “In many occasions in the past, Canadians stated clearly their refusal to participate with the US Administration in local and international policies that affect every single human on the globe."

"We reject the aggression and the so-called pre-emptive war on the Iraqi people, and we further reject the proposed US missile defense program. We also reject the illegal arrest and detaining of innocent people as well as all anti-democratic laws and actions being committed by the US government. Based on that, we outright reject Bush's visit to Canada,” he stated.

This position towards the US administration is based on facts and does not represent any disrespect towards the American people. It is unfortunate that we have to spend four more years with this arrogant administration as our neighbor, but being neighbors does not mean that we have to receive a war criminal on our land and give him a chance to address our respectful parliament and confer on him honours which he does not deserve.

We call upon Prime Minster Martin to respect  the wishes of Canadians and immediatly cancel this visit.  We would also like to remind Prime Minster Martin that electing any person does not make him a good neighbor and history has taught us that.

Mr. Martin, we also remind you of your speech in your September address to the U.N. General Assembly when you showed your strong opposition to war crimes. In our call to international action against war crimes, the rule must be, "One law for all."

We reiterate that welcoming Bush at this point in time, when under his command atrocities and mass killings are being applied on the innocents of Fallujah on a daily basis, will give a wrong impression of Canadian support for the massacres of innocent civilians.

Our Government and our media should be focusing on the massacres and the human tragedy which is currently taking place in Iraq, and not on the visit of a war-monger. In the event Bush's visit does take place we call upon all Canadians, including our respected members of Parliament and journalists, to boycott it.

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Media Contact;

President of the Canadian Muslim Forum Dr. Bachar Elsolh (514) 748-0251

V.P. Federal Relations, Mohamed. S. Kamel, Eng. (514) 863-9202