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TheStar.com -
comment - Canadians are equal at home or abroad
June 16, 2007
-----------------------------------------------------------Double
standard for Canadians
in trouble abroad
Column, June 14
---------------------------------------------------
What a timely article about the plight of Canadians held illegally
abroad, while Ottawa shows no interest – for whatever unmentionable
reason – to help them. When Ottawa does not help a class of its own
citizens who happen to encounter a problem abroad, it sends the
clear message that they are second-class Canadian citizens.
Despite Ottawa's insistence to the contrary, Bashir Makhtal happens
to fall into the second class of Canadian citizens left to fend for
themselves. How can one explain why Makhtal has been languishing in
an Ethiopian jail for 144 days and counting without consular access?
Why is Ottawa silent about the plight of this Canadian?
All Canadians are equal in the eyes of the law and Ottawa should
treat all equally. Foreign affairs has forsaken the Makhtal file and
it is about time the federal government did something to show that
Canadians are equal and no foreign country will be allowed to
illegally detain a Canadian citizen without due process.
It is quite incredible that foreign affairs appears to "respect" the
privacy rights of Makhtal, while not respecting his human rights –
mainly the right to have timely consular access and Canadian
insistence on due process.
--------------------------------------------------------Mohamed
Hassan, Toronto
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Do all the
good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you
can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to
all the people you can, as long as ever you can.
by John
Wesley |
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