Canadian Muslim seeks millions for racial abuse
December 27th, 2009 – 11:11 am ICT by IANS
Toronto, Dec 27 (IANS) Another Canadian Muslim is suing authorities for millions on alleged racial harassment.
Twenty-six-year-old Mohamad Jouduh, who is a resident of the auto town of Windsor, is seeking $1.75 millions in damages for what he calls racially motivated intimidation and harassment by police officers. He joins many other Canadian Muslims who have slapped – and won – multi-million suits against authorities for alleged violations of their rights.
In his harassment suit, Jouduh has named policemen Ken Price and Tony Smith for calling him “sand n-” on different occasions. He says he was warned by the cops to leave the city or face the consequences.
Narrating a sequence of his alleged harassment going back four years, the Canadian Muslim claims the cops broke his nose after his arrest on robbery charges in March 2005. The cops also racially abused him, calling him “you sand n–,” the Muslim man alleges.
He also claims he was falsely charged with assaulting a police officer at that time.
Jouduh says (Constable) Price also taunted him with words, “Hey sand n–, how’s your nose?”
At another time, he allges, one of the cops said, “You sand n-had better get out of the city or every time we see you, you will get beat.”
However, the lawyer for the cops has dismissed his charges as “without merit.”
Mohamad Jouduh joins Canadian Muslim Abousfian Abdelrazik who has just slapped a $27-million suit against the Canadian government for its alleged role in his arrest and alleged torture in Sudan where he spent six years in jail.
Another Canadian Muslim Suaad Hagi Mohamud, who is of Somali origin, is also suing Canada for $2.5 million after she was stranded in Kenya for three months as Canadian diplomats in the African country thought she was traveling on fake documents.
Canada has already paid $10.5 million to Maher Arar, a Canadian Muslim of Syrian origin, for his torture in Syrian jail on charges of terrorism.
There are estimated to be more than a million Muslims in Canada.
Unlike Chinese and Indians who are the two biggest immigrant groups coming to Canada each year from individual countries, Muslim immigrants to Canada come from dozens of countries in Asia and Africa. Though there are no figures, Muslims are among the largest immigrant groups by religion coming to Canada each year.