Peter Edwards
Friday, November 04, 2011
Abdinasir Jama Warsame
A Somali-born Torontonian has been detained in Egypt since Sunday, without access to a lawyer or Canadian government officials, the Canadian Somali Congress says.
Ahmed Hussen, president of the Canadian Somali Congress, said members of his community are worried about the fate of Abdinasir Jama Warsame, 53, who was arrested on Sunday at the Cairo airport.
“His relatives are concerned,” Hussen said on Thursday. “They’re the ones that came to me. He hasn’t had any consular contact.”
Details are sketchy on why Egyptian police detained Warsame after he stepped off a flight to Cairo.
He splits his time between Toronto and Egypt, where he has family, Hussen said.
Warsame is studying for his PhD in botany, and had taken some classes at the University of Toronto, Hussen said.
Warsame’s family members have been told they’ll be contacted by the department of foreign affairs, but so far they’ve heard nothing to reassure them, Hussen said.
“We don’t have too many details,” Hussen said.
Warsame’s friend, Abdul Rehman Hassan, 51, of Toronto said that the detained man preaches non-violence at the local mosque they both attend.
“His main focus is to help the youth, getting them to understand that the best way is the non-violent way,” Hassan said.
“He’s very passive,” Hassan said. “He’s the type of guy that you least expect to be held in a situation for security problems.”
Hassan said he was detained for 13 hours two months ago when he attempted to enter Cairo.
Hassan, a Canadian citizen and computer expert, said he wasn’t allowed access to Canadian consul officers before he was put back on a Toronto-bound flight, with a police escort.
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