The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar

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Posted by CCD Press Release on 14:04:03 2006/12/12

Your browser does not support inline frames, or it has been configured incorrectly. If page does not display on your browser, please <a href="http://canadiancoalition.com/PressRelease20061212/RealLessonFromMaherArar.html">CLICK HERE</a>. The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar Statement by the Canadian Coalition for Democracies Ottawa, Tuesday, December 12, 2006 – As Canadians, we are deeply distressed by the suffering of Maher Arar, whose ordeal was, in the judgement of Justice Dennis O’Connor, triggered by sub-standard police and security work on the part of the RCMP. We recognize the difficulty in compensating Maher Arar and his family for the ordeal that followed his deportation to Syria . Certain RCMP officers made a serious mistake. The government has recognized the fallibility of its security forces by undertaking an independent investigation into how such a mistake was made. We cannot expect a democracy to be perfect, but we can expect it to recognize its mistakes, to compensate the injured parties, and to take concrete steps to prevent a recurrence. But in dealing with the mistakes of the RCMP, we must ensure that we do not press for changes that will weaken our security forces and create an advantage for our enemies. It is likely that our security forces this past June prevented thousands of Canadians from being slaughtered in a terrorist act that could easily have exceeded the bloodshed of 9/11. In preventing another injustice such as that suffered by Maher Arar, we must ensure that we do not expose Canadians to damages for which there can be no compensation and no opportunity to be made whole. The most important lesson to be learned from Mr. Arar’s case is not the shortcomings of our own security services, but the barbarism of our radical Islamist enemies who brutalized an innocent Canadian. The real lesson is the treatment of Bill Sampson, a Canadian tortured and sentenced to death by beheading in Saudi Arabia. The real lesson is the torture and murder of Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi under Iran's chief prosecutor, Said Mortazavi, who was subsequently welcomed at the inaugural session of the UN Human Rights Council. The RCMP fumbled, but the real lesson is in recognizing the Islamist supremacism that threatens to do to us all what was done to Maher Arar, Bill Sampson and Zahra Kazemi. We must not allow the tragic case of Maher Arar to be exploited by certain Canadian organizations to weaken our security forces against Islamist terror for which these organizations are often apologists. The government must ensure that increased vulnerability to terror is not an unintended consequence of changes to our security procedures. As Canadians, we believe that Maher Arar deserves justice from those who were responsible for his suffering. But Canadians likewise deserve protection from those whom we know are planning to inflict far greater suffering on all of us. Our security forces must be strengthened, not weakened, to ensure that the real terrorists are defeated. -30- For more information, please contact : Alastair Gordon, President, CCD David Harris, Senior Fellow for National Security, CCD For an index of CCD in the Media, please visit: <a style="font-weight:normal" href="http://canadiancoalition.com/media.shtml">http://canadiancoalition.com/media.shtml</a> Founded in 2003, the Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD) is a non-partisan, multi-ethnic, multi-denominational organization of concerned Canadians dedicated to national security and the protection and promotion of democracy at home and abroad. CCD focuses on research, education and media publishing to build a greater understanding of the importance of national security and a pro-democracy foreign policy. <a style="font-weight:normal" href="http://canadiancoalition.com/">http://canadiancoalition.com/</a>

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Follow Ups:

Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Mike Smith 15:36:36 2007/01/26 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - margaritha 10:33:15 2007/01/26 (1)
- Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - John Stewart 15:34:37 2007/01/26 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - CCD in Al-Jazeerah? 18:01:04 2006/12/13 (2)
- Re: Don't let RCMP/CSIS 'accountability' pave the way to Canada's 9/11 - CCD's David Harris in Ottawa Citizen 17:59:20 2006/12/16 (1)
  - Re: More bureaucracy or more security? - CCD's Al Gordon on AM940 Last Angry Man 22:17:31 2006/12/20 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Rita Rosenfeld 15:07:14 2006/12/13 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Rita Rosenfeld 15:00:40 2006/12/13 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Ed Taylor 12:29:44 2006/12/13 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Al Gordon (2) 19:10:12 2006/12/12 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Ralph G. 18:27:00 2006/12/12 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Sandy Hall 16:56:39 2006/12/12 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Richard Whittall 16:44:03 2006/12/12 (25)
- Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Al Gordon 17:17:33 2006/12/12 (24)
  - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Richard Whittall 17:41:55 2006/12/12 (2)
    - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Al Gordon 18:03:28 2006/12/12 (1)
      - Re: Arar still a terror risk, according to US - Canadian Press 20:28:38 2006/12/15 (0)
  - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Angelina 17:35:25 2006/12/12 (20)
    - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Dave 20:16:42 2006/12/12 (0)
    - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Richard 17:45:58 2006/12/12 (18)
      - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Todd 21:38:31 2006/12/12 (17)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Richard 22:41:41 2006/12/12 (16)
        
        Re: Islamism as harmless as lightning? - Al Gordon 09:43:12 2006/12/13 (7)
        
        Re: Islamism as harmless as lightning? - Richard 11:05:33 2006/12/13 (6)
        
        Re: Islamism as harmless as lightning? - Al Gordon 14:12:07 2006/12/13 (0)
        
        Re: Islamism as harmless as lightning? - Neil F 12:47:35 2006/12/13 (4)
        
        Re: Islamism as harmless as lightning? - Richard 13:49:27 2006/12/13 (3)
        
        Re: Islamism as harmless as lightning? - HenryW 22:46:23 2006/12/13 (0)
        
        Re: Islamism as harmless as lightning? - Tasha 17:35:36 2006/12/13 (0)
        
        Re: Islamism as harmless as lightning? - Todd 14:01:05 2006/12/13 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Ila 07:04:11 2006/12/13 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Todd 07:01:40 2006/12/13 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Rank 06:40:16 2006/12/13 (5)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Christian 12:55:31 2006/12/13 (2)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Christian 10:41:41 2006/12/14 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Neil F 13:08:24 2006/12/13 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Neil F 10:33:49 2006/12/13 (1)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Todd 13:50:16 2006/12/13 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Steven Shaw 16:13:02 2006/12/12 (2)
- Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Jalal Hussain 21:48:16 2006/12/14 (1)
  - Re: Admit error, but prevent future outrages by dealing with Syria - Al 21:52:43 2006/12/14 (0)
Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - HCiol B J Finestone CD CdeG 14:50:12 2006/12/12 (15)
- Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Jonathan Usher 16:15:02 2006/12/12 (0)
- Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Marc 16:02:50 2006/12/12 (13)
  - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Jack 23:17:38 2006/12/12 (0)
  - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Stu Woolley 16:16:13 2006/12/12 (11)
    - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Al King 16:17:26 2006/12/12 (10)
      - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Neil F 16:45:32 2006/12/12 (1)
        
        Re: The real Maher problem - Garry 16:17:38 2006/12/14 (0)
      - Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Montreal Muslim News 16:28:39 2006/12/12 (7)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - James K. 23:07:35 2006/12/12 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Todd 21:57:49 2006/12/12 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - David 19:25:12 2006/12/12 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Always Amazed 18:16:53 2006/12/12 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Neil F 16:50:24 2006/12/12 (0)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering of Maher Arar - Carl 16:47:14 2006/12/12 (1)
        
        Re: The real lesson to be learned from the suffering .../media? - HenryW 13:24:22 2006/12/13 (0)

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