(Ottawa) Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen has demanded an explanation from an organization that received federal funding for an anti-racism project and one of whose consultants published antisemitic comments on Twitter.
Updated yesterday at 5:47 p.m.
A series of controversial messages published by Laith Marouf have been denounced on social networks. He is a consultant for the Community Media Advocacy Center (CMAC), a non-profit organization supporting community and indigenous media whose mission is to end “colonialism and oppression in the media”.
Laith Marouf’s Twitter account is private, but screenshots of her posts are easy to find. In one, he writes that “Jewish white supremacists” should be “shot in the head.”
“Our position is clear: anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred have no place in Canada,” Minister Hussen said in writing. We expect organizations dedicated to combating racism and discrimination to employ and partner with people who embrace these values. »
He asked the Department of Canadian Heritage to “immediately carry out rigorous follow-ups” with the CMAC. The organization could thus lose the unused portion of its nearly $134,000 grant received under the Anti-Racism Action Program.
The organization announced in April that it would hold rallies in Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, Calgary, Winnipeg and Ottawa to find ways to remove barriers to access, representation and employment for people of color in the media. At the time these lines were written, he had not yet reacted.
No animosity
Laith Marouf’s attorney told The Canadian Press that his client was targeting Jewish white supremacists, not Jews in general, and that he had no animosity toward the Jewish faith.
The President and CEO of the Center for Israel and Jewish Relations (CIJA), Shimon Koffler Fogel, argued that its publications identify Zionists, “of which the vast majority of Jews are a part.” He demands that Canadian Heritage review its policies to prevent other groups that have “values contrary to the Action Program and the fight against racism” from obtaining funds.
With The Canadian Press