Newton-North Delta MP Sukh Dhaliwal calls for formal apology for Maher Arar

For Immediate Release

(OTTAWA) - Sukh Dhaliwal, Associate Opposition Critic for Canadian Border Services Agency, called upon the Harper government today to formally apologize for Mr. Arar’s ordeal and the accusations they made about his alleged terrorist links when the facts about his case first became known.

“It’s simply the right thing to do,” Dhaliwal said earlier today, “the Prime Minister and his brain trust on international affairs at the time, Stockwell Day and Diane Ablonczy, leapt to conclusions and had no reservations about casting the worst light on Mr. Arar in the House of Commons. Now that the truth can be told, they should admit wrongs were done, and that they callously exploited one man’s tragedy for crass political gains.”

Dhaliwal was referring to the 2002 Hansard quotes recently released to the media by fellow Liberal MP Omar Alghabra, where Harper, the Alliance leader at the time, claimed that Mr. Arar’s case was proof that the Liberal government “has been hitting the snooze button on security matters,” implying that the Canada should have arrested Mr. Arar instead of the U.S..

During the same question period Diane Ablonczy expressed outrage that Arar was given dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship by the government and did not pick up on his “terrorist links.” She stated that it took the U.S. “to clue it [the government] in.”

Day was bolder in his accusations, calling for a parliamentary inquiry, but not to seek justice for Mr. Arar. He wanted to determine why the Liberals were defending a man suspected of links to Al Qaeda when US officials were accusing him of terrorism.

“What happened to Mr. Arar is a perfect example of what injustices can be done when we allow fear mongering and crass political grandstanding to take the place of due diligence and rational debate,” Dhaliwal added. “Unfortunately, Mr. Harper and his associates seem to have learned nothing from this tragedy.”

“What Mr. Arar and the Canadian public deserve is nothing less than a formal apology from the Prime Minister and Commissioner Zaccardelli, in accordance with the will of Parliament.”

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Contact: John Delacourt
(613) 863 7854