Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced he would cut federal funding to the non-profit Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) after its president, Khaled Mouammar, called him a “professional whore” for supporting Israel.
The CAF received nearly $450,000 from Kenney’s ministry to operate a two-year settlement program in Toronto to help provide new immigrants with language and job search skills. The CAF program is scheduled for renewal in 2010. Kenney said his department is evaluating whether certain groups – including the CAF – should continue to receive public funding, because of their alleged promotion of terror groups and anti-Semitism.
In response to ensuing criticism of the organization, the CAF responded that it is misunderstood. CAF was founded in 1967 to provide a united Arab Canadian voice, and claims to bring balance to “lopsided” media coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict and challenge negative media depictions of Arabs.
