Mohamed Kamel letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada Abstain from Human Rights vote

Date:   April 16^th, 2001

The Hon. John Paul Manley, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

I am a proud Canadian and hope to stay a proud member of the Liberal Party of Canada, but I do not understand that our government did accept the pressure from a specific interest group and do not stand affirm to our main principal.

It was completely unacceptable from the Canadian Government to be at the same side with the occupation forces that refuse and deny of the people's right.

That’s what happened when the Canadian representative at the main UN human rights forum on Friday 6th April, 2001, in Geneva stayed an inch shy from the Israel and USA positions and could be consider a representative of  "Banana Republic" not Canada when with or without instruction decided to abstained and not supporting a resolution that confirm with the international law and all UN resolutions and support the simple rights of people.

The resolution read: "Reaffirming the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, the relevant United Nations resolutions and declarations, and the provisions of international covenants and instruments relating to the right to self-determination as an international principle and as a right of all peoples in the world, and a basic condition for achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region of the Middle-East."

What make it sham for the Canadian Government that this resolution been voted 48 in favour, The United States and Guatemala were the only two countries to vote against, The other four permanent Security Council members - Britain, China, France and Russia - voted in favour, while Canada abstained with Romania!

Canada Abstained from voting in favour of people rights! Is this the same Canada, the country that usually supported the Palestinian right of return, and the country that leaded the world to pressure the end of the discrimination in South Africa? Is this the same Canada that affirms its policies to its principals, as in the second Gulf War as in Kossovo?

After 53 years of leaving in camps out of their home, all of us watched the killing of the children and the demonstrations of the force by the Israeli government in front of the stone thrower the only weapon the ordinary Palestinian have in there hand in front of Jews settlers whom are well armed and occupied and enjoyed living on the Palestinian lands for more then 33 years following the 1967 occupation of the remain part of the Palestinian land. Through all the negotiations, the Palestinian were blamed for not accepting the offers from the Israeli government as if they have to accept whatever offered to them or been killed or at least be blamed "Blaming the victim".

After the Security consul of the UN met and agreed last September on a resolution that all the world welcomed and 14^th of the 15^th member of the security council approved and USA did not have the courage to veto, Canada was among the country that vote in favour of that resolution.

The Jews started a big black mailing campaign against the Canadian government "Liberal Party of Canada" specially while the general election been called, and they started a big campaign to offset the affect in the Canadian Point of view specially with that the media created by passing on little information about what is going on in the West Bank and Gaza.

What is unacceptable that Canadian Government started under pressure from USA and the Jews lobby to use the unfounded slogans used by Israel and USA, as the "balanced position" and "decisions could affect the peace process", all this are non senses and do not stand with the reality, that there is people under aggression for 53 years and others occupying their lands and enjoying leaving on it and refusing to apply any of UN resolutions without any pressure or punishment.

Sir, I remind you with Stephen Lewis, Canada's UN Ambassador during Conservative Government who had the conviction to resign when the then Prime Minister Mr. Joe Clark succumbed under outside pressure.

As a Canadian citizen, and member of the Liberal Party of Canada, I am calling on the Canadian Government to correct its policy and to stick with the principals.

I look forward to your explanation.

Yours truly,

Mohamed S. Kamel

Brossard, Quebec

CC.

The Right Hon. Jean Chrétien   Prime Minister of Canada

The Hon. Stéphane Dion            Minister of Intergovernmental affair

Mr. Stockwell Day                MP and Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Canadian Alliance Party

Ms. Alexa McDonough              MP and Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

Mr. Sarkis Assadourian             MP of the Canadian Parliament

Ms. Colleen Beaumier               MP of the Canadian Parliament

Mr. Joe Fontana                          MP of the Canadian Parliament

Mr. Mark Assad                           MP of the Canadian Parliament

Mr. Yvon Charbonneau             MP of the Canadian Parliament