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Concern mounts after professor on McGill's student discipline committee calls for military support to Hamas
The university professor posted the remarks on X to his more than 14,000 followers, drawing hundreds of likes and sparking backlash.
Author of the article:Montreal Gazette
Montreal Gazette
Harry North
Published Aug 27, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
William Clare Roberts, an associate professor of political science and vice-chair of McGill University's Committee on Student Discipline, published these remarks last weekend.
William Clare Roberts, an associate professor of political science and vice-chair of McGill University's Committee on Student Discipline, published these remarks last weekend. William Clare Roberts/Twitter
A McGill University professor who helps oversee student discipline is facing criticism after publicly calling for “full economic and military support” for Hamas and Hezbollah, two groups listed as terrorist organizations under Canadian law.
William Clare Roberts, an associate professor of political science and vice-chair of McGill’s Committee on Student Discipline, wrote last weekend on X: “I used to think BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) was a good idea. I’ve come around, though: nothing short of ‘full economic and military support for Hamas and Hezbollah’ is appropriate.”
Hamas, which governs Gaza, and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, are armed groups long engaged in tensions with Israel. Canada designates both groups as terrorist organizations, making participation in or contributions to any of their activities illegal.
The professor posted the remarks on X to his more than 14,000 followers, drawing hundreds of likes and sparking backlash. Roberts later set his account to private, saying he was inundated with “obnoxious and very boring interactions.”
In an email Tuesday night to The Gazette, Roberts defended his post, arguing that Western governments were failing to stop Israel’s “genocidal assault” on Gaza.
“I think we need to go much further,” he wrote. “We — and I mean all democratic nations — need to begin supplying, supporting and even arming the Palestinian and Lebanese forces that can resist Israel. There should be a no-fly zone over Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.”
Roberts acknowledged Hamas and Hezbollah are designated terrorist entities.
“Of course I’m aware of that — it is the policy I would like the Canadian government to change,” he said.
McGill University has not responded to The Gazette’s request for comment, while Roberts said the institution has not contacted him.
“There won’t be any action against me — my political opinions are none of my employer’s business,” he said.
It comes as the Israel–Hamas war grinds on. Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s response has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-linked health authorities. The world’s leading food authority, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, now reports that more than half-a-million people across Gaza are facing “catastrophic” conditions marked by “starvation, destitution and death.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that assessment as an “outright lie.”
In Montreal, universities like McGill have been focal points for demonstrations spurred by the war. While many protests have been peaceful, some have led to class disruptions and vandalism. As a result, several McGill students have faced discipline for protest activity tied to the conflict.
Anthony Housefather, a Liberal MP in Montreal, called Roberts’s comments “irresponsible and unbecoming of a professor at a university, to say the very least.”
Roberts’s position as vice-chair of the Committee on Student Discipline is also a concern for Housefather. The body hears cases of alleged misconduct and can impose sanctions, including suspension or exclusion.
Housefather told The Gazette: “I think that these comments would lead a reasonable person to conclude that he would not be the right person to have such a role. I certainly hope that McGill will shortly announce he is not going to be occupying that role, at least during the course of their investigation.”
Housefather said he has raised the issue with McGill administrators, the Public Safety Ministry and the RCMP.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said it has filed a formal complaint and sent a joint letter with the Federation CJA to McGill president Deep Saini.
“To see a professor publicly endorse support for Hamas and Hezbollah, which are officially categorized as terror groups in Canada, is profoundly troubling,” said Eta Yudin, CIJA’s vice-president for Quebec.
She described Roberts’s comments as especially alarming “in the context of the last two years, where the campus environment has been toxic and filled with incidents of hate, incitement, antisemitism, intimidation and even students being barred from classes.”
Roberts is the author of Marx’s Inferno: The Political Theory of Capital, which won the 2017 Deutscher Memorial Prize. His teaching and research focus on Marxism, political philosophy and the history of social and economic thought.
torontosun.com
The university professor posted the remarks on X to his more than 14,000 followers, drawing hundreds of likes and sparking backlash.
Author of the article:Montreal Gazette
Montreal Gazette
Harry North
Published Aug 27, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
William Clare Roberts, an associate professor of political science and vice-chair of McGill University's Committee on Student Discipline, published these remarks last weekend.
William Clare Roberts, an associate professor of political science and vice-chair of McGill University's Committee on Student Discipline, published these remarks last weekend. William Clare Roberts/Twitter
A McGill University professor who helps oversee student discipline is facing criticism after publicly calling for “full economic and military support” for Hamas and Hezbollah, two groups listed as terrorist organizations under Canadian law.
William Clare Roberts, an associate professor of political science and vice-chair of McGill’s Committee on Student Discipline, wrote last weekend on X: “I used to think BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) was a good idea. I’ve come around, though: nothing short of ‘full economic and military support for Hamas and Hezbollah’ is appropriate.”
Hamas, which governs Gaza, and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, are armed groups long engaged in tensions with Israel. Canada designates both groups as terrorist organizations, making participation in or contributions to any of their activities illegal.
The professor posted the remarks on X to his more than 14,000 followers, drawing hundreds of likes and sparking backlash. Roberts later set his account to private, saying he was inundated with “obnoxious and very boring interactions.”
In an email Tuesday night to The Gazette, Roberts defended his post, arguing that Western governments were failing to stop Israel’s “genocidal assault” on Gaza.
“I think we need to go much further,” he wrote. “We — and I mean all democratic nations — need to begin supplying, supporting and even arming the Palestinian and Lebanese forces that can resist Israel. There should be a no-fly zone over Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.”
Roberts acknowledged Hamas and Hezbollah are designated terrorist entities.
“Of course I’m aware of that — it is the policy I would like the Canadian government to change,” he said.
McGill University has not responded to The Gazette’s request for comment, while Roberts said the institution has not contacted him.
“There won’t be any action against me — my political opinions are none of my employer’s business,” he said.
It comes as the Israel–Hamas war grinds on. Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s response has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-linked health authorities. The world’s leading food authority, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, now reports that more than half-a-million people across Gaza are facing “catastrophic” conditions marked by “starvation, destitution and death.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that assessment as an “outright lie.”
In Montreal, universities like McGill have been focal points for demonstrations spurred by the war. While many protests have been peaceful, some have led to class disruptions and vandalism. As a result, several McGill students have faced discipline for protest activity tied to the conflict.
Anthony Housefather, a Liberal MP in Montreal, called Roberts’s comments “irresponsible and unbecoming of a professor at a university, to say the very least.”
Roberts’s position as vice-chair of the Committee on Student Discipline is also a concern for Housefather. The body hears cases of alleged misconduct and can impose sanctions, including suspension or exclusion.
Housefather told The Gazette: “I think that these comments would lead a reasonable person to conclude that he would not be the right person to have such a role. I certainly hope that McGill will shortly announce he is not going to be occupying that role, at least during the course of their investigation.”
Housefather said he has raised the issue with McGill administrators, the Public Safety Ministry and the RCMP.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said it has filed a formal complaint and sent a joint letter with the Federation CJA to McGill president Deep Saini.
“To see a professor publicly endorse support for Hamas and Hezbollah, which are officially categorized as terror groups in Canada, is profoundly troubling,” said Eta Yudin, CIJA’s vice-president for Quebec.
She described Roberts’s comments as especially alarming “in the context of the last two years, where the campus environment has been toxic and filled with incidents of hate, incitement, antisemitism, intimidation and even students being barred from classes.”
Roberts is the author of Marx’s Inferno: The Political Theory of Capital, which won the 2017 Deutscher Memorial Prize. His teaching and research focus on Marxism, political philosophy and the history of social and economic thought.
Concern mounts after professor on McGill's student discipline committee calls for military support to Hamas
Concern mounts after professor on McGill’s student discipline committee calls for military support to Hamas
Last edited:
With Weiss's body recovered, Israel says 49 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom only 20 are believed to be alive.
apple.news
Israel recovers body of hostage Ilan Weiss from Gaza, PM's office says — Reuters
Israel has recovered the body of hostage Ilan Weiss from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday.
Still and all, the "Western democracies," including Israel, are the only countries I ever heard of prosecuting their own soldiers for war crimes.
All of them? No. But I served, and I was briefed and trained on war crimes and combatant-vs-noncombatant. I'm not sure that module made it into Ham-ass training.
Who is occupying & who is doing ethnic cleansing if it isn't Hamas? Cuz it's certainly not Israel - well until they went into Gaza City. Israel hasn't "occupied" Gaza since 2005 but to their chagrin because it was SUPPOSED to stop the actions of Hamas. Israel has learned its lesson: HAMAS LIES!! So does the media about Hamas using Hamas' information to spew garbage. They are winning the propaganda war & everyone (including you) are falling for the B.S. It's disgusting! The reason why the media aren't actually investigating said propaganda is that they'll find they've been used like the fools they are & NOTHING they've said was factual.
Yup, I am!! You need to LISTEN MORE & DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. DON\T JUST RELY ON CNN, MSNOW, CBC et al. You might actually learn something!
Yeah, petros. Do the Dew, you silly bastard!
Some guy in his basement making a Youtube video has the REAL story!
Some guy in his basement making a Youtube video has the REAL story!
Listen to whom? Nutlessyahud and the fascist "Jew Power" party that has taken control of Isreal. Would you support "Catholic Power" in Ottawa?
Do you really think I'm a network dumbfuck? Do you want to buy TV? 55" Samsung 8K with a double clocked gaming video processor?
Low hours.
Petition circulating to revoke Mohamad Fakih's Order of Canada
Social media posts by Paramount Fine Foods CEO over Israel have long sparked controversy, criticism
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Aug 29, 2025 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 3 minute read
78 Comments
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, in Toronto, Ont. on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020.
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, in Toronto, Ont. on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk /Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
Article content
OTTAWA — Controversial social media posts prompted three former politicians to request Rideau Hall review the granting of the Order of Canada to a prominent GTA businessman.
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Paramount Fine Foods CEO Mohamad Fakih was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2022 in recognition of his business success and philanthropy — but social media comments on Israel’s self-defence against Palestinian terrorism has some demanding the honour be revoked.
Article content
Article content
“I’ve always looked at the Order of Canada to symbolize the very best in this country,” said former MP Kevin Vuong, one of three organizers of a petition requesting Richard Wagner — Supreme Court Chief Justice and Chair of the order’s advisory council — conduct a formal review of Fakih’s appointment to the order.
“To see someone who is supposed to represent the best of us conduct himself the way he does, there’s no way anyone who believes in this country and loves this country and what we stand for can stand by and not do anything about it.”
opening envelope
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In an Aug. 25 post on X, Fakih declared Canadians who support Israel “do not have basic human values. let alone Canadian values.”
The post continued, stating “tweets and messages” by Israeli supporters “are saved and known to all of us,” and their “lack of Canadian and human values will never be forgotten.”
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Story continues below
Article content
Fakih has regularly made social media posts about Gaza, accusing Israel of conducting a so-called “genocide” against Palestinians and supporting the view that Israeli-Canadians who served in the Israeli armed forces should be prosecuted for war crimes.
“This has been a consistent pattern, and it’s gotten more vitriolic, and this latest one for me was sort of a last straw,” said former B.C. MLA Selina Robinson, another signatory to the letter.
Former Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, who also signed the letter, said Fakih’s comments erode the confidence and trust in the Order of Canada.
“Given that we come from three different political strains, and sitting on the sidelines as non-electeds, we’re watching what’s going on and feeling the frustration of not just the Jewish community, but others who are just tired of this divisive language,” she said.
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Article content
“These dividing messages that pit people against each other is very un-Canadian — and here’s somebody who has been given an award, given an honour that should be about bringing people together, and he’s doing the exact opposite.”
Read More
B'nai Brith's Richard Robertson presents the organizations 2024 Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents during a press conference in West Block on Monday, April 7, 2025.
Anti-Jewish hatred in Canada spiked in 2024, new audit says
An organizer of the Sunday, Aug. 11 anti-Israel protest in Ottawa speaks to the crowd, wearing an inverted red triangle on his shirt. The triangle, used by Hamas to mark targets and intimidate opponents, has become a controversial symbol in Canada.
'THE NEW SWASTIKA:' Calls grow to ban red triangle as hate symbol
A spokesperson for Fakih provided a lengthy 135-word, two-paragraph statement to the Toronto Sun that he demanded be published in full and not “edited, paraphrased or excerpted.”
“If you are not prepared to meet his conditions, you do not have permission to use the statement,” his spokesperson told the Sun.
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Story continues below
Article content
Nine people have seen their Orders of Canada revoked for a variety of reasons — including former hockey agent Alan Eagleson, film producer Garth Drabinsky, publisher Conrad Black, former Assembly of First Nations Chief David Ahenakew, and singer Buffy Sainte-Marie.
In their letter to Justice Wagner, MacLeod, Robinson and Vuong said Fakih’s tweet last week are not simply divisive, but are an assault on the dignity and belonging of millions of Canadians.
“This sweeping denunciation of individuals based on their support for a democratic ally, their political views, or their religious or cultural identity undermines the inclusive spirit of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” the letter read.
Despite representing a variety of backgrounds, viewpoints and political offices, Vuong said what unites he, Robinson and MacLeod are a shared concept of traditional Canadian values.
“Canada was refuge for my family fleeing persecution by communists and the violence of war, at a time when countries were closing their borders to people in need, Canada welcomed my parents and other boat people,” he said.
“Those were the stories and gratitude my parents taught me, to aspire to the values of this country — and for me, the Order of Canada is the embodiment of that.”
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On X: @bryanpassifiume
gg.ca
torontosun.com
Social media posts by Paramount Fine Foods CEO over Israel have long sparked controversy, criticism
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Aug 29, 2025 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 3 minute read
78 Comments
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, in Toronto, Ont. on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020.
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, in Toronto, Ont. on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk /Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
Article content
OTTAWA — Controversial social media posts prompted three former politicians to request Rideau Hall review the granting of the Order of Canada to a prominent GTA businessman.
Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content
Paramount Fine Foods CEO Mohamad Fakih was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2022 in recognition of his business success and philanthropy — but social media comments on Israel’s self-defence against Palestinian terrorism has some demanding the honour be revoked.
Article content
Article content
“I’ve always looked at the Order of Canada to symbolize the very best in this country,” said former MP Kevin Vuong, one of three organizers of a petition requesting Richard Wagner — Supreme Court Chief Justice and Chair of the order’s advisory council — conduct a formal review of Fakih’s appointment to the order.
“To see someone who is supposed to represent the best of us conduct himself the way he does, there’s no way anyone who believes in this country and loves this country and what we stand for can stand by and not do anything about it.”
opening envelope
Your Midday Sun
Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.
youremail@email.com
Sign Up
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.
Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content
In an Aug. 25 post on X, Fakih declared Canadians who support Israel “do not have basic human values. let alone Canadian values.”
The post continued, stating “tweets and messages” by Israeli supporters “are saved and known to all of us,” and their “lack of Canadian and human values will never be forgotten.”
Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content
Fakih has regularly made social media posts about Gaza, accusing Israel of conducting a so-called “genocide” against Palestinians and supporting the view that Israeli-Canadians who served in the Israeli armed forces should be prosecuted for war crimes.
“This has been a consistent pattern, and it’s gotten more vitriolic, and this latest one for me was sort of a last straw,” said former B.C. MLA Selina Robinson, another signatory to the letter.
Former Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, who also signed the letter, said Fakih’s comments erode the confidence and trust in the Order of Canada.
“Given that we come from three different political strains, and sitting on the sidelines as non-electeds, we’re watching what’s going on and feeling the frustration of not just the Jewish community, but others who are just tired of this divisive language,” she said.
Advertisement 5
Story continues below
Article content
“These dividing messages that pit people against each other is very un-Canadian — and here’s somebody who has been given an award, given an honour that should be about bringing people together, and he’s doing the exact opposite.”
Read More
B'nai Brith's Richard Robertson presents the organizations 2024 Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents during a press conference in West Block on Monday, April 7, 2025.
Anti-Jewish hatred in Canada spiked in 2024, new audit says
An organizer of the Sunday, Aug. 11 anti-Israel protest in Ottawa speaks to the crowd, wearing an inverted red triangle on his shirt. The triangle, used by Hamas to mark targets and intimidate opponents, has become a controversial symbol in Canada.
'THE NEW SWASTIKA:' Calls grow to ban red triangle as hate symbol
A spokesperson for Fakih provided a lengthy 135-word, two-paragraph statement to the Toronto Sun that he demanded be published in full and not “edited, paraphrased or excerpted.”
“If you are not prepared to meet his conditions, you do not have permission to use the statement,” his spokesperson told the Sun.
Advertisement 6
Story continues below
Article content
Nine people have seen their Orders of Canada revoked for a variety of reasons — including former hockey agent Alan Eagleson, film producer Garth Drabinsky, publisher Conrad Black, former Assembly of First Nations Chief David Ahenakew, and singer Buffy Sainte-Marie.
In their letter to Justice Wagner, MacLeod, Robinson and Vuong said Fakih’s tweet last week are not simply divisive, but are an assault on the dignity and belonging of millions of Canadians.
“This sweeping denunciation of individuals based on their support for a democratic ally, their political views, or their religious or cultural identity undermines the inclusive spirit of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” the letter read.
Despite representing a variety of backgrounds, viewpoints and political offices, Vuong said what unites he, Robinson and MacLeod are a shared concept of traditional Canadian values.
“Canada was refuge for my family fleeing persecution by communists and the violence of war, at a time when countries were closing their borders to people in need, Canada welcomed my parents and other boat people,” he said.
“Those were the stories and gratitude my parents taught me, to aspire to the values of this country — and for me, the Order of Canada is the embodiment of that.”
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On X: @bryanpassifiume
Mr. Mohamad Fakih
Petition circulating to revoke Mohamad Fakih's Order of Canada
Social media posts by Paramount Fine Foods CEO over Israel have long sparked controversy, criticism
Mohamed Fakih deserves scorn, not Order of Canada
Author of the article:Warren Kinsella
Published Aug 30, 2025 • Last updated 23 hours ago • 3 minute read
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, is pictured during the pandemic in the empty dining room at his west-end location at 1585 The Queensway on Oct. 23, 2020.
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, is pictured during the pandemic in the empty dining room at his west-end location at 1585 The Queensway on Oct. 23, 2020. Photo by ERNEST DOROSZUK /TORONTO SUN
No one would really care about Mohamad Fakih, if it were not for that little enamel pin on his lapel, and the letters — “C.M.” — he always seems to append to the end of his name.
The Order of Canada is what transforms Fakih, a nobody, into a somebody.
The Order of Canada is important, you see. It is the Canadian equivalent of a British Knighthood. It is like the American Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Order is awarded to a very small group of people for making significant contributions to this country.
Its motto is DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM. That’s Latin for “they desire a better country.”
Does Mohamad Fakih desire a better country? Probably, in his own way. What we do know is that Mohamad Fakih also desires a country that prosecutes Jews who served in Israel.
Let us explain. This week, in a post that enraged Canadians from coast to coast, Fakih said that “pro-Israel bots” are “in full panic and spin mode.” Why? Unclear. But Mohamad went on to say that any Canadian “or foreigner” — read: Jews — who served in the IDF “must be prosecuted…no exceptions.”
And: he said anyone who supports Israel doesn’t care about “basic human (and) Canadian values.”
Then came the kicker: Mohamad Fakih and/or his ilk are apparently monitoring certain Canadians. Said Mohamad about those who have served in Israel’s military (where conscription is mandatory), and those who support Israel (which isn’t a crime, at least yet): “If you have done so, you will be remembered for this. This is not a threat.”
Well, actually, it kind of is. It sure feels like a threat. It feels like Fakih, or someone, is keeping the sort of list that was standard in Germany, circa 1933 or so. Names and addresses of Jews. You can go see the Nazi list at Yad Vashem, if you want, in Israel.
Mohamad Fakih is unlikely to visit Israel anytime soon, of course, because he is now way, way out there, piloting alone in some very dark waters.
He wasn’t always like this. During the pandemic, Fakih fed the needy. Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie gave him the keys to that city. He got an immigrant award. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce named him the CEO of the year in 2021.
So, no one was surprised, really, when Mohamad Fakih got the Order of Canada in 2022. Yes, he had gave many, many thousands in donations to the Liberal Party of Canada, going back years, right up to the legal limit in 2022. Yes, Justin Trudeau enthusiastically promoted Mohamad’s company, Paramount Fine Foods, many times. (We’re sure it’s all a great big coincidence.)
But then, somewhere in there, something happened. Mohamad changed.
He seemed to suggest, online, that Jews in Canada were like “baby killers,” but Fakih later insisted he was just talking about one Jew, not all Jews. In particular, he said he didn’t want such people coming to his restaurants — which, interestingly, are found at many federally-regulated airports. (Must be another big coincidence, that.)
Fakih spoke at a conference of the Palestine Youth Movement (PYM), a group with a well-documented history of glorifying terrorism — including the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre — and contributing to hostile environments for Jews across Canada. On Oct. 7, when thousands of ordinary Jews were murdered, tortured, raped and brutalized, PYM called it all a “liberation struggle,” and: “PALESTINE LIVES! THE RESISTANCE LIVES!”
So, we twice asked this member of the Order of Canada, in writing, if he opposes the existence of Israel. We asked him why he somehow believes it isn’t threatening to “remember,” quote unquote, those who support Israel.
Which doesn’t tell us very much, to be fair. And it certainly doesn’t resolve the controversy swirling around Mohamad Fakih, and whether he should be allowed to keep the Order of Canada.
Full disclosure, as they say: for this writer, the Order of Canada is really important. My dad was a member of it. When we got word in Calgary in 1995, it was one of the happiest days of our lives. It was the first time I ever saw my dad cry, in fact.
My dad isn’t around to ask him what he thinks about Mohamed Fakih, keeping track of certain Jews, while wearing that little enamel pin on his lapel.
But if he were still here, if he was still alive, I’d bet my dad would say it makes him sick to his stomach.
It does for me.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Warren Kinsella
Published Aug 30, 2025 • Last updated 23 hours ago • 3 minute read
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, is pictured during the pandemic in the empty dining room at his west-end location at 1585 The Queensway on Oct. 23, 2020.
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, is pictured during the pandemic in the empty dining room at his west-end location at 1585 The Queensway on Oct. 23, 2020. Photo by ERNEST DOROSZUK /TORONTO SUN
No one would really care about Mohamad Fakih, if it were not for that little enamel pin on his lapel, and the letters — “C.M.” — he always seems to append to the end of his name.
The Order of Canada is what transforms Fakih, a nobody, into a somebody.
The Order of Canada is important, you see. It is the Canadian equivalent of a British Knighthood. It is like the American Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Order is awarded to a very small group of people for making significant contributions to this country.
Its motto is DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM. That’s Latin for “they desire a better country.”
Does Mohamad Fakih desire a better country? Probably, in his own way. What we do know is that Mohamad Fakih also desires a country that prosecutes Jews who served in Israel.
Let us explain. This week, in a post that enraged Canadians from coast to coast, Fakih said that “pro-Israel bots” are “in full panic and spin mode.” Why? Unclear. But Mohamad went on to say that any Canadian “or foreigner” — read: Jews — who served in the IDF “must be prosecuted…no exceptions.”
And: he said anyone who supports Israel doesn’t care about “basic human (and) Canadian values.”
Then came the kicker: Mohamad Fakih and/or his ilk are apparently monitoring certain Canadians. Said Mohamad about those who have served in Israel’s military (where conscription is mandatory), and those who support Israel (which isn’t a crime, at least yet): “If you have done so, you will be remembered for this. This is not a threat.”
Well, actually, it kind of is. It sure feels like a threat. It feels like Fakih, or someone, is keeping the sort of list that was standard in Germany, circa 1933 or so. Names and addresses of Jews. You can go see the Nazi list at Yad Vashem, if you want, in Israel.
Mohamad Fakih is unlikely to visit Israel anytime soon, of course, because he is now way, way out there, piloting alone in some very dark waters.
He wasn’t always like this. During the pandemic, Fakih fed the needy. Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie gave him the keys to that city. He got an immigrant award. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce named him the CEO of the year in 2021.
So, no one was surprised, really, when Mohamad Fakih got the Order of Canada in 2022. Yes, he had gave many, many thousands in donations to the Liberal Party of Canada, going back years, right up to the legal limit in 2022. Yes, Justin Trudeau enthusiastically promoted Mohamad’s company, Paramount Fine Foods, many times. (We’re sure it’s all a great big coincidence.)
But then, somewhere in there, something happened. Mohamad changed.
He seemed to suggest, online, that Jews in Canada were like “baby killers,” but Fakih later insisted he was just talking about one Jew, not all Jews. In particular, he said he didn’t want such people coming to his restaurants — which, interestingly, are found at many federally-regulated airports. (Must be another big coincidence, that.)
Fakih spoke at a conference of the Palestine Youth Movement (PYM), a group with a well-documented history of glorifying terrorism — including the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre — and contributing to hostile environments for Jews across Canada. On Oct. 7, when thousands of ordinary Jews were murdered, tortured, raped and brutalized, PYM called it all a “liberation struggle,” and: “PALESTINE LIVES! THE RESISTANCE LIVES!”
So, we twice asked this member of the Order of Canada, in writing, if he opposes the existence of Israel. We asked him why he somehow believes it isn’t threatening to “remember,” quote unquote, those who support Israel.
Which doesn’t tell us very much, to be fair. And it certainly doesn’t resolve the controversy swirling around Mohamad Fakih, and whether he should be allowed to keep the Order of Canada.
Full disclosure, as they say: for this writer, the Order of Canada is really important. My dad was a member of it. When we got word in Calgary in 1995, it was one of the happiest days of our lives. It was the first time I ever saw my dad cry, in fact.
My dad isn’t around to ask him what he thinks about Mohamed Fakih, keeping track of certain Jews, while wearing that little enamel pin on his lapel.
But if he were still here, if he was still alive, I’d bet my dad would say it makes him sick to his stomach.
It does for me.
KINSELLA: Mohamed Fakih deserves scorn, not Order of Canada
No one would really care about Mohamad Fakih, if it were not for that little enamel pin on his lapel.