Saturday, February 21, 2009

Farber On CAF

I have concerns that Jason Kenny's threat to cut funding for the Canadian Arab Federation constitutes an ill-advised ministerial end-run around whatever legal requirements a group like CAF must meet in order to secure funding in the first place. Nevertheless, Bernie seems correct in arguing that current president Khaled Mouammar is using his position to pursue an occasionally unsavory "personal agenda".

Never mind the "Professional Whore" crack, Mouammar

...was linked by a Canadian Press story to the circulation by e-mail of a flyer during the 2006 Liberal leadership convention targeting candidate Bob Rae's wife for her involvement with CJC.

I would hope CAF would use its moment in the unfriendly glare of the media spot-light to look within its ranks for a new president, preferably someone more attentive to the organization's core mission and less bent on personal crusades.

2 comments:

C-Nuck said...

Many, many members of Canada's Arab Community have given up on both CAF and NCCAR.

The two organizations have been overtaken by supporters of Hamas and Hizbollah.

MP's routinely decline the opportunity to meet with these groups because of their outlandish views and statements.

The only one left of the Hill who talks to them is Marcel Prudhomme.

Its a shame because Canada's Arab Community needs a voice.

Mitka said...

I couldn't agree more with both BCL and C-Nuck. Farber's letter was lost amongst a plethora of articles and editorials on CAF that day but his was the most cogent. Why, because CJC is the only real mainstream Jewish advocacy organization that tries hard to reach out to a variety of ethnic and faith groups. With CAF out of the picture due to its extremist leader and the Canadian Islamic Congress never a player because of its leadership as well, there are precious few Arab or Muslim groups that are mainstream like CJC. Really too bad for a Canadian Muslim community that is nowhere near as extreme as those purporting to represent them.