Muslim Council of Montreal stresses the need to bring Omar Khadr back home

July 16, 2008

Montreal, Quebec, July 16th 2008- The Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM) calls on the Canadian government to promptly bring Omar Khadr back home to Canada for a fair trial, in light of newly released footage. The footage shows Omar being interviewed by CSIS agents in Guantanamo Bay in 2003.

 

"This video shows that the Canadian government was aware of Omar's mistreatment at Guantanamo Bay and yet they still did nothing to help him or bring him home," stated Salam Elmenyawi, president of MCM. "It is shocking and appalling for Mr. Stephen Harper to continue in his refusal to get involved and allow a Canadian youth to suffer like this. It is time to bring Omar home and to ensure that he will be treated fairly, as he rightly deserves."

MCM maintains that all Canadians must be treated with justice and fairness, irrespective of their colour, religion and ethnicity. Omar has been held for five years, yet has never been convicted of any crime. He has been tortured and mistreated long enough and deserves to get his life back.

 

"Omar was only 15 when he was captured, he was just a child," said Elmenyawi. "He has not been convicted of any crime, yet he is being treated as an adult criminal and being denied his rights to justice and freedom. To continue holding him in Guantanamo Bay like this is a mockery of justice."

 

 

CONTACT:

Salam Elmenyawi

Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM)

Ph.: (514) 748-8427

E-mail: info@muslimcouncil.org

 

The Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM) is an umbrella organization representing a number of Islamic institutions in the Montreal region. There are over 175,000 Muslims in Montreal, about 825,000 in Canada and 1.5 billion worldwide.

 

 

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