From deportation to apology: the case of Maher Arar and the Canadian state.

Abstract

In 2002, Maher Arar, a dual Canadian and Syrian citizen, was detained and accused by American authorities of being a member of al Qa'ida. He was deported to Jordan and, ultimately, Syria, where he was imprisoned and subjected to torture for one year. In 2007, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued an apology and 10.5 million dollars (Canadian) in compensation. Drawing on contemporary theoretical accounts of multiculturalism, security, and the state, and utilizing parliamentary debates and American and Canadian print media accounts between 2002 and 2007, we examine the statements of public officials in Canada and the United States to show how the story of Arar, from his deportation to the apology, has been framed in contradictory ways. These contradictions spin on three main dualisms: Arar's guilt versus innocence; Arar's status as a Syrian versus Canadian; and the rule of law versus exception. It is argued that these contradictions are of tremendous theoretical significance for understanding the contemporary Canadian state as one in which multiculturalism and liberalism co-exist with racialization and exception.

Resume

En 2002, Maher Arar, un citoyen ayant la double nationalite canadienne et syrienne, fut detenu et accuse par les autorites etats-uniennes de faire partie d'al Qa'ida. Il fut deporte en Jordanie, puis en Syrie, ou il fut emprisonne et torture pendant un an. En 2007, le Premier ministre Stephen Harper presenta des excuses officielles accompagnees d'une compensation de 10,5 millions de dollars. Dans cet article, a partir de theories contemporaines sur le multiculturalisme, la securite et l'Etat, et en reference aux debats parlementaires de meme qu'aux media ecrits entre 2002 et 2007, nous examinons comment les discours officiels publics se contredisent, aussi bien au Canada qu'aux Etats-Unis, et ce depuis la deportation d'Arar jusqu'aux excuses publiques qui lui ont ete presentees. Ces contradictions decoulent de trois formes de dualisme : d'abord, la culpabilite d'Arar par opposition a son innocence, ensuite son double statut de citoyen canadien, mais aussi syrien, et enfin, la regle de droit en concurrence avec la regle d'exception. Cet article montre que ces contradictions sont tres importantes sur le plan theorique pour comprendre comment, dans l'Etat canadien contemporain, liberalisme et multiculturalisme coexistent avec un phenomene de 'racialisation' et de rejet de la difference.

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On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to apologize to you, Monia Mazigh, and your family for any role Canadian officials may have played in the terrible ordeal that all of you experienced in 2002 and 2003.

Although these events occurred under the last government, please test assured that this government will do everything in its power to ensure that the issues raised by Commissioner O'Connor are addressed.