A Few Words From The New Prez

We live in interesting times. Economic turmoil, environmental concern and new domestic and global political dynamics pose immense opportunities for Canada.

These opportunities arise because Canada is a country not driven by fear but by both the optimism I discussed at the outset of this address and a rational process for finding our way as a nation.


Wahida Chishti Valiante is a social worker specializing in family therapy. She replaces outgoing CIC President Mohamed Elmasry, who stepped down in November and whose controversial time in the position probably did not do the organization's rep much good. Here is too a better future and, yeah Ms. Valiante, Mark Steyn is still a prick.

Canadian Islamic Congress Steps Into The Future

Dr. Mohamed Elmasry, founding national President of the Canadian Islamic Congress, announced today that he will step down, effective January 1, 2009 after leading the organization through its first decade.

He will be joining the board of The Canadian Charger, a newly established mainstream multi-media online magazine using the latest in communications technology. Its public launch is planned for late spring of 2009.

Activists of any stripe tend to be crusty bastards, but at some point you start hindering rather than helping your cause. Mo Elmasry reached that point some time ago.

h/t Five Feet of Fat Chick, who has her uses.

PS. Although Google has no information on any magazine with that title. So, a hoax email?

File Under: You're Not Helping

Mohamed Elmasry endorses the NDP.

Mo's got clout. It was his endorsement that put Robert Mugabe over the top.

Where The Nuts On The Right Meet The Nuts On The Left

Eric Margolis channels Mo Elmasry, as both praise Robert Mugabe. Must be fun to be a columnist and have stupid opinions for money.

Fun With The Ontario Press Council: Guy Giorno Wields Wicked Complaint!

The Ontario Press Council doesn't get a lot of ink year to year, but the work goes on 32 years after it was launched to monitor the conduct of newspapers across the province.

The highlights from this year's batch of complaints:

1) Harper's new chief of staff Guy Giorno kicked ass against a ragged looking Toronto Star. Here he successfully objects to the claim that his "underlings" named him "Rasputin" when he was with the Mike Harris Tories. Here he successfully argues that the Star's apology for the whole "Rasputin" naming affair should have been labelled a "correction" rather than a "clarification".

Don't screw around with this guy. He's obviously a political killer.

(As an aside, why would anyone object to being nicknamed "Rasputin"? I'm 45 and people still call me "Mikey". His nickname is way better, IMHO!)

9) Steyn adversary Mohamed Elmasry batted .500 in '07, his complaint that

...the Toronto Star used unnecessarily hurtful language in describing the Arab world as a society where “wickedness is bred in the bone”

...being upheld, his complaint that

...a column published in the Toronto Star “lacked accuracy, balance and fairness, to the point of openly conveying anti-Islam bias”

getting tossed. Not bad! Rage against 'em, Mo! (But, Mo, lay off them Israelis--that stuff makes you look crazy and gives the CIC a bad name! In fact, I would strongly suggest stepping down and handing the CIC over to someone less inflammatory! )

And a low-light:

6) Life Canada President Joanne Byfield failed in her only attempt, her complaint:

...that a column published in The Globe and Mail misrepresented LifeCanada and resulted in serious loss of income...

...getting dismissed entirely by the OPC and, presumably, God.

Warning, this one's a bit of a gagger, and I'm frankly glad the BoM cancelled LifeCanada's Mastercard .

PS. Why no complaints against the Natty Post? Well, they are apparently the only major paper in Canada not accountable to any press council. Or so I am told.

PPS. J. Douglas Creighton founded the Toronto Sun. Hate his paper. Like his blog.