Sorry Che, But Clowns Like This Spread the Mistrust Among Us

[Bruce Monkhouse]

 
October 24, 2004 


Cdn. Islamic official regrets 'misunderstanding'


Mohamed Elmasry of the Canadian Islamic Congress. (CP/Jonathan Hayward)
TORONTO (CP) - The president of the Canadian Islamic Congress says he personally does not believe that all Israelis over the age of 18 are legitimate targets of suicide bombers, despite saying so on television last week.

But that has not satisfied critics who were infuriated by Mohamed Elmasry's comments last week. In a release issued Sunday by the CIC, Elmasry said he was trying to express the view of many Palestinians, not his personal opinion.

"Dr. Elmasry did not, does not, and will not condone the widely-held Palestinian view that any form of armed resistance against civilians . . .  constitutes a legitimate military operation against the Israeli occupation, and not a terrorist activity," the release states.

"I sincerely regret that my comments were misunderstood and, as a result, caused offence," Elmasry is quoted as saying in the release.

While appearing as part of a panel discussion on the Michael Coren Live TV show, an Ontario current affairs program, Elmasry said any Israeli over the age of 18 could be attacked because they are all members of the Israeli army.

"Anyone and everyone in Israel - irrespective of gender-over the age of 18 is a valid target?, Coren asked. 
 

"Yes, I would say," Elmasry responded.

Coren said Sunday he has a problem with Elmasry's latest statement, adding that at no point was it apparent that Elmasry was expressing anyone's opinion but his own.

"I find it extraordinary because I asked him about three times to clarify his position because I was so shocked by it, as was everyone on the panel, including the other Muslim guest," Coren said.

"I'm afraid I just do not buy this argument that it's misinterpreted," Coren added. "I actually think the man should resign, he's caused a lot of harm."

Tarek Fatah, a founding member of the Muslim Canadian Congress, agreed that Elmasry should resign and called his explanation "an act of cowardice."

"This is offensive to the Palestinians, that he has shifted the blame of his terrible mistake and immoral attitude towards Israelis and then said, 'Well, I'm not saying this, this is a widely-held Palestinian view.' How does he know?"

The Canadian Jewish Congress echoed those comments.

"The explanation doesn't seem satisfactory at all. He's now saying he's summed up the views of Palestinians, not his own. That doesn't seem fair to the Palestinians," said CJC's national president Ed Morgan, referring to the "widely-held Palestinian view" phrase in Elmasry's statement.

CIC spokeswoman Wahida Valiante called it an issue of semantics and said it is certainly a widely-held Palestinian view that killing any Israeli over the age of 18 is a legitimate practice.

It is also a widely-held Palestinian view that killing any Israeli over the age of 18 is absolutely not a legitimate practice, she said.

"He was referring to the views of some of the Palestinians who believe that is justified . . .  but he wasn't promoting and saying this is his position," she said Sunday in Elmasry's defence.

She said similar quoted comments by Elmasry were taken out of context and were again misunderstood to represent Elmasry's own opinion.

"Islam does not allow (violence) and we've never condoned that and neither has Dr. Elmasry - in his writing, in his speaking," she said. "He's a public figure and he talks on this issue often and he's never made that statement."

In its release, the CIC said it "believes that terrorism - including that by Palestinians - does not advance either cause."

Elmasry was unavailable for comment Sunday

Instead he get "quoted" in a press release,....nice!

 

[winchable]

Well I'm glad that someone from a recognised agency spoke out against it, but I'd imagine it's too late anyhow.


And at least someone made some sense:

In its release, the CIC said it "believes that terrorism - including that by Palestinians - does not advance either cause."

 

[Blindspot]

And here's another one. Really, this is getting out of hand. Call me a racist, because that is invariably what will happen in a conversation like this, but I am finding little sympathy for the muslim community when its leaders continue to blurt out anti-semitic garbage and then suffer absolutely no repercussion within their own community. I bet you if his first name was Klaus or Wolfgang, he would have already been scooped up by immigration and thrown on the first plane back to Old Europe by now.

Cdn Islamic Congress rejects president's offer to resign; police launch probe

Wed Oct 27, 8:08 PM ET  

BENSON LEE

TORONTO (CP) - The Canadian Islamic Congress has refused to accept the resignation of its embattled president even as a police hate crimes unit investigates controversial comments he made on television.

The Islamic group's board of directors said in a statement Wednesday that it accepted an apology from Mohamed Elmasry, but rejected his offer to resign. "He has served our community for more than three decades, teaching and preaching tolerance, moderation and equality," the statement said.

"One unintentional mistake does not wipe out an exemplary record of more than 30 years."

Elmasry was a panelist on Ontario current affairs program Michael Coren Live last week when he said any Israeli over the age of 18 could be attacked because they are all members of the country's army.

"Anyone and everyone in Israel - irrespective of gender-over the age of 18 is a valid target?" host Michael Coren asked.

"Yes, I would say," Elmasry responded.

In a release issued later by the Islamic group, Elmasry said he was expressing the view of many Palestinians, not his personal opinion. He said he regretted that his comments "were misunderstood and, as a result, caused offence."

Coren has said it was not apparent that Elmasry was expressing anyone's opinion but his own.

"I just do not buy this argument that it's misinterpreted," he said.

In his statement to the Islamic group's board of directors Tuesday night, Elmasry again expressed remorse for his comments, calling them the "biggest mistake in my 30 years of public life."

"I apologize for any public remarks I made which offended Canada's Muslim, Jewish, Palestinian and Arab communities and Canadians at large," he said.

"It has always been a core belief of mine that killing civilians . . . is an immoral act of the worst kind and I will never change in this conviction."

Despite Elmasry's contrite apology, Halton regional police will be investigating his televised comments as a possible hate crime.

"We have copies of the interview and we're currently involved in an investigation," Halton regional police Sgt. Jeff Corey said Wednesday.

Jewish groups were swift to condemn the Islamic group for rejecting Elmasry's offer of resignation.

"It is impossible to tell who the Canadian Islamic Congress represents and whether it has any more depth than Professor Elmasry and a few of his colleagues," Canadian Jewish Congress president Ed Morgan said in a statement from Ottawa.

"Therefore his resignation, or non-resignation, means little to right-thinking Canadians."

Allowing Elmasry to remain president "indicates that this organization does not respect the sensibilities of either the Muslim or Jewish communities, nor the wider Canadian public," said Harold Davis, national president of B'nai Brith Canada.

The University of Waterloo, where Elmasry is a professor of computer engineering, is also reviewing the incident.

 

[Slim]

teaching and preaching tolerance, moderation and equality,

I would say, having seen the Micheal Coren episode myself, that what this guy was saying is not consistant with tolerance for others at all. I imagine he has put quite a stain on the Canadian Muslim community. I wonder how they feel about this individual now and do they still think that he speaks for them?

Slim