Canada: Aren't We Accommodating!?

Truly, the mind boggles. Living in Canada since 1996 has been a man by the name of Mahmoud Jaballah, of Egyptian origin, who arrived here after working within Pakistan for a Saudi "relief group" which has been linked to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Of course at that time who ever heard of Mr. bin Laden, let alone his group of Islamist jihadist irregulars? But how about that for credentials in hindsight?

This very same Mr. Jaballah has been implicated in the 1998 bombings of the American embassies located in Kenya and in Tanzania; rather singular events of unquestionably deadly impact staged to deliver a message to the United States of America. Further, a Canadian Security Intelligence investigation revealed this man to be an active member of Al Jihad, recognized as al-Qaeda's Egyptian affiliate.

The government of Canada is attempting to deport this man, along with four other foreign nationals felt to be a threat to the security of this country. He was held under a section of the security certificate legislation enacted post 9-11, since held in abeyance because the Supreme Court of Canada struck down parts of the law last February, giving government a year to offer an acceptable alternative in law.

Yet while the Federal Court upheld the government's case in 2006, feeling there was sufficient evidence to link him to the bombings in East Africa in which several hundred people lost their lives, Judge Carolyn Layden-Stevenson who ruled that Mr. Jaballah remained a threat to Canada's national security, felt also that deporting him to his native country would violate his rights as there might be the potential he might be tortured in incarceration there.

In the interim, Mr. Jaballah was released from detention, even while Immigration authorities are still attempting to process his deportation back to Egypt. Justice Layden-Stevenson has allowed Mr. Jaballah five 5-hour outings each week, from his home, and approved an Internet connection in his home also which he has been forbidden use of.

Mr. Jaballah is chafing under these conditions and has asked permission to hold Arabic and Koranic classes in his Toronto home, while under house arrest. He also made application to resume teaching at the Toronto Islamic school he helped found, a school with 50 children enrolled - approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Whose standards might be questioned given its Internet site explaining that students are taught "Arabic, English Grammer, Frinch, Math, Sience, Histories, Geographies, Religion and Sports". These are Canadian children of Muslim background being exposed to an education that will surely place them at a future disadvantage in the general society. Let alone their potential exposure to volatile Islamist teachings.

Mr. Jaballah's requests, both to teach at the school and to teach Arabic and Koranic classes at his home have been prohibited by the judge. But that this country permits the residence of someone whose interests in Islamist jihad led to participation in the commission of atrocities elsewhere in the world truly boggles the mind.

That we are mindfully concerned that - should this man be handed over to Egyptian authorities (ridding ourselves of his presence) - but in the process possibly exposing him to conditions of incarceration as a terrorist that might involve torture, reflects our kindly disposition toward justice and fairness, truly misplaced in this instance.

We badly need to reorient our values and priorities. And to rid this country of the presence of pestilential and vile individuals devoted to the carnage of violent jihad. This particular instance leads one to believe that this country is relaxed and unconcerned about the threat the presence of such people pose to our own internal issues of national security.

Urgency? Yawn... No big hurry...