The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed the Canadian Arab Federation’s (CAF) effort to reverse the federal government’s decision to withdraw funding for the group because of the government’s contention the group is anti-Semitic.
Last year, a Federal Court judge upheld a 2009 assessment by then-minister of citizenship and immigration Jason Kenney, who decided to withdraw more than $1 million a year in federal government funding for the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program because the government said the CAF promoted anti-Semitism and supported terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
When the CAF sought to renew its funding in 2009 to be part of the government’s English-language training program for people new to the country, Kenney rejected the group’s request in a letter in which he said that “serious concerns have risen with respect to certain public statements that have been made by yourself, or other officials of the CAF.
“These statements have included the promotion of hatred, anti-Semitism and support for the banned terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah… [this] raises serious questions about the integrity of your organization and has undermined the government’s confidence in the CAF as an appropriate partner for the delivery of settlement services to newcomers.”
The 2014 Federal Court decision cited examples Kenney raised in making his decision:
• a flyer circulated by then-CAF president Kaled Mouammar, attacking former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae because of his wife’s involvement in the Jewish community;
• CAF-organized rallies supporting Hamas and Hezbollah that equated Israelis to Nazis and included a sign threatening to kill a Jewish child;
• the CAF’s participation in a Cairo conference attended by delegates from Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations;
• Internet links to Hamas websites that showed Hamas operatives training;
• honouring Zafar Bangash, who referred to Canadians as infidels; and
• sponsoring an essay contest on the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestine, which the minister took as an allegation that Jewish people were engaged in genocide and therefore made the contest anti-Semitic.
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Court upholds withdrawal of Arab group’s funding | The Canadian Jewish News
Last year, a Federal Court judge upheld a 2009 assessment by then-minister of citizenship and immigration Jason Kenney, who decided to withdraw more than $1 million a year in federal government funding for the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program because the government said the CAF promoted anti-Semitism and supported terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
When the CAF sought to renew its funding in 2009 to be part of the government’s English-language training program for people new to the country, Kenney rejected the group’s request in a letter in which he said that “serious concerns have risen with respect to certain public statements that have been made by yourself, or other officials of the CAF.
“These statements have included the promotion of hatred, anti-Semitism and support for the banned terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah… [this] raises serious questions about the integrity of your organization and has undermined the government’s confidence in the CAF as an appropriate partner for the delivery of settlement services to newcomers.”
The 2014 Federal Court decision cited examples Kenney raised in making his decision:
• a flyer circulated by then-CAF president Kaled Mouammar, attacking former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae because of his wife’s involvement in the Jewish community;
• CAF-organized rallies supporting Hamas and Hezbollah that equated Israelis to Nazis and included a sign threatening to kill a Jewish child;
• the CAF’s participation in a Cairo conference attended by delegates from Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations;
• Internet links to Hamas websites that showed Hamas operatives training;
• honouring Zafar Bangash, who referred to Canadians as infidels; and
• sponsoring an essay contest on the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestine, which the minister took as an allegation that Jewish people were engaged in genocide and therefore made the contest anti-Semitic.
more
Court upholds withdrawal of Arab group’s funding | The Canadian Jewish News
