Standing up to the War on Terror

FORUM: Standing up to the War on Terror

Wednesday October 26 6pm

Carslaw Building Room 175 Sydney University

Organised by Sydney Uni Peace Group

• Professor Ahmad Shboul - Arab and Islamic Studies Sydney University
• Micheal Thompson - National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU)
• Speakers from National Association of Community Legal Centres and Students Against War

Proposed 'anti-terrorism' legislation is being widely condemned as a further step towards a police state. ASIO would be given coercive powers and the ability to secretly detain people for two weeks without charge; supporting the right to resist military occupation would become and offence punishable by seven years imprisonment; a 'shoot to kill' policy would be introduced for people 'fleeing' police questioning, even if not suspected of a terrorist offence.

At this forum, Ahmad Shboul will discuss the real impact that the 'war on terror' is having on the people of the middle east and on the muslim community in Australia. A speaker from the National Association of Community Legal Centres will outline the extent of the laws and the effect they will have on civil liberties. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) have come out against the laws and will speak at this forum about their stand.

If passed, the new anti-terror laws are set to give police more rights to keep anti-war protesters off the streets and intimidate the movement. On campuses the crack down on dissent is being acutely felt - Voluntary Student Unionism is aimed at removing our ability to organise against government policy and police have arrested many activists campaigning against VSU.

Come along and discuss how we can defend our civil liberties, stop the racist scapegoating and re-build a challenge to the ongoing War, which has already killed over 100,000 people in Iraq, starting with the national rally on November 5.