- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Independent
- Spadina—Fort York
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 58%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $144,966.01
- Government Page
- May/29/24 7:31:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on May 9, I asked the government if it was concerned that pro-Hamas entities in Canada are funnelling money to support an illegal encampment at the University of Toronto. Unfortunately, it is very sadly telling of the naïveté of the government that my question touching on an issue of public safety, of foreign interference and foreign financing of an illegal pro-terrorist occupation of a university campus was answered not by the Minister of Public Safety, not by the Minister of Global Affairs and not even by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, but by the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion.
Who is the Liberal government trying to include here? Is it Samidoun, which has been on B.C. campuses? This is a registered Canadian non-profit with a direct affiliation to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a listed terrorist organization since 2003. Is it Hamas or the IRGC, which murdered 55 Canadians on board flight PS752 and is able to continue to operate on Canadian soil with impunity because the government has been too cowardly to designate the IRGC as the terrorists they are? Who is the government trying to include?
The encampments set up at university campuses across Canada are not representative of peaceful protests. In the case of the U of T encampment, it is an illegal occupation comprising mostly external demonstrators for hire who are not even students at the university. Moreover, the vitriolic, hate-filled comments and signs at this site are nothing but anti-Semitic propaganda aimed to intimidate and threaten legitimate U of T students.
We are seeing the normalization of hate and anti-Semitism. Students are being subjected to death threats and assaults. Just yesterday, I was at OCAD University with Samantha Kline. Samantha is suing OCAD because of its inaction. OCAD chose to turn a blind eye to the death threats that Samantha was receiving, and OCAD chose to ignore the threats of sexual violence toward Samantha's mother. I guess I should not have been surprised when I saw that a group claimed it was from OCAD and supported the illegal encampment at U of T. This is not normal, but it is rapidly becoming the new norm in our country.
These types of peaceful protests are anything but peaceful. They are certainly not a reflection of the Canada we aspire to be. Enough is enough. Governments at all levels must be seen to take action to restore the safety of our educational institutions and indeed our streets. These sham protests are being funded by shadowy pro-Hamas entities that are supporting a listed terrorist organization. Also, the government, in choosing to ignore violence, threats, anti-Semitic slogans and other forms of hate propaganda, is making a complete mockery of Canada's laws.
I want to ask the parliamentary secretary whether it is government policy to turn a blind eye to the violent protests abetted by Hamas supporters. If so, perhaps the government is unaware that when an ostrich sticks its head in the sand, its most vulnerable part sticks out.
I will ask this again. Is there any concern by the government over what is happening on our campuses and streets? Are there any investigations being conducted by the RCMP or our security service agencies? Also, what exactly does it take for mob rule to overtake the rule of law? How far will government go to ignore what is going on? If Canada supposedly has hate propaganda laws, what is required for such laws to be enforced? Is it the government's strategy to just duck its responsibility and pass the buck to other levels of government to handle until these sham protests go away, or does someone have to die before the government finally acts?
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- Mar/21/24 7:14:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on December 14, I raised with the Minister of International Development the numerous media reports of UNRWA employee involvement in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel.
I asked if the minister still held the view that regardless of an UNWRA employee literally holding an Israeli citizen hostage, he still regarded UNWRA as a “trusted” agency. This is important because, unlike the minister, several UNWRA donor countries, our allies, did not share that same glowing view and quickly suspended funding to UNWRA pending an investigation.
How is it possible for UNWRA to be held in such high esteem by the minister and the Liberal government when evidence indicates UNWRA is joined at the fanatical hip of Hamas?
I am glad the minister was able to at least admit allegations against UNWRA were “very disturbing” and that Canada’s concerns had been expressed to the head of the agency. These concerns should be clearly conveyed because, and I do not think members would be surprised to hear this, but Canadian taxpayers are not keen on funding listed terrorist organizations.
On February 1, in response to my question, the minister said that the government was awaiting the results of the UN investigation and did not want to “jump to conclusions”, but the investigation’s final report is scheduled to be published on April 20, and the Liberal government restored UNWRA funding on March 8.
Does the minister have a secret ability to time travel? Did the government know something no one else did? It did not wait for anyone to jump, or not jump, to conclusions. It simply made its own. Moreover, on March 8, the Liberal government reinstated UNRWA funding, despite the ongoing UN investigation and despite the fact that the government had been briefed with additional information that very morning of that same day.
What led Canada to jump the gun on resuming UNWRA funding? I thought the minister had said they would wait for the results of the investigation. How would the Canadian government know what that final report had found when the investigation has not finished and the report has not even been published yet?
Instead, let us examine what the Liberal government did know prior to its decision to restore funding to UNWRA on March 8. It knew that Hamas is deeply embedded in UNRWA and in key posts. It knew that Hamas members dominate UNWRA’s education system. It knew that Hamas uses UNWRA facilities for military activities. It knew that UNWRA’s education system incites hatred and even glorifies suicide bombers.
On that Friday afternoon of March 8, when the Liberal government reinstated funding, it also knew that at least 15 UNWRA employees were involved in the October 7 terror attack. It also knew that nearly 2,000 UNWRA employees, more than just a few bad apples, but one in six, are members of a terror organization. That is the extent of what our government knew, yet it still decided to reinstate funding.
Let us not stop there. It also knew that there are six UNWRA school principals in Gaza who are Hamas members. As well, 11% , or one in nine, of UNWRA’s facilities contain terror infrastructure.
What kind of madness has permeated the Government of Canada to restore funding to an agency more concerned with the advancement of terror than it is with any humanitarian work on behalf of the innocent Palestinian people?
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- Feb/8/24 6:05:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on November 6, I asked the government if it would take any action to address hatred targeting Jewish communities by pro-Hamas terror rallies across Canada.
There were rallies in Toronto where genocidal slogans called for violent acts against innocent people. At a solidarity rally at Queen's Park, where I proudly stood with Toronto's Iranian and Jewish communities, a Jewish woman was later assaulted for the simple act of holding a poster of a hostage. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize that person, Olga, whom I have since gotten to know. I want to thank Olga for her advocacy and countless others for calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the 136 hostages still being held by Hamas. Hamas and the militants holding the hostages should release them so that a path to peace, a just and durable peace, in the Middle East can be possible.
I asked the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada why he was being so silent on the grotesque and illegal displays of anti-Semitism, hatred and public incitement. Honestly, I just could not understand why he was turning a blind eye to these rallies in Toronto, in the city where he is also an MP, that were clearly supportive of Hamas, a listed terrorist organization. I reminded the minister that Canadians believe in the rule of law, not mob rule. I asked him if he was engaging his provincial and territorial counterparts to ensure that Canada's hate propaganda laws were being enforced.
In response, the Minister of Public Safety indicated that the government was far from being silent. He claimed that he condemned all incitements to violence and all expressions of hate and that, allegedly, the government is there for all communities. The key word in the minister's response was “all”. Sure, other than Hamas and other terrorists, who would not be against all hate and stand for all communities, except since October 7, all communities are not being targeted. It is one particular community that is being disproportionately targeted, and that is the Jewish community in Toronto and across Canada. Protesters only seem to care about intimidating innocent Canadians who are Jewish. It is Jewish-owned businesses in Toronto, and in my riding, that are being vandalized. It is Jewish schools receiving bomb threats, and it is even a Jewish-owned deli that was firebombed in Toronto.
This evening, I want to focus on a specific, tangible action that the government can take, but thus far has not. I would like to ask if the government will follow in the leadership of two democracies, Austria and Germany, two nations that know all too well the levels that hatred and anti-Semitism can lead to. Both states have banned the use of the protest slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. Freedom of expression does not mean someone has the right to call for genocide, and the Austrian and German governments are painfully aware of the true meaning of the slogan in Hamas terms, which calls for the elimination of the State of Israel.
Just yesterday, a motion was filed in the Dutch Parliament to do what the Austrians and Germans have done. Therefore, I would like to ask if the government will take this tangible action to actually fight hate in Canada against an identifiable group and a minority, the Jewish community.
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- Nov/6/23 7:00:48 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on October 26, I asked the government to address the alarming incidents of anti-Semitism, intolerance and intimidation being displayed by pro-Hamas supporters.
We are seeing on streets across Canada pro-Hamas rallies calling for the boycott or swarming of Toronto businesses just because they are owned by Jews. That is repulsive.
Last week, we saw the offices of MPs and MPPs defaced. A Jewish woman was physically assaulted after leaving a peaceful rally at Queen’s Park. Only two days ago, for a second time in as many weeks, another Jewish-owned business in my riding was targeted, with an escalation from the first incident of simple harassment of staff and their customers to now vandalism. Next, will they break the windows?
Tragically, we are about to mark the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht on November 9, the Night of Broken Glass, when Nazis unleashed a wave of violence, vandalism and arson on Jewish-owned businesses, homes and synagogues. They even desecrated Jewish cemeteries.
What is the point of Canada’s hate propaganda laws if they are not enforced? With every incident left unanswered, there is more violence, more intimidating actions and more slogans propagating hate.
It is sadly ironic that November is Holocaust Education Month, a month that provides an opportunity for Canadians to learn about what occurred to the Jewish people under the Nazis. It is to provide an opportunity to learn about anti-Semitism.
Since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, which killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands injured, Canadians have seen a number of pro-Hamas terror rallies on our soil. These rallies have glorified Hamas, a listed terror organization in Canada.
As I noted earlier in question period, we hear genocidal chants at these pro-Hamas rallies, chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” That slogan is commonly understood as a call for the ethnic cleansing of Jews and the dismantling of the Jewish state. Furthermore, the chant’s origins are linked to Hamas and is regularly used by Hamas terrorists.
On Oct. 9, at a rally at Nathan Phillips Square, right in front of Toronto City Hall, we heard calls for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, to carry out more attacks in Israel, just two days after its members had massacred over 1,400. In another chant, there was a call for the brigades to blow up Ben Gurion airport. These chants are clear examples of hate speech. They are in clear violation of Canada’s hate propaganda laws.
As noted in a B’nai Brith release on October 10, “According to sources at the rallies, those in the crowd in Toronto embraced and lauded the individual who carried the flag of Hamas and others who displayed placards containing genocidal slogans.”
Enough is enough. I asked the government today during question period why the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada has been silent on such grotesque displays of anti-Semitism and incitement. Even though he was literally up one minute before my question to answer a friendly Liberal question, he was either unable or unwilling to answer mine.
Therefore, I will ask the parliamentary secretary my question. Has the minister discussed with his provincial and territorial counterparts the need to enforce Canada’s hate propaganda laws, yes or no?
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- Nov/6/23 3:16:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are witnessing the glorification of terrorism and incitement of hatred against the Jewish community at pro-Hamas terror rallies across our country.
At a Queen's Park rally in Toronto, genocidal slogans called for violent acts against innocent civilians. B'nai Brith has reported these rallies that support a listed terrorist organization.
Why has the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada been silent on such grotesque displays of anti-Semitism and incitement? Has he asked his provincial and territorial counterparts to enforce Canada's hate propaganda laws? Canadians believe in the rule of law, not in mob rule.
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- Jun/15/23 3:15:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on June 10, Canada seized a Russian aircraft at Pearson airport. Global Affairs Canada said it is working with Ukraine on “options to redistribute this asset to compensate victims of human rights abuses”.
Why then is the government fighting the families of victims of flight PS752 from using an Ontario superior court ruling to allow them to seize assets and obtain compensation from Iran? Why is the government protecting a ruthless regime and its murderous IRGC terrorists? Why is the government standing with terrorists instead of grieving Canadian families?
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- Jun/1/23 2:37:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today marks 1,241 days since the IRGC murdered 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents among 176 people killed when Flight PS752 was shot down. One of them was my friend.
Last year, on the 1,000th day, Iranian Canadians came to Ottawa to get justice for those innocent victims and get action on Iranian operatives who threaten and intimidate Iranian Canadians on our own soil. They also wanted their government to finally designate the IRGC as terrorists, but they got only useless platitudes.
On June 11, when they return to Parliament Hill, will they again receive empty promises?
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- Oct/4/22 2:00:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it has been 1,000 days since Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752 was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: 167 passengers and nine crew murdered; 57 Canadian citizens murdered; 138 students and academics returning to Canada to attend or teach at our universities murdered.
One was Dr. Mohammad Amin Jebelli. He was my friend. He was a student of mine at the University of Toronto. Amin was always willing to help out. He was always there to ensure no student was left out. I will never forget him.
The Iranian regime, the murderers of Zahra Kazemi, Mahsa Amini and all those on PS752, must be made to understand that the passage of time will never erase its crimes nor fade the memories that we hold of its victims.
The Holy Quran commands “to act against those who oppress people and transgress in the land against all justice.” Canadians demand their government hold that regime accountable and to finally declare the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
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