Tarek Loubani's and John Greyson's freedom is our freedom: an OM editorial

Two Canadians, Dr. Tarek Loubani and Professor John Greyson, were arrested on August 16th in Cairo, Egypt. They remain in prison, without formal charges. They are 9 days into a hunger strike, hoping to gain attention to their plight. Despite international attention, little is known about the details surrounding their incarceration, or plans for their release.   Both were en route to the Gaza Strip where Loubani, an emergency physician from London, Ontario, leads a project training health workers at Al-Shifa Hospital, the country's largest. Greyson, an award-winning filmmaker and professor at York University in Toronto, accompanied him, hoping to capture the project on film. Loubani and Greyson chose to travel to the Gaza Strip through Egypt and were delayed due to the tragic violence in Cairo. Lost in the city, they sought help at a police station on August 16th, where they were arrested.   It is with great sadness that Canadian humanitarian workers note another injustice delivered to members of our global community. While the circumstances surrounding the incident have yet to be clarified, a familiar truth emerges: the world is becoming more hostile to those of us who have made it our business to travel where we are most needed.   It was not always this way. Medical humanitarianism was borne from the recognition that even during war, there should be equality when caring for the sick or injured, and in that disinterested duty, under the flag of a red cross, there should be...
Source: Open Medicine Blog - - Category: Medical Publishers Authors: Source Type: blogs