Kenney says some Canadian Arab groups express hatred toward Jews
Should not expect government funding, immigration minister says
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 | 6:01 PM ET
CBC News
Canada’s immigration minister suggested that organizations like the Canadian Arab Federation and Canadian Islamic Congress should not expect to receive government funding because of their "hateful sentiments" toward Israel and Jews.
"There are organizations in Canada, as in Britain, that receive their share of media attention and public notoriety, but who at the same time as expressing hateful sentiments, expect to be treated as respectable interlocutors in the public discourse," Jason Kenney said in a speech Tuesday at an international conference on anti-Semitism in London.
"These and other organizations are free within the confines of our law and consistent with our traditions of freedom of expression, to speak their mind, but they should not expect to receive resources from the state, support from taxpayers or any other form of official respect from the government or the organs of our state," Kenney said.
'We do see the growth of a new anti-Semitism … predicated on the notion that the Jews alone have no right to a homeland'—Immigration Minister Jason Kenney
"And I would encourage all other governments to take a similar approach to organizations that either excuse violence against Jews or express essentially anti-Semitic sentiments," he told delegates at the interparliamentary London Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism.
Kenney referred to comments made by Mohamed Elmasry, former president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, who three years ago said Israelis over the age of 18 are legitimate targets for suicide bombing because they’ve served in the Israeli army.
Kenney also slammed the Canadian Arab Federation for circulating what he described as propaganda videos on behalf of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He also accused federation president Khaled Mouammar of circulating an e-mail during the 2006 Liberal leadership race asking people not to vote for Bob Rae because of Rae's wife’s involvement in the Jewish community.
Kenney said a new type of anti-Semitism is taking root in Canada that manifests itself in anti-Zionist views.
"We do see the growth of a new anti-Semitism, the anti-Semitism predicated on the notion that the Jews alone have no right to a homeland," Kenney said
Kenney said this isn't about legitimate criticism of the Israeli government.
"The argument is with those whose premise is that Israel itself is an abomination, and that the Jews alone have no right to a homeland. And in that sense anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism," Kenney said.
But Mohamed Boudjenane, executive director of the Canadian Arab Federation, rejected Kenney’s accusations.
Boudjenane stressed that the money his organization receives goes toward helping new immigrants settle into Toronto through language training and job-search workshops.
Kenney’s threats to cut funding would only hurt those people, Boudjenane said.
'Very dangerous' accusation
"It’s a little bit concerning when a minister of the Crown uses taxpayer money as his own to threaten organizations that might not agree with his own political direction," he told CBCNews.ca.
Boudjenane added that it’s "very dangerous" for a minister to accuse an organization of racism and anti-Semitism.
Wahida Valiante, president of the Islamic congress, said her organization doesn’t receive any money from the government. She also questioned why Kenney continues to focus on one incident that happened with the congress's former president, adding that Elmasry has since apologized for his statement about Israeli targets.
"We don’t believe in promoting hatred or anti-Semitism," Valiante told CBCNews.ca. "If he’s trying to divert and stifle the legitimate voice of people expressing their horror of what has happened in Gaza, then he’s not serving the best interests of Canada or Canadians."
