The significance of the Omar Khadr case has important educational value for all Canadians. If it could happen to this young man, it can happen to any of us.
In order to understand the case of Omar Khadr, the Free Omar Organization has made a number of resources available.
1. Factsheet Omar Khadr offering considerable background and crucial references to the case.
2. Award-winning documentary You Don’t like the Truth – 4 Days in Guantanamo by the directors Patricio Henriquez and Luc Côté. The film is based on the secretly filmed 16-year-old Omar during nightmarish interrogations by Canadian officials in Guantanamo Bay. It reveals the hard evidence that Omar has no guilt in the death of a US soldier, but was forced in a plea deal, to admit guilt as the only way out of Guantanamo.
3. Interview with Omar Khadr on May 7, 2020, a few hours after his release on bail, after 13 years in captivity.
4. 2015 Student Handout l What is Omar Khadr’s Story providing an overview of the personal and legal aspects of Omar’s case, and particularly appropriate for high school students.
5. Video link to “The US versus Omar Khadr” (Nazim Baksh and the CBC’s Terence McKenna) which includes important information about the battlefield capture of Omar Khadr and the flawed military evidence.
6. In his own words: “Truly Omar” Letters from Omar which reveal his astounding optimism, intelligence and hope for the future. Address info and prison regulations for letters are provided. Omar corresponds with many people and in letters his gentle nature is revealed: “… I’m so happy to finally be in Canada, and even happier to be welcomed. It is so heartwarming to know that I’m not alone, and that there are wonderful people (like you) who care about me and wish me good luck. …” (October 2012, letter from Milhaven Maximum-Security Institute-shortly after Omar’s long-delayed repartriation following a decade in Guantanamo Prison.
7. Examples of Omar’s paintings done during his years in Guantanamo.
8. Video link to an Edmonton talk (October 2013) by U.S. Brigadier General (Retd), Dr. Stephen Xenakis, who spent hundreds of hours interviewing Omar in Guantanamo prison and states: “Here is absolutely one of the gentlest, most decent men I’ve ever met in my life.”
9. Video link to U.S. Pentagon lawyer Sam Morison where he presents his case that Omar Khadr is illegally imprisoned for the five non-existing war crimes. Sam Morison leads the appeal against Omar’s Guantanamo military conviction.
10. Video links to presentations by Edmonton-based lawyer Dennis Edney who has defended Omar on a pro-bono basis at great financial, and physical cost to himself and his family for over a decade.
11. Link to our articles on Omar Khadr.
12. Under the tab LAW, on our home page, you can find various legal documents to learn more of Omar’s case.
If any teachers would like support or suggestions for creating a unit of study or just a single lesson on Omar Khadr, the Free Omar Now Committee would be very happy to help.
Please contact us at [email protected]
It is very sad that our government is not working in the interest of the people.
Omar Khadr was a child when he was first captured and justice should be served to anybody. What kind of government do we really have? According to the law we are innocent till proven to be guilty. That doesn’t seem to have applied to Omar.
LikeLike
It is very sad that our government is not working in the interest of the common people.
Omar Khadr was a child when he was first charged. We are considered innocent till proven guilty. Why did that not apply to Omar?
LikeLike