The Case of B'nai Brith Canada against Sophia Tesfamariam

[The brave Eritreans who brought Sophia Tesfamariam's disgraceful behavior to the attention of conerned bodies ought to be not only commended, but also emulated everywhere around the globe wherever such behavior is exhibited by the supporters of the Eritrean regime. This even holds true much more when such behavior is used against the Eritrean people. Two examples would suffice. First, expose all those asking for asylum claiming they are victims of the regime and yet readily participate in all the meetings and festivals that the regime sponsors.This act would easily disqualify them in the eyes of the law. Second, there are many Eritreans who are involved in human trafficking that closely work with the regime; it is time to expose these thugs wherever they reside.]

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B'nai Brith Canada calls on the Government of Canada and the United Nations sanctions committee established under UN Security Council resolution 751 (the 751 Committee) to designate Sophia Tesfamariam as a person inciting to hatred and terrorism.

Winnipeg, May 19, 2011 B'nai Brith Canada calls on the Government of Canada and the United Nations sanctions committee established under UN Security Council resolution 751 (the 751 Committee) to designate Sophia Tesfamariam as a person inciting to hatred and terrorism.  Incitement to hatred is a Canadian criminal offence.  Canadian immigration law prohibits the entry to Canada of a person who there are reasonable grounds to believe will commit a criminal offence.

UN Security Council resolution (1907) of December 23, 2009 decided that United Nations Member States "shall" impose sanctions on Eritrea, in part, because the Goverment of Eritrea was "arming, training, and equipping" the Al‑Qaeda affiliated Al‑Shabab terrorists of Somalia.  Canada acted on this resolution by an implementing sanction regulation enacted April 22, 2010.

The UN Security Council resolution "decides that all Member States shall take the necessary measures to prevent the entry into or transit through their territories of individuals designated by the [751] Committee".  The resolution further decides that it "shall apply to individuals ... designated by the Committee ... as ... inciting individuals or groups to perpetrate acts of violence or terrorist acts against other States or their citizens in the region."

The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act provides that "a foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of violating human or international rights for ... being a person ... whose entry into or stay in Canada is restricted pursuant to a decision, resolution or measure of an international organization of states or association of states, of which Canada is a member, that imposes sanctions on a country against which Canada has imposed or has agreed to impose sanctions in concert with that organization or association."

The effect of the designation of Ms. Tesfamariam would be to bar her entry to Canada.  The reason is her behaviour when she came to Winnipeg and spoke here.

Sophia Tesfamariam spoke at a public seminar and fundraiser sponsored by the Eritrean Community of Winnipeg that took place, at Masonic Memorial Temple, on October 02, 2010. Ms. Tesfamariam is a Washington based Eritrean‑American.   Ms. Tesfamariam, on her Facebook page lists as her affiliation "Eritrean Government".

At her speaking engagement in October 2010, Mrs. Sophia Tesfamariam attempted to portray Eritrea as a victim of conspiracy of powerful actors hell‑bent to destabilize Eritrea for its policy of self‑reliance and its opposition to US foreign policy. The main actor against Eritrea, according to her, is the USA, helped by other Western countries, with the media conglomerates (owned by few corporations), and human rights advocacy groups like Amnesty International wanting to punish Eritrea and to keep the 'Jewish‑Israeli' interests in the region.

At the seminar, she referred to Israel as an example of terrorist state and as the main strategic ally of the US against countries like Eritrea. She used the words, 'Israeli government', 'Jewish', 'the Jews' liberally and interchangeably. She said: ‑ 'Self reliance means we are anti-Israel'.

She continued by saying how the media owned by special interests blackmail and misinform people.  She claimed that Palestinians were dispossessed by Israelis and argued that this alleged dispossession is not considered as a terrorist activity.  She said:  "That is my favourite. The 1948 agreement prohibits Palestinians from having arms. We supply the Israelis billions of American tax payers money. Why my tax goes in billions to subsidise the Israeli Army to kill innocent Palestinian kids who don't have arms but stones."

Mrs. Tesfamariam urged the audience to rise up against what she called a conspiracy of media conglomerates owned by few corporations of special interests, along with human rights organizations that have targeted Eritrea's human rights record.  She said "We have to be loyal to our nation and need to strengthen the economy. We have to buy shares from the mining companies .... So buy shares from those companies who work in Eritrea and get rich quick ... We got to be like Jews but don't be evil like them; don't blow up people; don't do things that are evil, absolutely that is our job."

Mrs. Tesfamariam blamed the Jewish State for being the destabilizing factor in the region.  Israel, as Ms. Tesfamariam acknowledged, is part of the region and therefore within the scope of the UN Security Council resolution 1907 prohibition against incitement to terrorism in the region.

David Matas, Senior Honorary Counsel for B'nai Brith Canada, stated: "The October 2010 speech of Ms. Tesfamariam, by referring to Jews as evil as well as its other components, fits within the prohibitions against incitement to hatred in the Canadian Criminal Code and incitement to terrorism in the United Nations Security Council resolution.  Having once violated those standards, Ms. Tesfamariam should be designated and barred entry to Canada to prevent further violations. Canada needs to protect itself against incitement to hatred and violence."

Alan Yusim, Regional Director, B'nai Brith Canada, Midwest Region said:  "We ask the Eritrean Community of Winnipeg in the future not to host any similar events.  Providing a platform to antisemitism tears away at the Winnipeg community fabric."

B’nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875 and in Manitoba since 1909 as the Jewish community’s foremost human rights agency