The Maher Arar Case: An Example to Every Canadian Muslim

[La Fidele]

I feel obliged to notify the SomaliaOnline community (especially the Canadian members) about the plight of our brother in faith, Maher Arar.

This has been a thoroughly covered story in recent Canadian news, and to some extent American media, but I'm sure there's still some people who are unaware.

Brother Arar was born in Syria but moved to Canada in his teenage years. He subsequently became a Canadian citizen as well as a distinguished member of the immigrant and Canadian community (he has a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from McGill University, a Master's from INRS Telecommunications; his wife is also a McGill graduate, having received her Ph.D in Finance).

In October 2002, upon returning from a trip to Tunisia, Brother Arar was detained by the U.S. authorities as he connected planes in New York City.

After a series of questioning, he was notified that he was to be deported---but DESPITE carrying a Canadian passport and holding Canadian citizenship, the Americans deported him to Syria (they also failed to notify Canadian officials until after he was sent to Syria), where he was to spend the following year tortured and held with no charges in Syrian prisons.

It was only this October that Brother Arar, alhamdullilah, returned to Canada--after more than a year in detention without cause.

For Canadian Muslim Immigrants, this proves that we are not excluded from recent American persecution of Muslims; in fact, in the case of Brother Arar, there is speculation that the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) was involved in his deportation.

As Muslims and as Canadians (those in the US, UK and elsewhere should feel equally vulnerable), we ought to feel obliged to protest such maltreatment---considering how easily it could be us next time.

For further information about the case and to find out how to get involved , please go to the webpage of the Council on American Islamic Relations Canada ( www.caircan.ca ).

 

Please be aware that another Syrian-Canadian, Abdullah alMalki, still remains in Syrian prisons under the same conditions as Brother Arar. By showing support, inshallah, he will also be released.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Salaan...

 

Horta, Ciid Wanaagsan abaayadiis {assuming you are a sister }.

 

This case is deplorable to say the least.

 

While the Canadian government's mute and taciturn official responses relating to this case is lamentable, and while mistreatments and abuse by the U.S. government is also appalling, however the cruel and torture by the Syrian government {according to Mahir Carar himself} to an innocent man their officials knew themselves was innocent make my blood boil with rage.

 

What really makes this frenzy get a lot of ire from me personally is that Suuriya did this dirty business of torturing this person only to please the American officials {whom under some so-called international law cannot torture any person on their soil}. What is more worse than to please Bush regime, which doesn't recognize the Syrian regime themselves, by tormenting a fellow Muslim, Carab citizen with absolutely no evidence relating him to any group whatsoever.

 

And what further makes ironic is that he wasn't directly deported to Suuriya, but Jordan was transit gateway. The Bush regime didn't deport him directly to Syria because they don't deal directly with the officials from government of Syria.

 

If it weren't his wife, who worked tirelessly to bring her husband back to Canada; if it weren't Thomas Walkom, an excellent columinist from the Toronto Star; and if it weren't some federal NDP officials, Maher Arar would have remained today in that "grave" cell he lived during his imprisonment in Suuriya.

 

Thank God he is safe and with his family now.

__________________

 

P.S., I am having second thoughts travelling to U.S. by air because this Canadian passport of mine has several visas from Kenya, Emirates and other European countries which I am afraid the dim-witted officials manning the immigration checkpoints may give you hard time. Perhaps it is about time I start using my precious green Soomaali passport.

__________________

 

Ciid Wanaagsan.

[La Fidele]

Miskiin, rest assured: I am a sister.

It was just a matter of time before US Authorities began encroaching upon the rights of Canadian muslims & Arabs, in addition to harassing their own population. All the more reason for us to protest against this deplorable treatment! I fear that no number of captured "terrorists" or invasions will reverse American islamophobia.

*lol* Soomaali passport, hmm? I think it reads "direct to detention center" in all US Immigration officials' manuals.