#bashir mohamed

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Edmonton Conservative MP Kerry Diotte threatens defamation action against young people who criticized him on Twitter

Mr. Mohamed addressed Mr. Diotte directly in one of his tweets yesterday afternoon: “I am disappointed that you would choose the legal route rather than addressing your own tweets,” he said. “Nevertheless, I am ready to walk this path with you. You know how to get in touch with my lawyer.”

Edmonton Griesbach MP Kerry Diotte has threatened a young writer and former constituent with a defamation lawsuit for tweeting critical comments about his appearance in photos with Faith Goldy, an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Toronto who is widely viewed as a white nationalist.

Bashir Mohamed, 23, who has written for the Globe and Mail and blogs at BashirMohamed.com, posted copies of the letter from Mr. Diotte’s lawyer and his lawyer’s response on Twitter Thursday.

The Nov. 5 letter from Arthur Hamilton, a prominent lawyer long associated with the Conservative Party of Canada, calls statements made on Twitter by Mr. Mohamed “inflammatory and untrue” and says “Mr. Diotte requires an immediate retraction of this tweet, and any similar statements which you have published or broadcast.”

“In the absence of your immediate action to remedy this circumstance, and effect a full retraction on or before 5:00 p.m. MST, Wednesday November 7, 2018, Mr. Diotte will initiate proceedings without notice to you.”

“Govern yourself accordingly,” the letter concluded.

Three other young people from Edmonton who retweeted or commented on Mr. Mohamed’s original tweet have reported receiving similar letters from Mr. Diotte’s legal counsel, Mr. Mohamed said.

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[allthecanadianpolitics]

Calgary’s unknown civ­il rights champion by Bashir Mohamed

Charles Daniels refused to give up his seat.

The Sprawl is Calgary pop-up journalism—a crowdfunded, ad-free, made-in-Calgary model. Join the 450+ monthly patrons who support The Sprawl so we can keep unearthing stories like this one.

“We Want No Dark Spots in Alberta.”

“Petition Protesting Negro Immigration Numerously Signed.”

“NEGRO INVASION.”

These are just a few of the headlines that accompanied the first major wave of Black settlers to Alberta in early 1900s. This wave, mostly farmers from the United States, came to Alberta due to advertisements that encouraged immigrants to settle here.

However, the province wasn’t expecting Black people. So politicians from all levels of government rallied to oppose Black immigration. Edmonton’s city council, for example, passed a resolution calling for the limitation of Black settlers. Anti-Black efforts like these were successful and ultimately led the federal government to effectively ban Black immigration.

Conditions for Black Albertans were extremely difficult. Segregation was common, with Black people being rejected from bars, swimming pools, theatres, and even hospitals. Despite this, Black Albertans persevered and fought against this racial discrimination.

This is a story of one of those Black Albertans. A Calgarian who fought against racial discrimination in the city’s theatre scene 50 years after the end of slavery and 50 years before the March on Washington.

His name is Charles Daniels and it’s time his story was widely known.

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[allthecanadianpolitics]

ted king: a civil rights hero

This is the story of Ted King, the Alberta Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, and a civil rights case that challenged segregation in Alberta.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, The Black Panthers, the NAACP.

These groups often come to mind when we think of civil rights organizations. Yet, we often forget about similar organizations and the important work they did in Alberta and across Canada. Organizations like the Coloured Protective Associations, Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters, Coloured Canadian Industrial Association and the AAACP - Alberta Association for the Advancement of Coloured People.

These are organizations that contributed to our civil rights history and fought for the rights of Black Canadians. However, their history is often hidden with their contributions unknown by the general public.

This is the story of one of those organizations and their fight for racial justice. This is the story of Ted King, the Alberta Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, and a civil rights case that challenged segregation in Alberta.

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[allthecanadianpolitics]

'Not just in the US': amateur historian highlights Canada's forgotten racism

Archives shed light on incidents of racial discrimination and the country’s civil rights pioneers

An amateur historian in Canada has highlighted a forgotten story of racial injustice, and one of the country’s earliest segregation lawsuits, in hopes of bringing recognition to civil rights pioneers.

In 1914, Charles Daniels bought a pair of tickets to see King Lear at Calgary’s Sherman Grand Theatre, but when he attempted to take his orchestra-level seat, he was told by ushers to move up to the balcony level, where other black patrons were seated.

Theatre staff told Daniels that his presence made the white patrons uncomfortable. Daniels protested – refused offers of a refund, and left.

“The fact that this happened in 1914, in Calgary, Alberta, blew my mind. It broke the whole narrative that these kind of things only happen in the United States,” said Bashir Mohamed, a civil servant who has been scouring the provincial archives in Edmonton for the last two years, and wrote about Daniels’s case in an essay for the Sprawl, a Calgary journalism site.

Daniels’s story has re-emerged amid a belated recognition across Canada of past injustices that have been largely absent from the national conversation on race.

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[takingonthegiantblog]

17 yr-old is arrested trying to debate Cabinet Minister

Seventeen year-old Bashir Mohamed, himself a Kenyan refugee, is upset with restrictive health policies a Canadian Cabinet official is imposing on refugees in that country. That cabinet minister, Jason Kenney, has made headlines recently for calling a Canadian Deputy Premier an A—hole as well as staging a fake swearing-in ceremony on TV.  Since Bashir couldn’t get the minister to talk with him, he put on a shirt and tie, paid forty dollars to go to the ministers fund raising BBQ. When Bashir tried to debate the minister, he was hauled out of the meeting and arrested. According to Bashir, when he introduced himself by saying, “Hello, I’m Bashir Mohamed and I am a refugee,” the minister said, “Well, that’s great for you,” and turned his back.

Read more on our website

[pardenarden]