I am on record as stating that British MP George Galloway, as loathsome as he is, should be allowed into Canada. I don't think that the section dealing with inadmissibility in Canada's Immigration Act ought to apply to Galloway, but a reasonable case can be made that indeed it does.
That of course is the matter now before a federal judge:
Galloway was supposed to visit Canada on a four-city speaking tour in March 2009, but was told he was inadmissible on security grounds after publicly donating vehicles, medical supplies and $35,000 to Hamas while visiting Gaza weeks earlier following the Israeli military offensive.
Canada’s federal court is reviewing the ban.
Government lawyers argued that Kenney was not involved in the decision to ban Galloway, who they say under Canadian law must be considered a member of a terrorist organization because he provided financial and material support to Hamas, considered by Canada and several other countries to be a terrorist group.
“He intentionally chose to give that money and those goods to the elected government in Gaza,” said Marie-Louise Wcislo, a government immigration lawyer.
(...) Galloway, who denies supporting Hamas, has argued that his envoy mission was purely humanitarian and the only way he could support Palestinians in Gaza was by dealing with its elected government.
Galloway may deny supporting Hamas, but he is not being honest. Lawyer Barbara Jackman, representing the groups who wished to bring Galloway here, repeats some of these falsehoods, including the claim that Galloway was only bringing "aid" to the people of Gaza.
Well, yes some aid was delivered (though nowhere near the amount Galloway claimed.
However, there was a special delivery for the leader of Hamas (emphasis added):
But I, now, here, on behalf of myself, my sister Yvonne Ridley, and the two Respect councillors – Muhammad Ishtiaq and Naim Khan – are giving three cars and 25,000 pounds in cash to Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. Here is the money. This is not charity. This is politics. The government of Palestine is the best people where this money is needed. We are giving this money now to the government of Palestine. If I could, I would give them 10 times, 100 times more.
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