Canada, a country with a history of international humility and consensus building, had in the past tried to approach this file with sensitivity and maturity. Canada had maintained that peaceful resolution can be achieved through negotiations, application of international law and protection of civilian lives. Canada’s role may not have appeared to have immediate success but at least it earned domestic and international respect and helped prepare the ground for reconciliation.

The Stephen Harper government has deliberately thrown all of that away. The CBC’s Wendy Mesley did an excellent piece that outlined Mr. Harper’s blatant shift. This piece enumerated a list of steps taken by Stephen Harper illustrating a dramatic shift in traditional Canadian policy. Another example was in the summer of 2009 when the Harper government threatened an academic conference held at York University discussing the situation in that region. Also the Embassy Magazine revealed this summer a simmering tension between public servants and the Harper government over changing in language traditionally used by Foreign Affairs.

I have often spoken/written about the need for leaders to offer thoughtful ideas instead of playing the easy but damaging politics of division. The Middle East file particularly needs courageous leaders who can set parameters for a debate that no matter how passionate it gets there are common principles that can help us navigate through it. Here’s my attempt at identifying some of those principles:

• Canada has a moral and legal responsibility to promote peace and reconciliation not inflame tension and division
• Every human life is precious and must be protected
• We must never be afraid of engaging each other and others around the world in vigorous debates about this matter (or others). I am more afraid of the alternative to debate and dialogue
• Expressing disagreement with Israeli government conduct is not anti-Israeli just like disagreeing with the Harper government conduct is not anti-Canadian, or disagreeing with the Palestinian Authority conduct is not anti-Palestinian
• History must’ve taught us by now that military options offer no solutions and unless disagreements are confronted politically, logjams will persist
• This cannot be seen as a zero sum situation. Bob Rae always says “We can be pro-Israel, pro-Palestine and pro-peace at the same time”
• Canada cannot impose a solution but can offer our own talent and capacity to facilitate a fair solution
• As imperfect as it is, international law is a good reference for complicated matters
• Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace and dignity like any human being

(These principles are applicable to other international conflicts)

Silencing debate or dissent is very harmful. The same would apply had we had a prime minister who attempts to silence criticism against the Palestinian Authority or any other government.

Stephen Harper has the right to change Canada’s policies as a prime minister and Canadians have the right to judge him for it. What is indefensible is Mr. Harper’s vicious attack on independent voices that also have a legitimate right to engage in such public policy debates.

Such intimidation techniques offer bad examples to Canadians and very little help to the desperate situation in Israel/Palestine and are also betrayals of Canadian values and norms.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and its people have experienced much suffering over the years. This earthquake is testing their strength and courage.

As humans, fortunate to live in one of the richest countries in the world, we cannot stand by idly. The diversity of Canadians means that when any part of the world suffers, we feel their pain here in Canada. This is a call to action for all Canadians to extend a gesture of support and remind ourselves that we are brothers and sisters in humanity who come together in times of need.

I am asking you to please support the relief effort in Haiti by donating to one of the organizations listed below. The government is matching donations given to charitable organizations for relief efforts, which means that your giving power is now twice as strong.

Canadian Red Cross

Doctors Without Borders

Oxfam Canada

CARE Canada

The Humanitarian Coalition

World Vision Canada

Plan Canada

IDRF Canada

ICNA Relief Canada

My faith in humanity is strong and I am confident that the people of Haiti will triumph over this tragedy. Let’s be there for them and donate generously.

There are some human rights champions who will turn a blind eye, or even justify human rights violations when they or their affiliates are being accused of those violations. Such inconsistencies undermine their credibility and do a disservice for honourable causes.

We must all stand united against blatant violations like this terrible story which is a tragedy that should outrage all humans but it hardly received any media attention. Churchgoers in Egypt leaving the sanctity of their place of worship after midnight celebrating their holiest day of the year being randomly gunned down is heart wrenching.

The Middle East is a region rife with human rights violations and little hope for improvements. The absence of democracy, disrespect of minority rights, sectarian divides, wanton violence and ongoing disregard for international law are untenable. The people of Gaza continue to be under siege, Copts in Egypt are treated as second class citizens, random violence in Iraq killing many civilians, blind sectarian tension in Lebanon, dictatorial tyranny in almost every country, and the rise of extremism are all troubling symptoms that need to be confronted.

Unfortunately, the international community at times, instead of helping, is exacerbating those fault lines. When it rightly demands that Iran holds transparent elections, it pats on the back if not support the many surrounding regimes offering them financial and political assistance. When it justifiably pursues war crime charges against the Sudanese government for horrific crimes in Darfur, it completely ignores war crime investigations with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

This is not to absolve the local regimes for their crimes. Violators of human rights and international law need to be held accountable at all times.

Human rights advocates need to maintain consistency in condemning all forms of abuses if they want to command credibility no matter who the abusers are. Some will argue that some violations are not equivalent to others or that situations and circumstances differ. That is irrelevant, however. Betraying universal values such as human rights or justice should always be rejected if we are to promote a civilized and fair society. For the sake of advancing human dignity and justice we must stand united in exposing transgressions and in promoting equality and the rule of law.

While innocent people on both sides in the Middle East are living in fear and frustration, the Conservatives are shamelessly exploiting the anxiety of Canadians who care. The Conservatives and Stephen Harper have done nothing to advance peace in the Middle East, yet they are trying from the comfort of their own homes in Canada to politically benefit from the suffering of children in the Middle East. A sad devolution of our political discourse in this country.

Last night, the Conservatives went a step further against me personally and accused me of Anti-Semitism without offering any evidence. I wish I could say that I was surprised. They singled out one of my blog entries where I argued that there’s no military solution to the Middle East conflict and how only civilians pay the price in the process. I argued that Canada must always call on both sides to end military hostilities and encourage them to resort to negotiation. I guess the mere mention of the UN Goldstone Report qualifies anyone for the Anti-Semitic charge.

This irresponsible behaviour of randomly calling people Anti-Semitic doesn’t help the cause of combating Anti-Semitism. It is even worse when the source is a political party that is in government. Anti-Semitism is real and our society deserves an honest effort to deal with it instead of exploiting it for political gain.

I could innumerate my work in society to combat all forms of racism including Anti-Semitism, but I would appear defensive. This type of vicious attack doesn’t hurt my feelings given the source. What bothers me greatly is the cheap attempt to profit from people’s pain and the push to silence any form of mature conversation about the situation in the Middle East.

This type of language is very harmful to Canada’s political and social maturity and to peace prospects in the Middle East. I could speculate on why the Conservatives think I am an easy target for such a smear, but this conversation would then become an ugly race to the bottom and inflame emotions.

As leaders, we have a responsibility to set an example on how to engage in difficult debates without hurling insults. This will only increase my resolve to continue to promote thoughtful policies and to continue to call for a peaceful and just resolution of the Middle East conflict among others.

I could say that the Conservatives should be ashamed of themselves, but I am convinced that they don’t utter any word before making their own political calculations. If in the process their behaviour caused damage to Canada’s interest, they couldn’t care less.

I am calling on all Canadians, particularly Jewish Canadians, to reject this form of cold and damaging form of politics. Not only does it fail to offer any substantive solutions, but it seeks to divide and inflame. I have faith in our ability as Canadians to distinguish between genuine dialogue and manipulative rhetoric.

Update: Rob Silver and Tim Powers have an exchange about this topic on the online pages of the Globe and Mail

These findings shouldn’t come as a surprise to any objective observer. The images and news reports that came out of the region and its history have made it clear that civilians are the ones who always end up paying the highest price.

Regarding the ongoing violence in the Middle East, Judge Richard Goldstone, whose passion about the rule of law was shaped by the Holocaust, declared today that “the lack of accountability for war crimes and possible war crimes against humanity has reached a crisis point; the ongoing lack of justice is undermining any hope for a successful peace process and reinforcing an environment that fosters violence.”

The Gaza conflict and the Goldstone report remind the world that there is no military solution to the conflict in the Middle East. Military incursions provide a false sense of security while in fact, they undermine the security they claim to seek. The sooner the world comes to term with that, the closer we get to a peaceful resolution.

There is a lesson here for Canadian policy makers. Canada must always call on all sides to end military hostility and demand for peaceful negotiations. It is difficult to understand, especially after this report, why Canada would hesitate before calling for a ceasefire.

Every additional day that rockets are used, innocent lives are being destroyed and peace prospects are diminishing.

This rule of thumb for Canadian policy must apply to all conflicts around the world. We must always push to end violence and promote peaceful mediation that respects the rule of law.

This was my speech at the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament during the Israeli-Lebanon conflict in 2006

There is constant curiosity about his next political chess move but very few questions about his vision and his ideas.

Yesterday was a great example of this. Much of the attention was directed at why Mr. Harper chose to be absent from an important United Nations session to attend a private corporation announcement instead. Pundits and commentators have been analyzing all possible political calculations for that decision. “He is trying to appeal to the Tim Horton’s crowd”. “He wants to show that he doesn’t care for the UN elite class”. “He doesn’t want his speech be compared to Obama’s speech and look weak”. So many theories and random guesses.

In the process though, there has been very little discussion about what I think most Canadians care about. Canadians would like to see their prime minister articulate his vision about climate change, nuclear disarmament and other critical international matters, not just to the world, but to Canadians.

Canadians like to think of themselves and their country as active global citizens who take their responsibilities extremely seriously. Therefore, we expect our leaders to define their vision in fulfilling these roles.

I don’t think Canadians care what the motivation behind Mr. Harper’s decision to attend the Tim Horton’s corporate announcement are. They deserve to hear from their prime minister his vision about Canada’s role in the world. If that vision is missing, Canadians can and will demand an explanation. That is what the focus should be, not about meaningless political maneuvering.

After all, surely Tim Horton’s could have postponed their event few days to accommodate the prime minister’s presence at the UN.

This rule should not just apply to Mr. Harper, it must apply to all political leaders. There will always be political posturing, but I think Canadians would be better served if pundits spare them endless analyses of political brinkmanship and focus more on competing policies and vision for our country.

Canada has always been a moral leader, where our credibility was as influential as military super powers’. The international community always looked up to Canada and has requested our intervention and help in resolving sticky matters.

Canada rejected to participate in invading Iraq, was a leader in helping Tsunami victims, jumped to help Pakistan when hit by a severe earthquake and has tried to maintain a principled position on various conflicts around the world.

Now, it appears that most of that credibility is being diminished by the Stephen Harper government.

The Globe and Mail reported this week that while Canada is interested in being elected to a seat on the United Nations Security Council, it appears that its chances of being chosen are not that strong. UN member nations get to vote in members of the Security Council and there are reports that Canada may not win enough votes if it pursues a seat. This is quite surprising, given that in the past many countries would have been asking Canada to be on the Security Council.

Ever since Stephen Harper became Canada’s prime minister, Canada’s foreign policy has experienced dramatic shifts and is no longer seen as an independent voice. Canada now takes identical positions to the US on almost all controversial issues; in fact some could argue that Canada has gone further.

Under Harper, Canada has abandoned balanced, smart and productive roles toward the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, China and Sri Lanka, but hypocritically is willing to sign a free trade agreement with Colombia, an oppressive government with a right- wing ideology. Canada is no longer consistent in speaking out for all of its citizens that are caught in difficult situations abroad. Harper selectively picks and chooses who deserves their full rights as citizens. Canada is also absent from playing a leading role in disaster relief efforts in Burma and in China in the aftermath of two severe natural disasters. Lebanon is on the verge of a civil war and Canada has little influence in calming tension there after Stephen Harper refused to support calls for cease-fire in the 2006 Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Canada is also reluctant to support efforts for the creation of an international treaty that would ban cluster bombs.

Historically, Canada has offered the world well respected foreign affairs ministers like Lester Pearson, Lloyd Axworthy and Bill Graham. Now Maxime Bernier, our current foreign affairs minister, can barely deal with his own controversies.

Canadians have always been extremely proud of Canada’s global reputation. Stephen Harper, regrettably, has squandered much of that credibility in just over two years. Canada, through its own cultural diversity, has learned so much from the world, and has been able to offer so much back. There is a strong desire that many Canadians have to restore Canada’s independent voice. I am confident that this desire will be expressed during the next election.

Undoubtedly, the Chinese government has a troubling history when it comes to transparency and respect for human rights. The international community must be clear that such practices are unacceptable and institutions such as the UN need to act as a multilateral, coordinated voice in strongly demanding an improved record of human rights and freedom in China.

I am not convinced that boycotting the Olympics would be the best way to send that message though. In fact, I believe, that these games will help further increase pressure on the Chinese government. It will also help civil society and athletes interact constructively to cooperate and strengthen their link with the international community. It can be argued that boycotting at this stage will mostly hurt the people that need our help the most, the Chinese people. This healthy discussion that we are having about the situation in China is probably a direct result of the upcoming Olympics. The Games are already helping to shed a light on serious matters that may have been neglected if it weren’t for this attention.

The Olympic Games do not belong to the Chinese government, they belong to the citizens of the world and the fact that they are happening in China should be utilized as an opportunity to press universal values of equality, fairness, dignity and justice.

There is room for applying the boycott strategy to help make a point, but at this stage, I prefer constructive engagement. The spirit of the Olympic Games is intended to promote exchange and competition in a basic human form. It inspires determination, encapsulates struggle for good and fair competition. I believe that such a message could only help the Chinese population economically, socially and politically.

In the meantime, the rest of the world must be vocal in expressing its rejection of unacceptable behaviour towards civilians and pressure the Chinese government to end its military oppression of its citizens.

On a different note, I want to wish you all a happy Easter. It is also Norouz, the Persian New Year’s celebration that coincides with the arrival of spring. Wishing all of you the best and hopefully we have seen the end of snow!

It has been reported that hundreds of Tamils have been forcibly transferred out of their homes in Colombo, Sri Lanka and violent escalations by both sides in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. There has been an assassination of a Lebanese MP and his family in Lebanon and bombings that target religious shrines in Iraq. There is instability in Pakistan. And of course the hideous, ongoing crimes in Darfur and endless fighting in Afghanistan add to the suffering of civilians across the world.

It is clear that almost all of these ongoing conflicts are symptoms of more fundamental problems than just uncooperative political or military leaders. There will always be individuals who seek power or influence through violence, but when cultural, social and economic circumstances help those leaders to exploit ongoing anger and mobilize dissatisfied populations, violence inevitably ensues.

I don’t believe that any human being is inherently violent or genetically wired to commit acts of violence. However, when you have decades of occupation, years of oppression, the prevalence of poverty, a lack of respect for human rights, a lack of freedom and a sense of powerlessness; a reservoir of frustration slowly fills and the population becomes vulnerable for exploitation. It is hopelessness that drives people to commit acts they otherwise would not.

The international community, especially the developed world, must live up to its responsibility and offer help. Just because some political leaders in the areas of conflict are unable or unwilling to find a way to resolve matters does not mean that we can stand idly by. I am not suggesting military intervention, but I am calling for leadership that is genuinely interested in helping to resolve pending and ongoing grievances through dialogue that searches for fair and just resolutions.

It is disheartening to watch civilians get swept up in senseless violence and watch the UN and other international bodies do nothing about it. Ever since Stephen Harper became the Canadian prime minister, he has been exclusively focusing on relationships with the US, UK and Australia and has been obsessed with Afghanistan. Very little has been done elsewhere on the international scene and whatever has been done has been disappointing. Where is the leadership on Kyoto, and Darfur, and aid to Africa?

This state of violent development around the world is unsustainable. It exacerbates tensions and creates rich recruitment pools for extremists. Canada must not shy away from speaking out and sending bold messages that encourage international partners and all parties involved in conflicts to work to protect civilians, seek peaceable solutions to their disputes and adhere to international law.

The Liberal party is in the middle of a renewal phase in response to their defeat in the last election. The party has just completed one of the most exhilarating leadership conventions during which delegates exercised their choice honestly and openly and selected a leader who has an immense sense of integrity and dedication to our country. The party is trying to focus on policies and acting as a responsible official opposition. But over the last few weeks, one cannot ignore the barrage of negative, slimy, nasty and personal attacks that have been meant to distract Canadians and intimidate politicians. This disgusting form of politics doesn’t serve Canadians well and avoids dealing with the real issues in substantive ways. Personal attacks on Stéphane Dion, Ralph Goodale, Gerard Kennedy, Navdeep Bains and myself are meant to confuse Canadians.

The challenge is not to allow oneself to be dragged into this basement-level politics. On the one hand, one must respond to outrageous allegations because silence could be considered a weakness but on the other, you don’t want to turn into the accuser you are critiquing or responding to.

We must not allow the politics in our country to become so simplistic and acrimonious. We must maintain the self respect that Canadians expect us to have. We certainly don’t want Canadian politics to turn into the American style of politics of personal and negative attacks.

If we want to avoid the rise of cynicism and suspicion that some Canadians may have towards politicians, we must demonstrate leadership and remain focused on policy debates. I might be naïve but I believe that politicians chose this business to serve their country and positively contribute to building its future.

The Foreign Affairs and International Trade Committee has started a comprehensive study on foreign aid and on identifying effective ways to provide assistance to developing countries in enhancing their democratic institutions. The committee is traveling to Denmark, Finland, Britain, Sweden and Norway over a period of 5 days – one country per day. In each country, we have been meeting with government bureaucrats, politicians, academics and NGOs. We are listening to their ideas and learning about practices they follow or promote when it comes to foreign aid. These 5 countries are have an excellent reputation for following and promoting values similar to ours when it comes to helping countries in need.

We have been running on a very tight schedule due to the shortness of time but so far we have learnt a lot. One of the major items we are studying is how can Canada help in promoting democratic value through its aid and what we have discovered is that promoting good governance is just as crucial. Good governance and democracy are mutually exclusive. Democracy doesn’t mean good governance while good governance doesn’t mean democracy. But it is believed that the combination of good governance and democracy leads to economic development, reduction of conflict and increased stability and respect for rule of law and human rights. It is understood that it is in the world’s interest to promote stability and peace. But countries like Canada who are interested and willing to assist countries in need must be careful not to impose their own systems or values onto others or to set expectations or goals that may not be relevant to the domestic culture and traditions. Also, we have heard that sometimes in the process of providing aid, donor countries set certain conditions and targets that may not be compatible with the most urgent needs of the recipient country.

Promoting good governance and democracy is very tricky but is a noble cause that Canada can play a positive role in. Such initiatives have to be approached with humility and sensitivity and require patience and long term commitments. Also, in our goal of promoting human rights and peace we must not be led to believe that only we have the right answers. Moreover, we should not use such language to justify intervention for the protection of certain interests.

As you can see, it is quite complicated. We must examine all options carefully. The Committee is going to hear from more experts in the coming weeks. I will be an active participant in drafting our final report and will share it with you when completed.

This study has reaffirmed to me how privileged we are as a nation. We must always be thankful for our blessings but must also continue to find ways to help others by sharing what we have learned and continue to learn from others on how we can be better.

It is deeply troubling that Stephen Harper has been unwilling to grasp the magnitude of this tragedy and acknowledge that the continuation of this irrational bombardment benefits noone, certainly not Israel or Lebanon. There have been some who have argued for Israel’s right to defend itself and used this argument to justify the continuation of this crisis. However, I believe that this position is short-sighted. It is not about Israel’s right to defend itself; it is about how it goes about doing so. Continued military aggression can not be useful or effective and can only embolden extremism and radicalization, not to mention injuring thousands of civilians along the way. How can anyone, after watching such disturbing images, object to a call for cease-fire?

For the sake of global stability, for the sake of peace in the Middle East and for the sake of combating extremism, the international community, including Canada, must take a leadership role in advocating for non-military options to resolve this conflict. This crisis is a tragic reminder that as long as we continue to ignore the injustices and grievances that are being experienced in the Middle East, on a daily basis, there can be little certainty and stability in that region.

Two days ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the appointment of my neighbouring MP, Wajid Khan, as his special advisor to South Asia and the Middle East. This was a surprising move but one that has perhaps been planned for months. I am waiting to see how this relationship unfolds, but please forgive me if I seem skeptical about the future of this relationship or the role that Mr. Khan will be able to perform. I will reserve judgment for now; however, my radar is picking up some questionable signals.