* VICTORY FOR MOURAD AND HIS FAMILY *

A small but energetic demonstration with Refugees Against Racial Profiling and No One Is Illegal and their supporters took place today at Citizenship and Immigration Canada to protest the deportation of Mouard Khinneche to Algeria. Mourad was facing deportation to a civil war in Algeria that has taken the lives of over 200,000 people. Mourad was devastated and fearful of leaving his home in Vancouver, his job and his wife who is a Canadian citizen.

Messages of support came today for Mourad from various community organizations and members of the Muslim community. Cabinet Minister Stephen Owen was cornered in his car as he was departing from an All-Candidates meeting and one Algerian man facing deportation challenged him “You are deporting us to Algeria because you think there are no problems there. I tell you to go to Algeria, even for one month and live there. Not in a hotel, without bodyguards, live there how we live, see people tortured, watch people die, and worry about family members disappeared, and then you can say that Algeria is safe for return”.

Later that evening, Mourad received a phone call saying that his deportation was postponed for “technical reasons” till June 22. Although hardly a major victory, the family as well as members of Refugees Against Racial Profiling certainly consider this their first ray of hope in their continuing struggle for life and dignity.