‘I miss being trusted’
Ex-child solider deserves the opportunity to rejoin Canadian society
Omar Khadr, a name familiar to every Canadian, means different things to different people. To those who vigorously opposed his repatriation, Omar Khadr is a convicted terrorist who killed an American soldier in Afghanistan. He is also the son of a known Al Qaeda supporter, not to mention the fact that his mother and sister openly criticized Canada and questioned its values.
To his supporters, Omar Khadr fits the typical profile of a child soldier, a point of view shared by Senator Romeo Dallaire, the former general who proudly served Canada in conflict zones including Africa, where he regularly came into contact with child soldiers. To them, Omar Khadr is also a perfect example of the “collateral damage” of the “war on terror.” All along, his supporters have cited credible reports that clearly established he was subjected to torture and various types of mistreatment, including the sleep deprivation program he was subjected to before CSIS officers interrogated him in Guantanamo.
Whatever position you adopt, there are key points that need to be emphasized, points that I find were lost in the midst of the many emotional debates that have taken place since his return to Canada.
First and foremost, Omar Khadr is a Canadian citizen, and as such has the right to return to his country of birth. He also has the full right to rehabilitation, a basic right our justice system affords to offenders. As far as I know, there is nothing in Canadian law that allows us to deny him these basic rights, regardless of his guilt or innocence. Unless Parliament decides otherwise, we can’t pick and choose which Canadian citizens are and are not allowed to be repatriated and rehabilitated.
Second, while his presence in Afghanistan at the time of his capture raises legitimate questions, we should not forget that he was less than 10 years old when his family decided to move there. Even his presence in the compound where he was captured was forced upon him, as he was only 15 at the time. If we want to be impartial in our analysis, we should also ask how it was that the United States invaded Afghanistan without any mandate from the UN — i.e. the invasion was illegal. The bottom line is that Omar Khadr was not captured in Manhattan trying to commit a terrorist act.
Third, Omar Khadr, to the dismay of many, is back and is now entirely Canada’s problem. What to do or not do with him depends on what we expect him to be once he leaves prison. Keeping Khadr locked up in extremely strict prison conditions will not solve the problem regardless what you believe he is or is not. Arlette Zinck, an English professor at King’s University College in Edmonton, has devised a special educational program to help his rehabilitation. He has reportedly shown progress and we are told he’s been very keen to continue on that path.
In my opinion, that would be the best outcome: a Canadian citizen who can reintegrate into society, go to school, and eventually become an active and, hopefully, a contributing Canadian citizen. This outcome is far from guaranteed, but the same could be said of any offender who is going through a rehabilitation process.
To make sure rehabilitation is working, it has to be monitored by experts in the field. Above all, I believe he should have a life mentor he can trust. During his psychological assessment, Omar said, “I miss being trusted.”
I can attest to this from my personal experience. I was in exactly the same fragile state when I came back from Syria. I had lost so much confidence in myself and, above all, I missed being trusted. In Omar’s case, that feeling is compounded by the fact that he was abused not just once, but repeatedly: by his family, by the U.S. government and, through its indifference, by his own government.
We have two choices. We either continue to demonize him for actions he took when he was a teenager or we lend him a hand.
The choice we make will certainly tell the rest of the world who we are as a nation and, above all, who we are as people. Together, let’s make the right choice. Maher Arar is a Syrian Canadian electrical engineer. In September 2002, he was detained by U.S. officials on suspicion of terrorist ties and deported to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured. He was returned to Canada in October 2003. Three years later, a commission of inquiry cleared him of all terrorism allegations.