Saturday, October 19, 2013

Omar Khadr and the True Horror of Harperland



It's the human rights nightmare that just goes on and on. The case of Omar Khadr, and the travesty of justice that should shame us all.

And today the latest chapter in this Harperland horror story.

Canadian citizen Omar Khadr, a former Guantanamo Bay inmate now serving time in Edmonton Institution, will remain in the federal penitentiary after an Alberta judge rejected arguments that he be transferred to a provincial jail.

Where the Guantanamo Kid is condemned to be further tortured in one of our maximum-security hell holes. Even though at least one dangerous criminal has already tried to stab him, for refusing him an extra helping in a cafeteria line. 

And is denied a chance to get a better education, or apply for parole.

Even though he never should have been jailed and tortured, because he was a child soldier. Period. Even though his treatment by two Canadian governments has been absolutely abominable, and his trial in a U.S. military kangaroo court was nothing but a fascist farce.

And even though by the accounts of all those who have known him, from the guards at Guantanamo to Canada's prison ombudsman, he is not a terrorist, not a threat to anyone, and shouldn't be in a maximum security prison. 

Prison authorities ignored favourable information in unfairly branding former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr as a maximum security inmate, according to Canada's prison ombudsman.

In his letter, Ivan Zinger, executive director of the independent Office of the Correctional Investigator, calls the case "unique and exceptional." He says Khadr has shown no evidence of problematic behaviour while in Canadian custody and notes the Americans had categorized him as minimum security.

And the only reason he is being further tortured, now in his own country, is because prison officials are shamelessly bending the rules to please their political masters in the thuggish Con regime.

Prison officials have defended the maximum-security classification, arguing among other things that Khadr poses a moderate escape risk and sparks high public-safety concerns.

And cater to the moral perversion of its depraved leader. Who would punish this young Canadian to pleasure his rabid vengeful base.

And feed his inner demons... 



As if our child soldier hadn't been hadn't been punished enough.

Two bullets in the back that exploded out of his chest, still riddled with shrapnel, blind in one eye, ten years in Guantanamo where even though he was the youngest inmate, he was the only one totally abandoned by his country.

But despite that, has now been condemned to remain in his dark hole, where in TWELVE years no cameras and reporters have ever been allowed. So he has never been able to tell his story to Canadians. Or show them that despite all that he has endured he has somehow managed to hang on to his humanity.

As these letters to his friends and supporters clearly demonstrate. 

Usually we don’t appreciate the small things. We take them for granted. Once you lose these things like opening your window in the morning and taking a breath of fresh air or seeing a bird chirping, you really appreciate these things. Even though I’m in prison there are still a lot of small beautiful things around us. Seeing the sun rise or set or to see the snow fall. …”

I’m so happy to finally be in Canada, and even happier to be welcomed. It is so heartwarming to know that I’m not alone, and that there are wonderful people (like you) who care about me and wish me good luck. …”

And that's it eh? What more can I say that I haven't said before?

Except quote what Arlette Zinck, an Associate Professor at King's University College in Edmonton, who has tutored Omar for years, has said about this case:

"What's at stake here is the rule of law-a manifestation of our conscience as a nation-and when the rule of law is mowed down to get one individual; it affects us all."

And repeat this warning about the true horror of Harperland.

Until this human rights nightmare is over, until Stephen Harper and his lawless Con regime are removed from power.

Our country's values will stand for nothing. The rule of law will be replaced by the howl of the brutish mob.

The shame will go on and on.

And we shall dwell dangerously in his foul darkness...



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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a Canadian, can I throw up now. Just because his skin is dark we ruin him. That is not right.

Anonymous said...

It's kid Khadr's own fault he isn't strolling the streets...

If he really wants out of that "dark hole" he just has to change his name to Black - Conrad Black.

e.a.f. said...

Omar Khadr's treatment by stevie slime is a disgrace. But stevie slime is making quite a name for himself as a thug. We may never know why stevie is so horrible or why he wants to destroy a young man who's only crime was being taken to a country at war by his father.

What goes around, comes around and one day stevie slime will pay for his crimes. We have seen how he treats a child solider. We have seen how he treats the wounded members of the Armed Forces. We have seen how he treats the First Nations in the North=-yes how proud the slimers must all be, to be investigated by the United Nations. We look like some crazed dictatorship in some far away place but no, it is all happening in Canada.

WE also are now seeing RCMP pepper spray First Nations elders for protesting. And just who was that guy in the cammo stuff, with no insigna and a lot of fire power in his hands. If he isn't RCMP or Canadian military, is he in contravention of our gun laws?

Simon said...

hi anonymous... You certainly can. I've been vomiting for years at the way our government has been treating that young Canadian who has suffered so much at the hands of others. And I'm afraid what you say is true. If he was blonde haired, and blue eyed, this travesty never would have been allowed to continue. As I've said before I don't think this should be a partisan issue. There is the right and decent way to act, and there is the wrong one...

Simon said...

hi anonymous...how this young Canadian ended up carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and the hatred of so many, after all that has happened to him, is simply inexcusable. And yes you're right, he's the wrong colour, he belongs to the wrong religion, and he's not rich like Conrad Black...

Simon said...

hi e.a.f...yes Omar Khadr is just one of Stephen Harper's many victims. Sacrificed to Harper's insane desire to punish people, and his immoral political expediency. But that's why I despise him so much because he's a thug and a bully, and dream of the day he's defeated...