Rally highlights tragedy in Darfur
by Steven Theobald, Toronto Star
The Toronto Star
November 8, 2004 Monday
Ahmed Krama usually spends chilly Sunday afternoons watching NFL
football.
But yesterday the Sudanese-born lawyer headed to Queen’s Park to join
a rally demanding that Canada help end the humanitarian crisis in
Darfur.
“The world is not doing enough,” said Krama, who immigrated in 1987.
“Everyone knows what is going on there.”
The rally attracted about 500 people, according to Queen’s Park
security staff. Rally organizers, who put the number closer to 1,000,
were gratified by a large media turnout. “We will be able to bring
this into people’s homes and on their doorstep tomorrow morning,”
said Norman Epstein, a Toronto emergency room physician involved with
Canadians Against Slavery and Torture in Sudan.
“Hopefully this will get the situation in Darfur on the radar screen
again.”
Boisterous participants, carrying homemade signs, filled time between
speakers with chants to stop the killing in Darfur.
“Where is the Canadian voice? We want to hear the Canadian voice,”
screamed Elfadil El Sharief, a Sudanese-born human rights activist.
“We need the Canadian government to speak in the United Nations.”
A long list of speakers pleaded for Canada to actively seek an end to
the bloodshed and atrocities being committed in Sudan.
“Darfur is descending into anarchy,” said Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton,
general secretary for the Canadian Council of Churches. She said
Canadians must put pressure on Prime Minister Paul Martin, who visits
Sudan later this month. “It is our hope and prayer he finds time to
visit Darfur.”
Amnesty International handed out postcards to Martin, pleading for
action to end “crimes against humanity.”
Among 45 groups at the rally were the Armenian National Committee,
World Vision, the Muslim Canadian Congress and Canadian Jewish
Congress Ontario Region.
“That just shows the level of concern. It’s cross-cutting,” said John
Lewis of KAIROS, a faith-based human rights advocate.
Andres Kasekamp, a visiting history professor from Estonia at the
University of Toronto, attended with his wife and baby girl. He says
Canada has credibility internationally to foster an end to the
crisis. “Canada doesn’t lead much in the world, but for this issue
Paul Martin is showing more interest.”‘Where is the Canadian voice?
We want to hear the Canadian voice’
GRAPHIC: Vince Talotta toronto star Adam, age 2 1 2, was among the
participants at yesterday’s Rally for Darfur, which brought together
a coalition of diverse community and religious groups trying to get
Canada more involved in ending the humanitarian tragedy occurring in
the Sudanese region riven by civil strife and hunger.