Help Me Pursue My Complaint vs CSIS
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On or about January 30, 2013, two CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) agents paid an unannounced visit to me at my front door. They said that they knew I had made a visit to Iran (to attend a conference on Palestine) and that I had written about it in an opinion piece for the Hamilton Spectator. They wanted to talk to me about my views about Iran and what connection I had to government of Iran.
I was truly unsettled and frightened by the visit but had the presence of mind to recall the advice not to talk to CSIS but rather to politely request the agents' business cards and then close the door.
Upon reflection and consultation with family members and colleagues, it became clear to me that the visit was a form of intimidation whose underlying message was: "We know what you are doing and we are watching you." You see, my opinion piece was written to counter the claim by Prime Minister Harper that Iran was the most dangerous country in the world. At that time, the State of Israel was threatening to bomb Iran while Stephen Harper pledged Canada's "unconditional support" to Israel. In my opinion piece, I had pointed out that Iran had not initiated a war on any country in almost three centuries, whereas the USA and Israel were starting new wars of agression on almost a yearly basis.
The appearance of security police on my doorstep, as I see it, was part of a broad program of the Harper government to put a chill on dissent. I have since learned that many social, political, environmental, and anti-war activists have been paid similar visits by CSIS - in violation of the mandate of CSIS to NOT interfere with legitimate and lawful dissent. With the introduction of Bill C-51, I now fear that the Harper government is moving beyond putting a chill on dissent, through the misuse of CSIS, to the point of criminalizing dissent, by giving itself the power to label virtual any form of dissent as "terrorism."
Upon the advice of a member of parliament and my colleagues in the antiwar movement, I decided to file a complaint against CSIS with the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) of Parliament, which is the woefully inadequate civilian review panel of government for CSIS.
To my good fortune, lawyer Bijon Roy of the law firm of Champ & Associates in Ottawa (www.champlaw.ca), heard about my complaint and offered to represent me. However, there are costs associated with bringing my case forward, including printing documents and my own trip to Ottawa on March 25-27, 2015, to appear at the SIRC hearing, which is held behind closed doors.
As a senior on a partial teaching pension, I am asking for contributions, however small to cover our expenses and my stay in Ottawa.
As an act of solidarity to rollback the Harper agenda of criminalizing dissent in Canada, I ask for your help.
I was truly unsettled and frightened by the visit but had the presence of mind to recall the advice not to talk to CSIS but rather to politely request the agents' business cards and then close the door.
Upon reflection and consultation with family members and colleagues, it became clear to me that the visit was a form of intimidation whose underlying message was: "We know what you are doing and we are watching you." You see, my opinion piece was written to counter the claim by Prime Minister Harper that Iran was the most dangerous country in the world. At that time, the State of Israel was threatening to bomb Iran while Stephen Harper pledged Canada's "unconditional support" to Israel. In my opinion piece, I had pointed out that Iran had not initiated a war on any country in almost three centuries, whereas the USA and Israel were starting new wars of agression on almost a yearly basis.
The appearance of security police on my doorstep, as I see it, was part of a broad program of the Harper government to put a chill on dissent. I have since learned that many social, political, environmental, and anti-war activists have been paid similar visits by CSIS - in violation of the mandate of CSIS to NOT interfere with legitimate and lawful dissent. With the introduction of Bill C-51, I now fear that the Harper government is moving beyond putting a chill on dissent, through the misuse of CSIS, to the point of criminalizing dissent, by giving itself the power to label virtual any form of dissent as "terrorism."
Upon the advice of a member of parliament and my colleagues in the antiwar movement, I decided to file a complaint against CSIS with the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) of Parliament, which is the woefully inadequate civilian review panel of government for CSIS.
To my good fortune, lawyer Bijon Roy of the law firm of Champ & Associates in Ottawa (www.champlaw.ca), heard about my complaint and offered to represent me. However, there are costs associated with bringing my case forward, including printing documents and my own trip to Ottawa on March 25-27, 2015, to appear at the SIRC hearing, which is held behind closed doors.
As a senior on a partial teaching pension, I am asking for contributions, however small to cover our expenses and my stay in Ottawa.
As an act of solidarity to rollback the Harper agenda of criminalizing dissent in Canada, I ask for your help.
Organizer
Ken Stone
Organizer
Hamilton, ON