Mission in Afghanistan is "doomed" and a "waste," says George Galloway
Posted: Nov 23rd, 2010
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Former British M.P. George Galloway
A capacity crowd of over 1000 people filled St. Andrew's-Wesley church last night as former British M.P George Galloway berated the Canadian government for barring his entry into Canada and for Canadian policies in the Middle East. A half a dozen protesters opposing his views stood outside in the cold.
The widely advertised speech organized by local antiwar activists in the StopWar organization had seen various local endorsers drop out at the last moment citing concerns about Galloway's "controversial" nature. Included were members of the provincial NDP and the Suzuki Foundation. Galloway addressed this accusation head on, claiming that what might be considered controversial about his views in Canada concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict or the war in Afghanistan were views held by many around the world.
Galloway, who was kicked out of Tony Blair's ruling Labour Party caucus over his opposition to the invasion of Iraq, was barred from Canada over a year ago by Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. Galloway subsequently had Kenney's decision overturned in the Canadian courts and is now taking further legal action against Kenney for defamation. In the initial decision Kenney's office had described Galloway as a supporter of Hamas. Hamas, the elected government of Gaza, has been declared a terrorist organization by the Canadian government.
Galloway noted that when he was banned from entering Canada he had been on a speaking tour across the United States. Calling his exclusion undemocratic and an affront to the freedom of speech of Canadians, Galloway firmly denied the charge that he is in league with Hamas, claiming instead that he supports the people of Palestine to choose their own government. Hamas was elected in Gaza in what former U.S President Jimmy Carter called a "pristine" election. "I'm not a supporter of Hamas, I'm a supporter of democracy." Galloway noted that it was high time for Canadians "to learn to shake themselves out of the belief that we have the right to tell other people how to live." Galloway also firmly denied that he has any anti-Semitic leanings, noting in his talk that he had actively worked with Jews and Jewish organiztions over the years on a variety of projects.
Galloway linked Canada's mission in Afganistan to the failure of American policies in the Middle East generally. Calling the mission doomed, and a waste of the lives of Canadian soldiers and Afghan civilians, Galloway described it as being like the "Alamo, the last bastion of George Bush's neocon madness." Galloway stated that "there is no future for us in that", noting that the U.S invasion of Iraq and the ongoing NATO involvment in Afghanistan were the best possible recruiting tools for Muslim extremists.
Galloway spoke for over an hour without notes and was frequently interrupted by applause from an enthusiastic audience. He ended with a quote from Che Guevara and asked the audience to "be troubled and [show] indignation against the crimes being commited against the people of Palestine."
(3) Comments
Chris Shaw
Chris Shaw is the author of Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympics Games and a professor at UBC.
As One who has followed the fortunes of GG since 1982 when he twined his native hometown of Dundee with Nablus .. and raised the Palestinian flag over Dundee a a time when the Palestinian flag was banned in its own country ... I welcome this positive report from the Vancouver Observer.
It is a sad day in Canada if a leading statesman of the UK is banned from entering Canada because his heart and words do not conform to the policy of the present government...Kenny and Harpers attempt to prevent an Alternative view to their own Zionist Worshiping policy being heard has crumbled only by the efforts of George Galloway himself.
"Zionism" is a 'Political Ideology that is one of the most racist on earth and it is centainly unbecoming of Canada to follow it far less to actively support it.
The belief that.. 'God Gave' the Olive grove the house, the land... indeed the country of Palestine to me.. therefore it is mine.... is indeed bizarre and if Canadians believed it ... they may best start by giving Canada back to its Native Inhabitants
It may be that you do not agree with George Galloway... but at least you should be allowed to hear his views, or are Canadians too fragile to be allowed to hear another side to the story of "Zionism."
A sane man exposing the duplicity, disinformation and other lies that our press constantly inundates us with regarding world affairs - as it did all during the last disastrous century. Humanity is mortally sick, but we have to thank mutants like Mr. Galloway for trying to make us well.
This is a very fair and well-written report in the VO. Galloway is a shining beacon of courage and integrity among an otherwise appalling group of people, elected politicians.
He very effectively dealt with the crass accusations against him that are nothing more than an attempt to discredit him. As he pointed out, he has ALWAYS opposed Hamas, and said that if he were Palestinian he would not even vote for them.
Likewise, any suggestion he is anti Jew is nonsense. You might as well say that because someone does not like heavy snowfalls they are anti water. He worked with Jewish activists in South Africa against the Apartheid state, he gives brave Jews credit at every turn, including Mordechai Vanunu who blew the whistle on Israel's secret and criminal nuclear arms program.
George Galloway does not get the credit he deserves. How many people actually take a strong position on such acutely sensitive issues? What does he have to gain - nothing, and he has everything to lose. There are precious few people in public life that I massively admire - he is one of them.