Welcome to GroundWire's latest edition of national news from a grassroots perspective. This is the fourth bi-weekly edition of GroundWire - community news from coast-to-coast-to-coast, produced by UMFM in Winnipeg.

In this edition of GroundWire:

Headlines:

- Winnipeg worried over Privatized Water| Michael Elves UMFM

- Defining Sexual Assault in Winnipeg| Michael Elves UMFM

Features

- Mohammad Mahjoub's Hunger Strike at Kingston Penitentiary | Usman Mushtaq CFRC

- Olympic Update: Charter Battles for Women Ski Jumpers | Sam Kriviak CJSR

-- Simon Fraser University Funding Micro-managed by Government| Nina Halliday-Thompson CJSF

In the West Bank, villagers from [bill-eye-yeen] are living in fear, unable to sleep or work or carry on with normal life. Activists and community members claim Israeli Defense Forces are raiding their village daily.

The Palestinian village is renowned for its weekly non-violent demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier and most recently gained international attention for suing two Quebec based companies for committing war crimes.

Villagers believe the increased tactics are linked with the lawsuit.

[Sirens, jeeps driving by...]

Army green Jeeps roll into the village of Bill-eye-yeen under the cover of darkness. Sirens blare as teams of fully armed soldiers strategically break down doors and wake people out of their beds.

Life is anything but normal says Mohammed Khatib.

"All of the people are afraid to sleep... "

The nightly raids are more than just collective punishment. Israeli forces have arrested more than a dozen youth between the ages of 15 and 18 and even an American activist. Many of the charges are linked with their participation in the demonstrations, and home for these youth, even one that is constantly being disturbed, is likely to be a long way off.

"Yes, they are arresting...

Eye-witness accounts captured in video of the raids and demonstrations is being updated daily on Youtube including a report filed by a FOX News reporter who was tear gassed during a demonstration.

A Montreal family is living apart right now after immigration Canada separated Sabir and Seema Sheikh [shake] from their four children.

Around noon on July 10th, authorities showed up at the family's home and took the parents, who were still in their slippers, into custody. They have since been deported to the United States where it is feared they will eventually be sent back to Pakistan.

In the wake of his family's devastating split I talked with twenty one year old Sami Sheikh about adjusting to life as the new head of the household.

"What... [:54]

While they struggle to cope with life for the present, the danger in Pakistan is very real as the family is targeted for both political and personal reasons.

"Threats... [:31]

Community support for the family has been extremely vocal in the days following the event. Justin Trudeau, Member of Parliament for the Papineau riding where the [Shakes] live has been outspoken, saying in a letter to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, that deportation will be devastating to the family's future.

For now the parents have been taken in by a refugee support group in New York City. The future of the children remains unknown as a decision on their status has only been stayed.

A new all-women pharmacy is open for business in Vancouver's Downtown East Side. CJSF spoke to Karen Duncan, executive director of the project.

[Transcript coming]

The City of Toronto's inside and outside workers are entering their third week of strike action and are not willing to give in. Civic employees union Local 416 and Canadian Union of public Employees Local 79 represent 30,000 workers in the city of Toronto ranging in services from garbage collection to parks and recreation to daycare.

They have been on strike since June 22, demanding that they receive fair and equitable wage increases similar to other employees of the city and also that they not be forced to give in to concessions. I spoke with Mark Ferguson, president of civic union employees union Local 416

"Certainly the city of Toronto came into this round of bargaining looking to strip the rights of our members and essentially rewrite our collective agreement. This strike is a strike that was brought on by the city of Toronto and the unreasonable demand for concessions. We are in fact playing a defensive role in this strike and did not come to the table with unreasonable demands. We came to the table seeking to be treated fairly and not to participate in a race to the bottom. "

The recent economic recession has seen an increase in strike action from workers across the country, as it is workers who ultimately must make sacrifices to survive in hard times. Though many workers, union activists, academics and see the economic recession as an excuse to mistreat and tighten control on the working class.

"We understand better than most the financial plight of the city of Toronto. We think that it is a falsity- that they are using the recession as an excuse to gain concessions from the unions. We understand that the problem with the finances of the city of Toronto is largely a structural problem, a problem that was created by the former provincial government that cut necessary funding to important city services."

Groundwire contacted the city of Toronto but they refused to speak with us. For Groundwire this is Omme Selma Rahemtullah.

National news from a grassroots perspective.

This is the third bi-weekly edition of GroundWire - community news from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

Produced by CKUT in Montreal. Hosted by Chris Albinati

In this edition of GroundWire:

- Racism in Halifax | David Parker CKDU

- Childcare in Ontario | Jacky Tuinstra Harrison CHRY

- Stampede Cruelty | Nathan Taylor CJSW

- Toronto Strike | Omme Rahumtellah CHRY

- Sami Sheikh | Chris Albinati CKUT

- All-Women's Pharmacy | CJSF

- Bil'in Raids | Chris Albinati CKUT

A federal judge ruling last week states that CSIS must disclose key evidence in the case of Mohamed Harkat.

By: Tariq Jeeroburkhan| CKUT| Montréal

The credibility of the spy agency CSIS took another major hit this week when a federal court of Canada judge suggested officials may have lied and intentionally concealed vital information for years in a case targeting alleged terrorism suspect Mohamed Harkat. The federal judge also ordered the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to give the name of a key source in the Harkat case, and an uncensored file on Mr. Harkat, to special advocates charged with safeguarding his interest. The judge said in his ruling that the information disclosed, "raises questions in relation to possible deliberate misinformation by CSIS witnesses called to testify."

The judge then went on to list five occasions where CISS officials would have been expected to provide the court or the special advocate with the information about the reliability of the sources, but did not.

Justice Simon Noël also scolded the government for not providing the information much earlier. He stressed that any government figure who had shown even the slightest disregard for fair process must be held to account.

A lawyer for Mr. Harkat said "The reputation of a national service like CSIS requires constant care and attention. That reputation has been lost."

Mr.Harkat's lawyer than asked " If they let us down once, how can we trust them on the rest?"

CKUT is producing the July 17th edition of GroundWire and is seeking your submissions! GROUNDWIRE is a bi-weekly 29-minute news radio program featuring headlines, reports and features from the community radio sector in Canada.

GroundWire is produced by members of the Community News Network and aired on campus and community radio stations across Canada, and is also distributed online through the NCRA and other independent media sites.

PITCHES DUE at 5pm FRIDAY, July 10th. FINISHED PRODUCTIONS DUE Noon TUESDAY, July 14th.

Email all pitches and submissions to news@ckut.ca. Please ensure you include the words "GROUNDWIRE PITCH/SUBMISSION"

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Abdelrazik returns to Montreal By David Koch

Canadian citizen Abousfian Abdelrazik returned home to Canada on Saturday. Over the past six years, he was repeatedly arrested by the Sudanese, who allegedly tortured him with the complicity of Canada. He was also labelled a terrorist by the United States and the UN Security Council.

A crowd of about 80 supporters and journalists met Abdelrazik at about 1 AM on Saturday night as he arrived in Montreal

Many carried signs reading "Welcome Home".

The exhausted 47-year old man grinned as he stood alongside his step-sister and his son.

He spoke briefly to the jubilant crowd, saying that he was "very happy" to see his family and his city.

The Canadian government prevented Abdelrazik from travelling back to Canada beacuse his name appeared on a United Nations terrorist blacklist, based on supposed links to the Al Qaida.

Adbelrazik's lawyers say that his name appeared on the list after Sudanese officials tortured him.

His lawyers have also obtained official Canadian documents suggesting that he was tortured with the complicity of the Canadian Security intelligence Service, or CSIS.

His name remains on the blacklist, which means that his assets are frozen. This also makes it a federal offense for anyone to provide him with financial assitance.

But Canadian police and intelligence officials have stated that there is no evidence against Adbelrazik.

Sudanese officials have also declared him innocent.

In early June a federal court ordered the government to allow Abdelrazik passage to Canada.

The court said that the government had breached his constitutional right to mobility by refusing to grant him the travel documents needed to board a plane to Canada.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday night, Abdelrazik's lawyer Yavar Hameed said that the work of grassroots human rights activists was:

"an integral part of this victory, both in the court decision, a pivotal moment in terms of buying a ticket, in terms of creating a solidarity fund, in terms of just letting the politicians and the judiciary know that there was a lot of public support behind this case."

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots independent journalism from the campus community radio sector of Canada. This is the second bi-weekly edition of GroundWire, thanks to a grant from the Community Radio Fund.

Would you like to be added to the GroundWire mailing list? You can sign up online at groundwire.ncra.ca in the right hand column, or send an email to groundwireprod@gmail.com Would you like to produce GroundWire? Producing Stations are now eligible for a $300 producing honorarium.

We are also looking for contributions for our next edition. Interested in participating? email groundwireprod@gmail.com to find out how.

Presenting the June 27, 2009 Headlinse: With Narration from the Women's News Collective at CHRY 105.5FM

- Abousfian Abdelrazik Returns to Canada | David Koch (CKUT)

-Adil Charkaoui's Cross Canada Tour | David Parker (CKDU)

- CSIS Security Certificate Update and the Case of Mohamed Harkat | Tariq Jeeroburkhan from CKUT

- Toronto City Workers' Strike | Candace Mooers (CHRY)

-Ontario Labour Actions Increase: Omme Rahemtullah (CHRY)

-Canadian Companies Sued by Palestinian Community of Bil'in: Libby Drew (CHSR) and Chris Albinati (CKUT)

Presenting the June 27, 2009 Features:

The National Community Radio Conference in Montreal: A Year in Community Radio. CHRY's Jacky Tuinstra Harrison talks with volunteers, speakers and organizers about the future of community radio in Canada and the spirit of volunteerism at this year's annual conference.

On Friday, June 19th, the National Association of Friendship Centres hosted a forum on Urban First Nations issues in Ottawa, with three candidates for the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations: Shawn Atleo, John Beaucage and Perry Bellegarde. Lisa Abel CHUO With threats to form a Caledonia militia aimed against Aboriginal activists, Jesse Zimmerman of CHRY brings us voices from a counter-protest, re-asserting territorial rights for six nations indigenous peoples. The June 27, 2009 edition of GroundWire was produced by CHRY 105.5FM in Toronto

For more information:

groundwire@ncra.ca

groundwire.ncra.ca