I've stopped believing that the Conservative government can't go any lower. In fact, based on what I shared yesterday, I suspect we are far from seeing just how little this government cares about it's citizens and the reputation of this country.You of course remember the Abderazik case and how the government was forced, yes forced, to bring him home. If it wasn't abundantly clear before just how little the Conservatives cared about this man's life, this should make it clear.
Abousfian Abdelrazik is home again in Canada after six nightmarish years in Sudan, but his ordeal is not over. He finds himself on a United Nations terrorist blacklist – the 1267 – which imposes a total asset freeze on him and all listed individuals. Canadian regulations implementing this list prohibit anyone from providing Mr. Abdelrazik with any kind of material aid, including salary, loans of any amount, food or clothing. He can barely survive while on this list.
“I need my named removed from that list,” he says. “I want to live my life like a normal Canadian.”
Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, who refuses to meet with Mr. Abdelrazik, cynically advised him of a UN website that explains how he can try to be “delisted” from the 1267 terrorist blacklist [www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/index.shtml]. The Harper government, which has already caused this Canadian citizen such terrible damage, will not help him in any way. Yet like everything at the United Nations, delisting is an intensely politicized process. No one has actually been removed unless his government has lobbied on his behalf.
That last sentence kind of clinches it doesn't it? He has little hope unless the government will help, but the government has basically said, tough luck...you're on your own.
What is the basis for that stance? The only thing I can come to is if someone has been accused of having links to terrorism, even though CSIS has said they have nothing on them, that initial accusation has more weight than the rule of law apparently. You know, that little detail of innocent until proven guilty?
To be frank, I have no way of knowing what goes on in the minds of people like Cannon and Harper, but I do know this. This government is playing with peoples lives and they have clearly chosen that some lives are worth more than others in this country. The other component that is clear is that they are appeasing their wing-nut base.
How did we get to the point in this country that the loons actually hold sway?
Please read more about this mess here. It is time to make noise.
25 comments:
He has embarrassed the Cons simply by still being alive. Of course they won't help him.
I can't believe the Cons are messing with foreign policy/diplomacy -- did you read this? http://embassymag.ca/page/view/dfait-7-29-2009
Yes, please read my previous post and I'd love your comments.
More of us need to speak out on this.
Really, we do.
I read about this...it is so shameful...do not insult the loon!
What is this poor man supposed to do? I hope the church has taken him in to feed him. Is it just the government that can take him off the
"no fly zone"..,. surely some one can help him..Could Obama do it? This government is trying to get into the Students union at universities and trying to teach them how to be Conservaative..now If I were not sane..
Abdelrazik returned to the Sudan in August 2003 to visit his sick mother, and was arrested in Khartoum. According the Lawyers Weekly, "documents reveal that Sudanese officials arrested him at Canada’s request". While he was in the Sudanese prison, he claims to have been interrogated by two Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents and his wife divorced him. His Canadian passport had expired when he was freed roughly 1 year later.
Which party was the government in Canada at that time?
Anon @802, Oh, how terribly clever!
I've covered that, ad nauseum and they don't get a pass, but times have changed. Con's don't get that do they?
The, imaginary Leave it to Beaver seems to be their point of reference. Sick...in a bad way.
What party is in power now?
Gawd, get your head out of the past and catch up would you?
Read my previous post and then talk to me about this government not changing things.
I bdelieve it was the Martin Government, but it was George Bush who gave the orders. It was Bush that put him on the no fly zone.
Anon, @ 801, fair. The loon doesn't deserve the degradation.
Obama's stance could help, but it would take this/our idiotic government to ask, and of course, if they aren't doing anything on their own, they aren't going to make the ask.
Another excellent post on this topic, KNB. I wish more people would talk about it, including the parties. It is growing increasingly ridiculous, especially the foreign service stuff as well.
Is there any update yet on the DNA tests for the other Canadian hung out to dry?
Fuck You Anon @ 8:02 PM
Your type makes me sick.
I don't give a crap who was in the power at the time.
How about growing up a little and pressuring the numbnuts in power to do what is right?
There is a case to be made that both the power hungry and terminally stunted CSIS and RCMP lied to the government of the time...
The message from the Harper cons is simple. If you are not white and a Jesus (or Jew) freak, then fuck you...
Cannon was surely being sarcastic... I've already called his office, I highly doubt I will receive a callback... Likely they will start a little list...
Cannon deserves a good scrotum kicking... not that I'm encouraging anyone to do that.
"Sudanese officials arrested him at Canada's request" in 2003.
Chretien's flunky Zacardelli was the RCMP Commissioner at that time;
Zaccardelli's departure from the RCMP was linked to the force's involvement in the Maher Arar Affair. He was subsequently impugned during inquiries into irregularities in the management of the RCMP's pension and insurance fund.
Ministers responsible for the RCMP and CSIS;
Wayne Easter was Solicitor General until mid December 2003, then Anne McLellan took over that role as the Minister of Public Safety.
Okay, this anon that keeps writing is clearly insane.
Let's ignore him/her and assume that is who supports Harper.
Are we clearer now on who is keeping this idiot, meglomaniac in power?
Don't respond to him/her...they are busy watching Lou Dobbs, nodding, no doubt.
I haven't seen anything yet Joseph. I know the tests were done and that's it.
Will check Amnesty sites and bug my friends, ;).
Leftist Mental Disorder runs rampant at Liblogs, way too funny.
KNB I would give up on the likes of that anon 10:03,.on and on about what government was in, who was in.. my god WHO cares?..NO ONE cares about then ....it is now we worry about..that poor man wouldn't be home except for the Courts etc. Harper would have left him there forever.
c_wtf, that kind of passion is what we need to expose this.
I think a lot of us feel that, but we're not vocal enough.
I'm trying here, but please, it's just a blog. Interesting though to see who comes to take a peek.
The government visits here often.
Creeped me out at first, watching which departments were watching me...then I got a sense of where talking points were coming from.
Not just my blog obviously, but the many blogs who counter, seem to provide fodder.
Indeed Cari...we agree. The anon before you shows you that the level of intelligence is about...near to middling...zero.
Man, these people vote.
Ohh anon you are so cute when you are playing a braindead conservative...
Zacardelli and Chretien...
Zacardelli is scum, no doubt about that...
Except that if you have any sense of history and the truth... well Stockwell Day was calling Arar a terrorist... As a matter of fact all the Canadian Alliance at the time were branding him that... So fuck off...
Of course when Zacardelli was being questioned about his involvement and giving "conflicting" (read fucking lying) stories, all the Connies stood behind him...
Harper/Day were some of the loudest people calling Arar a terrorist...
The government visits here often.
Had the same thing on one of my sites...
Don't they have anything better to do?
They can't think of anything else to do..their thinking is limited, and they believe everything Harper says..boy are they in trouble. Thay way, they do not sound too intelligent
Playing the blame game Anon (coward) is for children.
This is too serious to be using PM talking points.
Speaking of PM - he toots himself to be the defender of human rights - guess he fell of the wagon. Food, clothing, work and lodging are part of human rights - what Harper is doing is cruel.
It's not the pissant Anon's and their juvenile sniping that concerns me, but rather the calm, cool and collected musings of Tomm (and others like him), as seen in the comment section of the post below. These are the individuals that worry me. These self-proclaimed, uber-Canadians who despise everything about the direction this country has taken in the past four decades. Xenophobic, sexist and militaristic throwbacks whose glory days are happily behind us, they wage war against all things progressive. They use their supposed hatred of the Liberal Party merely as a smokescreen to what they really deplore; that of a perceived 'adversary culture' of left-leaning intellectuals, feminists and assorted malcontents who they believe threaten their cherished values and way of life. This dusty vision of Canada is best left to the pages of history. To put it mildly.
sjw,
I worry you? Because I happen to like this new direction? Let's be clear, I do not like the hyper partisanship of the CPC. I think it was caused by forces outside their party, but that doesn't mean I'm on board with it.
In fact there is a lot I'm not crazy about. The Abdelrazik case is one actually. I would truly like to know "why". I think I stated that in a post. But I am not so mean spirited that I think that there is no reason at all except a moral cruelty or some such that you and KNB seem to be implying.
If I frighten you, it's because you see someone who can think and respond rationally, that also supports most of the directions of the CPC government.
Tomm
The government checks here often? Or are you just paranoid/self-important? I'm sure nobody cares, as I don't. It's just amusing to read crazies masturbate to each other's loony talking points!
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