Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 21 May 2004

First anniversary of Charkaoui's arrest

Montreal's CSIS officers were treated to "One hour of solidarity after One year of detention" over lunch hour last week. It was exactly one year after the day that Adil Charkaoui was surrounded on a highway in Montreal and arrested with great media fanfare. CSIS was behind the arrest, alleging that the young teacher was a threat to national security. Charkaoui has been imprisoned without charge under secret evidence ever since, facing deportation back to Morocco, where torture and possibly death await him.

Family, friends and other people concerned about the rising racism and national security hysteria gathered in front of Canada's spy agency to protest Secret Trials and to demonstrate their solidarity with Adil Charkaoui, the four other Muslim men undergoing Secret Trials in Canada, and their families.

With a couple of Guantamo Bay prisoners in orange jumpsuits flanking her, Hind Charkaoui spoke with emotion of the difficulties her family had faced since her brother's arrest. She then read out a poem by her brother Adil, describing in bitter detail the injustices and losses that he has suffered over the past year.

One year [rough translation from French]

Adil Charkaoui
21 May 2004
One year behind bars!
At least 365 kisses from Khawla missed!
Thousands of meetings and family meals gone to waste!
Long nights doubly white, continual snow and incessant stress!
Long summer nights, in which sunsets don't hold the same charm!
And the ordeal continues!
Always the same refrain: national security over individual rights!
Always the same thing again: it's immigration and not criminal!
Always the same theme: prove that you are innocent!
What are the charges? State secret!
Who are the informers? Anonymous people!
Where is the evidence? Under seal!
Right to appeal? Only for the criminals!
Presumption of innocence? Only for those accused in the sponsorship scandal! (Isn't that Coderre?!)
The Charter of Rights and Liberties? Inquisition and Citizenship Canada doesn't follow it!
Tonight, a girl of two years and seven months and a baby of nine months
Will again go to sleep without hugging their father
Ask yourselves why!

Guillaume Tremblay, an activist with the Quebec political party Union des Forces Progressistes, then told how he had been visited by CSIS agents last fall. He was offered "subsidies" in exchange for information on political activists whom he worked with. In an effort to convince him to pass on information about non-European organisers, the CSIS agent had resorted to a frankly racist discourse.

Pascale Montpetit, a well-known comedian and actress, and Karen Young, a fabulous jazz singer, expressed their opposition to secret trials and the attacks on Muslims and Arabs inwhich CSIS is playing a role (Young's speech is at www.adilinfo.org). Karen moved many to tears with a song about freedom, "Liberte", and then launched into "Following orders", which some of the people leaving the CSIS/Immigration Canada offices might have taken to heart: "I'm just following orders!"

Standing beside Adil Charkaoui's mother and daughter, one of the Guantanamo Bay prisoners held a placard with a quote from Herman Goering, an official in the Nazi government who was more involved in giving orders than following them. The full quote reads, "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." (Goering, 1946).

The rally finished on a high note with a solidarity song written and performed by two lovely and talented members of the Charkaoui campaign.

I lost my freedom (to the tune of "I lost my baby" by Jean Leloup)

Refrain:
I lost my freedom
I lost my papers
I lost my rights
I lost my life

Pour une gang d’Ottawa
Qui nous imposent des lois
D’un style militaire
Qui poussent des gens dans la misère
À travers tout le country
Et qui, loin de la lumière
Enferment nos amis
Leur volent leur liberté
Pour une raison obscure, dite de sécurité
Dite de sécurité
Ah! Je ne peux pas vivre comme ça
Victime de ce certificat
Car je sais bien qu’un jour viendra
Où l’État me déportera

Refrain

Coup de fil de Adil
Qui un jour tomba
Sur des flics d’Ottawa
Pourquoi, je ne sais pas
Lui dirent : « Les mains en l’air »
« T’es maintenant dans de beaux draps »
« Et ne te fais pas de cinéma »
Nous sommes habitants de la terre
Il y a des milliers de frontières
Quelqu’un est pris, sans preuve aucune, pour quelqu’un d’autre
Et c’est l’enfer

Refrain

Pour une gang d’Ottawa
Qui nous imposent des lois
Et qui un jour tombera
Sous la pression populaire
Toute cette infamie
Sera finie merci
Et nous dirons adieu
À tous ces salauds de la tyrannie

Refrain