Action Alert: Stop Funding Hate
Action Alert: Stop Funding Hate
We were appalled at the news last week that the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage has been providing funding to the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC), despite CMAC retaining and providing a platform to ‘anti-racism’ trainer Laith Marouf, who has been exposed for tweeting extreme, violent, and antisemitic statements. We condemn this unacceptable behaviour – especially by an individual working in an organization purporting to be dedicated to fighting racism and discrimination.
Marouf’s posts have called explicitly for violence against Jews. They have denied Jewish identity, falsely accused Jews of violence against Muslims, and claimed there are “Jewish Supremacists” who are “white Jews who adopted Nazism and created Zionism.” In the past, he also targeted francophones, referring to Quebecers as “French frogs” who have a “lower IQ.”
Canadian Heritage provided $133,822 in funding to CMAC under the Anti-Racism Action Program for the “Building an Anti-Racism Strategy for Canadian Broadcasting: Conversation & Convergence,” in which Mr. Marouf was a speaker at events in Montreal, Vancouver, and Halifax.
This is not the first time Canadian Heritage has funded a group amplifying hate and antisemitism.
The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) has received $349,210 from Canadian Heritage under the same Anti-Racism Action Program. However, at its annual convention, MAC included speakers who explicitly promoted anti-Jewish, anti-LGBTQ2+, and misogynist statements. MAC has been condemned by Muslim human rights activists for giving these speakers a platform.
By allowing such hate, these organizations counter the core values of not only the Anti-Racism Action Program but also of the Government of Canada – and of Canadian society as a whole.
The Minister for Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen has condemned Mr. Marouf’s actions, calling them “unacceptable behaviour. Canadian Heritage has suspended CMAC’s funding, and has demanded an explanation from CMAC on how they came to retain Mr. Marouf.
This is a good first step, but Canadian Heritage must also explain how it vetted CMAC, as Mr. Marouf was openly and publicly connected to CMAC.
Canadian Heritage must:
Immediately suspend funding all groups abusing anti-racism funds.
Conduct a full internal review of the Anti-Racism Action Program and how these groups were vetted and approved.
Put policies in place to stop government funding from ending up with groups that provide a platform for or directly promote hate.