Letter to Editor – Globe and Mail

6 February 2014

Editor

Globe and Mail

Re: Omer Aziz, “Why Stephen Harper owes Canadian Muslims an apology,” 5 February 2014

Fellow Muslim Omer Aziz errs in his defence of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) against prime ministerial accusations of radical-Islamic connections.Mr. Aziz feels only twisted logic could connect the NCCM to hardliners.He imagines Ottawa’s conclusion was reached – wrongly, in his view – by tracing a line from the NCCM to the US-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, and ultimately to a defunct American organization – the Islamic Association of Palestine – an alleged Hamas front.

True, IAP’s radicals set up the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).But CAIR itself became an unindicted co-conspirator in its own right, in the successful US Holy Land Foundation prosecution, the biggest terror-funding trial in US history. (http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/1425.pdf)And the NCCM is in substance the CAIR organization’s Canadian branch, a branch which only last year changed its name from the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) to NCCM.

How do we know the NCCM is CAIR-CAN?The NCCM told us so in its own July 2013 name-change announcement: “We remain the same organization …”[Seebelow.]

From one Muslim to another: such groundless attacks on Government needlessly alarm Canadian Muslims, and encourage the misleading and dangerously divisive “Muslim victimhood narrative.”

Please stop it.

Raheel Raza

President, Council of Muslims Facing Tomorrow

Tel: 416-505-6052

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NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CANADIAN MUSLIMS

Your Voice. Your Future.

– For Immediate Release –

CAIR.CAN Evolves – Introducing the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)

(Ottawa, Canada – July 6, 2013) The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR.CAN), a prominent national Muslim civil liberties organization founded in the year 2000, today proudly unveiled its new name and logo.

“As of July 6, 2013, CAIR.CAN will be known as the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) or the Conseil National des Musulmans Canadiens (CNMC). This change represents a natural evolution for the organization. Our new name better reflects the Canadian heritage and focus of the organization as well as its ongoing vision to be a leading voice that enriches Canadian society through Muslim civic engagement and the promotion of human rights,” says NCCM Board Chair Kashif Ahmed.

“In thirteen short years, CAIR.CAN has developed from a fledgling organization into one whose professionalism and accomplishments in the fields of civil liberties, media engagement, advocacy and outreach have positioned it as a leader in promoting civic engagement and mutual understanding between Canadian Muslims and their fellow citizens. We are proud to move forward from strength to strength under our new name,” says NCCM Vice-Chair Khalid Elgazzar.

“We remain the same organization our constituents and partners have come to rely on to represent a broad and diverse spectrum of Canadian Muslims. Our vast body of work is a matter of public record and of which we are very proud. Under our new name, we will both continue and widen our work as successful advocates for civil liberties and champion the role of diverse communities in upholding Canadian pluralism,” says NCCM Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee.

Today, the organization is holding concurrent launch events in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver to announce the new name to communities and supporters.

CONTACT:Ihsaan Gardee, NCCM Executive Director, 613.254.9704 or 613.853.4111

Kashif A. Ahmed, NCCM Board Chair, 613.254.9704

Khalid Elgazzar, NCCM Vice-Chair, 613.254.9704

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P.O. Box 13219, Ottawa, ON, K2K 1X4 tel: 1-866-524-0004 fax:613-254-9810 email: info@nccm.ca www.nccm.ca

Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations/National Council of Canadian Muslims, “CAIR.CAN Evolves – Introducing the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM),” caircan.ca, 6 July 2013, http://www.caircan.ca/NCCM_PR.PDF (accessed 9 August 2-13).