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A Letter to the Leader of the Liberal
Party of Canada on the plight of Dr. Faruq Rafiq
3.5.2011
By Saeed Kakeyi - ekurd.net |
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May 3, 2011
Honourable Michael Ignatieff, M.P.,
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Centre Block, 409-S
House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 995-9364
Email: Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca
Dear Sir,
As a Canadian citizen and member of the Liberal
Party of Canada, I wrote to you on the plight of
Dr.
Faruq Rafiq, a Canadian citizen
holding a Doctorate in Philosophy degree from a
reputable Canadian university, who left Canada with
his wife and child to spread democratic norms and
values in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. |
Saeed Kakeyi |
The
threats on Dr. Rafiq’s life and the lives of many
other Iraqi Kurds are eminent. The last
communication I had with him was on May 01, 2011 in
which he was requesting my help to safeguard his
civil liberties and safety. However, as he was
summoned to appear in a local court in the Province
of Sulaimaniyah on this date of Monday, May-02-11,
Dr. Rafiq was taken afterward into custody and sent
to a paramilitary prison notoriously known as the
“Mo’askar Salam.”
Sir, having known Dr. Rafiq for well over two
decades, and being a distance relative of his wife,
Mrs. Naska Qadir, I am certain that Dr. Rafiq and
his colleagues committed no wrong doings whatsoever.
The only reason for his imprisonment is his keen
companion to transpire many young Kurds to embrace
values of the democratic peace and bring about
reforms and change to the semi-authoritarian and
nepotistic regime ruling the Kurdistan Region which
refuses to embrace accountability and transparency.
I call upon you to take this matter very seriously
and take his plight to the immediate attention of
our federal government in order to intervene,
safeguard and release him from jail. Protecting the
lives and civil liberties of Dr. Rafiq and all other
Canadian citizens living abroad is the
responsibility of our political institutions.
Therefore, I am asking you to push the federal
government to get engage with the highest Iraqi
diplomatic channels for the release of Dr. Rafiq
immediate.
More than a month ago, I sent a letter to Honourable
Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade Canada, with similar content to
the letter which you have received from me on March
21, 2011. Unfortunately,www.ekurd.netI
am still waiting to receive a response. I appreciate
your extreme preoccupation with the federal
elections and I trust that under your leadership the
Liberal Party will bring a responsible government to
Ottawa. In so doing, perhaps more importantly, let
us not lose the precious lives of other Canadians
abroad.
With every respect due,
Saeed Kakeyi
Independent Kurdish Diplomatic Consultant
54 Ironwood Crescent, Hamilton, Ontario, L8W
3B8Canada
Cell Number: (905) 902-0132, Email: ikdiplomat@gmail.com
Copyright © 2011 ekurd.net
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