Huge respects to Sohail Raza, president of the Muslim Canadian Congress. Pretty rare to see a Muslim publicly stand up to their Canadian values and system first. Not all Muslims are pro-Hamas and pro-Hezbollah, it turns out.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...article1739841/

Muslim group welcomes cancellation of imam’s speech at DND headquarters

quote:

Defence Minister Peter MacKay drew mixed reaction from the Muslim community Saturday for cancelling a speech by an Islamic group the government has labelled extremist. Mr. MacKay indicated Friday that a member of the Canadian Islamic Congress would not be allowed to speak at a Monday event at National Defence headquarters. Mr. MacKay's spokesman, Jay Paxton, said the Islamic congress has expressed anti-Israeli views that have no place at the event to mark Islamic Heritage Month. Sohail Raza, president of the Muslim Canadian Congress, said he is happy Mr. MacKay cancelled the speech by Imam Zijad Delic. He said comments the Canadian Islamic Congress has made in the past are not welcome in Canada. “I think organizations that speak out against Canadian values should not be invited to any forum,” he said, referring to 2004 comments by Dr. Mohamed Elmasry, a member of the congress, who said Israelis over the age of 18 are legitimate targets of suicide bombers because of mandatory military service. Dr. Elmasry later issued an apology and a retraction. “The Canadian Islamic Congress has publicly been anti-Semitic,” Mr. Raza said. “This is not the kind of garbage we want in our Canadian way of life, so we welcome the stance of Peter MacKay.” Mr. Delic has expressed shock at Mr. MacKay's decision and has called the cancellation “hurtful.” “Monday's celebrations will focus on the evolution of Islam in the Canadian Forces and the positive contribution of Canada's Muslim community to our society,” Mr. Paxton said in an e-mail. Mr. Paxton's statement came after two Christian-based associations began circulating an e-mail that described Mr. Delic's presence at the event as affront to Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan and their families.

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