Iranian dissidents barred from Canada

[CHIMO]

Ottawa refused to admit to Canada two leading Iranian dissidents who were invited to a York University conference that attracted scholars and activists from around the world.

Saeed Rahnema, the York professor of political science who was one of the organizers, said today that the 35 experts at the conference last weekend have written a letter of protest to Ottawa and the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, as has the university.

"This is ironic at a time when Canada is involved in Afghanistan fighting fundamentalism that the government denies people visas to discuss secularism versus fundamentalism in Islam," said Rahnema.

"Our obligation for these events is to help where we can but ensure the system is not abused," CIC spokesperson Danielle Norris said in an email response. "A number of factors are considered by visa officers prior to issuing a visa. These factors include the person's ties to the home country, the purpose of the visit, the person's family and economic situation, the overall economic and political stability of the home country, and invitations from Canadian hosts."

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/630697#

[gula]

1. Words fail me

We send our soldiers to be killed by Islamists yet we refuse entry to our country to Moslem's fighting those same islamists.

[Posteritatis]

2. "None is too many," version 2.0

Disgusting comments in the article, too. Ugh. Canada's always been a fairly xenophobic country, but it's gotten pretty bad recently.