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)

I didn't want to believe that our government was wrong about Mr. Arar, not out of malice towards him, but because if they were wrong, then they had been complicit in torture. I apologize for my naivete, I apologize for taking the side of a bureaucracy rather than the individual. Mr. Arar has comported himself with amazing dignity and grace while in the media spotlight. His comments about his ordeal - which includes the O'Connor hearings and media attention - have seemed to me thoughtful and informative, more the perspective of Justice O'Connor than a victim of torture and public humiliation. Sir, I salute you. If the opportunity arises, I will offer my apology in person. (Comments from Michael Ruxton)

I feel that you need to know that you have many supporters across this great country of ours. I am outraged at the atrocities that you lived through and the unbelievable reports from the government (on both sides of the border) and most recently the RCMP. It is just plain wrong what you and your family have lived through. I hope you gain strength from my support and belief in your cause. Never, ever, give up! (Comments from Debra Currie, Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Merci M.Arrar d'avoir eu le courage de forcer le gouvernement et les services de renseignement de rendre publique leurs pratiques honteuses et inhumaines. Je suis heureux que vous et votre famille pourrez enfin retrouver une vie normale et correcte. Espérons que les autres qui ont subi un sort similaire seront égalementlibérés. (Par Normand Demers)

I think every Canadian should thank you and your wife. Your patriotism and faith in the Canadian system not only improves the fortunes of every Canadian, but shows us that everyone can get a measure of justice, if they persevere. You and your wife are a credit to Canada. (Comments from Matt Rose)

I have been following your story for a couple of years now, and I wanted to say how glad I am that some semblance of justice has been done. Canada and the U.S. owe you much more than this complete vindication and I hope you get the full justice you seek. Stories like yours should be shouted from the rooftops, so people can become aware of the inhumanity that fear and ignorance breeds. (Comments from Gerry Patterson)

I am happy to see that the inquiry has totally vindicated you. Canada is a better country today because of your fight. Thank you. (Comments from Geoffrey Forbes MD)

I want to thank you, Maher Arar, your family, and your legal team for seeing this challenge through. Others in your position might have felt it too painful and difficult. You had the courage and the conviction to challenge the Canadian government. Your perseverance, and the happy conclusion of your efforts, will hopefully lead to a broader examination of the policies and practices of the RCMP and the Canadian government, in regards to those under suspicion of terrorist activity. I am also hopeful that change in these policies and practices will result. I want to recognize your contribution and your personal sacrifice. I trust that we will have a more equitable Canada for all Canadians as a result. Thank you. May you live in peace. (Comments from Stephanie Gilman)

I was privileged to interview you after your Nelson appearance, Mr. Arar, and was deeply impressed by your dignity and composure in speaking to a roomful of strangers about such a terrifying ordeal. This is courage of a unique type. You are lighting a torch in the dark for many more, sadly, like you who have been so abused. Wishing you all the best in your new life in BC. (Comments by Art Joyce)

I nearly cried when I heard your story and cannot imagine what an unspeakable experience you must have had. As an American citizen, it makes me sick to the stomach that things like this are happening in my country. I love my country dearly, but this government has no right to treat citizens of its northern neighbor as you have been, regardless of their origins. If I were rich and powerful I would help you immensely, yet as an ordinary citizen I could only help a little bit. As hoffific as your experience was, I hope you can someday return to the United States for any reason, freely and fearlessly. I may not be at the border to see you through, however, I welcome you and your family with open arms to the United States and remember that my country was not founded on the principles of a police state. (Anonymous)

I am glad that you came home to your family again. I hate that the U.S. is behaving in this way. When I read the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the U.S. constitution, I feel full of admiration of their founding fathers and the insights they had. When I then see how the current U.S. administration perverts everyting that the U.S. once stood for I feel very sad. Why do they behave in this way? Why do they blatantly ignore the UN Convetions, the Geneva Conventions? How can they live with themselves?

I have been quite disgusted at the slow pace of the inquiry. It is a scary scenario when we cannot fully trust our own goverment to fight for individal citizens. ... Keep up the good fight for justice and accountability of those we elect and pay, and who should defend us. (Anonymous)

It is frightening to me as a Canadian citizen that the government let another of our people be flown off to another country. There are so many questions I would like to have answered, but most importantly, why did this happen? What happened to Maher Arar should frighten the world. I don't just think people should be punished, but our government should be ASHAMED! As I am about this issue. What do I want? No more delays in the public inquiry. ... (Comments from Natali Baird)

I am extremely unhappy about how the case of Maher Arar was handled. It seems that people no longer consider canadians from different ethnic backgrounds as canadians! Hidden documents, torture, syrian deporation, all of this should have never happened. Hope you can accomplish as much as you can, Mr. Arar. Good luck to you and your family. (Anonymous)

Until Maher Arar receives an apology and compensation from the United States government and an apology from the government of Canada for not denouncing the Bush administration for the acts of inhumanity set in to motion by American bureaucrats - all this talk of democracy and freedom and human rights means absolutely nothing. I am equally perturbed at the fact that certain members of the Canadian parliament mocked Mr. Arar's wife while she attempted to do what our supine media should have been doing. ...(Comments by Croft Woodruff, Vancouver, B.C.)

I put myself in the place of this poor man and am far more terrified by what he has suffered at the direction of our own government than the potential actions of any foreign terrorists. I am ashamed that this man suffered so greviously in all our names. Torture and rendition are morally wrong and illegal by so many standards, and I believe that you believe that. Aren't you ashamed as an American, and frightened that this horror could happen to any one of us? As Thomas Jefferson said, I tremble for my country when I remember that God is just.

I pray for you every day. (Anonymous)

I am a US citizen, born and bred in the USA. I am deeply ashamed of my federal government's actions against you. Your rendition was immoral and unethical. There is no excuse. Please accept the apologies of this US citizen. I wish you well. I cannot imagine the pain you have been through. (Comments by Lawrence A. Welsch, Ph.D.)

I'm a native U.S. citizen residing in Chicago. I'm quite disappointed that U.S. Judge David Trager dismissed your civil suit against United States officials who are complicit in rendition and torture. Please appeal Trager's foolish decision, in defense of human rights and the rule of law. ... I'm deeply sorry, and furious, over what my government did to you. (Comments by Marc S. Lawrence)

I'd like to first send my regards to Mr. Arar and his family. I can't begin to understand what it's been like for you to endure this terrible injustice. I was living in Ottawa for 5 years, and I read a bit about this atrocity. I was shocked by what I read. I'm glad that these things are in the spot light now though. If this sort of thing happens, we should know, and steps need to be taken to ensure that it stops. I've read some about the Patriot's Act, in the U.S., and it concerns me a great deal that the same thing may be happening in Canada. Fighting "terrorism" should not mean that we lose our basic freedoms and liberties. ... I think we all have a responsibility to ourselves to find out all we can about our government's dealings, policies, and procedures, so we can be vigilant. It's hard to do so with the propanga used to misinform us, but it's not impossible. Let's stand up for ourselves starting now. The time is now.

I commend you for your courage, and I'm sure that your actions will help other citizens to become more active in securing our freedoms. (Anonymous)

Keep up the good fight Mr. Arar. There is no defense for the actions committed against you. There is no reason to allow highly placed officials to lie about such a thing, and furthermore if they are lying in the name of protecting National Security, the least they could do is offer some form of compensation... (Comments from André Poirier)

It is shocking what happened to Maher Arar, and what is happening still to countless others even now. To our shame the UK, and particularly Prestwick airport in Scotland we believe, is being used as a staging-post for some of these US rendition flights. Needless to say Her Majesty's Government are very vague about the matter but are under pressure from public opinion to 'come clean' with the electorate. It does seem that the 9/11 incident in New York unleashed a new United States of America - 'all powerful' as usual but now with no hesitation to stoop as low as they need to win their war. With the CIA operating under Bush & Cheney, the USA is a nation to be feared by all - even it's 'so called' allies! ... (Comments by Colin Sisk, UK)

Kudos and thanks to Mr. Maher Arar for standing up and fighting back on behalf of all Canadians against the farce U.S. policy of "extraordinary rendition". This is an issue of concern for all Canadians not just Mr. Arar and his family, that must be addressed directly and without compromise. We have to keep this issue alive in the spotlight until the U.S. government admits its guilt in the blatant violation and disregard for human rights and compensates Mr. Arar and all those wrongfully & illegally apprehended under the ludicrous Patriot Act laws. (Comments by Allan Zarak)

You and your family have my deepest sympathy. I hope you will all be able to eventually regain normal lives. I hold the Canadian governemnt responsible for what befell you and others sent to Syria. (Comments from R. Moodie)

Whoever thought up the idea of torturing people to get intelligence has absolutely no idea what they are doing. They are getting useless information, often from completely innocent people, which is wasting the time and energy of other officials who have to try to somehow verify this nonsense.

I would like to express my anger and frustration of how a Canadian could be deported and denied their basic human rights by the United States and Canada. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is applicable to ALL Canadians. We, All Canadians, need to stand united together to disallow this crime against humanity from ever occurring again. A Canadian is a Canadian no matter where we go. WE all have rights and freedoms that must be respected world-wide as these rights and freedoms are our basic way of life, and what our country is built upon.

Thank you Maher for having the resolve to see this process through to the acknowledgement by the Canadian Government. To my mind your quiet dignity in the face of the roadblocks and denials has been exceptional. While it is not over yet, it seems that your hard work is starting to
bear fruit. God bless as you move on with your life. (Comments by Bryan Vroom.)

First of all...the mere fact that names are 'optional' defines your amazing conception of democracy. Mr. Arar is a very brave man, and you can see the stress of his long battle for recognition of history repeating itself in Canada, in his beautiful face. I wish him the best. (Anonymous)

It means very little, but I would like to apologize on behalf of my nation, as my government never will. It is shameful what happened to you, and the people who did this should be imprisoned. I am ashamed to be an American. I wish you luck in recovering from this and exposing what truly happened to the fulest extent you can. Hopefully Canadians have not succumbed to the allure of facism to the extent Americans have. (Comments by William Edwards.)

I have just stumbled upon your story. I am so shocked that this has happened and can happen again. I am an Australian citizen and I see the same sort of thing happening in my country. I ask that anyone who comes to this site and learns of your story pass it along to everyone they know. Your story must be told to the whole world. I always thought Canada to be a good nation with principles. Not after this nightmare. SHAME CANADA SHAME (Comments from M. Malouf in Australia)