Maher Arar :: Get Involved

Never doubt that you can make a difference:

Canadians from coast to coast raised their voices with a simple and clear request for justice. It worked. The public inquiry was announced. This major accomplishment has filled us with hope.

But amid the celebration, much remains to be done.

It is essential that the long-awaited public inquiry actually achieves what we have waited so long for.

The scope and structure of the public inquiry are as important as the potential witness list and evidence. In fact, these are crucial factors in determining whether Maher will be able to accomplish his goals of clearing his name and ensuring this will never happen again.

Unfortunatley, the government has taken the position by which it wants to keep most, if not all, hearings in camera. This defeats the purpose of this public inquiry where all Canadians have the right to know what exactly went wrong, and most importantly how this can be prevented from happening again.

We urge you to call on Geoff Regan, the acting Attorney General for the Arar Inquiry, to make of this inquiry as much public as possible.

Send your message online. You can also send your messages by fax, email or post to:

The Honourable Geoff Regan
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
KIA 0A6

Telephone: (613) 996-3085
Fax: (613) 996-6988
E-Mail: Regan.G@parl.gc.ca

List of organizations and individuals that called for a public inquiy

Notable people:
* Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Marion Dewar, former NDP President, and former Mayor of Ottawa
* Flora MacDonald, former Foreign Affairs Minister
* Reid Morden, former Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence
Service, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Richard Mahoney, Liberal party candidate in Ottawa Center

Former and current members of Parliament and cabinet Minsiters:
* Alexa McDonough, NDP MP (Halifax)
* Sarkis Assadourian, former liberal MP (Brampton Centre)
* Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice
* Stephen Owen, former Secretary of State
* Herb Dhaliwal, former Minister of Natural Resources
* Carolyn Parrish, Libreal MP (Mississauga-Erindale)
* Ed Broadbent, NDP MP (Ottawa Center)

Professors and lawyers
* Professor Kent Roach (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor Tony Duggan (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor Colleen Flood (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor Jim Phillips (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor Martha Shaffer (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor Lorne Sossin (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor Hamish Stewart (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor David Dyzenhaus (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor Denise Reaume (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Professor Lisa Austin (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Adjunct Professor Noah Novogrodsky (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law)
* Penelope Simons, Research Fellow (University of Toronto, International Human Rights Program)
* Georgette Gagnon, international human-rights lawyer

Political parties:
* Alliance Party of Canada
* Bloc Québécois of Canada
* Canadian Action Party of Canada
* New Democratic Party of Canada
* Progressive Conservative Party

Editorials:
* The Globe and Mail
* The Toronto Star
* Le Devoir
* The Ottawa Citizen
* Edmonton Sun
* Calgary Sun
* Winnipeg Sun
* Ottawa Sun
* Brockville Recorder and Times
* Halifax Herald

Organizations and unions:
* International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group representing

* Action Réfugiés Montréal
* Anglican Church of Canada
* British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
* B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
* Canadian Bar Association
* Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture
* Canadian Council for International Co-operation
* Canadian Council for Refugees
* Canadian Civil Liberties Association
* Canadian Ethnocultural Council
* Canadian Friends Service Committee
* Canadian Labour Congress
* Canadian Union of Public Employees
* Council on American Islamic Relations (Canada)
* Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)
* DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN)
* Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance
* Filipino Nurses Support Group
* Grassroots Women
* Inter Pares
* KAIROS: Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
* Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council
* Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
* Montreal Muslim News
* Multicultural Association of Fredericton
* Muslim Lawyers Association
* National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada
* National Indo-Cnadian Council
* National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of
Canada
* Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization
* Parkdale Community Legal Services
* People for Peace, Justice, and Healing (Tacoma, Washington)
* Philippine Women Centre of B.C.
* Romero House
* SIKLAB (Filipino migrant workers' organization)
* Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes
réfugiées et immigrantes
* United Church of Canada
* Air Conditioning Installation London
* TPI Accident and Injury Lawyer

If you know of any other notable person or organization that called for the Inquiry but is not listed here please let us know.