Canada 'banned George Galloway for political reasons'

Published on Thursday 29 April 2010 00:36

THE Canadian government has been accused of falsely labelling Respect Party MP George Galloway a terrorist.

Lawyer Barbara Jackman claimed Mr Galloway was refused entry on national security grounds last year because politicians did not like his views on the war in Afghanistan.

The Canadian government said he provided money to the Palestinian group Hamas, which it considers to be a terrorist organisation.

During a court hearing aimed at forcing Canada to lift its ban on Mr Galloway, Ms Jackman told an Ontario federal court judge that he had merely provided humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza – something Canada has been involved in.

Ms Jackman said: "It's clear Canadian aid was going into Gaza, so it's all right for our government to do it, but not for Mr Galloway? If in fact Mr Galloway is a terrorist (for providing supplies to Gaza], then our prime minister is as well."

Mr Galloway was scheduled to embark on a four-city Canadian speaking tour in March 2009 before he was barred.

He was instead allowed into New York, where he addressed Canadian audiences via a video link.

Mr Galloway has called the ban outrageous, saying Canada should support freedom of speech. "Freedom to speak and freedom to hear are inseparable," Ms Jackman told the judicial review panel.

The lawyer argued that the government's decision to ban Mr Galloway had been politically motivated.

Mr Galloway was last year awarded an honorary Palestinian passport in a secret meeting with Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose office released a photograph of the two men embracing.