Canada – Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is poised to slash federal funding to Canada’s largest Arabic group after its president called him a “professional w….” for supporting Israel.
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In an exclusive interview with Sun Media from London, England, where he is to speak today at an international conference on anti-Semitism, Kenney said groups are free within legal bounds to say what they like. But groups whose leaders say intolerant or hateful things shouldn’t get taxpayer funding.
“We should not be rewarding those who express views that are contrary to Canada’s best liberal values of tolerance and mutual respect.”
One of those groups, said Kenney, is the Canadian Arab Federation whose president Khaled Mouammar called him a “professional w……” after Kenney criticized the presence of Hezbollah and Hamas flags at anti-Israel rallies in Toronto.
Kenney said the same group criticized Liberal MP Bob Rae because of his wife’s involvement in Canada’s Jewish community.
The federation received a $447,297 contribution from Kenney’s department to operate a settlement program in Toronto for two years, teaching new immigrants language and job searching skills.
Kenney said he has already asked department officials to weigh comments made by groups when evaluating funding applications, and the comments made by the Arab Federation president will affect its contribution when the current one expires in March 2010.
Mouammar, however, says that Kenney’s decision will hurt newcomers to Canada, not just Arabs. Arabs make up only 5% of those who receive his group’s settlement services, which Mouammar said were among the best in the Toronto area. Mouammar said Kenney’s decision is “vindictive” and accused him of promoting Islamophobia internationally.
“This government is anti-Arab and anti-Muslim,” he said, adding the federal government has refused to meet with the Canadian Arab Federation or the Canadian Islamic Congress since Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to power.
In the interview and in his speech, Kenney was also critical of the Canadian Islamic Congress, saying its former president Mohamed Elmasry once tried to “legitimize the killing of all Israeli adults.”
Wahida Valiante, who succeed Elmasry as president of the CIC — which doesn’t get government funding — said Kenney misrepresented Elmasry’s comments on the world stage.
Kenney’s comments come as he is attending the meeting of the International Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism. Kenney said the theme emerging from the meeting is the new and growing anti-Semitism around the world in the form of anti-Zionism.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is to be congratulated for his excellent response to Islamic hate speakers. If the entire Western Europe Governments spoke directly to their Islamic militants there would be a possibility of a change through force of financial sanctions. Hitting militants in the pocket may be the only answer. They couldn’t care less about being told they need to liberalize. They spit in the face of tolerance.
Kenny is great, allways was!!!
All goverments like France and England that were not muslim haters are now haveing it very hard to fight terrorisim, being that the own native muslims become jihad, from within! Who needs them let them live in these countreis that they came from if it was so good overthere. Why bother us? obviusly i dont mean all of them but its hard to divide.
I know Jason Kenney personally. He is not doing this for politics (he doesn’t have any yidden in his riding), he really has his heart in the right place. A Real Friend of Yidden.
What should a government minister care what flags are used at protests that may offend certain elements? There is freedom of speech, and Mr. Kenny is a member of the government of Canada, not the government of Israel!
a. The gov of Canada should be commended for being the lone voice of morality on the international scene. Under PM Harper, they time and again have stood up for what is right.
b. in response to #2 : Hizballah and Hamas are terror organizations, and recognized as such by Canadian law. Do you now understand why it is a problem if people wave their flags on a Toronto street??
If you really think about it,it is good that anti-Israel demonstrators carry Hamas and Hizbullah flags. It exposes these people for who they are — Hitler’s heirs.
whats a professional W_____?
To #9 . Who can understand such laws? What do Hizbullah and Hamas have to do with Canada other than pressure from lobby groups in Toronto and Montreal? Are they a threat to Canada like the Front Pour La Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) of the 1970s? Are they native groups threatening the government? This is totally ridiculous. It would be like Uruguay making a decision to consider the Basque separatists as a terrorist group! Or Iceland passing a law against the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka. Or Singapore passing a law against the Shining Path Guerrillas of Peru. Or in the old days, for Mongolia to pass a law against the IRA. It’s totally ridiculous, but patently obvious why it happened. If anyone hasn’t noticed, the Conservative Party in Canada cannot get a majority government, and would desperately need formerly Liberal ridings in Ontario to stick with them!! Pay attention Raboysay!!!
The legal grounds are not discussed here. Is it legal to fly terrorist flags? If so, the group cannot be discriminated against. If it’s illegal, the group should be punished accoringly. Why should the Political views of the group be a basis for funding decision?
Open letter to the Prime Minister to Stop his cabinet minister of Hate against Canadians
Re: The Conservative Party’s unfulfilled commitments to provide the proper mandate to administer the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons ( The Code) and the Conflict of Interest Act ( The Act).
We are writing to you as the largest non government organization (NGO) – not for profit corporation Lobbying, Journalism, Advocacy and Immigration Practitioners organization who share the Conservative Party’s stated belief in the ideals of transparent government, an informed electorate, and enhanced government accountability for all Canadians.
As we are concerned that your government’s cabinet minister the Hon. Minister Jason Kenney’s latest actions since he assumed power on October 30, 2008 for the position was appointed Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism have not matched the commitments you made as leader of the Conservative Party during the 2006 election campaign – specifically, your commitment to open up the inner workings of government to scrutiny by reforming Canada’s Accountability Act.
Due to many speeches, Statements, and visits he made or attended on behalf of the Government, Now there could be no better time to ask why the Accountability Act does not apply to your Cabinet Minister’s actions and certainly so far this Act was not fulfilled during your first term of office, and whether or not your party intends to fulfill by having full and open transparency to allow all kind of investigations to all types of actions made by any Minister of your Cabinet.
The Conservative Party’s original intent was to include many reforms in the Accountability Act, and one of them was in particular given the mandate is to administer the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons ( The Code) and the Conflict of Interest Act ( The Act) .
Your government was elected on a platform of accountability and transparency.
We, along with many other Canadians concerned about openness and accountability in government, have been disappointed that to date your Cabinet Minister, the Hon. Jason Kenney have not followed through on his campaign promise to speak on behalf of all cultures, all Canadians, and respect all Canadians without Conflict of interest between his private interest and his public duties
Can you let us know before the end of this month what you intend to do in this regard, and specifically whether or not you will agree to fulfill your 2006 campaign promises on implementing the Accountability Act to all Canadians without exemptions to your Cabinet Ministers.
We believe this is an important issue, and we plan to share your response with the Canadian public to bring the Accountability Act to all.
G-d Bless the Canadian government of Stephen Harper.
He is the ONLY world leader to stand up to the threat of imported Islamic extremism.
Like the US, there are many Jews like Mr. nut job CSIP who’s political affiliation is more important than their nation, than their security, and than the wellbeing of Jewish people everywhere.
I have one thing to say to Kenney and to the Harper Government of Canada:
G-d bless you and Keep you.
May G-d shine His countenance upon you and grace you.
May G-d countenance forever be turned toward you and may you be granted peace and success.
A grateful Canadian Citizien.
G-d protect Mr. Stephen Harper. Don’t forget he’s dealing with some dangerous gangsters.
Their egos are huge and their holiness is small.
For the Arabs to hate their relatives, the Jews, is full proof of
their dishonesty and vanity. The Jews practice Monotheism with
great accent on modesty in dress; something the Muslims are known for.
Supposedly Islam preaches Monotheism which means belief in one
G-d. For Moslems to hate Jews and Judaism clearly shows the falseness
and vanity of these (So-called) ‘people of peace’.