Open Letter to Omar Khadr
- by: Michelle Matthews
- recipient: Omar Khadr, c/o Denis Edney197-10123 99 St NW., Edmonton AB., T5J 3H1
Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen, was captured in Afghanistan and imprisoned in Guantanamo when he was a child. Since then he has been virtually disowned by the Harper government. On May 26, 2010 he wrote a letter to his Canadian lawyer, Denis Edney who recently decided to make it public. (Omar's letter is reproduced in an article by Toronto Star reporter, Michelle Shephard, which you can read here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/34946629/Omar-Letter
In his letter, Omar expresses loss of hope at finding justice within the confines of the Guantanamo military tribunals. Please sign this letter to Omar, to express our support for him and his plight so that he can find the encouragement he needs to continue in his struggle.
For further background material please see:
Omar Innocent In Death of US Soldier: http://www.thestar.com/specialsections/omarkhadr/article/717885--omar-khadr-innocent-in-death-of-u-s-soldier
The Psychiatric Demonization of Omar Khadr - Jeff Kaye: http://my.firedoglake.com/valtin/2010/10/20/the-psychiatric-demonization-of-omar-khadr/
The Torture of Omar Khadr, a Child in Bagram and Guantánamo | Andy Worthington: http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2010/05/13/the-torture-of-omar-khadr-a-child-in-bagram-and-guantanamo/
http://www.michelleshephard.ca/docs/Affidavit_Khadr_Redacted_2008.pdf
Dear Omar,
It was with sorrow that we, the undersigned, read your letter of May 26, 2010 to your lawyer, Denis Edney. Sorrow because your pain is palpable. Sorrow because of the great injustice dealt you. Sorrow because you seem to have given up hope. And sorrow because, as a result of your incarceration, you may not be aware of the multitudes of people in Canada, the United States and around the world who support you.
The express intention of this letter is to bring some of that support to you. We understand that you were a child soldier at the time of your capture and you should have been treated as such. We support you in your stand for truth in Guantanamo. We feel that you have become a scapegoat caught in the profoundly byzantine machinations of international and national politics.
Omar please know that, although justice, as articulated in various United Nations and International conventions and protocols (ratified by, both, Canada and the United States), has taken a back seat in Guantanamo, we stand firmly behind you because you stand for all of us. We welcome the day when you will, having entered Guantanamo an imprisoned child, walk away a free man. It is our sincere wish that you will find a modicum of solace, comfort and hope from our support.
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