Innocent Of The Charges

Innocent, he claims vociferously. If so, then why worry? Truth will win the day. Justice will have been seen to be done. And worries and concerns will be dissolved.

Concerns that is, about the "witch hunt atmosphere" that Hassan Diab characterizes as the Canadian justice system. Why anyone would wish to prolong his exposure to such a justice system that could be likened to a "witch hunt" resulting from "unfounded accusations" is beyond any reasonable thinking person's ability to understand.

He does have the opportunity to escape the stifling confines of Canada's "witch hunt" justice system; however, yet there he is, with the aid of his lawyer, agitating to have his extradition hearing result in a refusal, making him a free man to get on with his life again. "I condemn all ethnically, racially, and religiously motivated violence", he assures listeners.

"Since Sept.11, 2001, the presumption of innocence and other core values of our legal system have eroded, especially for people from particular minority backgrounds."

Now that sounds familiar. And one can easily extrapolate what is being referred to; nothing less than Islamophobia. Mr. Diab represents himself as yet another innocent victim of the West's unreasoning fears of Muslims, and Arab Muslims in particular. But then, who ever claimed that life is fair? Simply because Arab Muslims have been proudly implicated in a vast jihadi network of revenge acts against the West?

His smiling, confident face assails one from the front pages of daily newspapers. Clearly, he does have confidence in the Canadian justice system as his lawyer advances his cause and slurs the oppositional attitude of the Crown. Mr. Diab's lawyer explains helpfully that his client is an unfortunate victim of "offensive, unsourced accusations replete with inaccuracies".

When all else fails build defence around a despicable strategy revolving around discrediting the system of justice and a sitting justice's motives representing a Western democracy; France, for example. Cast aspersion on an honoured legal system recognized internationally for its dedication to justice. There is, after all, nothing to lose but moral integrity, in casting France's legal system as disreputable.

Pound home the message that disparages France, slanders and delegitimizes its flawed courts, its judges, its legal minds. One can only wonder how Justice Robert Maranger feels, hearing his French counterparts being slandered. Crown attorneys, on the other hand, have assured the court that evidence provided by France meets the legal requirements of the Extradition Treaty.

That Canada is prepared to extradite this man to stand trial in a sister democracy is not unusual; he will be only one of one hundred people annually to be extradited on request, and mostly to the United States. Mr. Diab now has the opportunity to clear his name. By obeying the law which seeks to be fair and neutral, and standing trial.

Not by bellowing his innocence to his fervent supporters, but by sitting in a court of law and participating in a democratic function of seeking fair justice.