Maher Arar has been named one of the most influential people on the planet by Time magazine, joining an A-list that includes Hollywood hottie Leonardo DiCaprio and popular talk show host Rosie O’Donnell.
Arar, jailed and tortured in Syria after he was falsely tagged a terrorist in 2002, earned a spot on the prestigious list of men and women whose “power, talent or moral example is transforming our world.”
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy penned the tribute text on Arar for the magazine, which hits newsstands today.
“Maher Arar’s case stands as a sad symbol of how we have been too willing to sacrifice our core principles to overarching government power in the name of security, when doing so only undermines the principles we stand for and make us less safe,” the Vermont Democrat writes.
Also on Time’s list of 100 most influential people are the Queen, presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and YouTube founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley.
The Stephen Harper government awarded an official apology and $10.5 million in compensation to Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian, after he was fully exonerated by a Canadian judicial inquiry. But the married father of two still can’t attend the Time magazine ceremony because he remains on a U.S. watchlist.
U.S. lawyer Maria LaHood said that as Arar is recognized as a “world hero,” the U.S. government continues to hide behind secrecy to avoid accountability.
“It shows the stark contrast between his courage and strength and, frankly, the weakness of the U.S. officials that are responsible for having him tortured and keeping him on this watchlist,” she said in an interview from New York.
The U.S. has still not provided answers on why Arar was sent to Syria where he would be tortured, and an American court threw out his lawsuit on grounds of national security. But Mahood hopes a pending appeal — or a change in White House administration — will finally yield answers.
Arar, who is now working on his PhD, said he is honoured to be included on the Time list.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the people and organizations that have supported me and my family throughout this struggle for justice,” he said in a prepared statement.
The magazine’s list includes 71 men and 29 women from 29 countries.
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