skip to main |
skip to sidebar
On November 26, 2011, at a fundraising dinner for Hassan Diab in Ottawa, Yahya Abdul Rahman gave the following opening remarks.
"I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight. The purpose of this gathering is to lend our support to our brother and sister Hassan and Rania who are victims of what we consider to be a travesty of justice. We, who are involved in the social justice and peace movement, are of the firm conviction that, in the words of Martin Luther King Jr., 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'
In the case of Hassan we are reminded of our own vulnerabilities in which the state can wield its power over individuals and toss out all principles of fairness and justice. It is Hassan today but, if the system which has permitted this to happen remains in place, then it could very well be one of us tomorrow.
We are committed to the principle that everyone in considered innocent unless concretely proven otherwise in a court of law devoid of any outside political interference.
We also hold that everyone has the right to know the identity of their accusers as well as the evidence being used against them.
Furthermore, we hold the view that people have a right to a fair and speedy trial.
Without these principles in place then the security of all is in jeopardy. Thus, when we defend our brother Hassan we not only defend him, but we are also defending a principle which seeks to check the power of the state to arbitrarily arrest someone and use flimsy evidence to support their case.
In the absence of these principles society will descend into fascism and no one will be secure.
We don't want Hassan and Rania to feel they are alone in their struggle. We desire to form the bonds of human solidarity and let them know that their struggle is our struggle.
It was Helen Keller who stated that, 'Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other's welfare, social justice can never be attained.'
We hold this truth to be self evident and in this spirit open this evening's event."
-- Yahya Abdul Rahman, Ottawa, November 26, 2011
Date: Saturday November 26, 2011
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Place: Carleton Heights Community Center, 1665 Apeldoorn Ave, Ottawa
Dinner tickets are $30 per person or $80 per family (of four).
Please join us for a delicious multi-course dinner with poetry reading, soft Middle Eastern music, and a silent auction in support of Dr. Hassan Diab.
Dinner includes a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, dessert, juice, soft drinks, coffee, and tea.
How to Purchase or Reserve Tickets
To purchase or reserve tickets, email eiad@kassif.com or call (613) 322-6117
You can also purchase tickets via Interac e-Transfer to diabsupport@gmail.com. Your tickets will be available for pickup at the event. Here is a summary of the steps:
- Log in to your on-line banking and navigate to “Interac e-Transfer”.
- Fill in the form for sending money. Specify diabsupport@gmail.com as the email address. Ask a security question that we can answer, such as “What is Hassan’s family name”. Include your name in the Message field. Then click “Send”.
Background
On June 6, 2011, an Ontario judge committed Hassan for extradition based on a French handwriting analysis report that alleges similarities between Hassan’s handwriting and five words appearing on a Paris hotel registration card in 1980. The judge described the French report as “very problematic”, “very convoluted”, “very confusing”, “pseudo-science”, and “with conclusions that are suspect”.
Canada’s extradition law allows foreign countries to seize any Canadian citizen based on a mere summary of the allegations. The foreign state can cherry-pick its case and suppress exonerating evidence. Hassan’s palm and finger prints do not match those of the suspect, yet that information was suppressed from the Record of the Case. The extradition court must treat the foreign state’s evidence as presumptively reliable, and the burden is placed on the accused to prove that the case is “manifestly unreliable”. In practice, however, it is almost impossible to demonstrate “manifest unreliability”.
Hassan is in a Catch-22 situation. In Canada, the “evidence” used against him is presumed reliable, even though it does not meet Canadian standards of evidence. At trial in France, defence evidence will not receive full and fair consideration, because it was furnished by the defence rather than by the investigating magistrate.
We must demand that Canadian standards of evidence apply to extradition cases, and that Canada not extradite its citizens to countries that allow secret intelligence — including intelligence obtained from torture — to be used as evidence.
Hassan continues to live under very strict bail conditions and is saddled with hefty legal fees and paying $2,000 per month for the GPS monitoring he is required to wear.
Please help us challenge the fundamental unfairness of Canada’s extradition law and prevent a gross injustice.
Date: Saturday October 29, 2011
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Place: Beit Zatoun House, 612 Markham Street, Toronto, Canada
An evening of powerful dramatic readings from Hassan Diab, Emile Zola, and others who have broken the silence and spoken out about the injustices they face.
In 1894 Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French soldier, was charged with treason. The accusation, based on fraudulent handwriting analysis, unleashed waves of anti-Semitism. Eminent French writer Emile Zola wrote J’Accuse to expose “the spectre of the innocent man who, far away, is suffering the most atrocious of tortures for a crime he did not commit -- It is a crime to exploit patriotism for works of hate.”
Right now, exactly repeating the past, France rests its case against Hassan Diab on the basis of fraudulent handwriting analysis. In this climate of Islamophobia, France has asked the Canadian government to comply and to extradite Hassan Diab to France where he faces an unfair trial that could land him in jail for life. Hassan remains under house arrest in Canada.
• Doors open at 6:45 PM
• Tasty refreshments (non-alcoholic) and Zatoun olive oil and za'atar dipping
• Donation (suggested $10)
View announcement for this event
For more information:
Email: info@beitzatoun.org
Phone: (647) 726-9500
Web: http://www.beitzatoun.org
Join a discussion of legal, factual and political questions in the case against Hassan Diab, a former Carleton and University of Ottawa professor. Find out:
- Why exonerating evidence was not allowed in court
- How Canada’s extradition law is fundamentally unfair
- Why a fair trial in France is unlikely
Date: Wednesday October 19, 2011
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Place: Dunton Tower, Room 2203, Carleton University, Ottawa
Speakers:
- Donald Bayne, Partner at the law firm Bayne Sellar Boxall
- Nathalie Des Rosiers, General Counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Moderator:
- Bill Skidmore, Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (Human Rights) at Carleton University
View poster for this event
Seminar: Middle Eastern Cultures and Societies
Five sessions (each session is 2 hours long)
Presented by Dr. Hassan Diab
- When: Five Wednesdays (September 28, October 5-12-19-26, 2011), 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
- Where: Ottawa, Ontario (near Meadowlands)
- Cost: $100 for five sessions, to be donated to the Hassan Diab Legal Defence Fund
- Contact: diab1492@yahoo.com
The situation in the Middle East – Arab Spring – is Big News every day. But how much do we really know about (and understand) the people living there – in Lybia, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain, etc.?
This seminar by Dr. Hassan Diab offers an in-depth perspective about Middle Eastern cultures and societies in an engaging, conversational, and informal atmosphere. The seminar is composed of five sessions or meetings, each session is 2 hours long.
This is a unique opportunity to find answers to many of the questions you have about the Middle East, as well as participate in interesting discussions.
SEMINAR DESCRIPTION
Session 1 (History and Economy): A Historical Perspective of Middle Eastern Societies. This session covers some of the major historical events that led to the formation of current societies and states in the Middle East. We will focus on the relationship between colonialism and the rise of the "dependent" contemporary societies and states in the region.
Session 2 (Culture): Cultural Perspectives and Practices in the Middle East: The Non-Orientalist Approaches. In this session, we will focus on the similarities and differences in cultural formations and practices in the region. We will also discuss the problems that arise from adopting the orientalist approach to understanding societies in the region. Edward Said's views will be critically discussed and examples from cultural practices in the Middle East will be objectively presented.
Session 3 (Politics): Political Development and the Formation of Current Political Systems in the Middle East. This session seeks to shed some light on the historical formation of current political systems in the region. We will examine the aspirations of various political movements, and the obstacles faced in developing mostly tribal societies into modern democratic political entities. Unfulfilled promises of modernization theories will be probed.
Session 4 (Religion): Religion and Its Role in Societies and Cultures in the Middle East: Myths and Realities. This session will provide a general view of the three main religions in the Middle East, focusing mainly on Islam and its main branches. We will examine the role of religion in Middle Eastern societies. We will also analyze Western media coverage of events in the Middle East.
Session 5 (Arab Spring): The Future of the Middle East: A Vibrant or Stagnant Region? This session discusses the current events which led to the "Arab Spring" and its potential to achieve the hopes and aspirations of people in the region.
RECOMMENDED READINGS
(Additional readings may be assigned as needed).
Novels:
- Cities of Salt, by Abdul Rahman Munif (a novel translated from Arabic; available at the Public Library)
- Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa (a novel; may be available in the Public Library).
Articles & Chapters in Books:
- Said, Edward. 1995. “Introduction.” Pp. 1-28 in Orientalism. London, England: Penguin Books.
- Amin, Samir. 1989. “The Construction of Eurocentric Culture.” Pp. 89-117 in Eurocentrism. New York, New York: Monthly Press Review.
- Abu-Lughod, Lila. 2002. “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others.” American Anthropologist 104(3):783-790.
- Said, Edward. 1995. “The Latest Phase.” Pp. 284-328 in Orientalism. London, England: Penguin Books.
Teaching is Dr. Diab’s livelihood and passion. We hope that YOU will not miss this great opportunity to attend his lectures.
Dr. Hassan Diab is a Lebanese Canadian sociology professor who is an expert on the Middle East. He holds a Ph.D. (1995) in Sociology from Syracuse University, New York. He is the author of the book “Beirut: Reviving Lebanon's Past” which examines Beirut’s financial role in the Middle East, and the repercussions of that role on Lebanese society and politics.
In addition to his academic credentials, Dr. Diab has over 20-years teaching experience in various universities in North America and the Middle East.
Teaching is Dr. Diab's livelihood and passion, but he has not been able to find employment since he lost his teaching job at Carleton University due to external pressure.
Since November 2008, Dr. Diab has been fighting his extradition to France for his alleged involvement in a bombing in Paris in 1980 – a crime he did not commit. Dr. Diab's fingerprints do not match those of the suspect. His palm prints do not match. His physical description does not match. Yet, at the end of a lengthy extradition hearing in June 2011, the Canadian judge decided to commit Hassan to extradition based on flawed handwriting analysis that the judge himself described as “problematic”, “very confusing”, and with “conclusions that are suspect”. The judge said he must commit because he is bound by Canada’s extradition treaty with France.
Hassan is appealing the judge’s decision, and needs your support. Hassan's case is a wake up call for all of us. We must prevent the erosion of human rights here in Canada.
For more information, see:
http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org
http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/9223-canadian-qkq-hassan-diabs-kafkaesque-twilight.html
Imagine going to sleep and having a dream. In the soft, surreal landscapes of this dream you are a normal person living a normal life. You begin to be followed by shadowy figures, so you call the police - but it continues.
After a year of this recurring theme, the dream takes a turn; the authorities come and take you away. You've 'disappeared' into a labyrinth of byzantine officialdom, where human rights and reality and rationality are not always what they seem; where you've been charged with a hideous crime 30 years in the past; where the evidence is either secret, or ludicrous enough to be laughable - if it were only a dream.
This is not Syria or North Korea, or any other number of corrupt and paranoid police states to be found aplenty. And it's not the dust jacket blurb from a newly discovered Franz Kafka novel. It's a reality, today, in Canada...
Read the full article at:
The Vegetable News Network, Blog for the week of August 1, 2011
http://www.vegnewsnet.com/Aug1-11.html
You are invited to join a Sunday service, with special speaker Dr. Monia Mazigh.
- Title: Our Civil Liberties: Myths and Realities
- Time: Sunday, July 31, 10:30 am - 1:30 pm
- Location: First Unitarian Congregation, 30 Cleary Ave (off Richmond Road, one traffic light East of Woodroffe Ave), Ottawa, Ontario
Bus 18 and 2, lots of parking
Special guests will be Hassan Diab and his partner Rania Tfaily, and Sophie Lamarche Harkat (wife of Mohamed Harkat)
Refreshments will be served after the service, which will also give you the opportunity to personally meet and talk with Monia and the special guests.
For more information, call: 613-828-8468
"Despite Incredibly 'Weak Case', Hassan Diab Forced to Keep Resisting Extradition to France", by Matthew Behrens
Dr. Hassan Diab is a Canadian university professor fighting for his freedom, and for his life.
The French government wants him to face trial for what they allege is Dr. Diab's involvement in a 1980 bombing that killed four people. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
There's a small problem: Dr. Diab's fingerprints don't match the suspect's. His palm prints do not match. The physical description does not match. The handwriting does not match. Allegations against him have been found "weak", "suspect," and "confusing" by a Canadian judge; that same judge concluded June 6 that "the case presented by the Republic of France against Mr. Diab is a weak case; the prospects of conviction in the context of a fair trial, seem unlikely."
With such a strong defence, one would think Dr. Diab would be breathing easy. Instead, he is strapped to a GPS monitoring bracelet for which he must pay $2,000 a month (a new version of the Dickensian debtors' prison, in which your freedom is now dependent on your ability to pay the state's surveillance costs), barred from leaving his home without a court-approved monitor, and faced with a curfew worse than that imposed on most 10-year-olds. He cannot teach, his home is frequently invaded by RCMP agents, and he lives with the unimaginable stress that he might spend the rest of his life in a small French jail cell...
Read the full article at:
http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/9223-canadian-qkq-hassan-diabs-kafkaesque-twilight.html
Hassan Diab's case highlights the injustice of Canada’s Extradition Law and should be of concern to everyone. The issue was widely covered in the media, including the following:
- Hassan Diab Press Conference, Ottawa, June 6, 2011
- CBC Radio interview with Hassan’s lawyer, Mr. Don Bayne, conducted by Alan Neal of “All in a Day”, June 6, 2011
- The Complex Case of Hassan Diab, by Chris Cobb, Ottawa Citizen, June 10, 2011
- Why the Diab case should worry all Canadians, by Randal Marlin, Ottawa Citizen, June 16, 2011
- Canada’s Extradition Law: The Least Fair Act on Earth?, by Gary Botting, Prism Magazine, June 17, 2011
Please take the time to send a brief letter to the Editor in support of Hassan Diab.
On Wednesday May 25, Hassan Diab's lawyer asked the extradition judge to take into account a recent ruling by the Ontario Court of appeal, and allow the introduction of additional handwriting reports to demonstrate (once again!) the total unreliability of France's handwriting evidence. Several French handwriting experts are willing to testify that the methodology and conclusions of the handwriting evidence are totally flawed.
Read Ottawa Citizen coverage of Wednesday's hearing.
This morning, the judge denied the lawyer’s request. A decision on whether to "commit" Hassan for extradition (basically, the first step in shipping Hassan overseas, which involves imprisonment) will be issued on June 6th.
Read Ottawa Citizen coverage of today’s decision
Please write letters to the Editor expressing your concern about the extradition process and your support for Hassan Diab.
In your letters, you can raise one or more of the following points:
- As Hassan's case shows, the standard of evidence for extraditing Canadian citizens does not come near to meeting standards for a fair trial.
- It is very alarming that Hassan's extradition may be allowed to proceed SOLELY on the basis of handwriting analysis that the judge himself has said is “very problematic, very confusing, and with conclusions that are suspect".
It is unacceptable that France based its original extradition request on completely unsourced and secret intelligence that may be the product of torture.
- It is unacceptable that France has withheld information favourable to Hassan from the judge, such as the fact that Hassan’s palm prints and fingerprints do not match those of the suspect.
- Letters must be very short (100 words or less); include name, postal address and daytime phone number of the writer; state "Letter to the Editor" in the Subject line; and content should be in the body of the email (i.e. do not send as an attachment).
Email addresses are provided below:
Globe and Mail: letters@globeandmail.com
National Post: letters@nationalpost.com
Ottawa Citizen: letters@thecitizen.canwest.com
Ottawa Sun: ottsun.oped@sunmedia.ca
Hill Times (Federal Parliament): news@hilltimes.com
Thanks for your continued support.
Hassan Diab Support Committee
http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org
diabsupport@gmail.com
Posts
