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Canadian Islamic Congress - April 26, 2007
Case of Imam Huseyin Celil should be Foreign
Affairs Minister’s first responsibility in meetings
with Chinese government, says CIC
April 26, 2007 -- OTTAWA - The Canadian Islamic Congress is strongly urging Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay to advocate for the humane treatment and repatriation of Imam Huseyin Celil, a Canadian Muslim citizen who was extradited and unfairly imprisoned in China.
CIC National Executive Director, Imam Dr. Zijad Delic, has asked Minister MacKay to accept this urgent responsibility and to recognize Imam Celil’s case as the top priority in his visit to China this week.
"It is not a question of whether Canada can, or cannot, press China on the case of Imam Celil," Imam Dr. Delic emphasized today. "The key issue is that Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs should make human rights - and this case in particular - the priority on his agenda, before building any business relations with this economic giant."
The CIC also reiterated a long-standing concern that the Minister should be acting first and foremost on behalf of any Canadian citizens who are treated unfairly in other countries. "If he does not do so, Canadian citizens will feel increasingly threatened when traveling to foreign countries, fearing they could be the next victims of extra-judicial detention and incarceration, as in the case of Imam Celil."
As reported recently in the media, Minister MacKay has suggested that "relations with China need nurturing." CIC agrees; however, "the safety and security of Canadian citizens abroad needs nurturing even more."
For this reason, CIC concluded: "Minister Peter MacKay has a moral obligation to convince Chinese authorities to free Imam Celil without delay. His unfair trial and imprisonment must no longer be ignored by Canada; our citizens need to be reassured that they are under our government’s care and protection anywhere in the world."
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