NEWS opnewseditor@gmail.com Mohammed Makjoub Close to Death Authorities Refuse Hospitalization Nicole Burton, News Editor Last week, prisoner Mohammad Mahjoub was on day 73 of his hunger strike. He’s very weak and in constant pain. After five years of detention on secret evidence, and without being charged, he does not wish to end his hunger strike, saying that it is the only way left for him to fight for his own dignity and that of his family. Mahjoub has been held on what is called a “security certificate” for over five years. Security certificates are pieces of legislation that allow for people in Canada to be detained, imprisoned, and held indefinitely without any public evidence against them. Neither defendants nor their lawyers can see the evidence being used against them, for reasons of “national security.” Security certificates are highly controversial in Canada for their unfair and undemocratic nature against the defendant, and their combined use of racial pro- filing and targeting of people from the Middle East, South Asia, and other Muslim nations. Mahjoub has asked to be hospitalized and will accept an IV. There is an infirmary inside the Toronto West Detention Centre, but prison authorities are refusing to send him there. He is at imminent risk of permanent, severe impairment and, very possibly of death. Follow the Rainbow—Welcome Back! Pride Collective encourages Positive Space Joel Koette, DSU Pride Liaison This article is intended to welcome back all the old and new students to Douglas College, and provide them with some information about the Douglas Students’ Union’s Pride Collective. What is Pride? Pride is a reflection of one’s own sense of self, and the worldview we hold for our culture, our community, and ourselves. The DSU Pride Collective was created in 1999 to help foster positive attitudes toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people at Douglas College. The DSU Pride Collective works towards implementing advocacy and events for Douglas College students, such as holding pub nights, campaigning to stop hate crimes, educating the college community on AIDS awareness, and fur- thering education about the queer community. This semester, the DSU Pride Collective will be re-launching our Positive Space Campaign at both campuses. The Positive Space campaign was initiated by the Canadian Federation of Students several years ago to address homopho- bia and negative stereotypes, and to encourage allies to make their places of work and study a welcoming and “positive space” to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community. The campaign will consist of stickers, “myth- and-fact” sheets, pamphlets, and posters that will be distributed to each and every instructor, staff person, and office on campus. Each individual will have the option to make their office a visible and accessible “Positive Space” for members and allies of the queer community. The Positive Space Campaign has been launched at many other campuses around the Lower Mainland and across Canada in the hopes of eliminating homophobia on our campuses and in our com- munities. The DSU Pride Collective is hoping that the Positive Space campaign will continue to grow, and encourage more involvement in addressing queer issues on campus. If you have any questions about how to get involved with the DSU Pride Collective, visit the Pride Resource Centre in room 328 of the DSU building at the New Westminster Campus, or contact us by phone at 604.527.5474. Welcome back everyone, and here’s to a queer-friendly and positive year. HEL. on Earth Brent Morley, OP Contributor Raytheon Technologies, an American military contrac- tor, has brought us yet another new weapon to help achieve air superiority. The new air-to-air anti-missile system H.E.L. (High Energy Laser) is designed to shoot down incoming missile fire at light speed. The new unit is affixed to the under side of the F-22 Raptor military aircraft, and is about the size of a jukebox. The system works by detecting the missile lock on, reacting to the thermal heat signature of the incoming missile, and responding with a 150-kilowatt laser beam that super- heats the incoming missile causing it to explode. Plans to start outfitting the estimated $250 million system on fighter jets are set for early 2008. All the branches of the military are similarly inter- ested in utilizing this technology. The hopes are to create a H.E.L. system that can be incorporated into operations in all theatres of warfare. Ideally, the goal of the US military in this project is to minimize the size of the unit to the point that it can become man-portable. The Geneva Convention carries no section that cov- ers the use of high-energy lasers in warfare. A number of questions and concerns can arise from this new development, but I guess the question that comes to my mind with all this great technology is:““Will I be incinerated?”