Thank you, and I thank you once again for the opportunity.
I want to acknowledge Mr. Brad Butt, who came with me to Iraq; I'm very thankful to him. I want to acknowledge Mr. David Sweet, who has always been a great supporter of our cause. I want to acknowledge Mr. Wayne Marston, who I consider very close and a dear friend to my heart. Mr. Irwin Cotler is not here, but I leave the best for the last, Ms. Elizabeth May, I thank you so much for coming here. I really appreciate it.
These are my closing remarks. Regardless of our political differences: Conservative, Liberal, NDP, or Green—and I watched the debate in the Canadian Parliament every day—I can assure you these people don't care if you're a Conservative, a Liberal, NDP, or Green. It's as simple as that, so we have to move fast to help the people on the ground.
I used to be one of them. I used to be in prison and I still carry the scars on my body for my Christian beliefs. I am honoured to carry them as medals of honour. If there is one thing I know about Canada, as a person who came to this country as a refugee, I know that Canada is a temple of human rights. I know that Canada is the conscience of our world, and I know that our world is a dark and unfair place. It's not because of people who have done evil, but because of the people who remain silent about it. In the absence of light, darkness prevails. If there is one thing I learned when I was in prison in Egypt, you can always kill the dreamers but no one can kill the dream.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for having me.