In a Dec. 21, 2001 letter, Oberlander Treated Fairly, Len Rudner, director of community relations for the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region thought Helmut Oberlander was treated fairly.

Would Rudner also maintain that David Milgaard or Steven Truscott, to name just two recent news stories, were treated fairly by our justice system?

And they even enjoyed the presumed safeguards of a criminal trial.

When the government started to use the immigration act to prosecute alleged war criminals, it claimed it would not misuse this procedure -- only true war criminals would have to fear it.

Justice Andrew McKay said there was no evidence that Oberlander was a war criminal. He ignored sworn eye-witness testimony regarding the procedures used at Oberlander's immigration hearing to find that Oberlander lied to obtain his visa.

Based on this wrong finding, the cabinet revoked Oberlander's citizenship. Did any of them actually read his report?

The Canadian Jewish Congress says that Oberlander should be treated like war criminals because they were "enablers" who indirectly helped in the killing of Jews.

Just where does this leave the members of the Jewish councils who, on behalf of the Gestapo, selected and organized the deportation of Jews to concentration camps?

Our government should not take any more action against Oberlander until after a judicial review of his case.

Peter Bufe
Kitchener