Maher Arar has pared down his $400-million lawsuit against

mikedavid00 · December 9, 2006

What is this all about in a nutshell. I tuned out this issue whenever I heard it on the news over the years.

Was this the guy who got injured on the battlefield in Afgahnistan and came to Canada to get medical care from his injuries?

What's this Arar thing about and why is $37,000,000 of our taxes going to him and his family?

jbg · December 9, 2006

What is this all about in a nutshell. I tuned out this issue whenever I heard it on the news over the years.
Was this the guy who got injured on the battlefield in Afgahnistan and came to Canada to get medical care from his injuries?

What's this Arar thing about and why is $37,000,000 of our taxes going to him and his family?

Because of the all of the wonderful contributions Islam makes to Canada (this statement should prove that I am not against Arabs).

geoffrey · December 9, 2006

The torture thing only came out after his detention, despite visits from experts from the Canadian embassy and the neutral (if such a thing can be said) Red Cross.

Sounds like the torture claims were merely a money grab. Why not sue the Americans, they actually deported him (all within the context of the law, mind you)?? Or sue the Syrians because they are the one's that apparently tortured him??

He should be compensated by the Americans for the salary lost during detention, and a little bit in restoration for lost time with family. That's it... maybe $400-500k total tops.

I really doubt he was tortured... and if he was, it wasn't that bad because the Red Cross and Canadian embassy saw no evidence of it.

jbg · December 9, 2006

Sounds like the torture claims were merely a money grab. Why not sue the Americans, they actually deported him (all within the context of the law, mind you)?? Or sue the Syrians because they are the one's that apparently tortured him??

As I have pointed out several times, recent immigrants, due to the combination of means to stay involved in their ancestral lands, and lack of interest in integrating into Canada or Europe (the US is a slightly different case for certain reasons) people such as Arar attempt to straddle both worlds. Invariiably, when those worlds are dangerous to the West, such a straddle casts suspicion on the immigrants.

Thus, the Arar situation.

jdobbin · December 9, 2006

As I have pointed out several times, recent immigrants, due to the combination of means to stay involved in their ancestral lands, and lack of interest in integrating into Canada or Europe (the US is a slightly different case for certain reasons) people such as Arar attempt to straddle both worlds. Invariiably, when those worlds are dangerous to the West, such a straddle casts suspicion on the immigrants.
Thus, the Arar situation.

That can go for longtime immigrants as well. Jewish Americans continue to fundraise for the state of Israel.

margrace · December 9, 2006

It had been proven that Maher was unjustly targeted. There are lots of ways of torturing people that do not show on the surface, just ask any woman with a husband who tortures her. Unless you have been there you have no idea what it is like. The Americans are refusing to give any information concerning what they supposedly used to send him to Syria.

If they can get away with this then they can target you any time they want and there would be nothing you could do about it. There is a lot of evidence of targetting of people in Canada whenever it was found convenient. We grew up in a community where there were Japanese people who had been targetted. How many of you were put in tents in the winter in Alberta.

There are Ukaranians in BC who were judged aliens because their passport mistakenly said they came from Austria. They were used as slave labour in the Okanogan valley right up to 1920. It is so easy to be a judge sitting in our comfortable homes.

hue_man · December 9, 2006

Though I am from a Lebanese descent, I must say as Canadian that this Mr. Arrar issue against Canada is a pure Arabic Islamic attack against Canada in the Name of Arabic Islamic jihad that works like a “saw” in the western countries no matter how they used it.

Certainly, it seems like it is working to the benefit of the syrian because their [50 years old] well known behavior and action [by the entire UN ] of torturing their own syrian citizen is taken now as normal behaviour, while Mr. Grand Arrar is after The entire Country of CANADA because of maybe intentional mistake made by someone who shouldn’t be in any Decision making position, but is this a ground to punish the Country of Canada?

In Normal human Days this should trigger an International tribunal against syria.

Besides, it may be true, that we may have some people who should not be in the decision making position in Canada, USA, and the rest of the 100% of the countries of the world after the defeat of the Master of Evil discrimination, Hitler, but to Sue CANADA as a country is a disgrace to say the Least because Canada is not what Mr. Ararr and his Money saliva of pinning Canada with [what his Mother syria did to him] is all about.

For me to believe Mr. Arar Noble intention by 0.0000000000001, I must hear him attacking and suing the true anti-human criminals; the syrians, while asking his “Supposedly now country” “Canada” to find the criminal individual that made his mistake and give him the jail sentence he deserves of the mistake he did as individual.

Certainly, that will be true if Mr. Arrar realy feels as a Canadian hue_man first.

mikedavid00 · December 9, 2006

The torture thing only came out after his detention, despite visits from experts from the Canadian embassy and the neutral (if such a thing can be said) Red Cross.
Sounds like the torture claims were merely a money grab. Why not sue the Americans, they actually deported him (all within the context of the law, mind you)?? Or sue the Syrians because they are the one's that apparently tortured him??

He should be compensated by the Americans for the salary lost during detention, and a little bit in restoration for lost time with family. That's it... maybe $400-500k total tops.

I really doubt he was tortured... and if he was, it wasn't that bad because the Red Cross and Canadian embassy saw no evidence of it.

Oh so basically a fundamentalist with dual citiizenship plays with heat, gets him self accidently on fire, and now $37,000,000 of our tax dollars is going to make him and his family rich so Harper can by votes from the Islamic community.

Sometiems things make me angry but it's rare. This makes me real angry.

We should have got him, his brothers, his sister, his mother, his father, his grandparents, and his children, wife, other wife, and distant cousins and GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY.

Drea · December 9, 2006

The torture thing only came out after his detention, despite visits from experts from the Canadian embassy and the neutral (if such a thing can be said) Red Cross.

Sounds like the torture claims were merely a money grab. Why not sue the Americans, they actually deported him (all within the context of the law, mind you)?? Or sue the Syrians because they are the one's that apparently tortured him??

He should be compensated by the Americans for the salary lost during detention, and a little bit in restoration for lost time with family. That's it... maybe $400-500k total tops.

I really doubt he was tortured... and if he was, it wasn't that bad because the Red Cross and Canadian embassy saw no evidence of it.

Oh so basically a fundamentalist with dual citiizenship plays with heat, gets him self accidently on fire, and now $37,000,000 of our tax dollars is going to make him and his family rich so Harper can by votes from the Islamic community.

Sometiems things make me angry but it's rare. This makes me real angry.

We should have got him, his brothers, his sister, his mother, his father, his grandparents, and his children, wife, other wife, and distant cousins and GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY.

The man was innocent.

Here are the links:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/arar/

http://www.maherarar.ca/mahers%20story.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maher_Arar

I hope one day you folks get accused for something you didn't do. Would serve you right.

geoffrey · December 9, 2006

No one is innocent Drea, he was not guilty. There is a vast distinction. When your close circle of friends are al-Qaeda operatives, I really question how 'innocent' you can really be.

I think the Arar case should make something very clear... if you want to live by Canadian rules, renounce your previous citizenships. The US was in the right in deporting him home to Syria. Why not? He's a citizen there.

The Canadian passport needs to stop becoming a get out of shit free card.

If you want to be a Canadian, be a Canadian. None of this dual citizenship bologna. The Arar case shows this clearly, if you hold your Islamic nation citizenship, your likely to get deported there by a foreign government, and it's all within the contexts of international law. The Americans did nothing wrong.

jbg · December 9, 2006

As I have pointed out several times, recent immigrants, due to the combination of means to stay involved in their ancestral lands, and lack of interest in integrating into Canada or Europe (the US is a slightly different case for certain reasons) people such as Arar attempt to straddle both worlds. Invariiably, when those worlds are dangerous to the West, such a straddle casts suspicion on the immigrants.

Thus, the Arar situation.

That can go for longtime immigrants as well. Jewish Americans continue to fundraise for the state of Israel.

Based on helping others of the same religion. My ancestry is Ukrainian, Polish and Czech, not Israeli.

Drea · December 9, 2006

The Americans did nothing wrong.

Arar did nothing wrong. Yet was detained and tortured. Of course he is guilty in your eyes simply because he is a muslim and all muslims are fanatics waiting to destroy the infidels.

I know a Hell's Angel. Am I a criminal?

mikedavid00 · December 10, 2006

The man was innocent.

And so is OJ simpson.

I don't think this was all just some accidental coincidence.

I just wish we would send him and all his distant relatvis out of Canada.

Just Please Arar leave the country. Please.

I feel like taking a sign outise Parlement with 5 foot high letters saying "Arar Go Home!"

punked · December 10, 2006

Look I hate to say casue I am leftest as they come but geffory is right. If he holds a Syrian Citzenship he shouldn't be suprized when he gets deported to that country Canadian Citizenship or not.

jbg · December 10, 2006

And so is OJ simpson.
I don't think this was all just some accidental coincidence.

I agree with you on Arar but not OJ. I think OJ was an innocent man. I don't think his son from his first marriage was though.

Saturn · December 10, 2006

As I have pointed out several times, recent immigrants, due to the combination of means to stay involved in their ancestral lands, and lack of interest in integrating into Canada or Europe (the US is a slightly different case for certain reasons) people such as Arar attempt to straddle both worlds. Invariiably, when those worlds are dangerous to the West, such a straddle casts suspicion on the immigrants.

Thus, the Arar situation.

That can go for longtime immigrants as well. Jewish Americans continue to fundraise for the state of Israel.

Based on helping others of the same religion. My ancestry is Ukrainian, Polish and Czech, not Israeli.

So you are a damn commie who is here to destroy us all

gerryhatrick · December 10, 2006

What is this all about in a nutshell. I tuned out this issue whenever I heard it on the news over the years.
Was this the guy who got injured on the battlefield in Afgahnistan and came to Canada to get medical care from his injuries?

What's this Arar thing about and why is $37,000,000 of our taxes going to him and his family?

Are you for real?

Saturn · December 10, 2006

The man was innocent.

And so is OJ simpson.

I don't think this was all just some accidental coincidence.

I just wish we would send him and all his distant relatvis out of Canada.

Just Please Arar leave the country. Please.

I feel like taking a sign outise Parlement with 5 foot high letters saying "Arar Go Home!"

You know, you should really do that. Then you should eat your sign.

gerryhatrick · December 10, 2006

The man was innocent.

And so is OJ simpson.

I don't think this was all just some accidental coincidence.

I just wish we would send him and all his distant relatvis out of Canada.

Just Please Arar leave the country. Please.

I feel like taking a sign outise Parlement with 5 foot high letters saying "Arar Go Home!"

You're an ignorant piece of work. Pure manevolance.

Saturn · December 10, 2006

The torture thing only came out after his detention, despite visits from experts from the Canadian embassy and the neutral (if such a thing can be said) Red Cross.

Sounds like the torture claims were merely a money grab. Why not sue the Americans, they actually deported him (all within the context of the law, mind you)?? Or sue the Syrians because they are the one's that apparently tortured him??

He should be compensated by the Americans for the salary lost during detention, and a little bit in restoration for lost time with family. That's it... maybe $400-500k total tops.

I really doubt he was tortured... and if he was, it wasn't that bad because the Red Cross and Canadian embassy saw no evidence of it.

Oh so basically a fundamentalist with dual citiizenship plays with heat, gets him self accidently on fire, and now $37,000,000 of our tax dollars is going to make him and his family rich so Harper can by votes from the Islamic community.

Sometiems things make me angry but it's rare. This makes me real angry.

We should have got him, his brothers, his sister, his mother, his father, his grandparents, and his children, wife, other wife, and distant cousins and GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY.

Man you should take some sort of anger management program/treatment.

geoffrey · December 10, 2006

The Americans did nothing wrong.

Arar did nothing wrong. Yet was detained and tortured. Of course he is guilty in your eyes simply because he is a muslim and all muslims are fanatics waiting to destroy the infidels.

I know a Hell's Angel. Am I a criminal?

If you don't turn him into the cops, I'd say yes.

If he had destroyed his ties to his homeland we wouldn't be here. He refused to renounce his Syrian citizenship, so he was sent there completely within the confines of international law. The US has every right to send someone back to their homeland.

Canada isn't responsible for anything. This is a US issue with a Syrian citizen. I have little concern here. If Syria tortured him, which I dispute, then Syria should pay the price. Not us. We have nothing to do with this besides some fault leads with the RCMP...

My question to all of you, has Arar renounced his Syrian citizenship yet??? Nope... well then... he has no one to blame but himself, he hasn't even learnt his lesson yet.

Saturn · December 10, 2006

No one is innocent Drea, he was not guilty. There is a vast distinction. When your close circle of friends are al-Qaeda operatives, I really question how 'innocent' you can really be.
I think the Arar case should make something very clear... if you want to live by Canadian rules, renounce your previous citizenships. The US was in the right in deporting him home to Syria. Why not? He's a citizen there.

The Canadian passport needs to stop becoming a get out of shit free card.

If you want to be a Canadian, be a Canadian. None of this dual citizenship bologna. The Arar case shows this clearly, if you hold your Islamic nation citizenship, your likely to get deported there by a foreign government, and it's all within the contexts of international law. The Americans did nothing wrong.

When 6 million jews were murdered by the nazis, there must have been some reason for it - no way they were innocent.

The amercans have deported plenty of people to plenty of places whether they had dual citizenship or not. Ther Arar case became better known because he was tortured. The conclusion here is not that you should renounce your previous citizenship, but that you should not go to the US. As far as the amercans are concerned, every foreigner is a terrorist. Just like every muslim is an al-qaeda operative according to you.

geoffrey · December 10, 2006

When 6 million jews were murdered by the nazis, there must have been some reason for it - no way they were innocent.

Systematic genocide has nothing in comparison to a friend of al-Qaeda operatives.

The amercans have deported plenty of people to plenty of places whether they had dual citizenship or not.

Example?

Saturn · December 10, 2006

Look I hate to say casue I am leftest as they come but geffory is right. If he holds a Syrian Citzenship he shouldn't be suprized when he gets deported to that country Canadian Citizenship or not.

Yes, he should be very surprised because Canada was his place of residence for a long, long time and because he had Canadian citizenship and that's where he was going. He couldn't have known that the RCMP had given the americans a pile of bullshit about him. On top of that, it's the Canadian government's responsibility to defend Canadian citizens, not to assume they are guilty and send them off to torture overseas. We don't torture even convicted murderers. If you got in trouble overseas, you'd expect help from Canada, no?

Saturn · December 10, 2006

When 6 million jews were murdered by the nazis, there must have been some reason for it - no way they were innocent.

Systematic genocide has nothing in comparison to a friend of al-Qaeda operatives.

The amercans have deported plenty of people to plenty of places whether they had dual citizenship or not.

Example?

google.ca