Abdulkareem Khadr
Encyclopedia
Abdulkareem Khadr is the youngest son in the Egyptian
Canadian
Khadr family
. In 2003, he was with his father Ahmed Khadr during a shoot-out with Pakistani security forces. As a result, his father was killed and Abdulkareem was left paralyzed. He returned to Canada the following year, and currently resides in Toronto
, Canada
with his mother Maha el-Samnah.
guerilla fighter and financier Ibn Al-Khattab
gave Abdulkareem a rabbit of his own, which was promptly named Khattab.
_and_abdulkareem_(in_bib).png)
Around 1999, while staying with the family of Ayman al-Zawahiri
in Kandahar
, the ten-year old Abdulkareem begged the al-Qaeda
leader to let him hold his gun after he returned home one night. al-Zawahiri relented, and let him inspect the weapon.
In 2002, he accompanied his older sister Zaynab to Lahore
where her two-year old daughter needed medical attention. The siblings were later joined by Abdullah, since he required nose surgery.
On October 2 2003, Pakistani AH-1 Cobra
gunships and security forces attacked the house in the Pakistani region of South Waziristan
where Abdulkareem, just 14 at the time, was staying with his father and seven others including Hamza al-Jowfi, al-Iraqi, Khalid Habib
and Qari Ismail
. Pakistani authorities have stated that Abdulkareem was among the combatants. He was paralysed after a bullet damaged his spinal cord
, while another lodged in his arm. The 17-year old Khalid Murjan Salim was arrested at the scene, the son of alleged militant Murjan Salim. Shortly thereafter, he was extradited to Egypt
.
He was taken to a military hospital
in Rawalpindi
and placed under surveillance as he recuperated. He was shown photographs of the corpses found among the ruins of the house, but reports differed on whether he identified any as his father.
In January 2004, Pakistani authorities stated that Abdulkareem had expressed his desire to go home to Canada, and stated that they had no objections to the move.
Canadian officials stated in February 2004 that they would not help offset the medical costs for Abdulkareem to travel home, which was estimated at $30,000, although they would grant him a passport. After entering the country on April 9, 2004, it was suggested that he may not be eligible for OHIP medical coverage, having lived outside of Canada for so long. At the airport, upon his return, he made headlines by flashing a peace sign to gathered reporters. Three months after returning to Canada he was legally eligible for care.
Dr. Marty McKay, a private doctor who had never met the family, registered a three-page complaint a week later with the Children's Aid Society
, alleging child abuse
and possible brainwashing of Abdulkareem based on what she'd read in the media.
In 2010, Abdulkareem Khadr, now 21 was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation, Toronto police spokesman said. The alleged female victim was a minor at the time of the alleged event, but is now 18 years of age. On June 4, 2010 Abdulkareem Ahmed Khadr was arrested by the Canadian police. Later released, he is summoned to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on July 15, 2010 to answer the charges. He denies all responsibility on the affair.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Khadr family
Khadr family
The Khadr family is a Canadian family noted for their ties to Osama bin Laden and alleged connections to al Qaeda. The family maintains that they have not broken any Canadian laws, and they have never been charged with any crimes by Canadian authorities.The Khadr family comprises:*The father,...
. In 2003, he was with his father Ahmed Khadr during a shoot-out with Pakistani security forces. As a result, his father was killed and Abdulkareem was left paralyzed. He returned to Canada the following year, and currently resides in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with his mother Maha el-Samnah.
Early life
He left for Tajikstan in 1994. Before leaving, the Saudi MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
guerilla fighter and financier Ibn Al-Khattab
Ibn al-Khattab
Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem , more commonly known as Emir Khattab meaning Commander Khattab, or Leader Khattab, and also known as Habib Abdul Rahman, was a Muslim guerilla fighter and financier working with Chechen Mujahideen in the First Chechen War...
gave Abdulkareem a rabbit of his own, which was promptly named Khattab.
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian and current leader of al-Qaeda. He was previously the second and last "emir" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zumar to life...
in Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, the ten-year old Abdulkareem begged the al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
leader to let him hold his gun after he returned home one night. al-Zawahiri relented, and let him inspect the weapon.
In 2002, he accompanied his older sister Zaynab to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
where her two-year old daughter needed medical attention. The siblings were later joined by Abdullah, since he required nose surgery.
Firefight
AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...
gunships and security forces attacked the house in the Pakistani region of South Waziristan
South Waziristan
South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . Waziristan comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south, forming...
where Abdulkareem, just 14 at the time, was staying with his father and seven others including Hamza al-Jowfi, al-Iraqi, Khalid Habib
Khalid Habib
Khalid Habib was an ascending member of al-Qaeda's central structure in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His nationality has been reported as Egyptian and as Moroccan ....
and Qari Ismail
Qari Ismail
Qari Ismail, a Taliban commander, was credited with downing an American Special Forces helicopter responding to Operation Red Wing in June 2005, killing all 16 soldiers aboard....
. Pakistani authorities have stated that Abdulkareem was among the combatants. He was paralysed after a bullet damaged his spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
, while another lodged in his arm. The 17-year old Khalid Murjan Salim was arrested at the scene, the son of alleged militant Murjan Salim. Shortly thereafter, he was extradited to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
He was taken to a military hospital
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
and placed under surveillance as he recuperated. He was shown photographs of the corpses found among the ruins of the house, but reports differed on whether he identified any as his father.
In Canada
Canadian officials stated in February 2004 that they would not help offset the medical costs for Abdulkareem to travel home, which was estimated at $30,000, although they would grant him a passport. After entering the country on April 9, 2004, it was suggested that he may not be eligible for OHIP medical coverage, having lived outside of Canada for so long. At the airport, upon his return, he made headlines by flashing a peace sign to gathered reporters. Three months after returning to Canada he was legally eligible for care.
Dr. Marty McKay, a private doctor who had never met the family, registered a three-page complaint a week later with the Children's Aid Society
Children's Aid Society
__notoc__The Children’s Aid Society is a private charitable organization based in New York City. It serves 150,000 children per year, providing foster care, medical and mental health services, and a wide range of educational, recreational and advocacy services through dozens of community centers,...
, alleging child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and possible brainwashing of Abdulkareem based on what she'd read in the media.
In 2010, Abdulkareem Khadr, now 21 was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation, Toronto police spokesman said. The alleged female victim was a minor at the time of the alleged event, but is now 18 years of age. On June 4, 2010 Abdulkareem Ahmed Khadr was arrested by the Canadian police. Later released, he is summoned to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on July 15, 2010 to answer the charges. He denies all responsibility on the affair.