You are a brave and respectable soul, an example to the many others who are unfairly being victimized by an aggressive and illegal international witchhunt. Be proud of your strength and your demands for justice. You are a hero. (Anonymous)

Congratulations Mr Arar. You and your wife deserve every nickel you get from this settlement. It is amazing you were able to fight for your truth to be told after all you have endured. Your wife is a brilliant and persevering woman. You have done all your fellow Canadians a great service for exposing this injustice and we are proud of you both. Try and erase the horrors from your memory, go out and buy yourselves something nice and start your own software firm. Good luck to you! (Anonymous)

I commend you for the courage and determination you and your wife have shown throughout the ordeal you have undergone and your struggle to both clear your name and the battle you have waged so tirelessly on behalf of the rights of all citizens. All Canadians owe you an immense debt for the campaign you have waged on behalf of all of us. As a sixth generation Canadian I am immensely proud of you and your family and am deeply honoured to acknowledge you as a new Canadian who has already made an immense contribution to this country. I wish you every success in your efforts to rebuild your life and have every confidence that you will continue to make a significant contribution to the life of this great country we call home. I am honoured to think of you as a fellow citizen. (Comments from David Baldwin)

You will forever be a hero to your children. (Anonymous)

Thank you for everything you have done for Canada. In the end, your ordeal became a lesson in integrity and anti-oppression for all Canadians, and many others around the world. I believe it is helping to fast-forward inter-cultural and inter-ethnic understanding and respect, and to
shape a healthy Canadian national identity. I wish you healing and comfort, happiness and love, and peace and prosperity, in all your years to come. (Comments from Marianne van der Meij)

I couldn't be happier for you Mr. Arar. It gave me great pleasure to see that you've received the formal apology you so deserved and that unlike so many in the same situation before you, you managed to rise above and expose an injustice while opening people's eyes. I wish the best of luck to you and your family. (Anonymous)

What wonderful news! Congratulations! My heart has been with you and your family since 2002. My wish is that you all will live in peace and happiness forever. (Comments from Barbara Parenteau)

It was with great satisfaction that I heard our PM apologise to you and your family for the horrendous ordeal that you were put through because of mistakes of our police and government. I cannot imagine what you have gone though, but I applaud your courage both during your ordeal and in your fight for justice. As Canadians, we deserve protection and
security from our government. As your children grow up, hopefully they will be able to understand the events of the last four years - but most importantly, they will now know that their father was innocent and had and has a clear name. I offer my condolences as a Canadian for what you and your family has gone though. Congratulations on clearing your name and the best of luck to you and your family in the future. (Comments from Scott McDonald)

Mr. Arar, you have brought what could have been a very private tragedy into the public realm for personal, legal and political resolution. I am convinced that that is exactly how healing happens: your courage, determination and strength mean that fewer people will go through what you went through. That is the gift you, your family and legal team have given to the future. A victory for you is a victory for all. (Anonymous)

I would like to congratulate you, your wife and your legal team for this victory. You have accomplished a lot, not only for yourself, but for Canada as a whole. You should be proud of yourselves! I know nothing can take you back to your life before the ordeal, but we should perhaps cherish the hope that your ordeal and your struggle might reduce the possibility of somebody else having to go through what you did! It's extremely encouraging that in your first interview after the settlement, you talk about wanting to continue your struggle for human rights. (Comments from Arsalan Kahnemuyipour, "A proud fellow Canadian citizen!")

Dear Maher et chère Monia, (and children!), you said in a Toronto Star story that your little boy thought the work you were doing exposing injustice (and racism, and slavish following of
US policies) was "your job". It is indeed a job, and a very imporant one, not only for you and your family, but for all Canadians and immigrants who have been subjected to security certificates, trials without access to the charges or evidence against them, custody here without trial, or worse, remittance to states where torture is a common and well-known practice. Monia and you both deserve the Order of Canada for your commitment to the defence of our freedoms and your own, and your good name. I hope the faith and the love of your wife, children and all your family and friends will sustain you and help you recover from your ordeal and go forward in your professional, family and civic life. Thanks again. [/i](Comments from Maria in Montreal)[/i]

alf mabrook ya Maher and Monia. We are very happy for you , you deserve the apology and the money. We were praying for you guys all the time and we hope the best for you and safe and healthy life. wa salaam alikom

Bravo! We wish you and your family every happiness and future success after such a long and difficult struggle. You have had our support since the very beginning when I first heard your wife on the CBC-radio. I feel truly proud to be a Canadian knowing I have a government willing to make amends about your case. What a good example for the United States or Britain to follow. What an horrific tragedy for you and your family, good luck in all your future endevours! (Comments from Brenda Landolt and family)

Dear Mr. Arar, thank goodness the Government of Canada has finally settled with you financially and apologized publicly for the grave injustice you have suffered. While I know this will never be enough, hopefully, it will help you start over and leave you free from financial worries while you do. And, I would likely to offer my personal apologies, as a fellow
Canadian, for this terrible series of events. I wish you success in your suit against the United States government. What they did was unforgivable. My prayers are with you and your family. (Anonymous)

Although the case with Canada's government is over, it is not yet time to give up. The USA must admit their guilt and will eventually do so. Human decency and common sense dictate it. Italy and, above all, Syria must also be blamed. (Anonymous)

You are a very courageous man, Mr. Arar. I am very impressed with the way you have handled your media interviews since returning to Canada after your horendous ordeal. You have conducted yourself with great dignity and respect on every occasion, which is admirable to say the least. I can only hope that I would have the same courage and fortitude that you convey, if I found myself in similar circumstances.

I wish you lots of luck and strength in your quest for justice and peace. (Anonymous)

Mr. Arar, it is the very few who stand up for the most basic and simple human rights. Your struggle has told all Canadians that we, as Canadians, can do better. It is your strength and the strength of your family through this ordeal that will make Canada a better country. Thank you. (Anonymous)

Dear Maher and Monia:

You have done, and continue to do, more than seems humanly possible, to ensure that Canadians must recognize, take responsibility for, and change the things which resulted in the torture of you and the others. With each day that passes I see that in you, Maher, there is a spirit which is so strong that you are able to go on in circumstances which would defeat most others.

I am very gratified to see that you have forced the Canadian government and the justice system to face the wrongs of their actions. I will stand by you in your fight for justice knowing that it is also a fight all Canadian's cannot ignore. (Anonymous)

Maher, I veiw you as a national hero. You are a man of great wisdom and courage. You fight for those who can't speak for fear of reprisal. Keep your faith, keep your dignity and hold your head high. I am sure that you are already doing so and this gives you the courage for the journey you are now on. May peace and happiness follow you and your family for the rest of your days. (Comments from Jeff A., Winnipeg, MB)

First and foremost, I'd like to express my deepest sympathies to Maher Arar and his family. How something like this could happen to an innocent man in a country that prides itself on rights and freedoms simply disgusts me to no end. For Commissioner Zaccardelli's inactions to hold those within the RCMP accountable for their misdeeds, he should not have been allowed to resign, but should have been fired. There needs to be a message sent to those in law enforcement who break the law. There seems to be a two-tier justice system in Canada: one solely for the police, the other for the rest of us. (Comments from Alex MacLean)

Both Maher and his wife are examples of strength in the face of adversity. You deserve more than a medal for your determination to seek justice. I am proud that you belong to my country - I hope that you will find an end to this story, move on and enjoy life BUT be sure that you get the justice that you deserve. More people should be speaking out and demanding answers and then maybe this world would be more compassionate and caring. (Anonymous)

I'm sorry I doubted your story; I had blind confidence in the Canadian institutions. Thank you for your dedication to get the truth out. We need more people like you in this country. (Anonymous)

May you and your family find peace and healing. As an American, I am truly appalled and ashamed of my government. (Anonymous)

It is unacceptable that the government is refusing to take responsibility for the crimes committed against Maher Arar. By refusing to severely punish those responsible for falsely targeting Arar as a terrorist and violating his fundamental rights -- to safety and security, to due process, to justice, the right to know the truth of his case, his right to a full apology and compensation for his suffering, its regrets are hollow indeed.

As a dual American-Canadian citizen it angers me that the United States has implemented policies such as deporting foreign citizens who they have no jurisdiction and right over. Keep the faith Maher, your fight is much needed after the totalitarian policies of the United States. (Anonymous)

I have called my MP - Paul Steckley Huron Riding Ontario and discussed your situation at length. I said I never want this to happen to another Canadian again. On behalf of caring Canadians we are sorry. I have tears for you and your family. (Comments from Dave Leigh)

There is no reason whatsoever for why the Canadian government had such a slow response to atrocities against you. There's no amount of words of apology, or even compensation that can undo this crime. I just feel truly sorry that this even happened. I can't even imagine
what a nightmare it was. But I want to thank you for standing up for what is right, and even in your own suffering, you still fight to bring justice. (Anonymous)

RCMP Chief Zaccardelli is correct, the world was a different place on September 12. It wasn't, however, because terrorism changed it; we changed it. Maher, you are a victim of our fear. All of the apologies in the world cannot return what was taken from you. All of the apologies in
the world cannot remove the scars that should never have been. I would never ask you to endure that horror but I thank you for reminding us of that which we hold most dear, our freedom. May we never forget your sacrifice, your courage, and your inspiration and let justice be done. (Comments from Graydon Smith)