Ed Corrigan an outspoken advocate for justice for Palestine and long time
Liberal has been rejected by the Liberal "Green Light Committee" as a
candidate for the riding of London Fanshaw. You will find below some
interesting background information on past efforts to expel or marginalize
people with pro-Palestinian views from the Liberal party. Ed was only given a vague explanation of the reason for not allowing him to run as a candidate, e.g, has made statements and holds views not in line with the policies of the Liberal Party.
If you feel comfortable with the information provided in this e-mail, please
take a few minutes to write an quick letter to Dion and the Liberal party.
Example:
Dear Mr. Dion:
It has come to my attention that the Liberal Party has denied Mr.Ed Corrigan the right to run for candidacy in the riding of London-Fanshaw. It is alleged that the reason for the denial of his candidacy is that he is an outspoken proponent for Palestinian rights and a just solution to the middle east conflict based on International Law. If the Liberal Party's position is contrary to this, then you will not be receiving my vote at the next election.
Dion.S@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: (613) 996-5789
Fax: (613) 996-6562
If e-mailing, please also copy:
marissen@burrardcommunications.com
ngirard@liberal.ca
mpoulin@liberal.ca
judi.longfield@lpco.ca
A PATTERN OF DENIAL?
I have distributed strong letters of support that I have received from
the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab Federation. I have
also recently received letters of support from the President of the
Canadian Arab Society, the President of the Canadian Palestinian
Association of London and letters of support from both Arab papers in
London. There are now about 30 letters of support have gone to Stephan
Dion and to the other senior members of the Liberal Party. Several M.P's
and former M.P's have made inquiries on my behalf. Thanks to those who
have written already . Many more letters of support are needed. Please
take a few moments and write a short letter to help ensure that the
Liberal Party remains open to those who support the Palestinians and who
dare to criticize Israel. Original letters are needed not form letters.
Please send me a copy to me and also copy the local London Liberal
Candidates so they are aware of your concern. There address are found below.
Thank you for assistance. We need a lot or emails and letters . Numbers count. The recent campaign to stop the amnesty being granted to the illegal immigrants in
the USA is an example where numbers and a strong activist campaign was successful. In the end it is up to you but there are important issues at
stake that are much bigger than Ed Corrigan and that are critical to
Canadian Palestinian, Arab and Muslim community and undoubtedly will
have an important impact on Canadian foreign policy and Liberal Party
policy on the Middle East.
No doubt all the Canadian political parties are watching how the
Canadian Arab and Muslim community and their friends respond to the
repeated attempt to keep pro-Palestinian activists out of the Federal
Liberal nomination process. There are a number of recent examples of
this campaign against pro-Palestinian activists. In 2005 Carolyn Parrish
the M.P. for Mississauga Erindale was targeted for defeat but after a
brutal contest narrowly won the nomination by only 47 votes. Parrish
then went on and won the riding by a wide margin. Elias Hazineh, then
President of Palestine House and one of the key architect's of Parrish's
victory, was later rejected as a Liberal Candidate after Carolyn Parrish
was kicked out of the Liberal caucus and then decided to run for a
position on Mississauga City Council and not run as an independent.
Carolyn was easily elected to Mississauga City Council.
Omar Alghabra, now the Liberal M.P. in Mississauga-Erindale, was
strongly opposed by the Liberal Party establishment and was not expected
to win the nomination race to replace Carilyn Parrish. He was at least
allowed to run. They had previously barred Elias Hazineh so the Party
could not appear to be blatantly anti-Arab and anti-Muslim and deny
Omar the right to run. They did their best to discourage him. Thanks to
the support he received from the Arab and Muslim community he won the
nomination contest and then easily won the riding. He was attacked by
Zionists and anti-Muslim elements during the general election. It is
perhaps the fact that Parrish and Omar Al-Ghabra won their nominations
that the supporters of Israel in the Liberal Party are now trying to
block pro-Palestinian and pro-Arab and Muslim supporters from even
running for nominations. The fact that there are 2,000 Arabs and Muslims
currently signed up in London-Fanshawe means that they are afraid that I
will win the nomination. If I had little or no chance to win they would
let me run and instead of blocking me they would just try to defeat me
in the nomination. It is clear that they are afraid of me and that I
would win.
Other candidates who have expressed pro-Palestinian views have been
discouraged from running as Liberal candidates in this election cycle.
Dr Farid Ayyad was strongly discouraged from running in the Mississauga
riding held by Muslim Wajid Khan who was elected as a Liberal but then
crossed the floor to join the Conservatives. Dr. Ayyad eventually
withdrew from the race. It was clear that he was not welcome in the
Liberal Party. He is a Dentist with a long history of community activism
and currently is the President of Palestine House in Mississauga. A
conservative candidate (first name I believe is Alan ) who was a lawyer
and non-Arab and non-Muslim but who had strong ties to the Arab and
Muslim community in Ottawa and who was sympathetic to the Palestinians
was rejected as a candidate by the Conservative Party before the 2006
election. The NDP at least has been open to letting Muslim and
Palestinians candidates run in seats where they are not likely to get
elected. Jim Kafieh a Christian Palestinian and past President of the
Canadian Arab Federation has ran twice for the provincial NDP. Monia
Mazigh, the wife of abductee Maher Arar, ran for the NDP in Ottawa in
2006 on a pro-human rights anti-security certificate platform.
I am most interested in hearing about similar attempts to block or
discourage Arab and Muslim candidates and those sympathetic to the
Palestinians and Arab and Muslim causes. Please send me information on
this subject and any articles published on this issue.Thanks for your
help on this special research project. The information for sending
emails is below.
Ed Corrigan
Please take a moment and write a letter supporting my candidacy or
supporting the view that the Liberal Party 'Green Light" me ASAP. If you
are associated with an organization and the organization agrees to
support me (as many have indicated that they will support me) please
write in the organizations name or list your title. If you cannot
officially use your title you can say organization listed only for
identification purposes. Please send a letter by mail or fax and also by
email to the Hon. Stéphane Dion Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
with copies to the national Co-Chairs Mark Marissen and Nancy Girard and
to the President of the Liberal Party of Canada party Senator Marie
Poulin. A copy should also be sent to Judi Longfield the Executive
Director of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario). All the emails are
listed below. It is very important that we show that I have a strong
support base and that we do this very quickly. Please send a copy of
your letter to me by email or fax or by posted letter. The following
also should be copies on any emails. I thank you in advance for your
support. It is important that we act quickly and with large numbers.
Ed Corrigan
Declared Federal Liberal Candidate for London Fanshawe
National Campaign Co-Chair Mark Marissen marissen@burrardcommunications.com
National Campaign Co-Chair Nancy Girard at ngirard@liberal.ca
Senator Marie Poulin President of the Liberal Party of Canada at
mpoulin@liberal.ca
Judi Longfield the Executive Director of the Liberal Party of Canada
(Ontario) at judi.longfield@lpco.ca
The email address for the local London Liberal Candidates are:
Susan Barnes London West
Barnes.S@parl.gc.ca
Glen Pearson London-North-Centre
Pearson.G@parl.gc.ca
Susan van Bommell (Elgin-Middlesex-London)
s.vanbommel@greenfieldethanol.com
Hon. Stéphane Dion
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 996-5789
Fax: (613) 996-6562
EMail:Dion.S@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:www.stephanedion.parl.gc.ca
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