The name Maher Arar is likely familiar to many Canadians.
He was the Canadian man who, in 2002, was on his way back home to Canada from visiting family in Tunisia, when he was detained at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, and ultimately deported by the U.S. — not home to Canada, but to Syria, a country in which he had dual citizenship.
Arar was held in Syria for nearly a year and tortured, before ultimately being released.
His wife, Dr. Monia Mozigh, campaigned tirelessly for her husband’s release and later fought to re-establish his reputation and sought reparations. In January 2007, after a lengthy inquiry, her husband finally received an apology from the Canadian government and was offered compensation for the ordeal he and his family had suffered.
Mazigh has since authored a book called on the topic. Entitled Hope and Despair, it was published by McLellan and Stewart in 2008.
She and Governor-General Award-winning playwright and human rights activist, David Yee, will meet with local Syrian refugees, the Qarqoz family, and speak to members of the public tonight at the main branch of the public library (74 Mackenzie Street), at 7 p.m.
Organizers told Sudbury.com the event will offer insights into "what it means to be Canadian and what it means to carry multiple identities within yourself."
Local author Richard Mende will also be on hand for the event.
The event is part of the Reading Town Ville Lecture event currently taking place in Sudbury.
