Omar Khadr contemplative, humorous, good soccer player, says prof
Khadr's tutor, David Goa, rejects federal government's terrorist label
A University of Alberta professor, one of a group who tutored Omar Khadr over the last few years, rejects the federal government's continuing characterization of him as a terrorist.
"Our government, it seems very clear to me, decided a long time ago that Omar Khadr would become the poster boy for terrorism — a 13 year old boy," religious studies professor David Goa told Edmonton AM host Mark Connolly Friday.
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"That is an absurd thing to do with anybody. He was caught up in this circumstance because of decisions made by his father.
"The fact that he has come through that and is a whole human being is one of the things our government can see a little bit."
Khadr was accused of throwing a grenade that killed U.S. soldier Christopher Speer in Afghanistan when he was 15 years old.
As a teen, he confessed to a military tribunal and was convicted and spent 10 years at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba before being transferred to Canada.
Khadr is now free on bail while he appeals his convictions in the United States for war crimes, after Alberta Court of Appeal Justice Myra Bielby shot down a bid by the Harper government to have him remain behind bars.
Goa describes Khadr as remarkably bright with a subtle mind, a man who "engages in ideas with vigour."
Goa said he would rank Khadr among the top five per cent of students he's taught over the last 20 years.
"Given the fact that he has had no formal education since he was 13 years old, he is deeply eager," he said. "He is so curious — to know and to understand."
Goa said Khadr's relationship to others, even in prison, indicates he will succeed as a free person.
"He is completely centred a deeply contemplative spirit, quite humorous and a very good soccer player.
"I have every confidence in him."