CITLALLY MACIEL
<Staff Writer>
The story of the Prodigal Son is one of Jesus’ parables which tells the story of a son who asks his father for his inheritance and then leaves and wastes it all. He then returns home and repents. The father holds a feast to celebrate his return, but his older son is not pleased that his brother is welcomed in such an extravagant manner. He tells his father that he has been a model son while his younger brother abandoned him. The father reminds the older son that everything the father has is his, but that they should still celebrate the return of the younger son as he has come back to them. The father says: “But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:32). Interesting story, but why exactly am I talking about this? Well, the story is supposed to be about the tension between love and forgiveness; justice and merit. Let’s see, justice, homecoming, forgiveness, second chances… why does that sound germane to the news I have heard this past week? Oh! Of course: Omar Khadr.
The news about Omar Khadr’s release from Guantanamo and his homecoming were everywhere. Discussions regarding what his fate would be abounded. CBC radio had a brief segment in which two people talked about why one of them thought it was about time Khadr was brought home, while the other expressed her disapproval of the Canadian Government bringing Khadr back and about her concerns. Certainly, the debate regarding Omar Khadr’s repatriation has been one that has polarized Canadian society for the past decade. On one hand, we have those who hold that Khadr has been a victim of serious human rights violations and that it was the Canadian Government’s obligation to have him returned to Canada. For example, Amnesty International Canada, an organization “committed to defending those who are denied justice or freedom”, holds this very same view. According to Amnesty, “[t]his case has always been about the fundamental injustice of Guantanamo Bay and the decision to repeatedly interrogate and subject a child combatant to an unfair trial by military commission that failed to meet international standards for fair trials.” Accordingly, Amnesty is hopeful that Khadr’s homecoming is the beginning of a long-overdue process by which the Canadian government will have to mend its mistakes. Indeed, the violations took place. The Supreme Court has already ruled that the Federal Government violated his Charter rights when CSIS officials were sent to Guantanamo to question Khadr and then divulged that information to the American authorities. To this effect, a $10-million lawsuit was filed against the federal government, one which will probably be generously settled out of court.
On the other hand, we have those who think that Khadr, as a convicted criminal, deserved to be in Guantanamo and that, by bringing him back to Canada, the Canadian government would potentially put Canadians at risk from terrorist activities. A survey reported by the Toronto Sun, indicated that 60% of Canadians do not support Khadr’s return to Canada. Of course, there is plenty of evidence that points to the fact that perhaps we should not trust that Khadr’s repentance is genuine. In a 2010 article published by Maclean’s, it was reported that in 1995 Khadr’s father had been taken into custody by the authorities in Pakistan. He pleaded to the Canadian Government to be rescued and brought back to Canada. However, not long after his return, Khadr’s father went back to Pakistan taking his family along with him, to be at the service of al-Qaeda. Khadr’s mother and sister have openly praised Khadr for his terrorist activities. Finally, we also have those homemade videos that show a happy Khadr making bombs and talking proudly about jihadist ideas. He describes the day when he killed the American soldier as his most proud moment and continues to idolize his father and what he represented. After knowing all this about Khadr, Canadians are right to be concerned, since there is no guarantee that, once released, Khadr will not join a radical Muslim movement and become a real threat to Canadian society and the world.
It is difficult to make an accurate assessment of who Khadr is. He could really be the radical Muslim that has been depicted by the media, proud of having done what he did and willing and eager to do it again. On the other hand, he could be the innocent child that was brain-washed and manipulated to commit those regrettable acts. The pride that is shown on his face when he is building a bomb could have been due to the fact that he, like any other normal child, was seeking his father’s approval and was happy to know that his efforts would make his father proud. It could be argued that the mind of someone at such a young age is so malleable and prone to manipulation that the feelings in his heart and the ideas in his head were not his, but those of the people taking care of him.
It is also difficult to say whether Khadr, once released from prison, will successfully reintegrate into Canadian society. However, is this not a question that is asked for every single person who, after serving a sentence, is finally released back into society? A question about whether this person has repented, reformed and is ready to be set free? There is no doubt that the Canadian government, as late as it did, made the right decision to bring back Khadr, not only for his sake, but because it was the right thing to do. Canada is a nation that prides itself on respecting human rights and procuring the respect of human rights in the global context. Had Canada not brought him back, it would have been in dissonance with its own ideologies and values. Nonetheless, it is yet unclear what the consequences will be of setting Khadr free. It has been reported by the media that he has been educating himself throughout the time he was in Guantanamo, corresponding with university professors here in Canada, and overall, making an effort to cultivate himself. With any luck, Khadr could finish his education, get employed, build a career and live a normal life in Canada. Yet, we do not that this will happen for sure. All that there is left to do is to offer Khadr what is fair. Give him a fair sentence, and the opportunity to rehabilitate and serve his time free of torture, just like any other Canadian inmate would. The prodigal son shall be forgiven and given a second chance. The rest is up to him and his conscience.