Muslim Council of Montreal calls for immediate action from the international community to protect the Libyan people

March 9, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montreal, Quebec, March 9th, 2011- The Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM) calls on the Canadian government and the international community to act immediately to halt the bloodshed in Libya.


“Immediate action is required by the UN and the international community, amid increasing reports of atrocities being committed by Gadhafi against the people of Libya,” stated Salam Elmenyawi, president of MCM. “The regime and lethal crimes of Gadhafi must be condemned in the strongest manner and the men, women and children of Libya must be protected from the catastrophic death and destruction that Gadhafi has unleashed.”


MCM further calls on the Canadian government to coordinate with the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Arab League to recognize the Libyan National Council, to implement ways to help the Libyan people during this crisis, and more specifically, to help them defend themselves in the face of these atrocities. MCM also calls for sanctions against any country supporting or cooperating with Gadhafi in his attack against the Libyan people.


“Too many innocent people have already been killed, action is needed now before any more are allowed to die while the whole world stands by and simply watches,” Elmenyawi said. “A no-fly zone must immediately be imposed over Libya, to prevent Gadhafi from using warplanes to attack and kill Libyan people. An international team must be sent to investigate the violations of international human rights law and to bring the perpetrators to justice. The lives and human rights of the Libyans must be protected and their struggle to achieve justice and freedom must be supported. Canada must demonstrate through concrete actions that we are on the side of freedom and justice, not guilty of silent compliance with a brutal dictator.”


Protestors began demonstrating against Gadhafi’s 42-year repressive regime in the 17th of February. The number of the total death toll and wounded is unverified, but it is suspected to be the thousands.


CONTACT:   
Salam Elmenyawi
Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM)
Ph.: (514) 748-8427
E-mail: info@muslimcouncil.org

Website: http://www.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 250,000 Muslims in Montreal, about 1,100,000 in Canada and 1.9 billion worldwide.

 

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