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Canada - Saudi Arabia Relations


Position Paper: Canada and Saudi Arabia: A Complex and Contradictory Relationship

mbs.pngIn August, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland’s tweet criticizing Saudi Arabia’s arrest of a female activist trigged a strong Saudi backlash. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia has a disgraceful record on political and civil rights. This position paper discusses Canada's complex and contradictory relationship with Saudi Arabia.


CJPME: Ottawa Should End Paradoxical Arms Deal with Saudis

arabies2.pngMontreal, October 25, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) calls on Canada to end, once and for all, its arms trade with Saudi Arabia.  The brazen murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi authorities in Istanbul further highlights the brazen and repressive attitude of the Saudi leadership.  CJPME believes that Saudi Arabia’s authoritarian and oppressive practices have, for far too long, betrayed Canada’s purported support for human rights and international law.  Learning that Canada faces a penalty of $1 billion if it suspends the arms deal is just one more sign that the paradoxical sale should be terminated. 

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CJPME: Saudi Crackdown on Student’s Family Betrays Canadian Values

omar.pngMontreal, August 29, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) opposes Saudi Arabia’s repressive actions against human rights defenders, most recently demonstrated through the arrests of Saudi activist Omar Abdulaziz’s family and friends. CJPME points out that Saudi Arabia’s authoritarian actions betray Canadian democratic values, and calls the Canadian government to condemn these most recent Saudi violations of basic human rights.

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CJPME: Canada should follow Germany's example and halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia

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Montreal, January 24, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) urges the Canadian government to follow the example of the German government vis-à-vis relations with Saudi Arabia.  On January 19th, the German government announced that it will be suspending all arms sales to Saudi Arabia, due to the Saudi documented human rights violations in Yemen. CJPME applauds Germany’s principled position, and calls on the Canadian government to likewise suspend all arms sales to the Saudis.

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Following Saudi Crackdown, CJPME Demands Review of Arms Deal

crackdown.pngMontreal, July 31, 2017  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) demands that the Canadian government immediately review its existing $15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Over the weekend, news sources published videos and photographs of Canadian-made armoured personnel carriers (APC) being used by the Saudi government to crackdown on Saudi civilian dissidents. The APCs that appear in the video were manufactured by Terradyne Armored Vehicle Inc., a privately owned company in Newmarket, Ontario. 

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Saudi Ambassador declines to defend Kingdom’s Human Rights Record

saudi_ambassador.JPGMontreal, May 10, 2016  — The Saudi Arabian ambassador to Canada has declined to respond to a letter asking him to explain his country’s position on the $15 billion arms deal for light armoured vehicles (LAVs) with Canada.  Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) sent a letter to the Saudi Ambassador last week, and followed up repeatedly, but failed to elicit a response from the Saudi representative to Canada.  CJPME had invited the ambassador to address concerns by Canadian human rights organizations that the LAVs could likely be used to commit human rights abuses.

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Canadian human rights organizations oppose Saudi Arms Deal


saudi_army.jpgMontreal, April 27, 2016
 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) joined with over a dozen prominent Canadian human rights groups signing an open letter opposing the recent issuance of export permits for Canada’s $15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.  The list of Canadian organizations signing the open letter is impressive, and includes Amnesty International Canada, the Canadian Council for International Cooperation, the Rideau Institute and others.  The organizations addressed the letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and demanded that the government rescind the export permits for the arms deal, many of which have been recently signed.    

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Canada and the $15B Saudi Arms Deal

CJPME Factsheet 197, published April, 2016: 2016 began violently in Saudi Arabia.  The Kingdom began the year with the execution of 47 Shiites accused of “terrorism.”  Despite this violence directed specifically against a Saudi minority group, the Canadian government continued to defend its contract of $15 billion with the Saudis for the sale of armoured vehicles.  In the face of such dealings, Canadian human rights groups question the probity of Saudi-Canadian relations.

 

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CJPME: Canada must call for ceasefire in Yemen

Sans_titre2.pngMontreal, April 21, 2015  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) calls on the Canadian government to push diplomatically for a ceasefire in Yemen.  Not only is the civil war in the country causing widespread death and destruction, but the Saudi Arabia-led airstrikes are adding to the mayhem and obstructing humanitarian efforts.  “While it may be difficult to intervene neutrally in a civil war, Canada should certainly do everything it can to stop the Saudi-led airstrikes.  These airstrikes are carried out in clear violation of international law,” asserts Thomas Woodley, President of CJPME.

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Saudi Arabia, the Swedish example, and what Canada could learn

CJPME Political Blog, April 2, 2015: Earlier this month, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström had planned to deliver a speech on democracy and women’s rights at an Arab League conference in Cairo. Though it appears that her remarks were intended to be quite general in nature, she had planned to condemn the public flogging of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, which has made headlines in recent months. However, Wallström’s speech was quickly and effectively blocked by the delegation from Saudi Arabia who felt that the speech was “incompatible with the fact that the constitution of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is based on Sharia [law].” 

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CJPME acknowledges that our offices, located in Montreal, are on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk), whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.  CJPME recognizes the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka as the customary keepers and defenders of the St. Laurence River Watershed and its tributaries. We honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.  Further, CJPME respects and affirms the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land. CJPME has and will continue to honour the commitments to self-determination and sovereignty we have made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.  CJPME also acknowledges the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believes that its work should contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together.

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) 580 Sainte-Croix Ave, Suite 060, Saint-Laurent, QC,  H4L 3X5. 
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