Canada's Gitmo - 'Guantanomo North'

It seems the US is not alone in its belligerent, regressive policies.

February 12, 2007 - Mulsim Groups call for inquiry and apology for five men held in Canada without charge for up to 7 years.

"Maher Arar has been rightly vindicated in receiving an apology and settlement for Canada's part in his ordeal of torture in Syria. But five other Arab-Muslim men currently detained without charges are not being accorded comparable justice," says a statement released today by Canada's largest Muslim organizations.

The Canadian Islamic Congress and the Quebec - based Canadian Muslim Forum are calling on Ottawa to act without further delay to resolve the cases of all five Muslim men.

Detained in the Kingston Immigration Holding Centre (now dubbed "Guantanamo North" by Canadian social justice advocacy groups) are:

- Mohammad Mahjoub: an Egyptian refugee with two small children - detained in June 2000;

- Mahmoud Jaballah: an Islamic school principal - detained in August 2001;

- Hassan Almrei: a Syrian refugee who operated a pita shop - detained in October 2001.

And detained under house arrest are Mohamed (Moe) Harkat and Adil Charkaoui.

At present, the three men held in the Kingston Immigration Holding Centre are dangerously weakened and ill from the effects of prolonged hunger strikes to protest their incarceration under CSIS security certificates.

Two other men are still being held under virtual house arrest after being released on bail. All five have been under investigation for periods ranging from five to seven years, yet have never been allowed to examine any of the so-called "evidence" which was used to lock them away from their families and productive lives.

On January 26, Syrian-born Canadian citizen Maher Arar received an official apology from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, along with an out-of-court settlement of $11.5 million, "for any role Canadian officials may have played" in his Extraordinary Rendition to Syria by American officials in 2002.

Following Justice Dennis O'Connor's detailed inquiry into the Maher Arar case, many Canadians have lost confidence in the competence of the RCMP, CSIS, Immigration Canada, and the Ministry of Public Safety.

The CIC and CMF believe that no evidence against these five men has ever been verified. "For all we know, it may be as flimsy and false as the evidence against Maher Arar," today's statement said.

"Such a travesty of justice is intolerable in a country that is internationally renowned for its Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Ottawa must act now to correct this shameful episode."

Today the CIC and CMF said also that they support the Liberals, Bloc
QuÃ©bÃ©cois and New Democrats in not extending the extra police powers that were granted to them after Sept. 11, 2001.

As a result, the Anti-Terror Act's provisions - for investigative hearings of material witnesses in terror cases and preventive arrest without bail for 72 hours - will expire as scheduled on Feb. 16. Those two provisions have never been used.

The three parties say they will refuse to support a Conservative motion to renew the powers for three more years.

"We know today that the Criminal Code already contains all the necessary offences and powers for law enforcement officials to adequately respond to the threat of terrorism," Liberal MP Sue Barnes (London West), a lawyer herself, said. "I believe these provisions as they stand should sunset."

But Liberal MP Roy Cullen (Etobicoke North) is one of few Liberals who wants to see the extra police powers kept.

NDP critic Joe Comartin (Windsor Tecumseh) a lawyer himself said he isn't concerned about the loss of the extra police powers.

"Much as we saw the War Measures Act used in the 1970s against the Quebec population, these provisions were just wide open to be used against the First Nations, the Muslim population, any number of other groups, the labour community. It just was wide open to potential abuse somewhere down the road."

Comartin said "the reality is that we have provisions within the rest of our Criminal Code, the evidence act and other legislation that provides them with all the mechanisms that they need to fight terrorism."

Today's CIC-CMF statement is endorsed by other organizations including ICNA, Islamic Ahlul Bayt Assembly of Canada. the Ottawa Muslim Association, the Muslim Council of Calgary, Al- Huda Muslim Society and Salaheddin Islamic Centre.

CONTACTS:

*ENGLISH*

Imam Dr. Zijad Delic
(613) 698-8469 (Cell)
E-mail: imamdrdelic@canadianislamiccongress.com

Dr. Mohamed Elmasry,
(519) 746-4107 (O)
(519) 498-1350 (Cell)
E-mail: np@canadianislamiccongress.com

Mrs. Wahida Valiante,
(905) 771-1023
E-mail: nvp@canadianislamiccongress.com

*FRENCH*

Dr. Bachar Elsolh,
(514) 983-5323 (Cell)
E-mail: b.elsolh@videotron.ca

Mohamed S. Kamel, ing.
(514) 863-9202 (Cell)
E-mail: info@apm-ram.org