Nation in Denial

Nation in Denial: Conscientious Objector Denied Asylum in Canada

Crossing the Canadian border with his wife and infant son, Jeremy Hinzman told Immigration he was coming to see "friends." He didn't mention his friends were Quaker sponsors, setting up refuge for the young soldier who'd just deserted the Army. Today, the Canadian government denied Hinzman's request for asylum, proving they are no friends of peace, or justice. -{ape}

Jeremy, Nga, and Liam

A Nation in Denial
C.L. Cook
pej.org
March 24, '05

Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board today trumped the Geneva Convention and international jurisprudence, and legitimized the U.S. led preemptive invasion of Iraq. By denying Jeremy Hinzman's case for refuge in this country, a defense claiming the war was, and remains, blatant criminality on the part of the U.S. government, the board has unilaterally reversed the opinion of the Nuremburg Court, negating its assertion that it is the duty of both citizenry and soldiery to refuse to obey orders to commit war crimes.

I met Jeremy last year, when he gave a talk at UVic. The soft-spoken former member of the 82nd Airborne explained how he, like many impoverished kids hoping for a college education, joined the Army not long out of high school, in the days just prior to the infamous 9/11 terrorist attack. He told of his experience in boot camp, and his growing discomfort with his decision to join the military. He described how the dehumanizing training, with its KILL, KILL emphasis just wasn't for him.

Shortly before he and his wife, Nga's first child was born, the couple began attending Quaker meetings. The renown pacifists only reinforced his determination to follow a peace-centred life, something not jibing with the hyper-violence of his paratrooper milieu. He filed for Conscientious Objector (CO) status with the Army in the months prior to 9/11, but in typical SNAFU-fashion, the Army never processed his application.

Then came Operation Enduring Freedom.

Jeremy was shipped off to Afghanistan with the 82nd. His second attempt at CO status had been filed and received by the Army by this time, and he was assigned a non-combat role. He survived his tour, and returned to the United States without firing a shot in anger, but bore witness to what he described as war crimes commited by his comrades. He was hoping to serve out his time, which had become increasingly difficult since his CO application, when the word came he was to go to Iraq to take part in Operation Iraqi Liberation. It was then, he knew it was time to get out.

Jeremy and Liam

There was a time when Canada tried, at least, to back up some of its high-minded ideals. There was a time when Canadian leaders felt more responsive to the law of the land, and to the sentiment of the people. Pierre Trudeau's refusal to "repatriate" those young Americans seeking asylum from the draft to serve the U.S. war against Vietnam being a shining case in point. And we Canadians profited Trudeau's decision: We gained respect in the world, and gained the skills and loyalty of those thousands of America's best and brightest. A Brain Gain to be sure, but also a morality bonanza for us. But sadly, what we're left with for leadership today doesn't recognize any of this. Paul Martin and his "Liberals" has no use for history, no use for morality, no imagination for the future, no vision of an autonomous Canada.

By denying Jeremy Hinzman's right for freedom and dignity in this once great land, Canada has lost more than the possible contributions of a fine and decent man, we've lost too that part of ourselves as Canadians that gives truth to the now empty rhetoric identifying US as defenders of justice in the world. We've denied the great injustice visited on the Iraqi people by this blasphemous invasion and occupation and, as designed by this cynical decision, we've sacrificed the hopes those growing thousands of other "Jeremy's" in the United States held for sanctuary here.

Half-mast the flag, fellow Canadians, for this truly is a sad day for our nation.



Chris Cook produces and host the weekly public affairs program, Gorilla Radio, broad/webcast
from theUniversity of Victoria, and serves as an editor at the progressive website, PEJ.org.
Please too visit his blog, GorillaRadioBlog.blogspot.com


To support Jeremy, please visit his site here.