Global Voices Information Sheet

Omar Khadr

Omar Khadr: Brief Biography

 Omar Khadr is the son of Ahmed Said Khadr, an Egyptian-Canadian who had ties to
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.
 Omar was born in Toronto on Sept. 19, 1986 and spent most of his childhood moving
between Pakistan and Canada.
 When Omar was nine-years-old, his father was arrested in Pakistan for his involvement in
the bombing of the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad. Omar’s mother brought up the
matter in a meeting with then-Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Eventually, he was released.
 The family moved to Afghanistan in 1996. Omar was entered into weapons training,
learning how to make bombs and wield assault rifles.
 On July 27, 2002, Khadr is captured in Afghanistan by American soldiers at age 15,
accused of fatally injuring a U.S. army medic with a hand grenade. Khadr himself is
injured. He is held in Bagram Detention Centre and transferred to Guantanamo Bay in
October.
 In Nov. 2005, he is formally charged by the U.S. military with conspiracy, attempted
murder and aiding the enemy. These charges are thrown out in 2007 because he is
labeled an “enemy combatant” and not an “unlawful enemy combatant.”
 In March 2008, Khadr claims he was threatened with rape and violence by interrogators
when he confessed years earlier to being a terrorist.
 In August 2010, Khadr’s trial officially began. However, it came to an abrupt halt when his
lawyer collapsed in court. The trial was delayed and will return Oct. 18, 2010, more than
eight years after Omar was captured.
Key Terms

 child soldier – There is no set definition of a child soldier. According to UNICEF, this is
any child under 18 years old who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or
armed group. But, the UNCRC says soldiers fighting on the frontlines must be over the
age of 15. Because Khadr was 15 when he was captured, there is some debate over
whether or not he is a child soldier.
 Guantanamo Bay – a U.S. naval base and prison on the southeast coast of Cuba
 repatriate – to bring back or send back to one’s country of citizenship
 terrorism – the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce
Global Voices Youth Story
This youth story is intended to help younger students understand the issues and
general themes presented in the Global Voices column. Educators are
encouraged to choose between the column and story, and use the
accompanying resources and questions that best suit their classrooms and
teaching goals.

Child Soldier Meets Child Activist

Craig Kielburger is 27-years-old. He is known throughout the world as a children’s right activist.
When he was 13-years-old, he took a trip to South Asia to learn about poverty firsthand.

On this trip, Craig ended up in Islamabad, Pakistan, at the same time as then-Prime Minister of
Canada, Jean Chretien. Craig got the chance to meet with him to ask him about child labour, and
demand he fight against it.

Many people know about this meeting. What they don’t know was that while Craig sat nervously
in the waiting room, someone else was waiting there as well – someone who would become
famous a few years later, for very different reasons.

The boy’s name is Omar Khadr. He was born in Toronto, Canada. But, the family had moved to
Pakistan just before this meeting. Omar’s father was arrested and being held in jail for organizing
a car-bombing. His wife, Omar’s mother, brought her children to the meeting to plead with Jean
Chretien for help. It was in the waiting room of Chretien’s hotel that Craig Kielburger met 9-year-
old Omar Khadr.

Craig was nervous, but meeting Omar made him feel better.

“Omar and I smiled at each other.” says Craig. “It was comforting sitting with a kid so close to my
own age. We exchanged a few words and I learned we were both from nearby neighborhoods in
Toronto. I breathed a bit easier as we talked about our hometown. “

But, Craig didn’t know that Omar was the son of a terrorist.

Omar’s father was involved in a terrorist organization called Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda has been
responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, and is headed by Osama Bin Laden. He is
said to be the mastermind behind the attacks on September 11, 2001.

Craig and Omar didn’t know it, but just one year later, Omar’s father would enrol him in weapons
training. When he was 15, he would be arrested in Afghanistan for killing an American soldier in
battle. Today, he is the youngest prisoner in the United States’ prison, Guantanamo Bay.

But, at the time, Omar was just a nine-year-old boy who comforted Craig as they waited for a
meeting with the Prime Minister.

Craig never saw the Khadr family again. However, since 2002, Omar’s face has been on
Canadian and American newspapers every day because he is being charged with war crimes.

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Craig often thinks about the young boy he met in Pakistan. He wonders if Omar could have had a
brighter future if he wasn’t born into the wrong surroundings.

They weren’t so different. Craig used to eat breakfast while reading the comics section of the
Toronto Star. Omar liked comics too, and was known for his imitation of Captain Haddock, a
character in the comic Tintin.

There were also some big differences. Craig’s parents were teachers who taught him love and
compassion. Omar’s parents raised him in a world of fear and conflict.

Omar Khadr is now 24-years-old. He has been living in the Guantanamo Bay prison for eight
years now, and is on trial for war crimes.

There is no question that to kill a person, in battle or not, is a horrible thing to do. But, there are
lots of questions in Omar’s case. Is he a child soldier? Did he ever really have the chance to learn
a world other than war and hatred? Was it really his choice to go into battle?

Most importantly, whose crime is he really on trial for?

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Global Voices Elementary Educator Resources

Note to Educators:
The following activities are designed to stimulate a current events discussion. Generative in nature,
these questions can be a launching point for additional assignments or research projects.
Teachers are encouraged to adapt these activities to meet the contextual needs of their classroom.

In some cases, reading the article with students may be appropriate, coupled with reviewing the
information sheet to further explore the concepts and contexts being discussed. From here,
teachers can select from the questions provided below. Activities are structured to introduce
students to the issues, then allow them to explore and apply their learnings. Extension and
conclusion activities are included to challenge students and finally, encourage them to reflect on the
issues at hand.

Since these activities are designed as discussions rather than formal lessons, assessment
strategies are not included.

Themes and Course Connections

 Terrorism, extremism, influence, anger, point of view, child soldiers, human rights and
children’s rights
 Course connections: Social Studies and Language

Materials
 Newspapers
 Computers and internet
 Paper
 Markers
 Chart paper

Specific Expectations and Learning Goals

Students will:
 Learn about current events.
 Participate in active class discussions.
 Address terrorism and why it happens.
 Learn about alternative avenues instead of resorting to terrorist behaviour.
 Discuss human rights and children’s rights.
 Learn about child soldiers.

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Current Events in Pictures (estimated time: 30 minutes)
a. Search the internet and newspapers for photos of current events involving
people. Hang these photos around the classroom.
b. Allow students an opportunity to walk around the room and view the different
pictures.
c. After they have viewed the pictures once, have them go through again and write
down their thoughts about how the photos make them feel, posting them around
the pictures.
d. Ask students to go around the room one more time and read the notes.
e. Bring the class back together and ask the following questions:
i. What were these pictures of?

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 ii.What do you know about these events?
iii.Why do you think it’s important to know what’s going on in the world?
iv. Do any of these events affect you?
v. What words did you see written by your classmates on the pictures?
Were some feelings that you read different from the ones you felt?
Discuss.
vi. Was there anything that shocked you in these pictures?

2. Point of View: Reflection (estimated time: 10 minutes)

a. Building off of the previous activity, ask each student to choose one picture from
around the room that they feel is important.
b. Ask students to write a reflection about one person in the picture. They must
outline:
i. Where was this picture taken?
ii. What is the individual’s point of view?
iii. What action are they carrying out? Why?
iv. Do you agree with what they are doing?
c. Explain to students that an individual’s point of view is influenced by many things
and that this point of view causes people to act in certain ways. In the lesson
today they will be exposed to the point of view of a man named Ahmed Said
Khadr who has been labeled a terrorist and is linked to such things as the
th
September 11 attacks and Osama bin Laden.

Thinking
1. Ask students to brainstorm some examples of terrorism individually on a sheet of paper.
2. “Wondering” (estimated time: 10 minutes)
a. To embark on the topic of terrorism, conduct a class “wondering” session.
b. Without providing students with any information, encourage them to freely voice
anything they are “wondering” about terrorism.
c. Ask the students to voice their “wonderings” and record them on chart paper in a
continuous paragraph formation. (For example: “I wonder why people become
terrorists? I wonder why terrorism happens? I wonder why people are so angry?”
etc).
d. Once this is complete, display the wonderings somewhere in the room and
explain to students that soon they will have all of the answers to these questions.

3. Read the Global Voices Column as a class (estimated time: 10 minutes)

a. Discussion
i. Ask the class to work together to retell the events of the column in their
own words.
ii. Ask students to explain how they felt while the column was being read.
Did they feel sad? Why? Did they feel angry? Did they feel hopeful?
Why?

4. An Angry Message (estimated time: 10 minutes)

a. Explain to the students that Ahmed Said Khadr is very angry about what he feels
are injustices against his people, and this has led to his extremist behaviour.
b. Ask the class:
i. When you are angry, how do you act? Do you always make the right
decisions?
ii. What is the best way to deal with anger? How should you act?
iii. Similar to Ahmed Said Khadr, if you were mad about the way your
people were being treated, what could you do instead of resorting to
terrorist behaviour? (i.e. hold a peaceful protest, write a proposal to the
prime minister, create a public petition, etc.).

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Communication
1. Influence (estimated time: 10 minutes)
a. Write the word “influence” on the board and ask students if they can define this
word?
b. Explain to students that influence is the effect that a person or thing has on
another and that influences can be positive or negative.
c. Ask students who or what influences them and the decisions they make? (i.e.
parents, media, culture, religion, siblings, peers etc). List answers on the board.
d. Ask:
i. How has Omar Khadr been influenced by his father?
ii. How has his life been affected by this influence?
iii. Think back to the young boy that Craig met in Islamabad, do you think at
that time he would have made all the choices he made later in life? Why
or why not?
iv. If Jean Chretien had cast a different decision that day and if the charges
against Omar’s father hadn’t been dropped, do you think Omar’s life
would have played out differently?

2. Child Soldiers (estimated time: 30 minutes)

a. Omar Khadr was pushed into weapons training at the age of 10. Dive into the
subject of child soldiers by beginning with a discussion on human rights. Ask
your students:
i. What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
(Teacher Note: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created
in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. This document lists the
essential rights for all human beings and sets the standard for how we
should behave towards one another so that everyone’s dignity is
respected.)
ii. Why was this document created?
iii. Can the rights in this document be applied to both adults and children? Is
this fair? What are the differences between an adult and a child?
b. Explain that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
was written in 1989, after world leaders decided that childhood was unique and
something that needed to be protected. Therefore, children under the age of 18
needed a special convention of their own. Ask:
i. Why do children need rights of their own?
ii. Why is it important that adults respect these rights?
iii. What rights do you think are included in this convention?
c. Move the discussion onto the topic of child soldiers, using the following
suggested questions:
i. What is a child soldier?
(Teacher Note: A child soldier is anyone under the age of 18 who is part
of any kind of armed force in any capacity. This includes: cooks, porters,
messengers, children recruited for sexual purposes, and combat
soldiers.)
ii. Do children choose this path?
iii. What are the moral issues of using children in armed conflict?
iv. What are the reasons for using children in armed conflict?
v. How does society suffer when children are used in armed conflict?
vi. How does involvement in armed conflict affect children’s future?
vii. What is the role of international documents and protocols in this
situation? What do they say about the use of children in armed conflict?

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Application
1. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (estimated time: 20
minutes)
a. Ask each student in the class to select one of the articles in the UNCRC. Explain
that they should choose an article that speaks to them and sparks their interest.
b. Once students have selected their article, distribute paper and drawing utensils
throughout the room.
c. Ask the students to draw a picture that displays their interpretation of the
meaning of the article.

Additional Resources

In addition to the above lesson plans, you may want to share some additional resources with your
students. Listed below are some links to useful online resources:

The United Nations - http://www.un.org/

UN Action to Counter Terrorism - http://www.un.org/terrorism/