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.

10

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

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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.

P.O. Box 13219, Ottawa, ON, k2k 1x4

tel: 1.866.524.0004 fax: 613.254.9810 e-mail: info@caircan.ca

www.caircan.ca