September 4, 2006
Muslim Canadian Congress urges Ottawa to reassess Canadian mission in Afghanistan. "If they cannot build peace, bring our troops home"
MCC deeply saddened by the increasing number of Canadian casualties in Afghanistan: "Our sons and daughters do not need to die or kill, to build a democratic Afghanistan"

TORONTO - The Muslim Canadian Congress has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan where Canadian troops are fighting their biggest battle since World War II.

Farzana Hassan, president of the MCC, in a letter to Prime Minister Harper said Muslim Canadians stand behind our troops, but we cannot watch silently as we see the dead bodies of our sons and daughters come back from the battlefield.

In the letter, Ms. Hassan said, "if our troops cannot contribute to the building and reconstruction of war ravaged Afghanistan, then we should seriously re-asses our mission and mandate in Kabul. If there are no chances of building peace, then we should bring our troops back home."

"When our troops were sent to Afghanistan, we were told that they were there to help build a new Afghanistan on the ashes left behind by the old oppressive and medieval regime of the Taliban. However, five years after the so called 'War on Terrorism' began, far from being eliminated, the Taliban are back in full force and battle strength," she added.

There is no question that the War on Terrorism has failed. Instead of defeating the murderous Taliban, the war has straightened them. Instead of isolating the forces of extremism in the Muslim world, US policies have made them into heroes. Terrorism, that was once restricted to the foothills of the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan, has now reared its ugly head at the doorsteps of Toronto, she wrote.

The MCC salutes and honours our sons and daughters who are sacrificing their lives in the line of duty for their country. However, we feel the deaths of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan are unnecessary and are the result of the misguided policies of our government that has blindly followed the Bush-Blair agenda.

Muslim Canadian Congress demands that the Canadian government should either convert the Canadian mission to one dedicated to the development, and reconstruction of Afghanistan, or, if that is impossible under the current circumstances, immediately withdraw its soldiers from a war that its citizens are not a party to.

"Our sons and daughters should never be used as foot soldiers or gun fodder to fight the proxy wars that feed the bottom line of the US military-industrial complex. After spending over $300 billion, taken from the pockets of ordinary taxpayers, the Bush-Blair "War on Terrorism" has accomplished little more than fattening the bottom lines of multinational corporations engaged in the war industry. Canadians should never be part of this unethical, immoral, massive con job where our sons and daughters become pawns in the hands of war mongers," Farzana Hassan said in the letter.

Farzana Hassan criticized Jack Layton, leader of the NDP for suggesting that Canada should negotiate with the Taliban. "We should not be negotiating with people whose hands are bloodied in the murder of thousands of Muslims. The Taliban leaders should be tried in the International Criminal Court for "crimes against humanity," rather than be accorded the respectability of negotiations," she added.

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For more information, please contact the MCC Communications Director, Sohail Raza at 416-505-1613