Ahmad Abou El-Maati
Encyclopedia
Ahmad Abou El-Maati (born October 1, 1964) is a Canadian citizen who was arrested and detained for two and a half years in Syrian and Egyptian prisons. He had found a Visitor's Map to Ottawa and was travelling to Syria to get married. This evidence, as well as the post-September 11 fear, led him to be considered a suspected terrorist. In 2001 El-Maati was the subject of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
investigation into what appeared to be a terror plot involving his job as a truck driver
.
He is the brother of suspected Al-Qaeda
member Amer el-Maati
.
to Badr El-Maati, an accountant
, auditor and business consultant from Egypt
, and Samira Al-Shallash, a teacher from Syria
. The family moved to Beirut, and both Ahmad and his brother were enrolled in a Catholic school.
He immigrated to Montreal with his father and brother Amr in 1981, when he was 17-years old and took a job in a local factory. The family then moved to Toronto, when his mother and sister arrived.
Ahmad took college courses in electronics, before enrolling at Concordia University
for two years where he studied statistics
. He worked as a cab driver in London, Ontario
and took lessons towards a pilot's license after a friend suggested there was money to make in air taxi
s between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. He flew a Cessna
trainer for five hours, before dropping the program due to his fear of heights. He received his formal Canadian citizenship in 1986.
In 1988, he traveled to fight with the Mujahideen
in repelling the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but contracted malaria
within two weeks of arriving and spent the next four months in a hospital in Peshawar
, before returning to Canada. He later worked as a truck driver
in Afghanistan, and drove an ambulance and cooked meals for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
's army as it fought against the Taliban in Logar
. In 1996, Amer came to Afghanistan looking for his brother, just as Hekmatyar's forces were retreating north through Salang tunnel
. In November 1997, Ahmad deserted, meeting up with his mother and sister in Iran, while his brother traveled to Pakistan.
Upon moving back to Canada in 1998, he moved in with his father and had trouble finding work. His father's friend Ibrahym Adam offered a job as a mechanic's assistant in Montreal, but suggested he look towards driving long-haul transport vehicles. Ahmad used his salary, as well as a loan from his father, to graduate with his AZ license from a Scarborough driving school. He celebrated by taking the Hajj
pilgrimage to Mecca
in March 1999, and returned to take a job with Leger Trucking
, driving lettuce from a farm in Salinas, California
to Quebec supermarkets and McDonalds restaurants, earning about $750 for the thirty-hour drive. He decided to drive solo, as he could earn triple the money, and was hired by Motion Supply, who assigned him to drive with Highland Transport.
He later advised fellow Afghan veteran Mohamad Elzahabi
to find similar work as a truck driver, and allowed him to accompany his own haul to the southern United States, where he dropped him off.
listing both government and nuclear research facilities, which was later found to be a government-issued visitor's map left by a previous driver.
Following the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001, he was interviewed by Canadian Security Intelligence Service
(CSIS) agent Adrian White who wanted to question him about the map, and his visit to Syria in April.
Claiming frustration with the ongoing police involvement, Ahmad left to Syria
in 2001 to complete the marriage ceremonies with his fiancee. The legal marriage papers would enable him to apply for her to enter Canada. He never met her there, and sometime after his arrest her family annulled the marriage.
He was jailed upon his arrival in Syria, was tortured into making a confession, which he later retracted, that he had been a part of a terrorism
plot involving two fellow Syrian-Canadians, Maher Arar
and Abdullah Almalki
, who were then arrested.
In December 2001, CSIS agents Adrian White and Rob Cassolato turned up at the el-Maati home in Toronto, asking Badr to come clean about his sons' locations.
On January 12, 2004, State Security offered to release Ahmad to his family if they would give up the location of Amer. Their mother protested that she didn't know where Amer was, and Ahmad was released the following day.
On September 6, 2005, a front-page article in the Globe and Mail newspaper revealed that the map in question was of the Tunney's Pasture
government complex in the west end of Ottawa
, Ontario
.
The map, an old version, showed government buildings including a Health Canada
virus lab as well as a nuclear research facility belonging to Atomic Energy of Canada. However, these offices had been relocated prior to El-Maati's detainment at the border. They have since been demolished and transformed into parking lots.
voted in favour of an official apology and compensation to Almalki, el-Maati and Nureddin. As of 2008, Ahmad is unable to work and lives with his mother.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
investigation into what appeared to be a terror plot involving his job as a truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
.
He is the brother of suspected Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
member Amer el-Maati
Amer el-Maati
Born in Kuwait, Amro Badr Abou el-Maati is a Canadian citizen who the United States has alleged is a member of Al-Qaeda who attended flight school and discussed hijacking a Canadian plane to fly into American buildings...
.
Biography
El-Maati was born in KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
to Badr El-Maati, an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
, auditor and business consultant from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and Samira Al-Shallash, a teacher from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The family moved to Beirut, and both Ahmad and his brother were enrolled in a Catholic school.
He immigrated to Montreal with his father and brother Amr in 1981, when he was 17-years old and took a job in a local factory. The family then moved to Toronto, when his mother and sister arrived.
Ahmad took college courses in electronics, before enrolling at Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
for two years where he studied statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
. He worked as a cab driver in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
and took lessons towards a pilot's license after a friend suggested there was money to make in air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
s between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. He flew a Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
trainer for five hours, before dropping the program due to his fear of heights. He received his formal Canadian citizenship in 1986.
In 1988, he traveled to fight with the Mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
in repelling the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
within two weeks of arriving and spent the next four months in a hospital in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, before returning to Canada. He later worked as a truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
in Afghanistan, and drove an ambulance and cooked meals for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is an Afghan Mujahideen leader who is the founder and leader of the Hezb-e Islami political party and paramilitary group. Hekmatyar was a rebel military commander during the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan and was one of the key figures in the civil war that followed the...
's army as it fought against the Taliban in Logar
Logar
Logar may refer to:* Logar Province, Afghanistan* Logar River in Afghanistan* Logar Valley, Slovenia-People:* Eva Logar , Slovenian ski jumper* Lojze Logar, Slovenian artist* Tine Logar, Slovenian linguist...
. In 1996, Amer came to Afghanistan looking for his brother, just as Hekmatyar's forces were retreating north through Salang tunnel
Salang tunnel
The Salang Tunnel , located in Parwan province, is a link between northern and southern Afghanistan crossing the Hindukush mountain range under the difficult Salang Pass....
. In November 1997, Ahmad deserted, meeting up with his mother and sister in Iran, while his brother traveled to Pakistan.
Upon moving back to Canada in 1998, he moved in with his father and had trouble finding work. His father's friend Ibrahym Adam offered a job as a mechanic's assistant in Montreal, but suggested he look towards driving long-haul transport vehicles. Ahmad used his salary, as well as a loan from his father, to graduate with his AZ license from a Scarborough driving school. He celebrated by taking the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
in March 1999, and returned to take a job with Leger Trucking
Leger
Leger may refer to:*Fernand Léger, French artist and filmmaker*Nicole Léger, Canadian politician*Dick Leger, Square Dance Caller*Jules Léger, Governor General of Canada from 14 January 1974 to 22 January 1979.*Saint Leger, or Leodegar...
, driving lettuce from a farm in Salinas, California
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
to Quebec supermarkets and McDonalds restaurants, earning about $750 for the thirty-hour drive. He decided to drive solo, as he could earn triple the money, and was hired by Motion Supply, who assigned him to drive with Highland Transport.
He later advised fellow Afghan veteran Mohamad Elzahabi
Mohamad Elzahabi
Mohamad Kamal Elzahabi is a Lebanese national who worked as a small arms instructor at an Afghan training camp in the 1990s. During the War on Terror, he was arrested based on his past associations,and was convicted of immigration fraud.-Entry to United States:Elzahabi entered the United States in...
to find similar work as a truck driver, and allowed him to accompany his own haul to the southern United States, where he dropped him off.
Arrest
El-Maati was stopped at the United States-Canadian Border on August 16, 2001, where customs officials found a map of OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
listing both government and nuclear research facilities, which was later found to be a government-issued visitor's map left by a previous driver.
Following the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001, he was interviewed by Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
(CSIS) agent Adrian White who wanted to question him about the map, and his visit to Syria in April.
Claiming frustration with the ongoing police involvement, Ahmad left to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in 2001 to complete the marriage ceremonies with his fiancee. The legal marriage papers would enable him to apply for her to enter Canada. He never met her there, and sometime after his arrest her family annulled the marriage.
He was jailed upon his arrival in Syria, was tortured into making a confession, which he later retracted, that he had been a part of a terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
plot involving two fellow Syrian-Canadians, Maher Arar
Maher Arar
Maher Arar is a telecommunications engineer with dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship who resides in Canada. Arar's story is frequently referred to as "extraordinary rendition" but the U.S. government insisted it was a case of deportation.Arar was detained during a layover at John F...
and Abdullah Almalki
Abdullah Almalki
Abdullah Almalki is a Syrian-Canadian engineer who was imprisoned and tortured for two years in a Syrian jail after Canadian officials falsely indicated to the Syrian authorities and other countries that he was a terrorist threat....
, who were then arrested.
In December 2001, CSIS agents Adrian White and Rob Cassolato turned up at the el-Maati home in Toronto, asking Badr to come clean about his sons' locations.
On January 12, 2004, State Security offered to release Ahmad to his family if they would give up the location of Amer. Their mother protested that she didn't know where Amer was, and Ahmad was released the following day.
On September 6, 2005, a front-page article in the Globe and Mail newspaper revealed that the map in question was of the Tunney's Pasture
Tunney's Pasture
Tunney's Pasture is an area within the City of Ottawa, Ontario, that is exclusively developed for Canada's federal government buildings. It is bordered by Scott Street to the south, Parkdale Avenue to the east, the Ottawa River Parkway to the north and Northwestern Avenue to the west...
government complex in the west end of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
The map, an old version, showed government buildings including a Health Canada
Health Canada
Health Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health.The current Minister of Health is Leona Aglukkaq, a Conservative Member of Parliament appointed to the position by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.-Branches, regions and agencies:Health Canada...
virus lab as well as a nuclear research facility belonging to Atomic Energy of Canada. However, these offices had been relocated prior to El-Maati's detainment at the border. They have since been demolished and transformed into parking lots.
- "The Globe and Mail has learned that the map -- scrawled numbers and all -- was in fact produced and distributed by the Canadian federal government. It is simply a site map, given out to help visitors to Tunney's Pasture, a sprawling complex of government buildings in Ottawa, find their way around."
Government inquiry
The Canadian government has ordered a public inquiry into Mr. El-Maati's and two other men who also experienced detention in Syria. On June 18, 2009, the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
voted in favour of an official apology and compensation to Almalki, el-Maati and Nureddin. As of 2008, Ahmad is unable to work and lives with his mother.
External links
- Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror
- Ahmad El-Maati Biography (PDF)
- El-Maati Chronology (PDF)
- Google Maps satellite photo and map of Tunney's Pasture