The Hamdani Islamic Foundation of St. Catharines was founded by Hussein Abdulla Hamdani [1922-2008] “to fund the building of mosques and propagation of the faith”

The Hamdani Islamic Foundation of St. Catharines was founded by Hussein Abdulla Hamdani [1922-2008] “to fund the building of mosques and propagation of the faith”

Note (PdeB): Hussein Abdulla Hamdani [1922-2008] is the namesake and the grandfather of the Southern Ontario lawyer involved in numerous Islamist organizations who was appointed to the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security in 2005.

Source: The Spectator / Hamilton, February 10, 2005, p. A3

Original title: Lawyer says rights being sacrificed to security

Lawyer Hussein Hamdani will protest Canada's security crackdown on Muslims when he meets with federal Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan this year.

The Burlington resident has been appointed to the 15-member Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security formed by Ottawa to discuss the effect of national security measures on different groups and talk about where policies should go in the future.

Hamdani, a Muslim, says he intends to speak out about civil liberties he believes are being violated by post-9/11 security measures. He said immigrants, particularly people of his faith, are being targeted by authorities at border crossings.

"I've been in the randomly selected every time," said the corporate, commercial and real estate lawyer with Simpson Wigle in Hamilton and Burlington. "On the way back to Canada, we get way more questions than others on the flight.

"We're always getting stopped and at customs rooms, if you look around, it's all Muslims waiting to be questioned."

He said many are questioned by the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, who then try to recruit the individuals to work for them.

Hamdani, 32, is concerned about security certificates issued under the Immigration Act which have allowed Canada to detain six people without charges. They haven't been told why they're considered a threat to national security.

"They don't have the opportunity to defend themselves. It's shockingly unfair and against natural justice ... charge them or let them go."

He said through his involvement in the Muslim community and as a board member of the Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO) in Hamilton, he hears many stories of mistreatment in the name of national security.

He hopes to contribute ideas on how best to secure Canada while still maintaining rights, "to make sure security and civil liberties both flourish."

Hamdani came to Canada as a Ugandan refugee when he was six. He has a master's degree in international relations from the University of Toronto, teaches a business law course at Niagara College and co- ordinated the Toronto Muslim Summit in 2004.

He is the Halton Islamic Association's public relations officer, an adviser to the Muslim Youth of North America Organization and a founding member of the Ihya Foundation, which is committed to building bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims.

He is also on the board of the Hamdani Foundation of St. Catharines, a family charity founded by his grandfather to fund the building of mosques and "propagation of the faith" in Canada.

Illustration

Photo: Hussein Hamdani