The letter from the Canadian department of External affairs Karole du Pont  addressing her inquiry about Mr. Bruce Balfour's detention in Lebanon

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
August 13, 2003
To: Karole du Pont (E-mail: karole.dupont@sympatico.ca)
Dear Ms. du Pont:
Thank you for your message of August 7, 2003, concerning the case of Mr. Bruce Balfour, who was detained by Lebanese authorities upon his arrival in Beirut in early July. Canadian officials were first informed of his detention on July 21. Officials at the Canadian Embassy in Beirut are providing assistance to Mr. Balfour. Officials have met with him on several occasions, and other visits will be take place every few days. Mr. Balfour is in good health and is being well treated.
Lebanese authorities have informed us that Mr. Balfour was detained under a section of the Lebanese criminal code that makes it an offense to 'collaborate with the enemy.' In this instance, the criminal code refers to Israel, which is still in a state of war with Lebanon. The charges against Mr. Balfour were made in early April. Mr. Balfour was aware of possible trouble prior to his return to Lebanon in early July. Mr. Balfour has retained a lawyer, and it is expected that the charges will be adjudicated later this month. It is our understanding that the penalty, if Mr. Balfour is convicted, will be a short prison term and/or deportation.
Mr. Balfour has asked that family and friends not travel to Lebanon at this time to provide support and assistance. Officials from this Department are in touch with Mr. Balfour's family and employer and are providing appropriate assistance. Every effort is being made to ensure that Mr. Balfour is released and returned to Canada as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
H. G. Pardy
Director General
Consular Affairs Bureau
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Dear Mr. Bejjani:
Is crime by ethnic association an equivalency to collaborating with the ennemy in Lebanon?
Dear Mr. Bejjani:
I mean Canadians are more in the counterspying than the spying business... and as peacekeepers we have always been in the observation position . This is a strong part of our culture...whoever the belligerants are... we are in the observation position... it has no bearing on their political affiliation... Well Trudeau was best friends with Castro so much that Castro came for his funeral......... I mean humans are more important to us than political colors and I am sure the Syrians and the Lebanese will agree on this... and I am also sure they can see for themselves that Celine Dion is a big star all over Canada...(exemple of non-ethnic isolation)S o what about all the different artists of Lebanon from all the different communities...

Here Mr. Balfour must be defended in his culture... In Fall 2002, I attended a conference in Montreal given by a Saudi university teacher from a Saudi university(King Saud University)... Professor Saleh A. Al-Mani... the conference was on tolerance in Islam... The professor was reporting the surats that could deal with tolerance and on the concept of tolerance in Islam... it said that the Jews and the Christians should be judged accordingly by their BOOK... in case of judicial disagreement .Our book in Canada here is a high culture of justice and peace... a biblical application ...there is no way it can be denied scientifically...If one tries, one will be like the cat running after its tail .
I mean in Canada we have talked Laws of crime by association relating to organized crime for instance the bikers... but not crime by ethnic association or religious association... Actually, one of our doctors has been celebrated in Communist China... Dr. Norman Bethune ...and we were never ashamed of his participation to China's history because we were the US neighbours...Crime by ethnic association has never existed in Canada...we stronly did intermarry since the beginning of the French colony and it continued under the British...
Karole du Pont