ZGram - 10/12/2004 - "A Canadian MP speaks out on Secret Trials"

[zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org]

ZGram:  Where Truth is Destiny:  Now more than ever!

October 12, 2004

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

A nice speech by Alexa McDonough, Canadian MP for Halifax, addressing 
the unsavory matter of secret trials in Canada.  Comments in square 
brackets are my own:

[START]

The Canadian government is tolerating violations of international 
law, abroad and at home

A Speech to The Muslim Community, Council of Ottawa-Gatineau, October 2, 2004

Esteemed Imams, Parliamentary Colleague, friends, Salem Alekum

I want to thank the Muslim Community Council of Ottawa - Gatineau for 
inviting me to join you this evening. I am delighted to have this 
opportunity to support you in your struggle for justice.

You are to be congratulated on seeking and gaining intervener status 
in the Maher Arar Public Inquiry. You are absolutely correct in your 
assertion, and I quote from your letter of invitation to this 
evening's event, "that the basic rights of Canadians at large have 
diminished since September 11, 2001."

It's a perverse irony - the suspension of due process of law:

-           Lack of transparency

-           Trashing of presumption of innocence

-           Arbitrary illegal detentions

-           Lack of accountability of Canadian security forces

-           Targeting and profiling of Muslims [and so-called 
"Holocaust deniers"]

All of these atrocities are taking place in the name of National Security.

Combine this with the pursuit of security through unbridled armament 
and militarization, and what we've got, in the words of Noble Prize 
winner John Polanyi, is a pandemic of insecurity.

Many here tonight have spent most of our waking moments since 9/11 
desperately fighting those dangerous practices and misguided policy 
choices.

When US Congresswoman Barbara Lee stood against George Bush's "us vs. 
them" polarization post 9/11, pleading that, "in the attempt to 
defeat terrorism, let us not become the enemy we deplore," she was 
directing her pleas to George Bush.

Even as we fought against the excesses and abuses of Bill C-36 here 
in Canada, I don't think we imagined in our most pessimistic moments 
that our own government would so thoroughly dismiss Barbara Lee's 
warnings, and so brutally trample on our own citizens most 
fundamental human rights and civil liberties.

Nor could we have imagined our own Prime Minister dragging us into 
the sheer madness of Bush's ballistic missile defence.

It may have been necessary to remind Jean Chretién about Canadians' 
devotion to internationalism and rule of law after witnessing the 
mobilization of millions of Canadians against the war on Iraq. Jean 
Chretién got it, and said no to any Canadian participation in Bush's 
war.

Sadly, Paul Martin, supported by his Foreign Affairs and Defence 
Ministers seems prepared to flaunt international law in the case of 
national missile defence.

This government's response to the Apartheid wall in Israel is yet 
another example. In October 2003, Jean Chretién's last month in 
office, Canada voted at the UN to condemn the Israeli wall as a 
violation of international law.

In December 2003 however, Paul Martin's first month in office, Canada 
abstained from a UN resolution asking the international court of 
justice to render an advisory opinion on the legality of the Israeli 
wall.

It gets worse.

Canada actually wrote to the ICJ, urging them to flaunt international 
law and refuse to render an opinion!

When the ICJ ruled that the wall violated international law, 
documenting the hardship to Palestinians, their families and 
communities, Canada abstained from voting on the UN resolution urging 
Israel to respect the ICJ opinion and Israel's own superior court's 
decision.

Such cowardice, such complicity cannot be tolerated.

No one knows better than Ottawa's Muslim community that this Canadian 
government is tolerating violations of international law, abroad and 
here at home.

The case of Maher Arar is a perfect example.  [So is the example of 
Ernst Zundel, who lived an exemplary life in Canada for more than 40 
years!]

It's what brings us here together this evening...to help raise funds 
for your Council's legal team to intervene at the Inquiry.

Change Maher Arar's name...  [to Ernst Zundel]

Change the name of the country.  [not even necessary.  Same players. 
Same strategy.  Same outcome]

Then tell how that country shared confidential information about its 
own citizen with a foreign government, abetted his deportation to a 
third country to be imprisoned and tortured, and then offered to 
elicit information and pass it along to secret agents.

We would stand up and ferociously condemn that country, wouldn't we?

We would condemn it as undemocratic and authoritarian, and we would 
demand the world object to these violations.

But isn't that exactly what happened here in Canada to Maher Arar? 
[AND Ernst Zundel...]

If it wasn't for the courage, persistence, and extraordinary 
intelligence of his wife Monia Mazigh, supported by members of her 
community, Maher wouldn't be back in Canada today working to ensure 
that we get to the bottom of this travesty of justice.

Maher is putting himself through this excruciating painful ordeal not 
for himself, but for every one of us in this room and every citizen 
in this country.

By bringing the federal government to account, the veil of secrecy is 
being pulled back, exposing the ugly reality of two tiers of 
citizenship being created in this country.

We cannot, and will not, stand back and allow this to happen.

As a Canadian citizen you and I have responsibilities that come with 
being a citizen, and in turn, Canada has a responsibility to protect 
our rights.

It failed Maher Arar.  [It failed Ernst Zundel]

It is failing the countless number of Arab and Muslim 'detainees" 
being held on security certificates, some for years, without charge, 
without evidence, in conditions that violate their human rights and 
violate the Geneva Convention. 

This is not the Canada we want.

This is not the Canada you chose.

I believe in my heart, with every fibre of my being, that justice 
will be served. But there remains much to be done.

In conclusion, I want to assure you that I am here to stand with you 
and work with you for the long haul.

The NDP is with you for the long haul, fighting for justice, true 
security and lasting peace, abroad and right here at home.

Tel: (613)995-4492      Fax/Télécopier: (613)992-8569 

[END]   

Please call or write to this lady and find out if what she says about 
Muslims she would also be willing to say about Germans.  You might be 
in for a surprise!