Police Shooting in Montreal leads to Protests and Rebellions

[XXPANTHAXX]

Montreal Perspectives
By Jalaluddin S. Hussain

Police Shooting in Montreal leads to Protests and Riots+ Algerian Abdelkader Belaouni, an Extraordinary Immigrant

Yet another defeat for "mighty and invincible" (really a myth!) Israel, in Georgia. The whole world knows that the Georgian army was heavily trained by the Zionists and the Americans. The Russian bear has badly mauled the Western-trained Georgian army!

Georgia took the initiative of provoking the Russians in South Ossetia. Now the Georgian President Saakashvili is licking his wounds. How ironical!, At one time a Georgian son, by the name of Joseph Stalin, once the all-powerful dictator of Soviet Union, was thinking of brinigning about an international communist revolution and today the Russian bear himself is dancing very near the capital Tiblisi and no Georgian army personnel dare to come even near him! I hope against hope that as the Zionists were defeated in Lebanon, Gaza Strip and Georgia, the Americans will also be humiliated in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The important question is, can a Black President Obama decide that enough is enough and call quits in both the theatres of war, in which thousands of innocent civilians have already been killed, on the altar of the only super-power's ego and strategic interests.

On Saturday August 9, 2008, Fredy Villaneuva age 18, was killed by police with three bullets, in the Montreal North. The family members of Fredy are still asking: Was it necessary? He was a young boy who did not even start his life. The shooting sparked a riot in which many properties and vehicles were set on fire. It is hoped that the details from a provincial police investigation, underway, will come up with the solutions, so that such racially-motivated shootings do not take place again, in future. It is a promising sign that as a result of this tragedy a community collective group by the name of Solidarity Montreal North, has been formed comprising of 22 local organizations, including youth groups, health and social service agences and local police officers. The mission of this collective group is to remind people of the existing social services available in Montreal and also to urge the residents of Montreal North, to rise above the neighbourhood's image which has been tarnished by reports of troubled youth, gangs and crime.

The Montreal tabloid, Journal de Montreal, has recently over-emphasised this image by calling the Montreal North as "Bronx of New York"! Perhaps, this tabloid has gone too far in comaprison. Why not this newspaper frankly admit that poverty, unemplyment and racial discrimination were also are some of the reasons for August 09, social chaos and riot?

The Algerian Abdelkader Belaouni, an enthusiastic community worker, but one who has not been granted a regular immigrant status so far, has been cloistered in St. Gabriel's Church, in the Point St. Charles region of Montreal, since January 2006. Kader's journey to this haven was a long and difficult one, which in fact began when he fled Algeria's brutal civil war almost twelve years ago. As a blind man suffering from diabetes, this young-at-heart 37- year-old has somehow managed to strike roots in this poverty-stricken run-down community of Point St. Charles. Although, he has applied for permanent resident status in Canada, he has been refused on the flimsy grounds that he is not married and has no job! The Canadian immigration authorities have not taken into consideration the fact that Kader has a strong network of friends and supporters and that he has been refused employment only because he was blind! More information about Kader can be had by going to www.soutienpourkader.net.

On August 9 and 10, a support group for Kader, called "Artists for Kader", organized a mural project. More than 50 supporters of Kader got together on the grounds of this Church, to participate in in various workshops and mural paintings. The participants were entertained to live music while the tiny tots were kept busy in kids' activities.

The green 8-page brochure says it all. It starts with an impressive quotation: "I don't know much about States and borders . All I know is that world is round and that unlike trees which have roots, people have feet for walking". This quote clearly explains the "No One Is Illegal": philosophy of a local organization, which supports Kader, besides many other community,collective and actvists' organizations, of this city. A bilingual poem on page 2 of this brochure entitled, "I do not agree/je ne suis pas d'accord", authored by Kader himself, very well sums up his inner state of mind.

Under the heading, "Artists for Kader", the background for the Mural Project is explained as follows. The mural is being created to support Kader as someone whose story is representative of migration in the 21st. century, who has struggled against dehumanising bureaucracy to be treated with dignity and respect". Kader has inspired a broad network of support and resistance. He has refused to be crushed by two and a half years of imprisonment. It is remarkable that he has gone through deportation-defiance struggle as an artist himself. Besides being a sensitive and passionalte poet, Kader conducts a regular monthly program for the local FM radio-CKUT.