Your voice. Your future. Annual Review 2008
3
CONTENT CAIR-CAN Annual Review 2008
FromtheChair 5
MESSAGE 01
ASPIRATIONS 02OurVision&Mission 8
IntheOffice 10
OntheBoard 12
OurVolunteerConsultativeCommittee(Shura)16
WhereAreTheyNow? 19
PEOPLE 03
AYearinReview 20
MediaEngagement 22
CAIR-CANontheRecord 23
CommunityEducation 24
CivilLibertiesDefence 26
PublicAdvocacy&HumanRights 33
OpinionPieces 36
LettertotheEditor 44
WORK 04
CAIR-CANGalaDinner 48
SecondAnnualCAIR-CANsummerBBQ 49
Index 50
EVENTS 05
5
Assalaamu’alaykum,
Peacebewithyou.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council of American Islamic
Relations (CAIR-CAN), Iwould like towelcomeyou toour annual profile for 2008.
Thisisourfifthannualreporttoyou.Inityouwillfindanoverviewofoureducation
outreach,mediaengagement,defenceofcivillibertiesandpoliticalactivism.
The case of Abousfian Abdelrazik, the Iacobucci Inquiry, the detention of Huseyin
Celil, the security certificate matters, the “Toronto 18” and the Bouchard-Taylor
Commission;thesearesomeofthemattersonwhichwehavebeenhardatworkover
thelastmanymonths.
Inmanyrespects,2008wasaparticularlychallengingyearforCAIR-CANastheorga-
nizationoperatedwithoutanExecutiveDirectoratthehelm.FollowingKarlNickner’s
resignation,weacceptedapplications for theposition through theendof 2007and
interviewedanumberofcandidatesinearly2008.Bythesummerof2008,theBoard
wasalsoabletopersuadeourownIhsaanGardeetoconsiderapplyingfortheEDrole.
Wearepleasedtoreportthatasthisprofilegoestoprint,theBoardhasreachedan
agreementwithIhsaanandappointedhimastheorganization’snewED.Asyoumaybe
aware, IhsaanhasservedasCAIR-CAN’sCommunityRelations&OperationsDirector
forthebetterpartofthepasttwoyears.Inmanyways,hehasservedasadefactoED
fortheorganization.
Ihsaan has a background in marketing and communicatons in Canada and the UK.
He obtained degrees from the University of Western Ontario (BA) and Windsor
(BComm).Inadditiontohiseducationalandprofessionalqualifications,Ihsaanbrings
tothetableexcellentinter-personalskillstogetherwithapassionforandcommitment
totheorganization’swork.WeareverypleasedtopromotehimtotheroleofEDand
lookforwardtohisleadership.
We also welcome our newest Board member - Khalid Elgazzar of Ottawa. Khalid
grewupnearCornwall,OntarioandisadistinguishedgraduateoftheUniversityof
Ottawa’sFacultyofLaw.Hecurrentlypractises lawwithanOttawa-based litigation
boutique.KhalidhaslongbeenavolunteerwithCAIR-CANandwehopetorelyonhis
goodsenseandjudgment(nottomentionhislegalexperience)ontheBoard.
AswewelcomeIhsaanandKhalidonboard,itiswithregretthatwenotethedeparture
ofFaisalKuttyfromtheorganization.Faisal’scontributionshavebeeninstrumental
to CAIR-CAN’s growth and development as a national voice for CanadianMuslims.
Inparticular,Faisalhas:
• servedaslegalcounselforCAIR-CANsinceitsinception
• playedacentralroleinCAIR-CAN’slegaladvocacyincludingintervenorworkonthe
IacobucciandArarInquiries,theAirIndiaInquiryandsecuritycertificateissues
• presentedatseminarsonvarioushumanrightsandcivillibertiesissuesincluding
presentingCAIR-CAN’s“KnowYourRights”workshop
MESSAGE From the Chair01
Muslimsareafundamentalpartofthiscountry’ssocialfabric.Weareasstrongaswearediverse–inculture,occupations,skillsandeducationalbackgrounds.
6
01• appeared on behalf of the organization at academic conferences as well as
communitylecturesoncivillibertiesandsocialjusticeissues
• assisted with numerous human rights cases many of which were resolved
throughmediation
• helpedestablish,co-ordinateandadministerCAIR-CAN’sHumanRightsCommittee
whichconsistsoflawyers,lawstudentsandsocialjusticeworkerswhohandlethe
casesthatarereferredtotheorganization
• servedasamemberoftheBoardofDirectorssince2001
• servedasViceChairfrom2006to2008
• publishednumerouspapersandarticlesinvariousjournalsandmediaonhuman
rightsissues
• draftedandmadesubmissionstogovernmentcommitteesandagenciesonvarious
topics includingthePassengerProtector“No-Fly list”programandAlJazeera’s
applicationforabroadcastlicenseinCanada
Faisal’s activismand contributionshaveearnedhim the respect andadmirationof
CanadianMuslimsandindeed,Canadiansofallstripeswhohavehadthegoodfortune
toworkwithhim.
In May of this year, Faisal decided to take a break from CAIR-CAN to focus on
completingadoctorateinlawatOsgoodeHallLawSchoolandexplorethepossibility
ofpursuinganacademiccareerinthelaw.Itiswithsinceregratitudethatwebidhim
farewellandwishhimthebestinhisfutureendeavours.
Finally,onbehalfoftheBoard, Iwouldliketothankthemanyvolunteers, including
shuramembers,dinnerorganizersandmenandwomenacrossthecountrywhohave
demonstratedanunflinching commitment to theworkof ourorganization.Weare
gratefultoyouall.
We look forward to continuing in our efforts to serve you better. We look
forwardtoyoursupport,advice,constructivecriticismand,asalways,yourgenerous
financialassistance.
Wasalaamu’alaykum,
Peacebewithyou.
Abdul-BasitKhan,Chair
MESSAGE From the Chair
8
ASPIRATIONS Our Vision
StrivingtobealeadingvoicethatenrichesCanadiansocietythroughMuslimcivicengagement
andthepromotionofhumanrights.
Our Mission
The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) is a national,
not-for-profit, grassroots organization that represents the concerns of Canada’s
Muslimsthroughdedicatedandprofessionalactivism.
CAIR-CANworkstofosteranaccurateunderstandingandgreaterappreciationofIslam
in Canadian society through: 1 community education and outreach, media engage-
ment,anti-discriminationinitiativesandpublicadvocacy,and;2theempowermentof
CanadianMuslimsthroughtopical researchandpublishing;conductingseminarsand
workshops,andworkingwithothersocialjusticeorganizationsonjointinitiativesthat
benefitandenrichtheCanadianmosaic.
CAIR-CANisseparateandfullyindependentoftheWashington-basedCAIR,although
thetwomaycoordinateonareasofmutualconcern.
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INTRODUCTIONS In the Office
At Your Fingertips – www.caircan.ca
CAIR-CAN’swebsiteprovidesacomprehensiveresourcefornews,opinionpiecesand
issuesaffectingCanadianMuslimsandallowsforeasyonlinereportingofdiscrimination,
racialprofilingandhatecrimes.Thewebsitefeaturesacompletehistoricalarchiveof
CAIR-CAN’swork,pressreleases,actionalerts,opinionpiecesandaregularlyupdated
recordofmediacoverageregardinghumanrightsandcivillibertiesissuesaswellas
mediareportsaddressingMuslimsandIslaminCanada.
Currently,CAIR-CANhas3employees:
02
CAIR-CAN’snationalheadquartersarelocatedinOttawa,Ontario.
Headquarters
> Sameer ZuberiMediaRelations
&HumanRightsCoordinator
> Maryam DadabhoyCommunityRelationsCoordinator
(Toronto)
> Ihsaan GardeeCommunityRelations
&OperationsDirector
12
PEOPLE On the Board 03
> Chair: Abdul-Basit Khan
Abdul-Basit Khan has been serving as the Chair of CAIR-CAN’s Board of Directors since taking over the helm from
Dr.SheemaKhanin2005.AbdulBasitisagraduateofMcGillUniversity’sFacultyofLawandiscurrentlyaPartnerwith
Blake,Cassels&GraydonLLPinTorontowherehepracticeslabourandemploymentlaw.Abdul-Basit(affectionatelyreferred
toas“A-B-K”)ishighlyregardedbyhispeersforhiscommunityactivism.
> Selma Djukic
SelmaDjukicisamagnacumlaudegraduateoftheUniversityofTorontoandPresidentofWhiteOwlGlobalServicesLtd.,a
pharmaceuticaldrugdevelopmentconsultancybasedinToronto.Apioneeramongstearlycommunityyouthworkers,Selma
hasdedicatedthebetterpartofthelast30yearstoempoweringyouthandwomenthroughtheinitiationanddevelopment
ofnumerousgrassroots,nationaland internationalorganizations.CAIR-CANhascome todependonSelma’sconsiderable
technicalandmanagementexpertisewhichsheisenhancingthroughthecompletionoftheUniversityofToronto’sAdvanced
CertificateinStrategicLeadership.
> Kashif Ahmed
KashifAhmedofCalgaryholdsabusinessadministrationdegree infinancefromthePaulHillSchoolofBusinessatthe
UniversityofRegina.HeiscurrentlyinhissecondyearoflawschoolattheUniversityofSaskatchewanwhereheisfocusing
oncommercialandcorporatelitigation.Priortohislegalstudies,heworkedforImperialOilinCalgary.Kashifhasextensive
experienceinmediarelationsandpublicadvocacy.
14 15
> Shahina Siddiqui
Shahina Siddiqui is the founder and volunteer Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association based in
Winnipeg,Canada.ShahinaalsositsontheboardoftheSocialPlanningCouncilofWinnipegandtheVoluntaryNon-Profit
SectorOrganizationofManitoba.Additionally,sheprovides importantfeedbackasamemberoftheRCMPCommanding
OfficerDiversityCommitteeandtheCitizensEquityCommitteeAgainstRacismandDiscrimination.Inadditiontoherwork
with theseorganizations,Shahinacontributesasa freelancewriter,spiritualcounsellorandpublicspeaker.Shahina isa
proudgrandmotheroftwo.
> Dr. Wael Haddara
WaelHaddara,agraduateofQueensUniversity’sFacultyofMedicine,isapharmacistanddoctorwhoresidesinLondon,
Ontario. Wael iswell knownasaCanadianMuslimacademic, speakerandactivist, andhisparticular strengths include
strategicmediacoordinationandpoliticalengagement.
> Aftab Sabir
AftabSabir,oneofthefoundersofCAIR-CAN,isbasedinCalgary.AftabobtainedhisMBAinfinancialandorganizational
developmentfromtheSchulichSchoolofBusinessatYorkUniversity.AformerfounderandmanagerwithSalamFinancial,
AftabnowworksfortheCityofCalgary.
PEOPLE On the Board
> Dr. Jamal Badawi
Dr.JamalBadawi,oneofNorthAmerica’smostrenownedIslamicscholars,isaprofessoratSaintMary’sUniversityinHalifax,
whereheisacross-appointedfacultymemberintheDepartmentofReligiousStudiesandtheDepartmentofManagement.
OftencalledupontocommentonissuesrelevanttoCanadianMuslims,hehasalsoproducedpublicationsongenderequity
aswellasanimpressivecollectionofaudiomaterialsintroducingIslam.
03
> Khadija Haffajee
KhadijaHaffajee, a retired schoolteacherwho callsOttawahome, is a regular speaker on issues that affectMuslims in
Canadaandinternationally.Sheregularlyworkswithotherorganizationsininterfaithdialogue,theempowermentofwomen,
spiritualcounselingandthedevelopmentofcivilsociety.
> Khalid Elgazzar
KhalidisanOttawa-basedlawyerwhohasbeenanactivememberofthecommunitysincemovingtoOttawanearly10years
ago.HeobtainedhisLLBin2005fromtheUniversityofOttawaaftercompletinghisBachelorofCommerceatthesame
institution. He currently practices in the areas of civil liberties as well as commercial and civil litigation at Hameed
ForrokhzadSt-Pierre.Previously,Khalidworkedintheareasofinsurancedefence,commercialandconstructionlitigation
atSolowayWright,LLP.PriortobeingcalledtotheOntarioBar,KhalidworkedattheUniversityofOttawaCommunityLegal
Cliniconavarietyofmattersrangingfromemploymentlawtohumanrights.
16
03PEOPLE Our Volunteer Consultative Committee (Shura)
> Rahat Godil - Toronto, ON
RahatGodilisanAssociatepractisingintheLitigationGroupwiththelawfirmBlake,Cassels
&GraydonLLP inToronto.Rahatgraduated fromtheUniversityofTorontowithaJuris
DoctorfromtheFacultyofLaw.Beforeattendinglawschool,shecompletedabachelorof
businessadministrationattheUniversityofToronto.Rahathasakeeninterestinhuman
rightsandisonthesteeringcommitteeoftheHumanRightsWatchTorontoNetwork.
> Safiyyah Ally - Toronto, ON
BornandraisedinCanada,SafiyyahAllyishostof“LettheQuranSpeak”,atelevisiontalk
showthatairsnation-wideonVISION-TVat4:00p.m.everySaturday.Safiyyahiscurrently
pursuingherPhDinPoliticalSciencefocusingonpoliticaltheoryasitpertainstominority
religiouscommunitiesintheliberaldemocraticcontext.Heropinionpiecesandcommen-
tarieshavebeenpublishedinonlinemagazinesandnewspapersincludingtheTorontoStar
andtheOttawaCitizen.
> Mihad Fahmy - London, ON
MihadFahmyhasagraduatedegreeinlawandworksasalabourandhumanrightslawyer
basedinLondon,OntariowiththelawofficesofEliot,Smith.Sheisacontributingcolumnist
with the London Free Press and works closely with CAIR-CAN on human rights and
anti-discriminationissues.
> Dr. Aisha Sherazi - Ottawa, ON
Asuccessfulbiologist,AishaSherazimigratedtoCanadasevenyearsagofromtheUK.The
formerPrincipalofafulltimeMuslimelementaryschoolinOttawa,Aishanowfreelancesas
awriterfortheOttawaCitizen.Aishaalsositsonvariouscommunityboardsandcommittees
including the Community Advisory Committee to the RCMP, the Islamic Social Services
AssociationofCanadaandtheOntarioFederationofIndependentSchools.Whenshe’snot
workingasateencounselor,Aishaisgivingpresentationsandworkshopsontopicsfrom
educationtoyouth,IslamandtheMuslims.
> Tim Weis - Edmonton
Havingrecentlymadethemovetothenation’scapitalfromEdmonton,TimisaGatineau,
Quebec-basedrenewableenergyresearcherwithafocusonwindenergydevelopmentinFirst
NationsCommunities.TimhasaMaster’sdegreeinMechanicalEngineeringfromtheUniversity
ofAlberta,andhasbeenanactivememberofCAIR-CAN’sadvisoryboardsince2002.
> Eric Engler - Calgary
EricEnglerhasaBachelorsdegreeinReligiousStudiesspecializinginIslamicHistoryandis
currentlyastudentintheUniversityofCalgary’sMasterofTeachingProgram.Hehasbeen
anactivememberofCAIR-CAN’sadvisorycommitteesince2001.
CAIR-CAN’s Shura or Volunteer Consultative Committee is comprised of a dedicated and dynamic team of volunteers across Canada that generates
ideas, provides constructive feedback, vets draft publications including op-eds, press releases and articles and contributes to the organization’s
overall body of work. What follows is an introduction to some of the members of the Shura group.
18 19
> Natasha Persaud - Toronto, ON
Natasha Persaud is a lawyer with the Human Rights Legal Support Centre in Toronto.
NatashacompletedherlawdegreeatOsgoodeHallLawSchoolandwascalledtotheBar
inJune2008.PriortothisshearticledatParkdaleCommunityLegalServicesandwasan
instructorininternationalandcriminallawatSouthwestUniversityofPoliticalScienceand
LawinChongqing,Chinaforonesemester.
> Anwaar Syed - Toronto, ON
AnwaarSyedisacommunicationsspecialistandrunsaconsultancycompany,JaraCommu-
nications.HehasheldcontractswithOntario’sMinistriesofTransportationandFinanceand
workedwiththeTorontoDistrictSchoolBoard.Anwaarearnedhisundergraduatedegreein
CommunicationArtsandPost-ColonialLiteratureatYorkUniversityandcompletedGraduate
StudiesinCorporateCommunicationsandPublicRelationsatYorkandCentennialCollege.
A word about volunteers: the backbone of the organization
Therearemanyvolunteersincludingstudentsandprofessionalswhoselflesslygivetheirtime
toassistCAIR-CAN,doingeverythingfromfoldingthousandsoflettersandstuffingenvelopes
towritinglettersanddealingwithlocalcommunities.Manyoftheseindividualsdosowithno
wishforthanksorrecognition.Fromallofus,thankyou–youknowwhoyouare.
Thatbeingsaid,certainindividualsdeservespecialcredit.
Thanks this year go to Mudassir Chaudhry, Mohamed Afilal and Hani Ezzadeen who
regularly assist with a broad range of administrative and operational tasks to help
CAIR-CANgetitsmessageouttothecommunity.Alwaysavailableandwillingtohelpata
moment’snotice,eachofthemgotheextramiletomakesurethatthedifferentwheelsof
theorganizationkeepturning.
03Where are they now?
> Sheema Khan(formerChair)SheemaiscurrentlyworkingasapatentagentinOttawa.SheisalsoGlobe-trotting
-ofsorts-writingmonthlyfortheGlobeandMailOp-edsection,andservingonthe
newspaper’sbimonthlyonlinereligionpanel.Sheema,whorecentlybecameahockey-
mom,isalsoagraduateofMcGill’schemistryprogramandHarvardUniversitywhere
shecompletedherPhDinChemicalPhysics.Allshehastodonowisshootsomemoose
andshetoocanrunforpoliticaloffice.
One of the constants of CAIR-CAN has been its ability to attract
talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. Never a static
organization with staff “for life”, CAIR-CAN believes in and
encourages the renewal and regeneration that new faces and ideas
bring. This is our small effort to bridge the past with the present.
PEOPLE Our Volunteer Consultative Committee (Shura)
Thankyouallandwelookforwardtoyourcontinuedsupport.
20 21
O C T O B E R 2 0 0 7
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRCouncil’sProposed
Hijab-bandiscriminates
AgainstQuebecWomen
> Friday,October05,2007
PRImmigrationMinisterUrged
toStayDeportationofSaidJaziri
> Monday,October22,2007
N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 7
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRJointStatementof50Groups
onC-3,securitycertificates
> Thursday,November08,2007
PR‘Don’tInterpretRulesNarrowly’
JudoManitobaUrged
> Sunday,November18,2007
PRHumanRightsComplaintFiled
onBehalfofAirportWorker
> Monday,November19,2007
PRShahidMahmoodToFile
HumanRightsComplaintAgainst
AirCanadaOverCanada’s
UnofficialNo-FlyList
> Tuesday,November27,2007
D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PR20MuslimGroups
Urge‘ZeroTolerance’
forDomesticViolence
> Tuesday,December11,2007
AACallYourMPtovotedownC-3
> Wednesday,December12,2007
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRCAIR-CANUrges
AccommodationforBlind
TaxiPassengers
> Wednesday,February06,2008
AA=ActionAlertandGoodNewsAlertPR=PressReleaseOE=Op-edAlert
OERushingInjusticethroughthe
Senate-TorontoStar
> Wednesday,February13,2008
PRCAIR-CANCallsforFullPolice
InvestigationofHateCrime
> Tuesday,February26,2008
M A R C H 2 0 0 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRCAIR-CANCondemnsArson
AttackofCalgaryHome
> Sunday,March16,2008
OETrulyMuslim,trulyCanadian-
WinnipegFreePress
> Saturday,March29,2008
A P R I L 2 0 0 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRConsularOfficialsMustActas
ObserversforKohailsinSaudiCourt
> Wednesday,April09,2008
AA WriteMPsonIsraeli
Ambassador’sViewson
CanadianMuslims
> Tuesday,May13,2008
PRCAIR-CANWelcomes
Bouchard-TaylorReporton
‘ReasonableAccommodation’
> Sunday,May18,2008
PRSupportCanadianMuslim
ImprisonedinChina
> Thursday,May22,2008
PRArabandMuslimOrganizations
WelcomeRecommendationsof
theBouchard-TaylorReporton
‘ReasonableAccommodation’
> Friday,May23,2008
J U N E 2 0 0 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRCanadianMuslimOrganizations
SaluteAlexaMcDonough
forhercontributions
> Tuesday,June03,2008
PRAIR-CANApplauds
SupremeCourtRulingonCSIS
DestructionofEvidence
> Thursday,June26,2008
J U LY 2 0 0 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRCAIR-CANCallsUpon
CanadianCompaniestoStop
BuildingIsraeliSettlements
> Friday,July11,2008
AA WriteGovernmentto
ReturnOmarKhadrtoCanada
> Thursday,July17,2008
PRCAIR-CANApplaudsOntario
RightsCommissionStatement
onMaclean’s
> Wednesday,April09,2008
PROpenLetteron‘Toronto11’
toAuthoritiesfrom19Groups
> Tuesday,April22,2008
M AY 2 0 0 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRGovernmentMustAllow
CanadianinSudanReturnto
Canada:CAIR-CANandICLMG
> Friday,May02,2008
PRInvestigateAlleged
PrisonerAbuseatMaplehurst:
HumanRightsGroups
> Thursday,May08,2008
PRCAIR-CANAnnounces
ChangestoitsBoard
> Thursday,May08,2008
WORK A Year in Review 04OECleartheaironsecurity
inquiries-TheOttawaCitizen
> Tuesday,July29,2008
PRRulesofEngagement
withAfghanCiviliansFlawed
> Wednesday,July30,2008
PRCAIR-CANCallsDismissal
ofHighSchoolSexualAssault
Charges‘Deplorable’
> Thursday,July31,2008
A U G U S T 2 0 0 8
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AA ParticipantsSought:Research
ProjectonTravelerSurveillance
> Thursday,August07,2008
AACAIR-CANRamadan2008
CommunityPublicityKitReleased
> Thursday,August28,2008
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OEAfreshstart
-VancouverSun,11/09/08
> Thursday,September11,2008
PRPollShowsIslamophobia
ontheRise
> Saturday,September20,2008
PRCAIR-CANComments
onVerdictofToronto18
> Thursday,September25,2008
AA VoteTueOct14,You
CanMaketheDifference
> Sunday,September28,2008
22 23
WORK Media Engagement 04
Over the last year, CAIR-CAN has spoken, for example, on such broad issues as
the Court Challenges Program; the cases of jailed or exiled Canadians including
HuseyinCelil,OmarKhadr,andAbousfianAbdelrazikamongothers;thecontinuing
erosionofcivillibertiesandtheruleoflawpost9/11;theongoingIacobucciinquiry;
reasonableaccommodationdebateinQuebecandthesubsequentBouchard-Taylor
reportanditsrecommendations;hatecrimesagainstnumerousmosquesandIslamic
centres;andIslamicritessuchasfastingandHajj(pilgrimage).
“Whetherit’stheissuingofa‘GoodNews’alert,providinganoverviewofmediacoverageonanissueofspecificpertinence
toCanadianMuslims,oranalyzingtheeffectsofanti-Muslimdiscriminationandharassment,CAIR-CANprovidesanimportant
servicetoallCanadians.”
>LoisSweet,AssistantProfessor,SchoolofJournalismandCommunication,CarletonUniversity
“CAIR-CANisavaluableresourceforwriters,reporters,producersandeditors.”
>KarleneNation,DiversityReporter/Producer,CFTO/CTV
On The Record
On the Toronto 18 terrorism suspects
“Themysterysurroundingthiscaseandthis
unorthodoxturnofeventsraisesseriousdoubts
abouttheaccused’schancesofafairtrialand
dueprocess.”
> Sameer Zuberi
Source:www.threadbare.tyo.ca
Date:September26,2007
On domestic violence
“Thereshouldbezerotoleranceforviolenceofany
kindagainstwomenorgirls,”
> Shahina Siddiqui,
Source:www.embassymag.ca
Date:June27,2007
On the religious rights of Toronto 18 Terrorism Suspects
“Prisonersofallreligiousbackgroundsare
guaranteedtherighttocontinuepracticingtheir
faithwhileincarcerated,”
> Sameer Zuberi
Source:www.toronto18.com
Date:May8,2008
On the Reasonable Accommodation debate
“Ithinkit’simportanttorecognizethattheentire
premiseofreasonableaccommodationisadubious
premise,”hesays,explainingthattheentiredebate
iscentredaroundthefalseargumentthatthere
areconstantrequestsforaccommodationsthatare
somehowunreasonable”
> Sameer Zuberi
Source:http://www.siafu.ca/story/76
Date:August27,2008
On the case of exiled Canadian Abousfian Abdelrazik
“TheCanadianCouncilonAmerican-IslamicRela-
tionsiscallingonthegovernmenttoimmediately
repatriateCanadiancitizenAbousfianAbdelrazik,”
saidCAIR-CANspokesmanIhsaanGardee,echoed
byAmnestyInternational.
> Ihsaan Gardee
Source:AssociationFrancePresse(AFP)
Date:September17,2008
CAIR-CAN’s media work – whether in print, radio or television – is notable for its depth and breadth. Whether it is issue-based commentary, one-on-one
interviews, live broadcasts, radio and television talk-ins, informative panel discussions or heated debate, CAIR-CAN is there to provide experienced and
articulate representation for Canada’s diverse Muslim communities.
24 25
04> Publications & Kits
CAIR-CAN’spublicationsarestillindemandbyboththeprivateandpublicsector.Over
400KnowYourRightsbookletsweresenttooneconferencealoneandanother120
copies of the Educator’sGuide to IslamicReligiousPracticeswere ordered by one
schoolboard.Currently,theentirelibraryofpublicationsfromourGuidestoIslamic
Religious practices for journalists, employers, and health care providers are being
updatedandrevampedwithanewlook,sokeepaneyeoutforthem.
Otherorganizationsthathaveorderedourpublicationsincludegovernmentagencies
suchas theCanadianHumanRightsCommission,ArtsCanada,CanadianHeritage,
the Department of National Defense, Citizenship and Immigration Canada; media
organizations such asCTVandCBC; private companies such asUPS,Client Logic,
Convergysandlawfirms;policeservicessuchastheRCMPandtheCanadianPolice
Collegeandothers.
CAIR-CAN’scomprehensiveandpracticalcommunitymediakitsonRamadanandHajj
areessentialresourcesinthetoolboxofanyCanadianMuslimmediaactivist.
> Workshops and Seminars
CAIR-CANoffersseminarsandworkshopstothepublicandprivatesector.Workshops
onanti-discrimination,IslamandMuslimshavebeendeliveredtoeducators,employers,
mediaprofessionalsandthelawenforcementcommunity.
Furthermore,CAIR-CAN’sworkshopsforvariousMuslimcommunitiesprovideleaders
andactivistswiththeessentialtoolsandknowledgeforeffectivemediarelationsand
humanrightsadvocacy.
WORK Community Education
> Conferences & Speaking Engagements
CAIR-CAN representatives are regular panelists at national conferences across
Canada. Over the past year CAIR-CAN representatives have spoken at numerous
eventsorganizedbysuchdiverseorganizationsas:
> HumanRightsRallyon“BringAbousfianAbdelrazikbacktoCanada”–Ottawa,ON
> KnowYourRightsseminarsforseveralgroupsincludingtheJusticeforAdil
CharkhouicoalitionandtheSomaliYouthFestival–Montreal,QCandOttawa,ON
> BridgingtheGapwiththeMuslimCommunityWorkshopshostedbytheMulticul-
turalInter-AgencyGroupofPeel-Mississauga,ON
> Conferenceon“ArabandMuslimIdentitiesonTrial:YouthStepUpandSpeak
Out!”atArabCommunityCentreofToronto–Toronto,ON
> AqsaParvezDomesticViolenceVigil–Toronto,ON
> Guantanamo Bay Panel
OnJune26,2008,CAIR-CANco-hostedapaneldiscussioneventwithHumanRights
WatchTorontoNetworkentitledGuantanamo:TimeforCanadatoAct.Thepurposeof
thepanelwastoprovideaforumforameaningfuldiscussionaboutGuantanamoBay
andtheopportunityforCanadianstoplayapositiveroleinremedyingsomeofthe
damagedoneasaresultofthehumanrightsviolationswhichhaveoccurredthere.
The panel featured the following speakers: Michelle Shephard, National Security
Reporter, TorontoStar; JuliaHall, SeniorCounsel, TerrorismandCounterterrorism
Program,HumanRightsWatch;andSujitChoudhry,AssociateDean,FacultyofLaw,
UniversityofToronto.
MichelleShephard,authorofGuantanamo’sChild,focusedontheplightofCanadian
citizenOmarKhadrandrecountedherexperiencesfromherseveralvisitstoGuan-
tanamoBay.ShesharedwiththeaudiencetheconditionsinGuantanamo,themanner
inwhichOmarhasbeendetainedovertheyearsaswellastheCanadianpublic’sat-
titudestowardsOmarandhisfamily.
JuliaHallprovidedasynopsisofthelegalandpoliticalissuessurroundingGuantanamo,
includingbackgroundonacategoryofdetaineeswhomtheU.S.hasindicatedought
nottohavebeendetainedbutwhoremainatGuantanamoastheyhavenosafeplace
toreturnto.SheurgedCanadatohelpcloseGuantanamobyofferinghumanitarian
assistanceandrefugetotheUighurdetaineesandtorepatriateOmarKhadr.
Professor Sujit Choudhury focused on legal analysis and jurisprudence from the
Canadiancourtsrelevanttotheseissues,andparticularlyonthesignificanceofthe
SupremeCourtofCanada’sdecisioninKhadrv.Canada.
26 27
WORK Civil Liberties Defence
“CAIR-CAN plays a valuable role empowering Canadian Muslims with a deeper understanding of their rights as citizens.
By addressing issues of particular interest to and impact onMuslims, as individuals and as a community, in an insightful
andeducatedmanner,CAIR-CANhashelpedfostergreaterunderstandinganddialogueamongallCanadians.”
>AlexaMcDonough,(former)MPHalifaxandNDPForeignAffairs
andInternationalDevelopmentCritic
04As the victims of the first publicized case of
extraordinary rendition, Maher Arar and his wife
Dr. Monia Mazigh have become household names in
both Canada and the United States.
WhiskedawayunderthecoverofnightfromNewYork’s
John F. Kennedy Airport on October 8, 2002, Maher
was deported to Syria and repeatedly tortured over
thespanof10monthsand10days.Fromtheoutsetof
Maher’sordeal,CAIR-CANstoodside-by-sidewithMoniato
publicizehiscaseandtocallforhisreturntoCanada.
Later,CAIR-CANpartneredwithnearly20organizationsincludingAmnestyInterna-
tional,theCouncilofCanadians,theCanadianArabFederationandtheInternational
CivilLibertiesMonitoringGroup, tocall forapublic inquiry into the involvementof
CanadianofficialsinMaher’sdeportationandtorture.
Inresponsetopublicpressure,onFebruary8,2004,Canadastruckapublicinquiry
presidedoverbyJusticeDennisO’Connor.CAIR-CANwasgrantedofficialIntervenerin
theinquiryandprovidedtestimonytoarticulatethesentimentsofCanadianMuslims.
Following months of in-depth testimony and analysis, Justice O’Connor concluded
thattheRCMPerroneouslylabeledMaheran“IslamistextremistlinkedtoAl-Qaeda”
and found that it shared this informationwithAmericanofficials.TheArar Inquiry
producedtworeports.Thefirstreport,issuedinSeptember2006,outlined23recom-
mendationstocorrecthumanrightsabuseswhichresultedinMaher’sdeportationand
eventualtorture.Todate,therehasbeennoreportontheimplementationofthese
recommendations.
The second report, released in December 2006, called for the establishment of a
strong and comprehensive review body to oversee the practices of all intelligence
agenciesinCanada.Ifimplementedbythegovernment,JusticeO’Connor’sprescrip-
tionswouldhelppreventfuturetragedieslikeMaher’sfromreccurring.Unfortunately,
therehasbeenno signon thepartof thegovernmentofCanada to indicate they
will be implementing Justice O’Connor’s recommendations regarding the need for
intelligenceoversight.
CAIR-CAN intends to work with the Muslim community and Canadians of all
backgrounds to maintain pressure on the government to follow up on Justice
O’Connor’srecommendations.
> Awaiting implementation: the O’Connor Report two years later
“ThededicatedandprofessionalteamatCAIR-CANareimportantpartnersintheongoingandcriticalefforttoensurethat
newlaws,policiesandpractices,adoptedinthenameofenhancingsecurityhereinCanadaaswellasabroad,donotadversely
impactthefundamentalhumanrightsandcivillibertiesofallCanadians.”
>AlexNeve,SecretaryGeneral,AmnestyInternationalCanada
Protecting the legal and political interests of Canada’s Muslims requires vigilance and sustained government advocacy. CAIR-CAN is at the forefront
in defending basic Canadian rights and liberties against the politics of fear and division. CAIR-CAN has organized media conferences and offered
written and oral testimony before parliamentary committees on legislation relating to charitable fundraising and terrorism, and the anti-terrorism
omnibus legislation.
28 29
WORK > Abousfian Abdelrazik 04The story of Abousfian Abdelrazik, which is still unfold-
ing, represents yet another dark page in the history of
human rights and civil liberties in Canada.
Mr. Abdelrazik, a 46-year-old Sudanese Canadian who
became a citizen in 1995, was fingered by CSIS as an
alleged terrorist suspect after travelling to the Sudan
tovisithisailingmother in2003. A fewmonthsafter
arrivingintheSudan,Mr.Abdelrazikwaspickedupand,
according to documents made public under freedom
of information legislation,detainedtwice (at leastonceat therequestofCanadian
officials). Mr.Abdelrazik claims that, during his detention, hewas interrogated by
Canadianofficialsandtorturedwhileinprison.Hehasbeenlanguishingfornearly5
yearsinKhartoumwhereheremains,atthetimeofthiswriting,holedupintheCanadian
embassysincelateApril2008havingbeengranted“temporarysafehaven”.
Despite being aware ofMr. Abdelrazik’s situation, successive Canadian governments
have failed to provide himwith emergency travel documents and have thwarted all
effortstobringhimhometoMontrealandtohisfamily.Mostrecently,theCanadian
governmentrenegedonitspledgetoissueMr.Abdelrazikemergencytraveldocuments
afterhislawyersfoundanairlinewillingtoprovidehimtransportationbacktoCanada
viaAbuDhabi.TheDepartmentofForeignAffairsandInternationalTradeassertsthat
Mr.AbdelrazikcannotbereturnedtoCanadasolongasheremainsonaUNtravelban
listcompiledunderSecurityCouncilResolution 1267. Nevertheless,citizensofother
countrieswhoarestillonwhatisnowknowasthe“1267list”havebeensuccessfully
repatriated,evenundercircumstanceswheretheyhadtoflyoverotherUNmember
countriestogethome.Mr.Abdelrazik,whofacesnocriminalcharges,hasneverbeen
indictedorconvictedeither inSudanorCanadaanddenieshavinganyconnection
toAl-Qaedaor everhavingbeen toAfghanistan. Mr.Abdelrazik’s caseappears to
beyetanother“Canadianversion”ofextraordinaryrendition.Eerilysimilarinmany
respectstothecasesofothermen includingMaherArar,AbdullahAlmalki,Ahmed
El-Maati,andMuayyedNureddin,Mr.Abdelrazik’scasestandsinstarkcontrastwith
that of Canadian citizen Brenda Martin who, after being tried and convicted of a
criminaloffenceinMexico,butwheredoubtsremainedabouttheprocess,waspromptly
repatriatedtoCanadabytheFederalGovernment.
Unable to leave the Canadian embassy for fear over his own personal safety,
Mr.Abdelrazikcontinues tospendhisdaysandnights in thecommonareasof the
embassy having limited ability to contact his estranged family and his lawyers.
As a Canadian citizen who has not been convicted or even charged wih a crime,
Mr.Abdelrazik’srighttoenterCanadaoughttobeabsolute.Ifallegationsexistagainst
Mr. Abdelrazik, those allegations should be made clear to him and he should be
affordedtheopportunitytorespondtoanysuchchargeshereinCanadainafair,open
andtransparentjudicialprocess.
Aftermonthsofpromising toassistMr.Abdelrazik, thecurrentgovernmentseems
content to raise unnecessary legal hurdles and arbitrarily withdraw citizenship
privilegesonacase-by-casebasis.CAIR-CANandotherscallontheFederalGovernment
to reverse this Kafkaesque trend to security and governance and to respect the
inalienable rights of Canadian citizens. All Canadian citizens are entitled to due
processandCanadiansshoulddemandnoless.
> Huseyin Celil
The cases of three Canadians tortured overseas:
Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed
Nureddin.
On October 21, 2008, Justice Iacobucci released his
544-pagepublicreport.Thereportstatedunequivocally
thatallthreemenweretorturedwhiledetainedinSyria
andEgypt,andthattheactionsofCanadianofficialsindi-
rectlycontributedtotheirtorture.JusticeIacobuccialso
stated,inthecasesofAbou-ElmaatiandNureddin,that
Canadacontributedtotheoverseasdetentionofthemen.Equallyimportant,Justice
Iacobuccieffectivelyclearedthethreemenofanywrongdoingorterroristaffiliations.
InhisnewsconferenceonOctober21,whenaskedifthemenareinnocent,Iacobucci
statedtheyshouldbeconsideredinnocentuntilprovenguilty.Inhisreporthestated
thattheRCMPandCSISusedinflammatorylabelslike“imminentthreat”or“Islamic
extremist”todescribethemenwhenthesewereunsubstantiatedsuspicionsatbest.
ThethreemenarenowseekinganapologyfromtheGovernmentofCanadaforthe
involvementofCanadianofficialsintheirdetentionandtorture.Theyarealsoseeking
financialcompensationforthemonthsandyearsspentintorturecells,theeffectsof
whichhaveleftpermanentimpactsontheirlives.
CAIR-CANcontinuestofullysupporttheirstruggleforjusticeandisworkingtoensure
thatwhathappenedtoAbdullahAlmalki,AhmedAbou-ElmaatiandMuayyedNureddin
doesnothappenagain.
> Iacobucci Inquiry
Huseyin Celil, a Canadian Muslim of Uyghur descent,
has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Chinese
government. Coming from the historically oppressed
MuslimUyghurminority in China, Huseyin Celil received
refugeestatus in2001andeventuallyearnedhiscitizen-
shipwhileservingasanImaminHamilton,Ontario.
WhileonatriptovisitrelativesinUzbekistanin2006,Celil
wasarrestedbyUzbekauthoritiesanddeportedtoChina,
againstprotestsfromtheCanadiangovernment.InAugust2006Celilwassentencedto
lifeimprisonmentforalleged“terroristcrimes.”
Along with other human right organizations, CAIR-CAN has repeatedly mobilized
Canadianstocallforhisrelease.Inresponse,andtoitscredit,theHarpergovernment
stronglypressedChineseofficialsforhisreturntoCanada.Thiscallhasbeensupported
bytheAmericans.
DespiteincreasedworldscrutinyofChina’shumanrightsrecordleadinguptotherecent
2008OlympicsheldinBeijing,CelilremainsimprisonedandChineseofficialsrefuseto
recognizehisCanadiancitizenship.
CAIR-CANcontinuestomonitorhiscaseandshedlightondevelopmentsastheyhappen
andiscommittedtokeepingupthestruggletofreeImamCelil.
30 31
Five Muslim men, Adil Charkaoui, Mohamed Harkat,
Mahmoud Jaballah, Mohammed Mahjoub and Hassan
Almrei, are currently named under federal legislation
known as security certificates.
As part of Canadian immigration law, security certifi-
cates allow for the government to deport permanent
residentsorrefugeeclaimantsbasedonreasonsofse-
curityorcriminality.
Foranumberofyearssecuritycertificateshavebeencritiquedonanumberofgrounds
byacademics,humanrightsorganizationsand legalgroups.Theyhavepointedout
thattheinformationusedtosupportacertificateisgatheredbyintelligenceagencies
andiskeptinsecret,notdisclosedtothenamedpersonortheirlawyer.
A judge then determines if intelligence provided in the certificate meets the low
thresholdof“reasonableness,”atestthat isbelowevidencebeyondtheshadowof
adoubt.
In2006,asaresultofanationaldebateonsecuritycertificates,theSupremeCourt
decidedtoconsideraconstitutionalchallengeonthe legislationbyAdilCharkaoui.
WithfundingprovidedbytheCourtChallengesProgram,CAIR-CAN,representedby
Bakerlaw,contestedthelegalityofthesecuritycertificate.
Inalandmarkvictory,theSupremeCourtunanimouslyruledthatthenon-disclosure
ofevidencewasunconstitutional inFebruary2007.Thecourtalso said thenamed
person’s right to a fair trialwas compromisedbynot being able to know the case
againstthem.
InFebruary2008,Parliamentpassedalawtoresurrectsecuritycertificatesbyinsert-
ingaSpecialAdvocateintotheprocess,sothattherightsofthenamedpersonmight
beprotected.However,SpecialAdvocatescannotdiscussevidencewith thenamed
persontotesttheintelligence.
Currently, the security certificate faces a second constitutional challenge at the
SupremeCourtonthegroundsthatSpecialAdvocatescannotensuredueprocess.It
remainstobeseenhowtheCourtwillrulebuttheMuslimmennamedundersecurity
certificatesremainindetentionorunderhousearrestandcontinuetoseektheirday
inopencourt.CAIR-CANcontinuestosupportalleffortstoensureafairandopen
processisaffordedtoeachofthem.
> The Toronto 18 04WORK > Security Certificates
On June 2, 2006, 17 Muslim men and boys were arrested and faced criminal
charges in an alleged plot to conduct terror attacks in Canada.
Afewdays lateran 18thpersonwasalsoarrested.Sincethenthenewsmediaand
governmentofficialshavereferredtothemasthe“Toronto18.”
AsthisAnnualReviewgoestoprintinOctober2008,theoriginal18individualsnow
havediffering legalstatus.Sevenmenhavehadtheirchargesstayedoreffectively
dropped,10stillremaininfrontofthecourts,andone,ayouthatthetimeofhisarrest
whocannotbenamed,wasfoundguiltyonSeptember25,2008.
TheSeptember2008guiltyverdictcameasasurprisetohumanrightsorganizations,
includingCAIR-CAN,astheaccusedseemedlikeaperipheralfigureintheallegedplot.
Theyouthstillhastheopportunitytoappealtheverdictandthisconvictionshouldnot
prejudicetheoutcomeoftheremaining10men.
InanefforttoensurefairtreatmentoftheToronto18whileinprison,CAIR-CANmet
withOntarioMPPstoensurethatallegationsofprisonmistreatmentwereinvestigat-
ed.CAIR-CANhasalsodefendedtherightoftheaccusedtoafairtrialanddueprocess
andwillcontinuetodosoasthecasesunfold.
> No Fly List : One year after
CAIR-CANwas one of the only advocacy groups to prepare and file a submission
againstCanada’sPassengerProtector“No-Fly”Listprogram,launchedinthesum-
merof2007.Thethirty-pagesubmissionwasendorsedbymorethan27organizations
fromacrossthecountry.CAIR-CAN’sin-depthreviewandcritiqueoftheNo-FlyList
hasfoundthatitisfundamentallyflawedinnolessthannine(9)differentlevels.
Theseincludethefollowing:
1)Lackofauthoritywithoutbeingsanctionedbyelectedrepresentatives
2)ThequestionableneedoreffectivenessofList
3)Theviolationoflibertyrightsandlackofdueprocessandfundamentaljustice
4)Theviolationofprivacyrightsofindividuals
5)ThelackofindependentmembersonPassengerProtectAdvisoryGroup(PPAG)
6)Thelackofindependentoversightandmeaningfulappealchannels
7)Thedifficultyofhavingone’snameremovedfromtheList
8)ViolationsofotherCharterrights
9)TheList’slikelyresultinracial/religiousprofiling
Thequestionthatmustbeaskedinevaluatingthissecuritymeasureis“Howisit,that
someonewhoistoodangeroustoflyisinnocentenoughtowalkthestreetsortakea
busortrain?”WehaveyettoseehowtheNo-FlyListwillfareinthemonthsandyears
ahead.However,itissafetosaytheListwillhaveaprofoundimpactonfundamental
libertiesandhumanrights.
TodownloadCAIR-CAN’sfullsubmissionpleasevisitourwebsiteatwww.caircan.ca
32 33
Throughout 2007 Quebec news media was
inundated with reports of seemingly unreasonable
requests for accommodation by Quebec’s religious mi-
norities. AtfirstsparkedbyadistortedreportthataHasidic
Jewish synagogue in Montreal asked a YMCA to frost
itswindowssoboysstudyingwouldnotbedistractedby
exercisingwomen,dozensmoreaccommodationstories
appeared in themedia. Punditsmade it out to be that
therewas a tension between traditionalQuebec values
andthenewlylandedimmigrantandreligiouscommunities.
Duringthereasonableaccommodationdebate,storiesappearedinthepressaboutAzzy
MansourwhowasejectedfromaLavalsoccerfield;SondosAbdelatif,whowasfired
fromBordeaujail;andfivetaekwondoplayersdismissedfromafinaltournament.All
facedintoleranceduetothehijab.CAIR-CANwasattheforefrontofeachoftheseissues
anddefendedtherightsofQuebecMuslimsbycommentinginthemedia,contacting
governmentofficialsandforginglinkswithQuebeccivilsociety.
Provincialpoliticiansinthemidstofanelectioncampaignattemptedtoderivepoliti-
cal capital fromthedebate. Inparticular, representativesofActiondémocratiquedu
Québec (ADQ) rode the populist wave and stated that something had to be done.
TheQuebecLiberalsandthePartiQuébécois(PQ)playedtheroleofspectators.
In order to channel the debate, the Quebec premier and Liberal Party leader Jean
ChareststrucktheReasonableAccommodationCommissionheadedbysociologistand
historianGérardBouchardandphilosopherCharlesTaylor. The commission received
testimonyfromhundredsofgroupsandindividualsincitiesacrossQuebec.CAIR-CAN
testifiedbeforethetwocommissionersandassistedotherorganizationsintheprepara-
tionoftheirbriefs.
TheBouchard-TaylorReportreleasedinMay2008,wasforthemostpart,overwhelming
positiveforQuebec’sreligiousandethnicminorities.
KeyfindingsoftheReportincluded:
1) Recognizing the existence of Islamophobia and stating that “The way to
overcomeIslamophobiaistodrawclosertoMuslims,nottofleethem”;
2) Refuting the notion that most accommodation requests are made by
immigrantcommunities(themajorityofaccommodationrequestscamefromProt-
estantQuebecers);
3) RecognizingthatimmigrantsarenotathreattotheFrenchlanguage;
4) Reassertingtherightsofnon-Catholicstotaketheirreligiousholidaysoff;
5)UnderliningthatQuebecMuslimsarenotghettoized;
6) Acknowledging that Quebec Muslims are amongst the best educated citizens
butalsohavehighunemployment;and,
7)QuebecvaluesdonotcontradictIslamicvalues.
WORK > Reasonable Accommodation Public Advocacy & Human Rights 04
Reasonable Accommodation: A legal concept where an employer or institution has a duty to accommodate when a law or norm is in conflict with rights as outlined in the Canadian and Quebec charters. However, with media reporting
focusing on a handful of religious and cultural accommodation questions, the debate has been one of Quebec values and to what extent religious and cultural practices will be accepted.
As a human rights organization, a significant aspect of CAIR-CAN’s work involves
fighting discrimination and harassment faced by Canada’s Muslims. We regularly
receive complaints from individuals who feel that they have been discriminated
against by their employer, landlord, government agency, or other service provider.
Our staff provide advice and options to the concerned parties, and occasionally,
publicizecertaincases.
Human Rights Committee
Many Canadians know about CAIR-CAN through our involvement in high profile
cases.SeveralofthesehavealreadybeendescribedinthisAnnualReview.However,
a significantamountof theorganization’s resources is invested inour little known
butsubstantialHumanRightsCommittee.Thiscommitteeiscomposedofvolunteer
lawyersand lawstudentswhograciouslygive their time tohelpCanadianMuslims
facingdiscriminationduetotheirfaith.
EachyearoverahundredMuslimsacrossthecountrycallournationalheadquarters
in Ottawa to seek help in human rights disputes. Our Human Rights Committee
makes an assessment of incoming cases to see if the complainant has been
discriminatedduetotheirfaith.Ifso,wewilleither:1)provideinformationandadviceto
empowerthecomplaintintheirefforttoseekaresolution,2) referthecomplainanttoa
humanrightslawyerifthecaserequiresexpertisebeyondthecapacityofourvolunteer
committee,or3)assignthecasetoourvolunteerlawyersandlawstudents.
Once a case is assigned to a member of our Human Rights Committee, we will
correspondwiththeallegedoffendingbodytoheartheiraccountofeventsandto
seekaresolution.Ifasatisfactoryagreementcannotbefoundwethencanescalate
thecaseinanumberofwaysincludingpublicizingtheincidentinthemedia,contacting
theaffectedperson’sMPorfilingacomplaintwithahumanrightscommissionorover-
sightbody.CAIR-CAN’sHumanRightsCommitteeconsistsofateamthatincludes:
Protecting the rights and freedoms of Canada’s Muslims requires vigilance and sustained government advocacy. CAIR-CAN continues to be at the
forefront of Canadian Muslim organizations in defending civil liberties. CAIR-CAN has, moreover, fulfilled this role by working closely with national
organizations across Canada such as Amnesty International, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, the Canadian Arab Federation and
the Canadian Council on Refugees.
> AliAhmed
> SameerAkhtar
> SamreenBeg
> NafisahChowdhury
> JoseCorrea
> RahatGodil
> NajiaMahmud
> MueedPeerbhoy
> ZeenathZeath
34 35
WORK >The Case of Omar Khadr 04>The Case of Halima Muse
It has taken almost six years, but today the case of Omar Khadr is well
known to Canadians, with many calling for his repatriation. In 2002,
OmarKhadrwascapturedby theUSMarines followingafirefight inAfghanistan.
Even thoughhewas 15at the time,qualifyinghimasa child soldieraccording to
international law, Khadrwas labeled by the American government as an “enemy
combatant” and detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He has been held in the
detentionfacilitysince,whereheawaitstrial.
Fromavideoreleasedearlierthisyear,itbecameapparentthatCSISagentsvisited
Guantanamo Bay to interview Khadr. After being subject to the “frequent flyer
program,”aformofsleepdeprivationtosoftendetaineesforinterrogation,Khadr
assumed Canadian government officials were there to secure his release and
repatriationtoCanada.However,CSISagentsvisitedGuantanamoBaytosubjecthim
toaCanadianroundofinterrogations.
CAIR-CANhasrepeatedlycalledfortheclosureofGuantanamoBayandOmarKhadr’s
repatriationtoCanada.Lastyear,CAIR-CAN,with20organizationalendorsements,
twicewrote the government to demand that it take steps to repatriate Khadr. In
October2008,CAIR-CANalsojoinedthe“BringOmarHome”campaign,acoalition
ofgroupsconsistingofAmnesty International, theCanadianArabFederation, the
Canadian IslamicCongress, theCanadianMuslimForum,theCouncilofCanadians
andothers.
Currently, Omar Khadr is the only western national being held in the detention
Halima Muse, a Canadian Muslim woman, was employed as a Screener
at Pearson’s International Airport for over 5 years and had no problems
with her employer until 2007 when she began to wear a longer version
of the skirt that was part of her uniform to work.
Screenerswererequiredtowearashirt, jacket,andpants,orashirt,
jacketandskirt.Theskirt’shemlinewasafewinchesbelowtheknee
andsomefemalescreenersraisedthehemlinewithoutpenalization.
Ms.Musewas laidoffwithoutpayfor lengtheningherskirt’shemline
andforrefusingtoweartheuniformpants.Shewaswithoutworkfor
threemonths.
Ms. Muse approached CAIR-CAN for assistance and also filed a
grievancethroughherunion–TeamstersLocalUnion847.CAIR-CAN
partneredwiththeunionandfiledajointcomplaintwiththeCanadian
HumanRightsCommission,allegingthatMs.Musehadbeenthesubject
ofreligiousdiscrimination.
Throughout November 2007,Ms. Muse’s story was then sharedwith
themediaandextensivecoverageappearedinnationaloutlets–print,
televisionandradio.
Asaresult,Ms.Muse’scomplaintwasquicklyresolved.
Shewasfullycompensatedfor lostwages,benefitsandseniorityand
the uniform policy was amended to allow women to wear a longer
versionoftheskirtthatwaspartoftheuniform.
facility.TheUK,France,GermanyandAustraliahaveallsuccessfullypressuredtheUSto
repatriate their citizens, and in some cases even their permanent residents. No
Canadian government, since Omar Khadr’s detention, has called upon the US to
return him to Canada. However, all three federal opposition parties in the last
parliament repeatedly called on the Conservatives to repatriate Omar Khadr.
ReiteratingthecontentsofCAIR-CAN’slettertothegovernment,CAIR-CANcallsfor:
1) Omar Khadr to be immediately repatriated to Canada, his country of birth,
inlinewiththeexamplesetbyotherwesterncountriesand,thatKhadrbegranted
acriminaltrialinCanadawithconsiderationofhisjuvenilestatusatthetimethe
allegedactsoccurred.
2)Canadahaveimmediate,fullandunhinderedaccesstoKhadr’smedicalfile;
3) TheConsularRelationsActberespectedinthecaseofKhadr,thusensuringhim
therighttomedicalandlegalassistancefromCanadianconsularofficials;
4) Khadr be immediately evaluated by a physician and psychologist of his
choosingtoassesshismedicalandpsychologicalcondition;
5) Khadr’s eye and knee conditions be immediately evaluated and treated
bymedicalexperts inthefield,andhebegivenprescriptionglasses ifdeemed
necessary;and,
6) DennisEdney,Khadr’sCanadiancounsel,henceforthhavehissolicitor-clientprivi-
legeprotectedandnotbesubjecttoharassmentandintimidationbyUScustoms
officialsorGuantanamoBaypersonnel,asreportedintheJuly16editionofthe
TorontoStar.
36
WORK Opinion Pieces 04
Head coverings and Islam: Qur’an requires both women and men to dress modestly -WinnipegFreePress,10/14/07
ShahinaSiddiqui,CAIR-CANBoardofDirectors
Myfirstmemoryofaburqa (SouthAsian-stylehijab)
isoftryingtofindmymom’sburqawithintheheapof
blackburqas,afteraspiritualgatheringofwomenata
cousin’shouse.IalwaysmanagedtofinditsinceIcould
smell the perfume my mom used. The security my
cousinsandIfeltasweplayedgrownupsandgiggled
throughtheniqabs(faceveils)arepricelessmemories
thatstillcomfortme.
In the mid-1960s, on my father’s insistence and my
grandmother’sreluctantapproval,mymotherstopped
wearingtheburqa.Whilestillmaintaininghermodesty
sheventuredoutintheworldofsocialandofficialobli-
gationsmyfatherhadthusfarattendedalone.
I remember my mother’s nervous demeanor and her
teary-eyedconversationswithhersistersonhowguilty
andhowexposedshefelt.Mymothereventuallyadjust-
edtohernewlook.Infact,shestartedtoappreciatethat
shecouldnowfullyparticipateinmyfather’slife.
IgrewupswearingthatIwouldneverobservepurdah
(segregation of women) as practiced by some inmy
countryofbirth.EvenasachildIcouldnotfathomthat
aMercifulCreatorwouldrequirewomentobebarred
from full participation in society. Like most Muslim
womenofmygenerationwehadfalselyassumedthat
allthepracticesandcustomsinourrespectivecultures
were sanctioned by Islam. It was only when I came
to Canada in themid-1970s and had the privilege to
studymyreligionandspeciallythestatusofwomenin
ShariahthatIcametoappreciatetheconceptofmod-
estyasprescribedintheQur’anandexplainedbythe
ProphetMuhammad.
InmydecadesofspeakingonIslamthequestionthat
keeps coming up is the women’s dress code. Some
wanttoprovethatMuslimwomenareforcedtowearit,
whileothersarguethatIslamdoesnotstipulateguide-
lines for how Muslim women should cover when in
public.Stillthereareotherswhoconsiderhijabasign
of fundamentalismand theTalibanizationofWestern
Muslimwomen.Somehavegonesofarastodrawlinks
betweenveilsandradicalizationorterrorism.
Themajorityofscholarsagreethattheversesofthe
1
Opinion pieces are arguably the most influential and creative way to articulate a perspective on important issues of the day. CAIR-CAN has an
unprecedented rate of opinion piece success. In our last review we had published 91 op-eds. Currently that figure stands at 105. CAIR-CAN has
published pieces in the The Globe & Mail, the Toronto Star, the Ottawa Citizen, the Montreal Gazette, the Kingston Whig-Standard, the Calgary
Herald, the Edmonton Journal, the Winnipeg Free Press, the Windsor Star, the Regina Leader-Post, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, the Vancouver Sun,
the London Free Press, the Charlottetown Guardian, and the Cape Breton Post. For your convenience we have reproduced, in the following pages,
five of our recent op-eds for you to read through and see for yourself.
38 39
Qur’anthattalkaboutthedressaspectofmodestyof-
fer guidelinesanddonot point to a specific styleor
cultural uniform that allMuslimwomen shouldwear.
Islamisauniversalfaithforallpeopleandalltimes.It
wouldthereforemakelittlesenseifithadinsistedona
particularstyleofdress.
ModestyisenjoineduponbothMuslimmenandMus-
limwomen:“Saytothebelievingmenthattheyshould
lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will
makeforgreaterpurityforthem:andGodiswellac-
quaintedwithallthattheydo.Andsaytothebelieving
women that they should lower their gaze and guard
theirmodesty:andtheyshouldnotdisplaybeautyand
ornamentsexceptwhat(mustordinarily)appearthere-
of...”(Qur’anSurah24:An-Nur:30and31)
Thefollowingconclusionscanbedrawnonthebasisof
theabove-citedverses.ThisQur’anicinjunctionenjoin-
ingMuslimstolowertheirgazeandbehavemodestly
appliestobothMuslimmenandwomen.Muslimwom-
enareenjoinedtodressmodestlysoasnottodisplay
theirbeautyinpublic.
When Iwasstruggling towear thehijab (themodest
garbincludingtheheadscarf)IknewthatIwouldhave
tomakemajorlifechangesnotonlyinmyappearance,
butinmyinteractionwithothersandmywholeoutlook
onthesocialaspectofmylife.WhatIwasnotprepared
forwasthatmychoicetofollowmyfaithwouldmeet
suchresistancefrombothinsideandoutsidetheMus-
limcommunity.
OvertheyearsIhaveheardallkindsofexplanationsbeing
offeredtoexplainwhyMuslimwomendressmodestly.
Muslim women cover themselves in modest clothing
inpublicbecausetheCreatorrecommendsit.Godhas
revealed in theQur’an (Chapter59) “OProphet! Tell
yourwivesanddaughters, and thebelievingwomen,
thattheyshouldcasttheiroutergarmentsovertheir
persons (when inpublic):So that theyareknown(as
such)andarenotaccosted.”
When asked by one of his female companions what
Allahmeantby“covertheirpersons,”theProphetex-
plaineditmeanttocoverthebodyinloose,non-trans-
parentclothingexceptforthehandsandface.
Thefactremainsthatthereisastatedrequirementof
modesty in dress for Muslim women and men in the
Qur’anandinthetraditionsoftheProphetMuhammad.
The only explanation that satisfies my soul and sits
truewithmyspiritisthatIdressaccordingtoIslamic
stipulationsbecauseAllahhasaskedmetoandforno
otherreason.ThisismysubmissiontomyCreatorand
all the other benefits are a result of this submission
andnotthereason.FortrulyifAllahdidnotrequireme
towearthehijabheadscarf,wouldI?
Therefore,thechoicetoadornthehijabformostNorth
AmericanMuslimwomeniswell-informedandrooted
inknowledge.Wemaydiffer in theextentof“cover”
butweallobserveitasareligiousright.
Soforthosewhovaluefreedomofchoiceandrespect
diversity,pleasestandupforourrightsandknowthat
there aremany CanadianMuslimwomenwhowould
like to wear the hijab but do not because they are
afraidthattheywillberidiculed.
Rushing injustice through the Senate
TorontoStar-02/13/08
SameerZuberi,CAIR-CANwithMaudeBarlow,Council
ofCanadiansandRochTassé,InternationalCivilLiber-
tiesMonitoringGroup
With thesupportof theLiberals, theHarpergovern-
ment is trying to rushabill through theSenate that
wouldputsecuritycertificatesbackintoCanada’santi-
terror lexiconasa legitimatemeansofapprehending
anddeportingpeoplesuspectedofbeingthreatstona-
tionalsecurity.
The security certificate is a citizenship and immigra-
tionprocessthatwasdeemedunconstitutionalbythe
SupremeCourtofCanadaonFeb.23,2007,becauseit
involvessecrethearingsandbecauseitdeniesthesus-
pectstheabilitytoknowandtomeetthecasesagainst
them.Atthetimeoftheruling,fiveMuslimmenhad
been in detention, or under house arrest, without
chargeforacombined26years.
Considering the gross and numerous errors commit-
tedbytheRCMPandCSISnowinthepublicdomain,
andthenewCIAtestimonythatafullquarterofitsAl-
Qaeda-related human intelligence has been acquired
throughtorture,itisparticularlyunfairtodenythese
fivementheabilitytofullydefendthemselvesagainst
potentiallyfaultyintelligenceconclusions.
TheConservativegovernment’sBillC-3,whichpassed
theHouseofCommons ina 196-71vote lastWednes-
dayand iscurrentlybeingdebatedbyaSenateanti-
terrorismcommittee,re-introducesthisperversesecu-
ritycertificateprocessvirtuallyuntouchedbeyondthe
inclusionintothehearingsofa“specialadvocate”who
wouldhaveaccesstotheso-calledevidencebutwho
wouldstillnotbeallowedtoshareitwiththesuspect.
Although the “special advocates” would be able to
challenge the intelligence report, they would not be
able to cross-examine the sourceof this intelligence,
for instance a detainee in a foreign jail or an agent
fromanothergovernment.
In other words, Bill C-3 sustains a two-tier justice
systeminCanada–withonesetofrightsforcitizens
andanother,reducedsetofrightsfornon-citizens. It
also,strangelyenough,setsuptwodifferentstandards
of proof with the weaker standard applied to what
manypeoplebelievetobethemoreserioussuspicion
ofterrorism.
Securitycertificatecases relyonamuch lowerstan-
dardofproof thandocriminalprosecutions.A judge
rulingonthecaseofanon-citizensubjectofasecurity
certificateonlyneeds“reasonablegroundstobelieve”
thattheyrepresentariskasopposedto“proofbeyond
areasonabledoubt”inacriminalcase.
BillC-3wouldmaintainaprocesswhereby,on intelli-
genceconclusionsfromCSIS,individualswhoarecon-
sideredarisktonationalsecurityaredeportedtotheir
countriesoforigin.Thegovernmentreferstosecurity
certificatedetaineesasbeingheldinprisoncellswith
threewallsbecause, as theyare told, theycan leave
thecountrywhenevertheychoose.
It’sadespicableapproachconsideringthatreturningto
theirhomecountryisnotanoptionformanyofthese
men,whowouldundoubtedlyfacetortureordeathat
thehandsoftheirgovernments.
Butyoualsohavetoask:Why,ifthesepeoplearesuch
threats,wouldwesimplyletthemgofree?
ThemostimportantflawwithC-3andthe“specialad-
vocate”systemisthatanidenticalprocesshasalready
beentriedintheUnitedKingdomandfailed.TheJoint
CommitteeonHumanRightsoftheU.K.HouseofCom-
monsandHouseofLordswroteinitsJuly2007report
thatitwas,“notjustoffensivetothebasicprinciplesof
adversarialjusticeinwhichlawyersaresteeped,butit
isverymuchagainstbasicnotionsoffairplayasthe
laypublicwouldunderstandthem.”
And after questioning four senior special advocates,
thecommitteewrote that,“Wewere left innodoubt
by their evidence that proceedings involving special
advocates,ascurrentlyconducted,failtoafforda‘sub-
stantialmeasureofproceduraljustice.’”
Not surprisingly, the Canadian Bar Association;
04WORK Opinion Pieces
2
40 41
the Quebec Bar Association; the Federation of Law
Societies of Canada; the Canadian Council on
American-Islamic Relations; Warren Allmand, former
Solicitor-GeneralofCanadaandspokespersonforthe
International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group; and
PaulCavalluzzo,formerleadcounseloftheMaherArar
inquiry,haveallsaidthatC-3isveryprobablystillun-
constitutional and could be successfully challenged
againattheSupremeCourt.
The new security certificate of Bill C-3 is essentially
identical to the old, unconstitutional process. It frac-
turesourjusticesystemalongtheflimsylineofcitizen-
ship. It takes questionableCSIS andCIA intelligence,
someofitacquiredthroughtorture,asabsolutetruth.
Andattheendoftheday,whenitworks,bythegov-
ernment’s own logic, it frees potential terrorists into
theworld.
Oursenators,attherequestoftheConservativeand
Liberal party leaders, are rushing to pass a law that
not only goes against the values and rights that are
enshrined in our Charter but against themost basic
commonsense.Theywoulddowelltotossasidetheir
partyallegiancesandofferCanadiansthesobersecond
thought theyare supposed toofferwhenourParlia-
mentarianslosetrackofwhatisbestforourcountry.
Truly Muslim, truly Canadian
WinnipegFreePress-March29,2008
ShahinaSiddiqui,CAIR-CANBoardofDirectors
AtarecentinvitationtospeakonIslamandMuslims,
I was confrontedwithwhat I thought at the time to
beanoddquestion.Awomanintheaudienceintone
offsheerimpatienceaskedme,“Whycan’tyoujustbe
a Canadian?” A little confused I responded, “I am a
Canadian.” She retorted, “No you are not, you keep
talkingaboutbeingaMuslim.”
ObviouslythepointwaslostthatIwasinvitedtotalk
aboutIslamandissuesaroundbeingaCanadianMus-
lim.SoIposedaquestionofmyown:WhycanInotbea
CanadianandaMuslim,justasthereareChristiansand
JewswhoareCanadians?Sheresponded,“Well they
don’tcallthemselvesCanadianChristians.”
The exchange was really going nowhere as we kept
talkingincirclesandIdecidedtoenditwith,“Ifyoucan
tellmewhatisitthatyoufindun-Canadianaboutme
perhapsIcanthenrespondmoreclearly.” Iwasfrus-
tratedbutat thesametimebemused thatshecould
notrespond.
Thiswomanhadobviouslyarticulatedwhatmanypeople
thinkbutaretoopolitetovoice. Itseemsthat inour
worldtodaywecompartmentalizeourlifeintodistinct
and unconnected spheres and therefore the infusion
offaith-based identityandanational identity isseen
asincompatible.IamsurethatifIhadclaimedtobea
Canadiansecularistitwouldnothaveposedaproblem.
Thisforceddichotomyofchurchandstate,whileunder-
standableatthegovernmental,civicandpoliticallevel,
makes little sense in thepersonal sphereof citizens’
lives.Myfaith-basedvaluesdirectmy lifeand inform
mydecisionswhilemycivicresponsibilitiestampermy
faithobservanceincaseofconflict.
OftenmissedWhatisalsooftenmissedbyold-timeCanadiansisthe
factthattheyhavenotclearlyarticulatedforus“new”
Canadianswhatmakes one a “real Canadian.” If the
factthatIpaymytaxes,abidebytheconstitution,obey
the lawandstandonguardforCanadaarenotgood
enough reasons tobe seenandacceptedasaCana-
dian,thenwhatis?
I strongly believe that to be a Canadian is to affirm
all that Iamwithall thecomplexitiesandnuances it
entails. However, if to be a Canadianmeans (as this
womanhadimplied)thatIshouldrejectwhoandwhat-
everelseIam,thenthereissurelyaseriousdisconnect,
especially since my faith is in total harmony with
valuesenshrinedintheCharterofRightsandFreedoms.
Ifacceptancewillcomeatthecostofmyinnerpeace
and harmony and will be subjected to whatever the
whimofthedaymaybe,thenIrefusetoacceptthisas
a Canadian value. Multiculturalism is more than
Folklorama and freedom to practice religion is more
thanmarkingreligiousfestivals.
IwasrecentlyaskedbyareporterinTorontoifitbothers
me that therearehyphenatedCanadiansandmyre-
sponsewasifpeoplewouldstopaskingmewhereIam
from, perhaps thenwe could stop being hyphenated
Canadians.Andeventhequestion“WhereIamfrom”
doesnotalwaysbothermebecauseitdependsinwhich
contextitisofferedin,andwhoisdoingtheasking.For
thosewhowishtoassertmy“otherness”,Ifactiously
respondthatIamfromCharleswood.
Today the social tide from certain elements in our
society is trying to drown out the uniqueness of
Canadian Muslims in terms of their values and
lifestyle and experiences by forcing them to choose
betweentheircountryandtheirfaith,whileneitheris
atoddswiththeother.Unfortunately,thisiscreatingan
environment where the loyalty and commitment of
“new”Canadians issuspect intheeyesofmanywho
seediversityasathreatratherthanastrength.
“O Human kind! Most certainly, it is God who has
Created you all from a single (pair) of amale and a
female.AnditisWewhohavemadeyouintoNations
andtribes,thatyemayrecognizeeachother,andnot
that ye may despise each other. Verily, the noblest
of you in the sight of Allah is one who is the most
righteousofyou.”(Qur’an49:13)
IobviouslycannotchangethecolourofmyskinandI
amdefiantlynotgoingtorenouncemyfaith(Godwill-
ing).Iamthereforeappealingtothereaderstohelpme
withthisone.
Clear the air on security inquiries
TheOttawaCitizen-July29,2008
Sameer Zuberi, CAIR-CAN; Alex Neve, Amnesty
International; Nehal Bhuta, Human Rights Watch;
and, Warren Allmand, International Civil Liberties
MonitoringGroup
Howtimepasses.ForyearsCanadianshavebeenwait-
ingforanswersconcerninghowfourCanadiancitizens
werebeingtorturedinthesameSyrianprison.Waiting
whilesecrecyshroudedthetruth.
Howtimepasses.IthasbeenalmostsixyearssinceMa-
herArarwasforcedasideatJohnF.KennedyAirport,
launchinghisyear-longnightmareoftortureandinjus-
tice,andalmosttwoyearssincethepublicinquiryinto
hiscaseissueditsreport.Aflurryofgovernmentaction
followed,includinganapologyandcompensationforMr.
Arar.Buttherehasbeennopublicreportingaboutgov-
ernmentplans to adopt thebulkof important recom-
mendationsfromtheinquirysuchastheneedtoover-
haulthemechanismsforreviewingtheRCMP’snational
securitywork.Onceagain,itappears,secrecyprevails.
Howtimepasses.Ithasbeenatleastfouryearssince
thearrestsofCanadiancitizensAhmadEl-Maati,Ab-
dullahAlmalkiandMuayyedNureddininSyria,andthe
beginningoftheirnightmaresoftortureandinjustice.It
hasbeen18monthssincethegovernmentannounced
therewouldan inquiry into their cases.That inquiry,
headed up by former Supreme Court Justice Frank
Iacobucci,justconcludeditsveryimportantwork.
Lawyersforthethreemen,forthegovernmentanda
handful of interested organizations allmade lengthy
finalsubmissionsattheendofJunelookingatCana-
da’sapproachtocounterterrorism,protectionagainst
04WORK Opinion Pieces
3
4
42 43
torture, complicity in human-rights violations and
co-operationwithsecurityagencies incountrieswith
poor human-rights records. But very few Canadians
haveanyawarenessofthat,becausethegovernment
designedaninquirymeanttobecomeoneofCanada’s
best-keptsecrets.
Somuchtimepasses,yet it isstilldifficult togetclear
informationandensurepublicaccountabilityconcerning
thehuman-rights concernsat theheartof all of these
cases.Whenthegovernmentsetthetermsofreference
fortheIacobucciinquiry,adeliberatedecisionwasmade
torequirethemajorityoftheinquirytobeconductedin
private.Onlyinexceptionalcircumstanceswasthecom-
missionerallowedtoconsiderholdingpublicsessions--
somethinghehas,forthemostpart,declinedtodo.That
wasthecompleteoppositeoftheArarinquiry,whichwas
presumedtobeopentothepublicandonlywentbehind
closeddoorswhenabsolutelynecessary.
Our groups expressed dismay at the time, highlight-
inghowimportantitistoensurethatinquiriesofthis
sorthaveasignificantpublicdimension.Thesecases,
involvingdisturbingallegationsofCanadiancomplicity
inhuman-rightsviolationsabroad,havetroubledCana-
diansandstrainedpublictrustinimportantinstitutions
suchastheRCMPandtheCSIS.Secretproceedingsdo
notrestorethattrust.
Throughout the course of the Iacobucci inquiry, we
pressedforsomeoftheprocesstobeopenedtothe
public.Howeverwiththeexceptionoftwodaysofhear-
ingsthecommissionerallowedinearlyJanuarytocon-
siderwhatlegalstandardsshouldgovern,theinquiry
hasremainedsecret.
Thecommissionerhasnotrequiredasinglewitnessto
testify in public or be cross-examinedby lawyers for
thethreemenwhoareattheheartoftheinquiry.Not
one page of documentation has been released. This
standsinstarkcontrasttotheArarinquiry.
IthasbeenalmostsevenyearsnowsincetheSept.11at-
tacks.Humanrightshavebeenundersiegeworldwide
inamultitudeofwaysduringthattime.Andaseach
yearhaspassed--withrevelationsaboutGuantanamo
Bay, European complicity in extraordinary rendition
flights,Mr.Arar’scaseandmore -- ithasbecome in-
creasinglyclearthatpublicaccountability,notsecrecy,
mustbethehallmarkofhowjusticesystemsrespond
totheseconcerns.
Secrecy takes a terrible toll. It erodes public confi-
dence. It makes it more difficult to monitor human-
rightsprotection.Butperhapsmostcritically,itslowly
destroys thepsycheof individualswhosereputations
andwell-beingaredirectlyimplicatedbytheproceed-
ings, butwhoare excluded fromparticipating in any
fairormeaningfulmanner.
This has most certainly been the case for Abdullah
Almalki, AhmadEl-Maati andMuayyedNureddin. Be-
causeofthesecrecyoftheprocessandrulingsmade
bythecommissioner,thesethreemenhavenoteven
been able to read the three sets of lengthy written
submissions their lawyershave recentlypreparedon
theirbehalf.Theyhavenotbeenabletoseehowtheir
ownlawyershavedefendedthemandhavesoughtto
protect their rights. It has left them feeling isolated,
denigratedandingreatdespair.
Ourorganizationshavejoinedlawyersforthethreemen
thisweekinalast-ditchrequesttothecommissionerto
holdonefinalphaseof the inquiryduringwhichclos-
ingsubmissionscouldbemadeorallyandinpublic.That
wouldofferanopportunityforCanadianstounderstand
thekeyissuesatstakebeforethecommissionerreleas-
eshisreport,expectedinSeptember.Anditwouldoffer
thethreemen,whosecasestriggeredtheinquiryinthe
firstplace,anopportunitytoseetheprocessconclude
withadegreeofseriousness.Wearenowawaitingthe
commissioner’srulingonthatrequest.
Meanwhile, the government has an opportunity to
demonstrate the sincerity of its commitment to
publicaccountabilityinthesecases.Itcouldagreetothe
requestforafinalpublicphaseofclosingsubmissions
attheIacobucciinquiry.
Timedoespass.Butitisnottoolate.
A fresh start for Muslims
VancouverSun-September11,2008
SameerZuberi,CAIR-CANCommunications
andHumanRightsCoordinator
For thousandsofCanadian families, thefirstweekof
Septemberwas important.Studentsacrossthecoun-
trywentbacktoschoolandhitthebooks.
Many of us remember those good old days. I fondly
recalllyinginbedthenightbeforethefirstdayback.
Dayonealwaysfeltlikeanewbeginning.Likemanyof
myfriends,Iwouldmakearesolutiontogetexcellent
gradesandapplymyselfthroughouttheyear.
ThisSept.2Iwasn’tgoingbacktoschool,butstill,Ihad
manyofthesamefeelings.AmericanPresidentGeorge
W. Bush and Secretary of State for Multiculturalism
JasonKenneymadestatements -- theholymonthof
Ramadan was starting. Just like students returning
toschool, the fastingmonthpresents thechance for
a fresh start. During daylight hours Muslims abstain
fromfood,drinkandsex.Fastingeachdayforalunar
month disciplines the mind, body and soul. Modern
sciencetellsuswecanacquirenewqualitiesandkick
oldhabitsthrough21to29daysofcontinuouseffort.
But for observant Muslims, the reason to fast goes
beyondempiricalresearch,andrestsonconvictionand
faith.“Ohyouwhobelieve,fastinghasbeenprescribed
for you, as it was prescribed for those before you,
so that you may learn piety,” the Holy Koran says
in chapter 2 verse 183. To reach this lofty state,
observant Muslims go beyond disciplining their
appetitesandseektoacquirepraiseworthyqualities.
My Grade 4 teacher, Mr. Nanco, taught us that the
Prophet Jesus,may peace be uponhim, inMatthew,
chapter 7 verse 12, is reported to have said, “So in
everything, do to others what youwould have them
dotoyou.”AnequivalentprophetictraditioninIslam
states: “Noneof you trulybelievesuntil he loves for
hisbrotherwhathelovesforhimself.”“Brother”being
interpreted widely as humankind by the classical Is-
lamicscholarandjuristImamNawawi.
Inthespiritofthesesayings,Ramadanmeansawhole
new experience. On the level of speechMuslimswill
seek to fulfil their word, be truthful, and keep away
from gossip, a pastime that destroys friendships.
Fortheeyes,afastingpersonwillrefrainfromwatching
violentfilmsoralustfullook.Inwardly,aworshipperwill
struggletoreplaceanyillfeelingswithlove,careand
mercy.Concretely,insocialrelationships,thiswilltrans-
lateintotakingtimefromabusylifestyletostrength-
en relationships with family, neighbours and friends.
Ramadan is often characterized by early-morning
familybreakfastsandgroupdinners,callediftars.
EventhoughRamadanisatimetobecomespiritually
full, therecanbea fewexceptions.Take forexample
the “bellyaching Muslim.” This person tends to be
an incessant complainer year round, but now his or
her hunger only accents this quality. You’ll find this
person’s new line being how hungry they are. Also,
onceinabluemoon,you’llencounterthe“shortfuse
Muslim.”Hisbehaviourisclearlyincontrasttothespirit
ofIslam,andRamadan.
More commonly though, youwill finda co-workeror
studentwhoseems tobea little tired.This friendof
yours spent an extra hour praying last night (maybe
foryou),andthenwokeupat4a.m.tohavebreakfast.
Surprisingly, when you speak, they are cheerful and
clearly having a great day. This person is very likely
tryingtoinculcatethetruecoloursofRamadan.
WORK Opinion Pieces
5
04
44
04WORK Letter to the Editor
Although Opinion Editorials or “Op-Eds” are an important and vital part of communicating the perspective of Canadian Muslims, other methods for
participating in the public narrative are important and can have an impact. One of these includes writing letters to the editor to communicate your
views when you disagree with an opinion or article in order to point out what you feel may be weak arguments or faulty logic. Letters should also
be written to express your appreciation for well written and thought provoking articles and to voice your support for the writer and publication.
Writing a letter to the editor is also less time consuming since a letter typically involves a maximum of 150 words. We encourage you to use this tool
to voice your thoughts and take advantage of our right to freedom of expression.
8 Steps to write a letter to the editor
1Alwaysalwaysalwaysbepolite.Just to repeat:al-
waysbepolite.Itisafundamentalandunchanging
guideline.Yourgoalistomakeyourpointwithoutusing
languagethatiscrudeorvulgar–nomatterhowgood
itmightfeelto“ventyourfeelings”orhowmuchthe
personyouareaddressingmaydeserve it. Avoiding
adhominem(personallydirected)attacksmakesyour
argument the focus of the letter and increases your
credibilityandlikelihoodofhavingyourletterprinted.
2 Assumethatthepapertowhomyouarewritingis
opentoreasonabledebateanddiscussionaround
thetopicyouareaddressing.
3Follow the letter submission guidelines provided
bythenewspaper–goingoverthemaximumnum-
berofwordsdecreases the likelihoodofhavingyour
letterprinted.
4Time is of the essence. Try to submit your letter
within48hoursofthepublicationofthearticleto
whichyouareresponding.Anylongerandit ishighly
unlikelythepaperwillprintyourletter.Submityourlet-
tertoboththeprintandonlineversionofthepaper.
5Dealwithasingletopic.Beginbyreferencingthe
argumentyouareaddressing,followedbyastate-
mentofyourownposition.Thenpresentyourevidence
using facts, figures and expert testimony whenever
possible.Thiselevatesyourletterabovethe“hesaid,
shesaid”class.Concludewithashortrestatementof
yourpositionorapithycomment.
6Get someone you trust to proofread your letter
to check for spelling and grammaticalmistakes.
Avoidusingclichésorjargon.Waitbeforesendingyour
letter.Aftersleepingonityoumayspoterrorsinrea-
soningorawkwardlanguage.
7Besuretosignyourletterwithyourfullnameand
include your address and contact details. Most
reputablenewspaperswillnotprintanonymousletters
andtheywillusuallycallbeforeprintingyourletterto
verifythatyouwroteit.
8Mostimportantly,writeregularlyanddon’tworry
aboutbeingperfect.Withtimeandpracticeyour
letters will improve and your lettermay just help to
shiftorinfluencepublicopinion.Starttoday!
04
46 47
The Toronto Star
Wednesday,January9,2008
Fact or interpretation?
ItiscommendablethattheTorontoschoolboardhasembarkedonadiscussionabout
genocide. One can only hope that such discourses with minds hungry for change
will lead to greater awareness and a desire to ensure that “never again” is truly
neverrepeated.
However, it is interesting that the regions selected for study are geographically
far away, suggesting thatperpetratorsofgenocidearenotpartofourhistorybut
someone else’s. Not including in the curriculum our own involvement in removing
a culture - like that of the First Nations in Canada - risks producing a feeling of
superiority over the “other,” thereby reducing our effectiveness in eliminating
suchevil.
Only by examiningour ownhistory, in parallelwith others, canwe create a global
understandingof“genocide”andbegintochange.
SelmaDjukic,Oakville
WORK >Sample Letters
The Ottawa CitizenNovember29,2003
Muslims are grateful for column’s simple truthRe:Islam’ssimplemajesticbeauty,Nov.24
Assalamualaikum–PeacebeuponKellyEganforhisCitizencolumn.Igreethimwith
theuniversalgreetingofMuslimseverywhere.Iwanttoconveymydeepestapprecia-
tionforhisconsiderate,insightfulandwell-writtenarticle.
HavingfollowedthenewsmorecarefullyregardingarticlesabouttheMuslimfaithsince
theterribleandtragiceventsofSept.11, IcanhonestlysaythatIhavenotseenmany
whichoutlinethenumerouspositivebenefitswhichthereligionconveystoitsbelievers.
Mosthavebeenorientalistintheirperspectiveandwrittenwithanagendathatseems
toconveythatMuslimsareanunwanted“fifthcolumn”inCanadianandNorthAmeri-
cansociety–atbesttoleratedandatworstpaintedwiththebroadbrushstrokesof
racistdiatribe.
IhopethatMr.Egan’scolumnisthebeginningofareversalofthistrend–onethatwill
recognizethatonlybyacceptingandevencelebratingourdiversitycanwetrulylay
claimtoourcommonhumanity.Manythanksonbehalfofmyself,myfamilyand(ifImay
besobold)agratefulcommunity.
M.IhsaanGardee,RichmondHill
The Toronto Star
Tuesday,August26,2008
Interfaith dialogue is alive and well in GTA
Itisdishearteningthatthebiasingofinformationpersistsincontemporaryinterfaith
discourse.HowelsetoexplaintheblanketdepictionofMuslimsasbeingapatheticor
politicalintherealmofinterfaithdiscussions?
Perhapsthewriterisunawareoftheplethoraofgrassrootsinitiativesseenthrough-
outtheGTAinlocalreligiousestablishmentsandschools.Ortheinvolvementofthe
community inoneofNorthAmerica’s largest spiritual advocacyorganizations: the
OntarioMultifaithCouncil.
Perhapsthemostdisappointingaspectofthisarticlewasthecompletesilenceregard-
ingthedocument“ACommonWord”-aglobalcalltojointogetherunderthecommon
conceptsofpeaceandlove.Writtenbymorethan160Muslimworldleaders,workers
andscholars,thisdocumenthasbeenopenlydiscussedandendorsedbyalllevelsof
ChristianandJudaictheologiansandscholarsworldwide,includingtheChiefRabbis
ofIsrael.
SelmaDjukic,Oakville
04
48 49
EVENTS CAIR-CAN Gala Dinner 2007
Asawaytoreachouttoallofourconstituentsandtothankthemfortheirkind-
ness,support,andgenerosityovertheyears,CAIR-CANhelditssecondannual
freesummerTorontobarbequeinJuly2008.Wellattendedbylocalpoliticians,
religious leaders, andmembers of different communities, the barbequewas a
hit.SpecialthankstoourgeneroussponsorsMapleLodgeFoodsandCrescent
PremiumFoodInc.Withhotdogs,burgers,beveragesandseveralbouncycastles,
agoodtimewashadbyall.Seeyouagainnextyear!
Second Annual CAIR-CAN summer BBQ 05CAIR-CAN GALA DINNER, TORONTO, NOVEMBER 24TH, 2007 OnNovember24,2007,CAIR-CANhelditsfirstGaladinnerattheSheratonCentre
TorontoHotel.Almost300people, fromdifferentbackgroundsandprofessions,
attendedtheeventinsupportoftheorganization’swork.
Amongst the evening’s attendees were representatives from the Canadian
Unitarian Council, Halton Regional Police, and MPP Dr. Shafiq Quaadri who
deliveredamessageonbehalfofPremierDaltonMcGuinty.ChairmanAbdul-Basit
Khangaveabriefpresentationonthehistoryoftheorganization,theworkforthe
past18monthsandtheneedforcontinuedsupportfromthecommunity.
Theevening’shighlightwasthekeynotespeechdeliveredbyrenowned journal-
istandactivist,NaomiKlein,authorofTheShockDoctrine:TheRiseofDisaster
Capitalism.Herspeech,whichdiscussedhighlightsfromherbook,captivatedthe
audienceforanhourandreceivedastandingovation.Thedinnerwasfollowedby
abooksigning.
50
NumberofopinionpiecesasofOctober2008: 109
WorstPublication: Maclean’sandNP,nowrunningneckandneck
Sizeofbenefitspackage: PersonalPrayerCoverage
Approximateop-edsuccessratio: 95%+
Français? Bonjour,jem’appelleKhalid
NumberofpressreleasesfromlastNovember2007toOctober2008: 22andcounting
Newestnewly-weds CongratstoSameerandNisa
Staffheritage: Scottish,Pakistani,Swedish,SouthAfrican
Bestpartofjob: Noreasonableaccommodationrequired
Worstpartofthejob: ABKandSajid,nowrunningneckandneck
Latestfundraisingideacanned: CAIR-CANgolftournament;notenoughgolfballs
Numberoflawyersneededtostartthebarbeque: Two,plusthestarter
INDEX
Your Voice. Your Future.
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