Canadian Islamic Congress
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) refers to itself as Canada's largest national non-profit
and wholly independent Islam
ic organization without affiliation to any foreign group, body, or government and says it represents -- Sunni
and Shi'a Muslims, men and women, youth and seniors. It has been described as "conservative and traditional" in outlook particularly when compared to two liberal Muslim groups, the Muslim Canadian Congress
and the Canadian Muslim Union
.
The Congress is based in Ottawa
, Ontario
; its president is Wahida C. Valiante
. The group was founded by Prof Mohamed Elmasry
of the University of Waterloo, a world expert in microchip design, with a 1994 meeting of Muslim leaders from across the country and it was formally incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1998. In 2003, the Congress consisted of 24 affiliated organizations and a further 180 individuals as members, an annual budget of more than $100,000 and had half a dozen part-time employees on staff and a board of directors of approximately 20 individuals from across the country.
for "blindly following the lead of Washington and of the influential pro-Israel Jewish lobby in both countries."
The CIC called Canada's withdrawal of all aid and support to the Gaza Strip "a resounding slap in the face to Canadian values... It makes a mockery of our traditional stand as a nation concerned with peace and justice." The CIC also stated that in refusing to recognize the Hamas
government elected in the Palestinian territories, "Prime Minister Harper and his government are saying loudly and clearly that Canada no longer cares about the plight of Palestine and Palestinians ... This is beyond hypocrisy; it is a shameful devaluation of Canada's international reputation for fair-minded, ethical and constructive diplomacy."
In January 2008, the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab Federation issued a media communique which stated "the Apartheid regime of the Jewish state escalated its genocidal crimes against the indigenous people of Palestine" and that "Palestinians continue to endure death, deprivation and destruction under more than 40 years of brutal Israeli occupation that has become an insidious and unremitting genocide." The communique concluded by stating that "The world can no longer afford to stand by and watch from the sidelines as an entire people slowly bleeds to death."
(CAF) launched an essay contest that "invites Canadian high school and university students (ages 17 through 27) to write an essay on the theme "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" and is part of activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of Al Nakba - the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland in 1947-48." Bnai Brith Canada, a Canadian Jewish Organization, criticized the contest, stating that it is a "blatant propagandistic initiative that distorts reality, delegitimizing the existence of the Jewish state in any shape or form". The national essay contest announced by these groups encouraging youth to write on "Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine", is based on the false assumption that the Jewish presence in the Jewish People's ancestral homeland is illegal" and that "This sham of a contest joins together Canadian-Arab groups, which purport to reflect mainstream positions, but which clearly hold extremist notions that deny Israel's right to exist."
The Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) criticized Bnai Brith Canada, stating that "This call to shutdown academic research and free speech is typical of B’nai Brith's contempt for the basic principles of academic institutions. These tactics of intimidation are becoming an all too common refrain of pro- Israel organizations, and are simply designed to stem the growing public awareness of Israel's apartheid policies" and that "Israel was founded upon the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. Between 1947 and 1948, nearly 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and lands and over 500 Palestinian villages and neighborhoods were destroyed, and their inhabitants prevented from ever returning to their homeland."
as being "consistently is No. 1" as an anti-Islam media outlet.
, wrote that "judging by its [CIC's] support for the [2001] Durban Conference, during which hook-nosed Jews were equated with apartheid and genocide, the CIC doesn't seem to have problems with some kinds of truly inflammatory racist language" and that the CIC's "fetish for censorship in the interest of "social harmony", as the CIC puts it, reeks of the very authoritarianism oppressing Muslims in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia." In addition, Rose stated that "By editing out bad language, it seems, the CIC believes that correct thoughts will result, even at the necessary expense of reporting the truth." Robert Fulford wrote that the CIC "justifies its existence mainly by complaining about acts of prejudice that haven't happened" and that "it's ridiculous to suggest that we avoid the subject of religion when crimes are committed in the name of that religion by men and women considered part of it." while Jonathan Kay
wrote that "the folks at the Canadian Islamic Congress purport to be the arbiters of what can and can't be said in this country" and that CIC President Elmasry is "the country's self-appointed judge of all that is hateful."
wrote that Daniel Pipes
, a Conservative American political commentator, "is a follower of Hitler", "uses the tactics of Hitler" and "wants to ethnically cleanse America of its Muslim presence." Pipes denied he ever made these statements and subsequently filed a notice of libel. The CIC subsequently apologized "without reservation" and "retract[ed the] remarks in the column." The CIC also sent funds to cover Pipes' legal expenses and made a donation in his name to a Canadian charity. Pipes stated that the CIC's apology establishes that, in Canada, "Islamist groups do not have impunity to fabricate lies about their opponents."
, British Columbia Human Rights Commission and the Ontario Human Rights Commission against Maclean's Magazine accusing the magazine of publishing 18 articles between January 2005 and July 2007 that they considered Islamophobic
in nature including a column by Mark Steyn
titled "The Future of Islam". According to the CIC complaint, Maclean's is "flagrantly Islamophobic" and "subjects Canadian Muslims to hatred and contempt." In April, 2008 the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) stated that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the complaint based on a gap in the legislation (the relevant portions of Ontario Human Rights Code only address discrimination via signs or symbols, not printed material). Despite not having jurisdiction, the Commission published a statement condemning the articles published by Maclean's as "xenophobic", "destructive", "Islamophobic" and "promoting prejudice". The Commission indicated that more discussion on the topic of Islamophobia in the media was warranted. The British Columbia Human Rights Commission heard the complaint in June 2008. The complaint was later dismissed. The Federal Human Rights Commission also dismissed the complaint.
At the Niagara-on-the-Lake conference of the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies in June 2008, Wahida C. Valiante
, national vice-president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, compared Mark Steyn
to James Keegstra
, an Alberta high school teacher who taught and tested his students on how Jews "created the Holocaust to gain sympathy. They basically talk about the same theories. This is not a civil dialogue." She said that, in Germany, long before the Holocaust, "it was the words that set the stage for what happened later on.... We may end up with the same fate, and that is at the heart of why [the complainants] wanted to take this on."
It has distributed a brochure warning that "some misguided Muslims may try to recruit Canadian Muslims, especially our young people, and use them to commit crimes against our country, or abroad" and urged the community to reject "extremist imported ideologies".
The CIC urged a moderate response to Danish cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
published in 2005. Anger at the depictions resulted in violent rallies and attacks on Danish institutions in Europe and the Muslim world. Elmasry urged Canadian Muslims to have a "controlled and calm" response consisting of writing letters to the editor and the Danish government. He also urged Muslims to engage in outreach by inviting non-Muslims into their homes and have open houses in mosques. He discouraged attendance at demonstrations saying that "[d]uring demonstrations, you don't have control of who will do what. Opposing sides who are anti-Muslim or supporters of freedom of expression could show up and a shouting match can turn violent. Instead, we've encouraged a more proactive approach to plead with the government to recognize anti-Islam the way it does anti-Semitism."
to end in 2009 and for Canada to urge the United Nations
to sponsor a peace conference involving all parties.
government that would require all voters to show their faces before being allowed to cast ballots. The proposal is a response to Elections Canada
issuing a directive to poll clerks to permit women wearing veils for religious reasons to vote. The CIC states that the proposed Tory law is unnecessary and will only promote discrimination against Muslims and provide "political mileage among Islamophobes."
allowing investigative hearings and preventive arrests which had lapsed in early 2006. Speaking on behalf of the conference, Elmasry said "We object to any special courts that deal specifically with terror activities, because at the end of the day it will compromise the civil liberties of Canadians."
that the government of Ontario permit sharia
tribunals to which Muslims could voluntarily submit civil disputes and whose findings would then have legal weight under the Arbitration Act. The proposal was opposed by the Muslim Canadian Congress
, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women and non-Muslim women's groups. The provincial government ended up rejecting the proposal and scrapping existing religious arbitration tribunals for Jews and Christians in the process.
The CIC raised controversy when CIC President Elmasry wrote that Canadian Muslims " [should] not to make a cause of publicly deriding their religion, badmouthing the Prophet, ridiculing the Qur'an and mounting uninformed crusades to smear their Islamic Law, the Shariah."
In the aftermath, the Muslim Canadian Congress
demanded that the CIC apologize for "false" accusations that those who criticize sharia are "smearing Islam, ridiculing the Koran [and] badmouthing Muhammad." The MCC stated that CIC President Elmasry accused the group of blasphemy, a crime that carries the death sentence in several Islamic countries, leading some MCC members to fear they will be arrested if they travel certain Islamic countries.."
Arif Raza, MCC's lawyer wrote that "Your [Elmasry's] false and utterly irresponsible accusations of blasphemy have exposed these active, dynamic and prominent members of the Canadian Muslim community and their families to enormously dangerous consequences" and that "you [Elmasry] have defamed their good reputation and exposed them to ridicule and hatred within their own communities in Canada."
Elmasry responded by stating that Islam has no punishment for denouncing the religion, its holy book or the Prophet Mohammed, and he dismissed as "nonsense" the notion that his words could be construed as a death sentence.
's proposal during the 2007 Ontario provincial election campaign
to publicly fund faith-based schools arguing that rejecting the proposal would signify a retreat from multiculturalism. The proposal, which was also supported by Jewish and some Christian groups, proved unpopular with the electorate and is cited as a key reason for the Conservative party's defeat in the election.
urged the Canadian government to take Hezbollah and Hamas off its list of designated terrorist organizations. CIC president Elmasry wrote that the Canadian Government should "review its 2002 decision to place Hezbollah and Hamas
on its list of banned alleged terrorist organizations" because doing so "is an unconscionable act of hypocrisy and a mockery of justice" since Canada has not placed Israel on the same list. Elmasry also stated that the decision to place Hezbollah and Hamas on this list was "dictated by special interest groups with agendas that are contrary to peace with justice."
. It has accused governments and school boards of failing to address harassment and discrimination against Muslims and Arabs and has called for the province of Ontario to launch a public inquiry. At a press conference at Queen's Park, CIC official Wahida C. Valiante
said that "Islamophobia does exist and it's growing." and that "[s]ince 9/11, there has been no effort on behalf of the Ontario government, including the Ministry of Education, to have a comprehensive policy to address the growing isolation and marginalization of Muslim and Arab youth."
criticized "pro-Israeli Zionists... promote fear of Islam and Muslims through propaganda, and by playing manipulative mind- games on unsuspecting, decent mainstream Canadian and Americans." She also wrote that "the Zionist zealots (neo-conservative Likud Party supporters who yoke Israel's interests to those of America) and rightwing evangelical "millennial" or end-time Christians, both raise the spectre of "Islamic terrorism" as a force that threatens free people everywhere. They know that fear destroys reason, leaving the individual's conscience in the hands of those who instill the fear." She also wrote that "Similarly, Fascism and Zionism achieved their objectives through fear."
to discuss the topic of "What is a terrorist?". During an exchange with the show's host, he stated that anyone in Israel over the age of 18 was a justifiable target of Palestinian attacks. He also criticized the recent bombing
of hotels in Taba
, Egypt
on the grounds that some of the victims there were not Israelis. At first, Elmasry defended his remarks by insisting that he was merely sharing the standard Palestinian point of view. This led to further charges from his critics, who accused him of using the Palestinians as a scapegoat. In a letter to the Toronto Star, he denied having said what he was reported to have said. These remarks prompted harshly-worded responses from representatives of the Canadian Jewish Congress and several prominent Canadian Muslims. Elmasry later apologized for his remarks calling them his "biggest mistake" in 30 years of public life and offered his resignation which was not accepted by the CIC's board.
The Elmasry affair led to criticisms that the media focussed entirely on the comments of the CIC president while neglecting controversial comments made on the same program by a B'nai Brith official, Adam Aptowitzer
who stated that "When Israel uses terror . . . to destroy a home and convince people . . . to be terrified of what the possible consequences are, I'd say that's an acceptable use to terrify somebody." The remarks only received attention several weeks after the broadcast, and after Elmasry's apology and proffered resignation, when a press release by the Canadian Arab Federation
highlighted them. Following the CAF press release, Aptowitzer retracted his comments and resigned his position with the B'nai Brith. Toronto Star city editor John Ferri told the Toronto Stars ombud
, Don Sellar, "we all had egg on our faces...[i]t was embarrassing for every paper in the city not to get the whole story from the outset."
In a letter to the Toronto Star following Sellar's column, Elmasary complained about the affair:
wrote:
Rachael Turkienicz, a professor of Jewish studies and education and an officer of Canadian Jewish Congress
’ Ontario
region, wrote, in a letter to Valiante, that she had "badly misinterpreted the concept of ‘the chosen people,’ which in fact refers to the relationship between Jews and God and that "It certainly does not connote ‘racial superiority,’" Turkienicz said. The article was guilty of deploying "a purportedly anti-racist message in the cause of its own prejudice.".
After the Canadian Jewish Congress
complained, Ms. Valiente sent the organization a letter acknowledging that her interpretation of the term "chosen people" was "inconsistent with its meaning in the scriptures of the Old Testament."
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
and wholly independent Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic organization without affiliation to any foreign group, body, or government and says it represents -- Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and Shi'a Muslims, men and women, youth and seniors. It has been described as "conservative and traditional" in outlook particularly when compared to two liberal Muslim groups, the Muslim Canadian Congress
Muslim Canadian Congress
The Muslim Canadian Congress was organized to provide a voice to Muslims who support a "progressive, liberal, pluralistic, democratic, and secular society where everyone has the freedom of religion." The organization claimed to have 300 dues-paying members prior to its 2006 split.-Origins:It was...
and the Canadian Muslim Union
Canadian Muslim Union
The Canadian Muslim Union is a registered not-for-profit corporation in Canada.The CMU was started on August 20, 2006 following an unsuccessful attempt to resolve deep divisions in the Muslim Canadian Congress board...
.
The Congress is based in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
; its president is Wahida C. Valiante
Wahida C. Valiante
Wahida Valiante is currently the National President and founding member of the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Chair of . She is a Canadian trained social worker and therapist who specializes in couple and family therapy, family mediation, domestic violence, and post traumatic stress...
. The group was founded by Prof Mohamed Elmasry
Mohamed Elmasry
Mohamed Elmasry is a Canadian engineering professor, imam, and has been a leader in the Canadian Muslim community. He was born in Cairo, Egypt and received his Bachelor of Science in 1965 from Cairo University. He continued his studies in Canada earning a Masters and Doctorate degrees in...
of the University of Waterloo, a world expert in microchip design, with a 1994 meeting of Muslim leaders from across the country and it was formally incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1998. In 2003, the Congress consisted of 24 affiliated organizations and a further 180 individuals as members, an annual budget of more than $100,000 and had half a dozen part-time employees on staff and a board of directors of approximately 20 individuals from across the country.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In March 2006, the CIC issued a communique in which it condemned the government of Stephen HarperStephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
for "blindly following the lead of Washington and of the influential pro-Israel Jewish lobby in both countries."
The CIC called Canada's withdrawal of all aid and support to the Gaza Strip "a resounding slap in the face to Canadian values... It makes a mockery of our traditional stand as a nation concerned with peace and justice." The CIC also stated that in refusing to recognize the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
government elected in the Palestinian territories, "Prime Minister Harper and his government are saying loudly and clearly that Canada no longer cares about the plight of Palestine and Palestinians ... This is beyond hypocrisy; it is a shameful devaluation of Canada's international reputation for fair-minded, ethical and constructive diplomacy."
In January 2008, the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab Federation issued a media communique which stated "the Apartheid regime of the Jewish state escalated its genocidal crimes against the indigenous people of Palestine" and that "Palestinians continue to endure death, deprivation and destruction under more than 40 years of brutal Israeli occupation that has become an insidious and unremitting genocide." The communique concluded by stating that "The world can no longer afford to stand by and watch from the sidelines as an entire people slowly bleeds to death."
2008 essay contest
In 2008 the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab FederationCanadian Arab Federation
The Canadian Arab Federation was formed in 1967 to represent the interests of Arab Canadians with respect to the formulation of public policy in Canada. It presently consists of over 40 member organizations....
(CAF) launched an essay contest that "invites Canadian high school and university students (ages 17 through 27) to write an essay on the theme "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" and is part of activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of Al Nakba - the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland in 1947-48." Bnai Brith Canada, a Canadian Jewish Organization, criticized the contest, stating that it is a "blatant propagandistic initiative that distorts reality, delegitimizing the existence of the Jewish state in any shape or form". The national essay contest announced by these groups encouraging youth to write on "Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine", is based on the false assumption that the Jewish presence in the Jewish People's ancestral homeland is illegal" and that "This sham of a contest joins together Canadian-Arab groups, which purport to reflect mainstream positions, but which clearly hold extremist notions that deny Israel's right to exist."
The Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) criticized Bnai Brith Canada, stating that "This call to shutdown academic research and free speech is typical of B’nai Brith's contempt for the basic principles of academic institutions. These tactics of intimidation are becoming an all too common refrain of pro- Israel organizations, and are simply designed to stem the growing public awareness of Israel's apartheid policies" and that "Israel was founded upon the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. Between 1947 and 1948, nearly 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and lands and over 500 Palestinian villages and neighborhoods were destroyed, and their inhabitants prevented from ever returning to their homeland."
Relations with non-Muslims
The CIC has established "Canadian Islam Awareness Week" held each October in an effort to improve understanding of the Muslim community by non-Muslims. It has also worked with mosques across the country to organize "open houses" each fall where non-Muslim neighbours are invited into mosques. It has also lobbied provincial education ministries to make a high school course on world religions compulsory. Explaining the initiative, CIC vice-president Valiante said "We don't want schools to preach our religion, but we live in a complex world and religions play a large role, young people need to be given a chance to understand them."CIC criticism
Since 1998, the CIC has been active monitoring media coverage for anti-Muslim or anti-Islam sentiment and has issued reports highlighting its findings. It has opposed the use of phrases such as "Islamic guerrillas", "Islamic insurgency" and "Muslim militants" saying that terms like "militant" or "terrorist" should be used without a religious association "since no religion teaches or endorses terrorism, militancy or extremism. Although, the rise of major terrorist attacks by groups who claim they are waging a holy war on the west confuses this issue as the reasons behind their attacks comes from the base of their faith. and" The Congress has singled out the National PostNational Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
as being "consistently is No. 1" as an anti-Islam media outlet.
Response from the National Post
A number of writers for the National Post have subsequently criticized the CIC over accusations that it is anti-Islam. Alexander RoseAlexander Rose
Alexander Rose of Edinburgh was a wood and ivory turner, following in the footsteps of his father, John, who came from Cromarty. He developed an interest in minerals and began a mineral collection, becoming a dealer in minerals...
, wrote that "judging by its [CIC's] support for the [2001] Durban Conference, during which hook-nosed Jews were equated with apartheid and genocide, the CIC doesn't seem to have problems with some kinds of truly inflammatory racist language" and that the CIC's "fetish for censorship in the interest of "social harmony", as the CIC puts it, reeks of the very authoritarianism oppressing Muslims in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia." In addition, Rose stated that "By editing out bad language, it seems, the CIC believes that correct thoughts will result, even at the necessary expense of reporting the truth." Robert Fulford wrote that the CIC "justifies its existence mainly by complaining about acts of prejudice that haven't happened" and that "it's ridiculous to suggest that we avoid the subject of religion when crimes are committed in the name of that religion by men and women considered part of it." while Jonathan Kay
Jonathan Kay
Jonathan Hillel Kay is Comment Pages Editor for the Toronto-based Canadian daily newspaper National Post, a columnist for the Post op-ed page, a blogger for the Post web site, a book author and editor, and a public speaker. He is also a regular contributor to Commentary Magazine and the New York...
wrote that "the folks at the Canadian Islamic Congress purport to be the arbiters of what can and can't be said in this country" and that CIC President Elmasry is "the country's self-appointed judge of all that is hateful."
Statement and apology to Daniel Pipes
In the April 29, 2005 edition of the Friday Bulletin, CIC VP Wahida C. ValianteWahida C. Valiante
Wahida Valiante is currently the National President and founding member of the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Chair of . She is a Canadian trained social worker and therapist who specializes in couple and family therapy, family mediation, domestic violence, and post traumatic stress...
wrote that Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes is an American historian, writer, and political commentator. He is the founder and director of the Middle East Forum and its Campus Watch project, and editor of its Middle East Quarterly journal...
, a Conservative American political commentator, "is a follower of Hitler", "uses the tactics of Hitler" and "wants to ethnically cleanse America of its Muslim presence." Pipes denied he ever made these statements and subsequently filed a notice of libel. The CIC subsequently apologized "without reservation" and "retract[ed the] remarks in the column." The CIC also sent funds to cover Pipes' legal expenses and made a donation in his name to a Canadian charity. Pipes stated that the CIC's apology establishes that, in Canada, "Islamist groups do not have impunity to fabricate lies about their opponents."
Human Rights complaint against Maclean's
In December 2007, the CIC launched complaints with the Canadian Human Rights CommissionCanadian Human Rights Commission
The Canadian Human Rights Commission is a quasi-judicial body that was established in 1977 by the government of Canada. It is empowered under the Canadian Human Rights Act to investigate and try to settle complaints of discrimination in employment and in the provision of services within federal...
, British Columbia Human Rights Commission and the Ontario Human Rights Commission against Maclean's Magazine accusing the magazine of publishing 18 articles between January 2005 and July 2007 that they considered Islamophobic
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
in nature including a column by Mark Steyn
Mark Steyn
Mark Steyn is a Canadian-born writer, conservative-leaning political commentator, and cultural critic. He has written five books, including America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, a New York Times bestseller...
titled "The Future of Islam". According to the CIC complaint, Maclean's is "flagrantly Islamophobic" and "subjects Canadian Muslims to hatred and contempt." In April, 2008 the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) stated that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the complaint based on a gap in the legislation (the relevant portions of Ontario Human Rights Code only address discrimination via signs or symbols, not printed material). Despite not having jurisdiction, the Commission published a statement condemning the articles published by Maclean's as "xenophobic", "destructive", "Islamophobic" and "promoting prejudice". The Commission indicated that more discussion on the topic of Islamophobia in the media was warranted. The British Columbia Human Rights Commission heard the complaint in June 2008. The complaint was later dismissed. The Federal Human Rights Commission also dismissed the complaint.
At the Niagara-on-the-Lake conference of the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies in June 2008, Wahida C. Valiante
Wahida C. Valiante
Wahida Valiante is currently the National President and founding member of the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Chair of . She is a Canadian trained social worker and therapist who specializes in couple and family therapy, family mediation, domestic violence, and post traumatic stress...
, national vice-president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, compared Mark Steyn
Mark Steyn
Mark Steyn is a Canadian-born writer, conservative-leaning political commentator, and cultural critic. He has written five books, including America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, a New York Times bestseller...
to James Keegstra
James Keegstra
James "Jim" Keegstra is a former public school teacher in Eckville, Alberta, Canada, who was charged and convicted of hate speech in 1984. The conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal but re-instated by the Supreme Court of Canada...
, an Alberta high school teacher who taught and tested his students on how Jews "created the Holocaust to gain sympathy. They basically talk about the same theories. This is not a civil dialogue." She said that, in Germany, long before the Holocaust, "it was the words that set the stage for what happened later on.... We may end up with the same fate, and that is at the heart of why [the complainants] wanted to take this on."
Opposition to extremism
The organization has warned Muslim parents to monitor the on-line habits of teenagers and discourage membership in foreign political organizations or preoccupation with religious rituals. It has also cautioned mosques to be on the alert against infiltration of the congregation by "foreign Muslim groups who may have hidden agendas."It has distributed a brochure warning that "some misguided Muslims may try to recruit Canadian Muslims, especially our young people, and use them to commit crimes against our country, or abroad" and urged the community to reject "extremist imported ideologies".
The CIC urged a moderate response to Danish cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
published in 2005. Anger at the depictions resulted in violent rallies and attacks on Danish institutions in Europe and the Muslim world. Elmasry urged Canadian Muslims to have a "controlled and calm" response consisting of writing letters to the editor and the Danish government. He also urged Muslims to engage in outreach by inviting non-Muslims into their homes and have open houses in mosques. He discouraged attendance at demonstrations saying that "[d]uring demonstrations, you don't have control of who will do what. Opposing sides who are anti-Muslim or supporters of freedom of expression could show up and a shouting match can turn violent. Instead, we've encouraged a more proactive approach to plead with the government to recognize anti-Islam the way it does anti-Semitism."
War in Afghanistan
The CIC called for Canada's military mission in AfghanistanCanada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan
Canada did not have a significant role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingents of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanistan only in January–February 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian...
to end in 2009 and for Canada to urge the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
to sponsor a peace conference involving all parties.
Veiled voters
The CIC has opposed a proposed law by the federal ConservativeConservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
government that would require all voters to show their faces before being allowed to cast ballots. The proposal is a response to Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
issuing a directive to poll clerks to permit women wearing veils for religious reasons to vote. The CIC states that the proposed Tory law is unnecessary and will only promote discrimination against Muslims and provide "political mileage among Islamophobes."
Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act, 2001
In 2007, the CIC voiced its opposition to proposals to renew provisions of the 2001 Canadian Anti-Terrorism ActCanadian Anti-Terrorism Act
The Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act was passed by the Liberal government of Canada in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. It received Royal Assent on December 18, 2001, as Bill C-36. The "omnibus" bill extends the powers of government and institutions within the Canadian...
allowing investigative hearings and preventive arrests which had lapsed in early 2006. Speaking on behalf of the conference, Elmasry said "We object to any special courts that deal specifically with terror activities, because at the end of the day it will compromise the civil liberties of Canadians."
Sharia tribunals
The Canadian Islamic Congress supported recommendations by Marion BoydMarion Boyd
Marion Boyd is a former Canadian politician, who represented the riding of London Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1999 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party.-Background:...
that the government of Ontario permit sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
tribunals to which Muslims could voluntarily submit civil disputes and whose findings would then have legal weight under the Arbitration Act. The proposal was opposed by the Muslim Canadian Congress
Muslim Canadian Congress
The Muslim Canadian Congress was organized to provide a voice to Muslims who support a "progressive, liberal, pluralistic, democratic, and secular society where everyone has the freedom of religion." The organization claimed to have 300 dues-paying members prior to its 2006 split.-Origins:It was...
, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women and non-Muslim women's groups. The provincial government ended up rejecting the proposal and scrapping existing religious arbitration tribunals for Jews and Christians in the process.
The CIC raised controversy when CIC President Elmasry wrote that Canadian Muslims " [should] not to make a cause of publicly deriding their religion, badmouthing the Prophet, ridiculing the Qur'an and mounting uninformed crusades to smear their Islamic Law, the Shariah."
In the aftermath, the Muslim Canadian Congress
Muslim Canadian Congress
The Muslim Canadian Congress was organized to provide a voice to Muslims who support a "progressive, liberal, pluralistic, democratic, and secular society where everyone has the freedom of religion." The organization claimed to have 300 dues-paying members prior to its 2006 split.-Origins:It was...
demanded that the CIC apologize for "false" accusations that those who criticize sharia are "smearing Islam, ridiculing the Koran [and] badmouthing Muhammad." The MCC stated that CIC President Elmasry accused the group of blasphemy, a crime that carries the death sentence in several Islamic countries, leading some MCC members to fear they will be arrested if they travel certain Islamic countries.."
Arif Raza, MCC's lawyer wrote that "Your [Elmasry's] false and utterly irresponsible accusations of blasphemy have exposed these active, dynamic and prominent members of the Canadian Muslim community and their families to enormously dangerous consequences" and that "you [Elmasry] have defamed their good reputation and exposed them to ridicule and hatred within their own communities in Canada."
Elmasry responded by stating that Islam has no punishment for denouncing the religion, its holy book or the Prophet Mohammed, and he dismissed as "nonsense" the notion that his words could be construed as a death sentence.
Public funding of faith-based schools
The Congress expressed support for Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader John ToryJohn Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
's proposal during the 2007 Ontario provincial election campaign
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
to publicly fund faith-based schools arguing that rejecting the proposal would signify a retreat from multiculturalism. The proposal, which was also supported by Jewish and some Christian groups, proved unpopular with the electorate and is cited as a key reason for the Conservative party's defeat in the election.
Support for Hezbollah and Hamas
During the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab FederationCanadian Arab Federation
The Canadian Arab Federation was formed in 1967 to represent the interests of Arab Canadians with respect to the formulation of public policy in Canada. It presently consists of over 40 member organizations....
urged the Canadian government to take Hezbollah and Hamas off its list of designated terrorist organizations. CIC president Elmasry wrote that the Canadian Government should "review its 2002 decision to place Hezbollah and Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
on its list of banned alleged terrorist organizations" because doing so "is an unconscionable act of hypocrisy and a mockery of justice" since Canada has not placed Israel on the same list. Elmasry also stated that the decision to place Hezbollah and Hamas on this list was "dictated by special interest groups with agendas that are contrary to peace with justice."
Islamophobia
The CIC has been outspoken in its criticism of a perceived increase in Islamophobia since the September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. It has accused governments and school boards of failing to address harassment and discrimination against Muslims and Arabs and has called for the province of Ontario to launch a public inquiry. At a press conference at Queen's Park, CIC official Wahida C. Valiante
Wahida C. Valiante
Wahida Valiante is currently the National President and founding member of the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Chair of . She is a Canadian trained social worker and therapist who specializes in couple and family therapy, family mediation, domestic violence, and post traumatic stress...
said that "Islamophobia does exist and it's growing." and that "[s]ince 9/11, there has been no effort on behalf of the Ontario government, including the Ministry of Education, to have a comprehensive policy to address the growing isolation and marginalization of Muslim and Arab youth."
Claim that "Pro-Israeli Zionists" are "Playing Manipulative Mind-Games"
In 2006, CIC Vice-President Wahida C. ValianteWahida C. Valiante
Wahida Valiante is currently the National President and founding member of the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Chair of . She is a Canadian trained social worker and therapist who specializes in couple and family therapy, family mediation, domestic violence, and post traumatic stress...
criticized "pro-Israeli Zionists... promote fear of Islam and Muslims through propaganda, and by playing manipulative mind- games on unsuspecting, decent mainstream Canadian and Americans." She also wrote that "the Zionist zealots (neo-conservative Likud Party supporters who yoke Israel's interests to those of America) and rightwing evangelical "millennial" or end-time Christians, both raise the spectre of "Islamic terrorism" as a force that threatens free people everywhere. They know that fear destroys reason, leaving the individual's conscience in the hands of those who instill the fear." She also wrote that "Similarly, Fascism and Zionism achieved their objectives through fear."
Michael Coren Show
On October 19, 2004 CIC President Elmasry appeared in a panel discussion on The Michael Coren ShowThe Michael Coren Show
The Michael Coren Show is an hour-long Ontario-based panel show hosted by Michael Coren which deals with current events and social issues. It aired weeknights on the Crossroads Television System, a multi-faith television network with affiliates in Ontario and Alberta...
to discuss the topic of "What is a terrorist?". During an exchange with the show's host, he stated that anyone in Israel over the age of 18 was a justifiable target of Palestinian attacks. He also criticized the recent bombing
2004 Sinai bombings
The 2004 Sinai bombings were three bomb attacks targeting tourist hotels in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, on October 7, 2004. The attacks killed 34 people and injured 171.-The bombings:...
of hotels in Taba
Taba (Egypt)
Taba is a small Egyptian town near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Taba is the location of Egypt's busiest border crossing with neighboring Israel. Little more than a bus depot and a luxury hotel , Taba is a frequent vacation spot for Egyptians and tourists, especially those from Israel on...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on the grounds that some of the victims there were not Israelis. At first, Elmasry defended his remarks by insisting that he was merely sharing the standard Palestinian point of view. This led to further charges from his critics, who accused him of using the Palestinians as a scapegoat. In a letter to the Toronto Star, he denied having said what he was reported to have said. These remarks prompted harshly-worded responses from representatives of the Canadian Jewish Congress and several prominent Canadian Muslims. Elmasry later apologized for his remarks calling them his "biggest mistake" in 30 years of public life and offered his resignation which was not accepted by the CIC's board.
The Elmasry affair led to criticisms that the media focussed entirely on the comments of the CIC president while neglecting controversial comments made on the same program by a B'nai Brith official, Adam Aptowitzer
Adam Aptowitzer
Adam Aptowitzer is a tax and charity lawyer in Ottawa, Canada. He studied at the University of Ottawa Law School and subsequently opened his own law firm in Toronto, Canada in 2002...
who stated that "When Israel uses terror . . . to destroy a home and convince people . . . to be terrified of what the possible consequences are, I'd say that's an acceptable use to terrify somebody." The remarks only received attention several weeks after the broadcast, and after Elmasry's apology and proffered resignation, when a press release by the Canadian Arab Federation
Canadian Arab Federation
The Canadian Arab Federation was formed in 1967 to represent the interests of Arab Canadians with respect to the formulation of public policy in Canada. It presently consists of over 40 member organizations....
highlighted them. Following the CAF press release, Aptowitzer retracted his comments and resigned his position with the B'nai Brith. Toronto Star city editor John Ferri told the Toronto Stars ombud
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
, Don Sellar, "we all had egg on our faces...[i]t was embarrassing for every paper in the city not to get the whole story from the outset."
In a letter to the Toronto Star following Sellar's column, Elmasary complained about the affair:
Canadian news media - including the Star - launched a relentless and unfair attack against the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) and me while covering up for weeks the outrageous statements made on the same show by Adam Aptowitzer, then the Ontario chairman of the B'nai Brith Institute of International Affairs. While never referring to Aptowitzer's statements, the media used news stories, editorials, op-ed pieces, columns, photos, front-page coverage, cartoons, and radio and television commentaries to paint a negative picture of CIC and myself which seriously distorts and falsifies the truth. It was widely reported, for example, that "Elmasry said all Israelis over 18 were legitimate targets for suicide bombers." This is totally false.
The media never questioned the completeness or the accuracy of the radio show transcript that was given to them. Instead, they totally and completely relied on the heavily selective one provided to them, which was one-sided and referred only to my remarks, but not to those by Aptowitzer.
Controversies involving the former CIC VP, current President, Wahida C. Valiante
In an article written in February 2003, CIC Vice-President Wahida C. ValianteWahida C. Valiante
Wahida Valiante is currently the National President and founding member of the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Chair of . She is a Canadian trained social worker and therapist who specializes in couple and family therapy, family mediation, domestic violence, and post traumatic stress...
wrote:
Unfortunately, the Jewish idea of being "chosen" not only institutionalized racism, but also set a terrible precedent for human history in general, where racial superiority claims became the norm, the divisive standard by which all others, those not like us were to be judged and treated.
Rachael Turkienicz, a professor of Jewish studies and education and an officer of Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
’ Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
region, wrote, in a letter to Valiante, that she had "badly misinterpreted the concept of ‘the chosen people,’ which in fact refers to the relationship between Jews and God and that "It certainly does not connote ‘racial superiority,’" Turkienicz said. The article was guilty of deploying "a purportedly anti-racist message in the cause of its own prejudice.".
After the Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
complained, Ms. Valiente sent the organization a letter acknowledging that her interpretation of the term "chosen people" was "inconsistent with its meaning in the scriptures of the Old Testament."
See also
- Canadian Council on American-Islamic RelationsCanadian Council on American-Islamic RelationsThe Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations is a national Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in Canada. CAIR-CAN is an Ottawa-based, nonprofit organization with a grassroots membership...
- Council on American-Islamic RelationsCouncil on American-Islamic RelationsThe Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
- Islam in CanadaIslam in CanadaAccording to Canada's 2001 census, there were 579,740 Muslims in Canada, just under 2% of the population. In 2006, the Muslim population was estimated to be 0.8 million or about 2.6%. In 2010, the Pew Research Center estimates there were about 0.9 million Muslims in Canada. About 65% were Sunni,...
- Islamic Society of North AmericaIslamic Society of North AmericaThe Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
- Islamic Supreme Council of Canada