"The government's refusal to grant Mr. Abdelrazik travel documents is a human rights outrage. It's a direct attack on his citizenship, and therefore the citizenship of every Canadian. The right to come home is a citizen's most fundamental right. Our citizenship means nothing if we can't come home. When I was a Canadian citizen in trouble abroad, the government sent a Hercules to bring me home. I was surprised, shocked, amazed with gratitude. I am no more worthy than Mr. Abdelrazik. The least they can do is give him the documents he is entitled to so he can finally come home, after almost six years of waiting."

James Loney

"Our right to return home upon being freed was never in question. In this regard, as Foreign Affairs is well aware, Abousfian Abdelrazik's case is no different."

Harmeet Singh Sooden

“I support the return of Abdelrazik to Canada because I am against fascism. To restrict a person's freedom of movement without laying charges and providing evidence of unlawful behaviour in a court of law is to open the door to fascism. Allowing our Arab brothers to be treated in this way makes us all potential victims of state oppression.”

Martin Duckworth, Montreal

« Nous avons écrit et réécrit au ministre Cannon, espérant toujours qu'il comprenne...nous avons contacté aussi notre député (du Bloc) et eu une réponse très favorable, telle qu'il fut rapporté de la conférence de presse des partis de l'opposition hier... Nous ne voyons vraiment aucune raison de tant tergiverser ! Puisse le gouvernement cesser de jouer ce jeu incohérent... »

Les Soeurs Auxiliatrices par Christiane Sibillotte, Montréal

"I contributed to Abousfian's ticket as a concrete gesture of solidarity, out of my belief that every Canadian has a right to come home, and to send a message that the Canadian government's shameful treatment of one of its citizens does not speak on behalf of its people. While my actions are deemed to be illegal, when a country's law endangers its citizens and has no grounds in international norms, its loses its moral authority and legitimacy, and does not deserve to be respected. In this case, breaking the law was the only moral course of action.”

Samantha McGavin, Ottawa

“I am deeply disturbed by our governments continued denial of Mr. Abdelrazik’s rights. This attack on Mr. Abdelrazik threatens the basic rights of all Canadians and stinks of both racism and a cover-up. Have we not learned anything from our abuse of Maher Arar?”

Pascal Murphy

"I contributed to Mr Abdelrazik's ticket because it was a small action I could take to help someone in need. I am appalled by the actions of Canadian officials--including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their failure to provide travel documents --who have greatly aggravated Abousfian's stress and suffering. The shabby treatment of this Canadian citizen by the government screams of racism and Islamophobia, and we must challenge this in the name of equality and justice."

Alison Murray, a library worker in Kitchener, ON

"We have contributed towards Mr. Abdelrazik’s airline ticket from Sudan, because we believe it is a moral and ethical action. We believe that our Government should respect and protect the rights of all its citizens. It is the least that you and I would expect."

Ken Martin and Dawn Michael

"The Government of Canada needs to do the "right thing" and allow this Canadian citizen to return to his home."

Bruce Hutchinson, Kingston

"As a Canadian senior citizen, I wish to protest most vigorously the inhumane treatment Abousfian Abdelrazik is receiving. Bring him home at once. If the government thinks he is guilty of a crime, charge him and try him in Canada. If there is no evidence (and I have seen nothing to indicate that there is), let him return to his family. Let's end this ludicrous situation."

Janet Pringle, Moose Jaw

"Like Mr. Abdelrazik, I'm a Canadian citizen born overseas. I'd like to know if we now have two classes of citizenship in this country, and if so, on what basis. If his rights are not respected, would mine be?"

Mary O'Neill, a contributor from Ottawa

"The fact that Abousfian Abdelrazik has been tortured with the active involvement of Canadian agencies, and that he has not been allowed to return to Canada for almost 6 years now, is utterly abhorrent. While the Canadian government cannot undo what it has done to Mr. Abdelrazik, it is only adding insult to injury by coming up with excuse after excuse to avoid facilitating his safe return. The Canadian government's active complicity in the torture of the people it is supposed to represent and serve is shocking; meanwhile, the fact that Muslim men seem to be targeted is obvious. However, while it is easy to denounce the extremist and regressive Conservative government, it is important to remember that the responsibility for many such cases (including Maher Arar, the Security Certificate 5, and Abousfian Abdelrazik, among others) also lies with the Liberal government that was in power before Stephen Harper's Conservatives took over in January 2006. Ultimately, it is a security- and police-state apparatus -- managed by politicians bent on determing how much they can get away with by taking advantage of an era characterised by pervasive fear-mongering and paranoia -- that must be challenged and confronted if we are to have any hope of reversing the on-going curtailment of civil liberties, as well as putting an end to detentions, deportations, renditions and complicity in torture."

Samir Shaheen-Hussain, Montreal-based social justice activist & pediatrician