Law Times - Newsmakers

2015 top news, newsmakers, and cases 13 FOR LAWYER HUSSEIN HAMDANI, the year began with headlines that celebrated his work helping to fight terrorism in his community. But his story soon became one of a man accused of links to terrorism and unceremoniously cut out of the government's cross-cultural roundtable on security. As the year came to a close, Hamdani says he received a letter from the previous government that thanked him for his service on the round- table but never gave him "the closure" he needed. The lawyer had made a name for himself as someone parents could phone as they worried their children might be attempting to join ter- rorist groups such as the Islamic State. He was one of the founding members of the federal government's cross-cultural roundtable on national security, facilitating relationships between the Muslim community, police, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. He told Law Times he saw himself as "a translator but not of language." He'd tell youth in his community of his own journey from Yemen via Uganda. If they had frustrations, he'd encourage them to channel them into civic engagement. So in the spring, a government move to suspend Hamdani from the roundtable prompted bewilderment. In the media, the government cited allegations linking the lawyer to radicalization. "These allegations are very concerning. This individual's membership on the cross-cultural roundtable on national secu- rity has been suspended immediately pending a review of the facts," said Jeremy Laurin, a spokesman for the minister of public safety, at the time. "While questions surrounding this individual's links to radical ideology have circulated for some time, it was hoped that he could be a positive influence to promote Canadian values. It is now becoming clear this may not have been the case," Laurin added. One of those allegations, written by Quebec blogger Marc Lebuis, said Hamdani is part of the "the Muslim Brotherhood delegation in Canada." Hamdani said that allegation stems from the fact that he went to school with someone "who at some point or another has been involved with an organization that may or may not have been linked with the Muslim Brotherhood." The lawyer also faced an accusation of donating to IRFAN- Canada, an organization that provided aid to Palestinian children but later lost its charitable status when the government deemed it a terrorist group with ties to Hamas. Hamdani responded that he had donated to IRFAN in 2005 when it was a registered charity collecting funds from Canadians across the country. The RCMP and CSIS had already vetted his background when he joined the roundtable, Hamdani noted, suggesting the real reason for his suspension was his vocal support for the Liberals ahead of the election. "There's Facebook pictures of me with Justin Trudeau. I think the government said, 'You know what, this guy, we don't like him anymore. He's not one of us.'" In August, Hamdani received a letter from justice minister Peter MacKay and public safety minister Steven Blaney thanking him for his service. "We would like to take this oppor- tunity to express our thanks for your contribution to the work of the cross- culture roundtable on security since your appointment in 2005," the letter said. "We are transitioning new members to the roundtable. Your term ends effective July 15, 2015. "Your participation over the past 10 years has contributed to the success of the roundtable in establishing a long- term dialogue with communities on emerging developments in national security matters and their impact on Canada's diverse society." It wasn't the letter Hamdani wanted. "This is the Conserva- tives' way of saying that they have no issues with me, but I am no longer on the cross-cultural roundtable on security," he says. "It is not the apology nor closure that I wanted but it's the best I can expect from the Conservatives." Although the government had said it was conducting a review into his background, Hamdani doesn't know of one happening. "We all knew that there was not really going to be a review," he says. "No review was ever started." top stories Hussein Hamdani gets thanks but no apology Lawyer went from praise by police to allegations of extremist links BY YAMRI TADDESE Hussein Hamdani says he never got the apology he wanted. 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