The head of the Canadian Islamic Congress says he's hurt and insulted that Defence Minister Peter MacKay has cancelled his speech at the National Defence Headquarters over accusations that the Islamic organization holds extremist views.
"I don't know why he decided this. His decision is totally unfounded, it's baseless," Imam Zijad Delic, the executive director of the organization, told CBC News. "This decision tells me quite a lot in terms of how
is disengaged from the Canadian Muslim community.
"It hurts definitely. Knowing my background, knowing what I've done with building bridges with different interfaith groups, this definitely undermines many of the activities we have done," he said.
Delic, a Bosnian Muslim, was invited to speak at defence headquarters on Oct. 4 as part of Islamic Heritage Month celebrations.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/10/01/imam-mackay.html
Friday, October 1, 2010 | 11:52 PM ET
MacKay bans imam’s appearance at event for Islamic History Month
An Ottawa imam who calls himself a bridge builder between Muslims and other Canadians has been barred by the Harper government from speaking at a Defence Department event next week on the grounds that his organization has promoted “extremist views.”
Zijad Delic, national executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress, was scheduled to participate on Monday in a National Defence headquarters ceremony recognizing Islamic History Month.
But Defence Minister Peter MacKay has cancelled the imam’s planned appearance after learning of it Friday. His office issued a statement saying the Canadian Islamic Congress has a record of fomenting hatred and has no place at an event honouring Muslim contributions to this country.
Mr. Delic has previously been cited for efforts to help Muslims integrate into Canadian society. He was one of 13 Canadians included in a 2009 book, The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World, penned by Islamic studies scholars at Georgetown University. One of the book’s editors called Mr. Delic “a scholar who writes about how Muslims can integrate into Canadian society.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/mackay-bans-imams-appearance-at-event-for-islamic-history-month/article1739319/
Some people think they have inherited Harry Potter's powers.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
