Presence in Gallery  I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Chaudry Amir Hussain, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

National Defence committee  On opium, I agree, and many militaries agree, that simply destroying crops is going to drive farmers into the arms of the Taliban, but the Afghan government is very clear that they wants drugs removed from the country. They believe it is very un-Islamic to do this, so it is their desire. It is a democratic country, so we have to support their views. Second, if you do it as part of the comprehensive strategy with alternative livelihoods, effective law enforcement, effective justice, and a prison system, then you can actually do it, and that's what they want.

National Defence committee  Al-Qaeda had 3,000 fighters, of course, from at least 13 Arab countries. The Taliban also hosted Islamic extremist groups from Russia, Pakistan, China, Burma, Iran, Central Asia, and several countries of the Far East, all of whom fought for the Taliban while carrying out operations in their own countries.

Foreign Affairs committee  The elected Government of Afghanistan wants nothing to do with this. It is their country, and the President has stated clearly that this is counter to Islam—

Foreign Affairs committee  On models, it is important that you understand the world we live in now, one that seems to be dominated by ideologies, by fundamentalisms regardless of what they are—Hindu fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalism, Christian fundamentalism. In terms of human rights, these ideologies have spawned a concept of cultural relativism, which is something that is very important for everyone to understand in terms of how damaging it can be.

Air Transportation  A similar list put together by the United States included some surprises: Senator Edward Kennedy, the singer Yusuf Islam—formerly known as Cat Stevens—and a number of peace activists and environmentalists. Maher Arar's name is still on the list, along with his wife's and those of his young children. Can the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities tell us what he plans to do to ensure that such errors do not occur in Canada?

Canadian Islamic Congress  Mr. Speaker, last week the Canadian Islamic Congress hosted its seventh annual gala dinner on Parliament Hill. The theme of this year's gala event was “Honouring Canadian Muslims' Contributions to the World of Business”. During the dinner, a series of awards were given to a number of deserving individuals.

National Defence  According to article 7 of the Arrangement for the Transfer of Detainees Between the Canadian Forces and the Ministry of Defence of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Canadian Forces must keep written records of detainees such as medical condition. Now it appears that some of these reports are missing. Will the Minister of National Defence immediately table these missing reports and was he aware of these allegations before the official complaint of Mr.

Public Safety committee  So going specifically to the watch list, we've heard both from the O'Connor report and I think from other witnesses who have been before this committee that the material was originally prepared by individuals who were RCMP officers...or, I'm sorry, the material that was given to them, if I can put it that way, the material in effect naming Mr. Arar--as we now know, falsely--as an Islamic fundamentalist or fanatic. Those types of terminologies were used. So if that material was prepared by them, who would have made the initial claim for national security for that material?

National Defence committee  Then, with regard to vice and virtue and where it stands, I have the same information: that they're keeping a low presence and that the President did this as a means of appeasement to the religious community. They argue that in every Islamic country you have some sort of vice and virtue, largely looking at gulf countries, and they noted that it was needed in Afghanistan. They have developed it, but it's a department, not a ministry.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  When we get there, we're going to see what the Chinese government wants us to see. The Uyghur people aren't a pluralistic society either. They're a fairly closed Islamic society. Are other religions free in this area? Do you believe in religious pluralism?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  But now, after China's rise, with it becoming this emerging superpower, our language is becoming completely useless right now in terms of education at all levels, because the Chinese government is forcing the Chinese language onto us. In terms of religion, we believe in Islam. Basically, the Chinese government, after 9/11, immediately labelled us as terrorists. In fact, you see hardly anything that resembles terrorism among the Uyghurs. As you all know, religion plays a big role in helping the people to keep their morality, in giving them true values.

National Defence committee  Thirdly, in the Arrangement for the Transfer of Detainees signed by the Canadian Forces and the Defence Department of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, it says, in point 8, that: The Detaining Power will be responsible for classification of detainees' legal status under international law. That goes back to what I was saying earlier.

National Defence committee  The arrangement was signed by General Hillier on behalf of the Government of Canada and by the Afghan Minister of Defence, Minister Wardak, on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, on December 18, 2005. For ease of reference, we have provided the committee with a copy of the arrangement. Intended primarily to provide commanders on the ground with clarity on what to do in the event of a transfer, the arrangement lays out two key principles.

Canadian Forces  We are providing the people of Afghanistan with the hope for a brighter future by establishing the security necessary to promote development. We are helping the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its people to build a stable, peaceful, self-sustaining democratic country. All Canadians can be proud of our accomplishments in Afghanistan, such as ensuring young girls are able to receive an education in safety and security.