El-Farouk Khaki
Encyclopedia
El-Farouk Khaki is a Canadian
refugee and immigration lawyer, and human rights
activist on issues including gender equality
, sexual orientation
, and progressive Islam. He was the New Democratic Party
's candidate for the House of Commons
in the riding of Toronto Centre
in a March 17, 2008 by-election. Khaki came in second with 13.8% of the vote.
, which his family fled in 1971 escaping political persecution. His parents arrived in Canada in 1974 and settled in Vancouver
where Khaki grew up. He earned a law degree from the University of British Columbia
before moving to Ottawa
in 1988 and has lived and worked in Toronto
since 1989. He worked as a political staffer at Queen's Park until 1993 when he left to establish his legal practice. Khaki is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and has been in private practice since 1993.
In 2003, he helped organized the first female-led, mixed-gender Muslim congregational prayers in Canada for the Salaam/Al-Fateha International Conference, and in 2005, organized the first such prayers anywhere to be held in a mosque. He has served on the Toronto Mayor's Committee on Community & Race Relations, on the board of The 519 Community Centre, and is now elected chair of Africans in Partnership Against AIDS.
Khaki regularly speaks publicly at events and in news media on issues ranging from refugee
protection, to the global AIDS
crisis, Canadian multiculturalism
, racism, persecution of sexual minorities around the world, and religious and racial profiling
in the war on terror, among other topics. His appearances include CTV
's morning television program Canada AM
, CBC Radio One
's The Current
, and others.
On April 30, 2007, Khaki won the New Democratic Party
's nomination in Toronto Centre
. Incumbent Bill Graham resigned necessitating a by-election held on March 17, 2008. The by-election was won by Bob Rae.
Khaki was the 2009 parade grand marshal for Toronto
's pride parade.
which lasted eight sittings rather than the usual single session and led to the implementation of sensitivity training for IRB Members and staff on sexual orientation issues.
Khaki continues to specialize in representing before the IRB a variety of severely marginalized social groups, such as persons living with HIV/AIDS and women fleeing domestic violence
or other gender-based persecution.
, in August 2006 until the group split. Khaki and other members including much of the leadership of the MCC created a new organization, the Canadian Muslim Union
(CMU). He also founded, with academic Laury Silvers, and his partner Troy Jackson the El-Tawhid Juma Circle. ETJC is a gender-equal, GLBTQ-friendly space for Friday prayers.
B'nai Brith executive vice-president Frank Dimant said Khaki should be subject to "disciplinary action" by Pride Toronto.
In response, Khaki with his partner Troy Jackson formed the Human Positive foundation, an organization which goal is "Justice, Freedom and Dignity for All peoples " and rejects the idea that criticism of the government of Israel is equivalent to antisemitism.
gala for his role in promoting queer Muslim awareness through Salaam. Reverend Brent Hawkes
of the Toronto Metropolitan Community Church
said of Khaki and the group, "I think Salaam is very important, both locally and internationally, in terms of creating a safe place for people of Muslim tradition to be able to come together both socially and spiritually". Of Khakis role, he said "The work that El-Farouk has done is to help to make sure there is an option there."
In spring 2007, Khaki received the Steinert and Ferreiro Award from the Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal Foundation
for his "major role in paving the way in Canada for refugee protection on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender", and because he "broke ground" in his work on gender equality in the Muslim community. The previous summer, Pride Toronto, one of the world's largest gay-pride festivals, recognized his work building tolerance and inclusiveness in the Muslim community with the 2006 Pride Award for Excellence in Spirituality. Also in 2007, Khaki was honoured with the Canadian Bar Association
's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference Hero Award for contributions made in the area of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people for his work with refugees who are sexual minorities or suffering from HIV
.
|Bob Rae
|align=right|14,187
|align=right|59.2
|align=right|+7.0%
|-
|El-Farouk Khaki
|align=right|3,299
|align=right|13.8
|align=right|-9.9%
|-
|Chris Tindal
|align=right|3,263
|align=right|13.6
|align=right|+8.4%
|-
|Donald Meredith
|align=right|2,982
|align=right|12.5
|align=right|-5.7%
|-
|Animal Alliance
|Liz White
|align=right|123
|align=right|0.5
|align=right|+0.4%
|-
|Doug Plumb
|align=right|97
|align=right|0.4
|align=right|-
|-
|align="left" colspan=2|Liberal
hold
|align="right"|Swing
|align="right"| +8.5
|align="right"|
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
refugee and immigration lawyer, and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist on issues including gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
, sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, and progressive Islam. He was the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
's candidate for the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the riding of Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto , Toronto Centre , Rosedale and Toronto Centre—Rosedale .Toronto Centre covers the heart of...
in a March 17, 2008 by-election. Khaki came in second with 13.8% of the vote.
Biography
He was born in TanzaniaTanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, which his family fled in 1971 escaping political persecution. His parents arrived in Canada in 1974 and settled in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
where Khaki grew up. He earned a law degree from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
before moving to 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...
in 1988 and has lived and worked in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
since 1989. He worked as a political staffer at Queen's Park until 1993 when he left to establish his legal practice. Khaki is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and has been in private practice since 1993.
Activism
Khaki founded Salaam in 1991, a support group for gay Muslims.In 2003, he helped organized the first female-led, mixed-gender Muslim congregational prayers in Canada for the Salaam/Al-Fateha International Conference, and in 2005, organized the first such prayers anywhere to be held in a mosque. He has served on the Toronto Mayor's Committee on Community & Race Relations, on the board of The 519 Community Centre, and is now elected chair of Africans in Partnership Against AIDS.
Khaki regularly speaks publicly at events and in news media on issues ranging from refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
protection, to the global AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
crisis, Canadian multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
, racism, persecution of sexual minorities around the world, and religious and racial profiling
Racial profiling
Racial profiling refers to the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement...
in the war on terror, among other topics. His appearances include CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
's morning television program Canada AM
Canada AM
Canada AM is a Canadian breakfast television news show, which has aired on the CTV Television Network since 1972. It is currently hosted by Beverly Thomson and Seamus O'Regan, with Marci Ien reporting from the headline news desk and Jeff Hutcheson presenting the weather forecast and sports...
, CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
's The Current
The Current (radio program)
The Current is a Canadian current affairs radio program, hosted by investigative reporter Anna Maria Tremonti on CBC Radio One. It airs weekdays starting at 8:37 a.m. local time and runs until 10 a.m. for most of the year, although during the summer the program airs until 9:30 a.m...
, and others.
On April 30, 2007, Khaki won the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
's nomination in Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto , Toronto Centre , Rosedale and Toronto Centre—Rosedale .Toronto Centre covers the heart of...
. Incumbent Bill Graham resigned necessitating a by-election held on March 17, 2008. The by-election was won by Bob Rae.
Khaki was the 2009 parade grand marshal for Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's pride parade.
Refugee law
In 1994, Khaki represented a refugee claim before the Immigration and Refugee Board of CanadaImmigration and Refugee Board of Canada
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada is an independent administrative tribunal. The IRB is responsible for applying the Canadian federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and for making decisions on immigration and refugee matters...
which lasted eight sittings rather than the usual single session and led to the implementation of sensitivity training for IRB Members and staff on sexual orientation issues.
Khaki continues to specialize in representing before the IRB a variety of severely marginalized social groups, such as persons living with HIV/AIDS and women fleeing domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
or other gender-based persecution.
Progressive Islam
Khaki founded Salaam, the first gay Muslim group in Canada and second in the world, in 1993, and organized the Salaam/Al-Fateha International Conference in 2003. He co-founded and served as Secretary General of the Muslim Canadian CongressMuslim 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...
, in August 2006 until the group split. Khaki and other members including much of the leadership of the MCC created a new organization, 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...
(CMU). He also founded, with academic Laury Silvers, and his partner Troy Jackson the El-Tawhid Juma Circle. ETJC is a gender-equal, GLBTQ-friendly space for Friday prayers.
Israel
On May 23, 2009, Khaki made the opening remarks at a Queers Against Israeli Apartheid event to "reignite Toronto’s queer community in the fight against apartheid". Shortly after, B'nai Brith condemned him and implied that he is "part and parcel of the anti-Israel machinery that continues to churn out hateful and divisive propaganda."B'nai Brith executive vice-president Frank Dimant said Khaki should be subject to "disciplinary action" by Pride Toronto.
In response, Khaki with his partner Troy Jackson formed the Human Positive foundation, an organization which goal is "Justice, Freedom and Dignity for All peoples " and rejects the idea that criticism of the government of Israel is equivalent to antisemitism.
Awards
Khaki was honoured at the 2006 Pride WeekPride Week (Toronto)
Pride Week is a ten-day event held in Toronto, Canada, during the end of June each year. It is a celebration of the diversity of the LGBT community in the Greater Toronto Area. It is one of the largest organized gay pride festivals in the world, featuring several stages with live performers and...
gala for his role in promoting queer Muslim awareness through Salaam. Reverend Brent Hawkes
Brent Hawkes
Brent Hawkes, is a Canadian clergyman. Since 1977, he has served as senior pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto for LGBT parishioners, and is one of Canada's leading gay rights activists....
of the Toronto Metropolitan Community Church
Metropolitan Community Church
The Metropolitan Community Church or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is an international Protestant Christian denomination...
said of Khaki and the group, "I think Salaam is very important, both locally and internationally, in terms of creating a safe place for people of Muslim tradition to be able to come together both socially and spiritually". Of Khakis role, he said "The work that El-Farouk has done is to help to make sure there is an option there."
In spring 2007, Khaki received the Steinert and Ferreiro Award from the Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal Foundation
Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal Foundation
Community One Foundation, formerly the Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal Foundation, is a non-profit foundation based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that builds and supports individuals and groups that enhance the development of the LGBTTIQQ2S communities in the Greater Toronto Area including Durham,...
for his "major role in paving the way in Canada for refugee protection on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender", and because he "broke ground" in his work on gender equality in the Muslim community. The previous summer, Pride Toronto, one of the world's largest gay-pride festivals, recognized his work building tolerance and inclusiveness in the Muslim community with the 2006 Pride Award for Excellence in Spirituality. Also in 2007, Khaki was honoured with the Canadian Bar Association
Canadian Bar Association
The Canadian Bar Association represents over 37,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada.-History:The Association's first Annual Meeting was held in Montreal in 1896. However, the CBA has been in continuous existence in its present form since 1914...
's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference Hero Award for contributions made in the area of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people for his work with refugees who are sexual minorities or suffering from HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
.
Electoral record
|-|Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
|align=right|14,187
|align=right|59.2
|align=right|+7.0%
|-
|El-Farouk Khaki
|align=right|3,299
|align=right|13.8
|align=right|-9.9%
|-
|Chris Tindal
|align=right|3,263
|align=right|13.6
|align=right|+8.4%
|-
|Donald Meredith
Don Meredith (Canadian clergyman)
Don Meredith is an ordained minister in Canada, executive director of the GTA Faith Alliance which focuses on the issue of youth violence, particularly involving gangs and guns, and a member of the Canadian Senate...
|align=right|2,982
|align=right|12.5
|align=right|-5.7%
|-
|Animal Alliance
Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada
The Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada is a small registered political party in Canada. It was formed by two organizations, the Animal Alliance of Canada and Environment Voters. The latter had previously been organized as a subsidiary of the former...
|Liz White
Liz White (politician)
Elizabeth "Liz" White is a Canadian politician and animal rights activist residing in Toronto, Ontario. She is the current leader of the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada, a minor federal political party in Canada.-Animal Alliance of Canada:...
|align=right|123
|align=right|0.5
|align=right|+0.4%
|-
|Doug Plumb
|align=right|97
|align=right|0.4
|align=right|-
|-
|align="left" colspan=2|Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
hold
|align="right"|Swing
|align="right"| +8.5
|align="right"|