Dec 12, 2022
Toronto Star – Shree Paradkar
A four-year study has mapped out ‘The Canadian Islamophobia Industry’ – Report describes an ecosystem that comprises media outlets, Islamophobia influencers and more
“Wilfrid Laurier professor Jasmin Zine likens the four years she and a group of graduates spent investigating the networks of hate and bigotry that purvey Islamophobia to playing whack-a-mole.” This is an important string woven through many sources but leading to a discriminatory reporting about Islam in Canada. The four year study report is entitled “The Canadian Islamophobia Industry: Mapping Islamophobia’s ecosystem in the Great White North” and comes from The Ontario Tech University’s Center on Hate, Bias, and Extremism. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/2022/12/10/a-four-year-study-has-mapped-out-the-canadian-islamophobia-industry.html?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_email=98AB58CB32931589DF17CC2CAEEF2EE8&utm_campaign=frst_158206 Full report: (The most recent iteration of the frequently revised report is July 2022 and available to download as PDF) https://scholars.wlu.ca/soci_faculty/14/ The web site for the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism is: https://socialscienceandhumanities.ontariotechu.ca/centre-on-hate-bias-and-extremism/index.php (ED note: Both the Star article and the full report are significant pieces for uncovering extremism in Canada.)
CBC News – Darren Major
Justice committee pushes government to drop blanket publication bans for sexual assault cases – Advocates say automatic bans rob victims of ability to speak publicly about their experiences
Morrell Andrews is a sexual assault victim turned victim advocate who says that the usual publication ban of information around sexual assault without the consent of the victim leaves her without a public voice in denouncing the incident and perpetrator. “Andrews said she wanted the freedom to speak publicly about her experience. But doing so and breaking the publication ban would have meant facing criminal charges — with a potential maximum sentence of up to two years in jail and a $5,000 fine… They said this ban was in my best interest but I felt trapped,” she told the MPs.” The justice report also is updating other elements such as the right of victims to access victim services by the Harper government. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justice-committee-publication-ban-changes-1.6680553
Globe and Mail – Gus Carlson
Not just inflation: Shoplifting and soft-on-crime policies in the U.S. push prices up, too
The view contained in this special from a US columnist arbitrarily links the shoplifting reality with a number of consequences not in evidence – shop keepers, to say nothing of big retail, have always protected themselves from the consequences by a price factor inserted in the cost of an item. The article seems willing though to concede that the purpose of law is to protect big business from property crime more than resolving how to keep safe and secure all the people. For those who may say it is both, one may invoke the reality of the poor under the law. This article needs a rebuttal given that it appears in our national press, albeit under the Business banner. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-shoplifting-inflation-prices/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Related Tweet from Alex Karakatsanis On Chicago police public affairs officers “THREAD. On the day Chicago police murdered Laquan McDonald, the cops had 6 full-time public relations employees. As cops fought to keep the child’s murder secret, Chicago quickly increased police budget to 25 full-time public relations positions. Today, Chicago cops have 48.” https://twitter.com/equalityAlec
A Press Progress Podcast: (Canada)
Police across Canada are investing in “copaganda” reports that criticize the social safety net – Exploring how cops are investing in public relations to expand their budgets, with Edmonton Councillor Michael Janz https://pressprogress.ca/police-across-canada-are-investing-in-copaganda-reports-that-criticize-the-social-safety-net/
The Visiting Room Project (@VisitingRoomPr) (US): ON LWOP
As of 2020, nearly 56,000 people are serving LWOP in the United States. https://t.co/tKbtjmc330
https://twitter.com/VisitingRoomPr/status/1601017066685108224?t=fX39zC3CybbRa65c1ePo7g&s=03
Critical Criminology (@critcrim) tweet (Vancouver) On defunding police: “Cop goes out and makes the argument for why policing should be defunded and proper community resources and services built up instead. There very well could, and should, be someone else to call that isn’t an armed force of violence. #vpd #vanpoli”
(https://twitter.com/critcrim/status/1601770464074149888?t=Yc7ztbpbYTHxe8mgLSeYjA&s=03
Homicide in Canada, 2021 – Jean-Denis David and Brianna Jaffray, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics “In 2021, police services from across Canada reported 788 homicides, 29 more than in 2020. This most recent rise represented the third consecutive increase since 2019…The national homicide rate increased by 3% to 2.06 homicides per 100,000 population, the highest rate since 2005… This overall increase in the number of homicides in Canada from 2020 was associated mainly with increases in Ontario (277 homicides; +37) and British Columbia (125 homicides; +25).” https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2022001/article/00015-eng.htm Related article: CBC News – Nicholas Frew 3 of every 4 Sask. homicide victims in 2021 were Indigenous Experts say Indigenous deaths tied to lasting impacts of colonialism, poverty https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/saskatchewan-homicides-indigenous-data-crime-police-1.6677278
NY Times (US) – Tim Arango
In a Fight for Space, a Library and a Police Station Face Off – In a community known for cross-country glory, the library is a vital resource for families who eke out a living in the fields. But city leaders want their crowded police force to move in.
This article pits the need of police against the needs of the community and highlights the sharp edge of the issues around what constitutes public safety. “The starkness of the choice facing McFarland — library or police station — reflects a growing debate in communities across the country over how much to spend on law enforcement in a post-George Floyd America, versus what to devote to other public needs, especially those serving disadvantaged groups.” https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/us/mcfarland-calif-library-police-station.html?campaign_id=61&emc=edit_ts_20221212&instance_id=79988&nl=the-great-read®i_id=109384185&segment_id=115765&te=1&user_id=404caadef7eb839fc77b1b04f0c251e1