Khadr family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Khadr family (أسرة خضر) is a Canadian family noted for their close ties to Osama bin Laden and alleged connections to al Qaeda.[1][2] Nevertheless, the family maintains that they have not broken any Canadian laws, and they have never been charged with any crimes by Canadian authories.[3]
The Khadr family consisted of:
- The father, Ahmed Said Khadr (born 1948), an Egyptian-Canadian, killed in 2003,
- The mother, Maha Elsamnah (born 1957), a Palestinian-Canadian
- Their children:
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- Zaynab Khadr (born 1979), a daughter whose wedding was attended by Osama bin Laden.
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- Abdullah Khadr (born 1981), a son who returned to Canada in 2005 after selling weapons in Pakistan, but was arrested on behalf of the United States and is pending extradition.
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- Abdurahman Khadr (born 1982), a son notable for his sensationalist press interviews dubbing the Khadrs "an al-Qaeda family" and co-operation with the United States intelligence community.
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- Omar Khadr (born 1986), a son captured by American forces following a 2002 firefight and currently held in Guantanamo Bay
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- Abdulkareem Khadr (born 1989), a son who is a paraplegic following a Pakistani attack that killed his father.
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- Maryam Khadr (born 1991), the youngest daughter.
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[edit] Location
The Khadr family visited Nazim Jihad, the family home of Osama bin Laden in Jalalabad several times in 1997, and moved into the compound the following year for approximately a month.[5]
Following the Invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, Maha, Abdulkareem, Maryam, Zaynab and her daughter Safia joined a convoy leaving Kabul traveling towards Gardez, but discovered that their intended safehouse had been bombed.[6]
They ended up traveling to an orphanage that Ahmed had run, in either Lowgar Province[7] or Jalalabad.[6] In November, two days after the fall of Kabul, Azza Zawahiri, the wife of Ayman al-Zawahiri turned up at their door and asked for refuge for her and the six children, having been caught during the bombing in Kabul while returning to pick up food and supplies from the city.[8]
In 2003, they moved to stay with a family in Birmal, Pakistan but were asked to leave after two days when the residents believed that American jets overhead could be tracking the Khadrs.[6] They moved in with a Pashto family who had a hut in the mountains, where they got to see Ahmed monthly.[6]
[edit] Controversy
When it was announced that Maha and Abdulkareem were returning to Canada, Stockwell Day, Bob Runciman and John Cannis were among a public outcry calling for the Khadrs' citizenship to be revoked, and for the pair to be deported.[9] Others suggested it was unfair to revoke citizenship from people who held views contrary to to the government or majority.[9]
A large number of Canadians complained that the Khadrs had "taken advantage of" Canada, living off its social services, while decrying it as a morally-corrupted country.[10] Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty dissented, stating that the province would recognise the family's right to OHIP medical coverage and to be treated like any other Canadian family.[11]
In 2005, following Zaynab's return to the country, RCMP officer Konrad Shourie stated that "The entire family is affiliated with al Qaeda and has participated in some form or another with these criminal extremist elements".[12]
[edit] Finances
Since returning to Canada, the Khadr family has been described as "poverty-stricken"[13], although Abdurahman works while Abdulkareem attends school.[13]
[edit] References
- ^ Son of al Qaeda, Frontline (PBS)
- ^ Faction linked to Khadr claims attacks: Allegedly formed by Canadian, National Post, July 13, 2006
- ^ Struck, Doug. Washington Post, "In Canada, an Outcast Family Finds Support", June 9 2005
- ^ Ian Mulgrew. "An extreme case: Omar Khadr's upbringing explains a lot", Vancouver Sun, Saturday, April 26, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
- ^ Hughes, Gregory T. FBI, "Affidavit of Gregory T. Hughes", 2005
- ^ a b c d "Married to the Jihad: The Lonely World of al-Qaida", March 27, 2004
- ^ IRNA, "Family of missing al-Qaeda suspect wants information", December 30, 2003
- ^ Wright, Lawrence, "The Looming Tower", 2006
- ^ a b Bagnall, Janet. Montreal Gazette, "Citizen of convenience? So what?", March 24 2005
- ^ Rana, Abbas. The Hill Times, "Why Canadian federal political leaders should be talking about Omar Khadr now", April 21 2008
- ^ CTV, "Khadrs entitled to fair treatment: Ont. premier", April 14 2004
- ^ CTV, "Khadr laptop seized at Toronto airport: report, Marc 3 2005
- ^ a b Humphreys, Adrian. National Post, Khadrs must pay $102M, February 20 2006
[edit] External links
- The Khadrs, Canada's First Family of Terrorism, in the News, weblog entry by Daniel Pipes
- Macleans In-depth Article about the Khadrs
- The Good Son, National Post, December 28, 2002
- Globe and Mail: Khadr mother and son return to Canada
- In Canada, an Outcast Family Finds Support, Washington Post, June 9, 2005
- The Khadr effect, Globe and Mail, October 3, 2005
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