A "professional whore" ...
 

No, this does not belong in the over 18 sexion ... I'm not allowed in there anyway .... it has to do with government funding of organizations which go beyond free speech and that promote hatred and intolerance. Canadian Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney "is poised to slash federal funding to Canada's largest Arabic group after its president called him a 'professional whore' for supporting Israel." Apart from the obvious redundancy in the comment, should a group promoting anti-semitism ... (president of the Canadian Arab Federation Khaled Mouammar came out with the comment when Kenny criticized the presence of Hezbollah and Hamas flags at anti-Israeli rallies in Toronto; he also criticized Liberal MP Bob Rae because of his wife's involvement in Canada's Jewish community) ... receive government funding? All this came out in an interview Kenney gave with Sun Media in London, where he is attending an international conference on anti-semitism.

Is this the way to go with groups that are content to accept govt. funding, while, at the same time, they are promoting views which are counter not only to govt. policy, but also to the basic principles on which a country is founded. Kenney said "groups are free within legal bounds to say what they like. But groups whose leaders say intolerant or hateful things shouldn't get taxpayer funding. We should not be rewarding those who express views that are contrary to Canada's best liberal values of tolerance and mutual respect."

I agree with the govt. on this one; and I think that Mouammar is a little off the wall when he says that the decision is vindictive and that it promotes Islamophobia.

So, is the govt's response fair? Or is the govt. of Canada being "vindictive"? Should taxpayers fork out large wads of cash to groups who don't wish to become a true part of what it is to be Canadian?

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

free specch is supposed to be for everyone.. not just people who agree with you.. you cant fund one set who agree wiht you and not the other set if you are to be unbiased.

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

Can't agree with this .... the govt. funds lots of groups who disagree with their policies: environmental groups come to mind, and all opposition parties who more or less make a living out of criticizing the current govt. also receive large amounts of govt. funding ... it's not a question of not being able to mouth off at the govt. and your adopted country, it's a question of how you do it ... it is no crime in Canada to deny the holocaust; but it is a crime to use this denial to promote anti-semitism. So I don't think it is merely a question of free speech, but rather one of how taxpayers' money is spent. For example, if an Englishman chooses to stand up in Hyde Park and criticize the govt., he would no doubt be well within his rights. However, he should not be given govt. money in order to fund his activities.

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

Why should any alian group in any country get special goverment funding. That not why we pay our taxes.

I'm fed up with the hovis in downing st, everlasting promising foreign governments our cash for self made disasters. Yet these foreigners can find money for guns to kill us with.

Retlaw.

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

I would also agree with the actions of your government on this, it is very similar to the stance of the UK against groups that set out to promote religious hatred. I would feel the same if it were a Jewish group promoting anti Islam views, because that would also run counter to the traditions of your country in promoting the liberal values of tolerance and mutual respect.

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

Ironically, at the rallies where flags of Hezbollah and Hamas were flown, there were thousands of Canadian jews expressing their solidarity with Palestinians and condemning the actions of the Israeli govt. and military.

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

What sort of groups, are they political organisations?

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

In the direct sense yes: One that comes immediately to mind is the Assembly of First Nations (I don't think that I have to explain this one); in fact, all First Nations receive govt funding, and most exert political and Political pressure on the Feds and the Provinces. Many other groups which have political agendas (jeez, I hate buzz words) also receive funding: womens' groups, groups representing minorities such as immigrants from the West and the East Indies, organizations representing gays and lesbians, groups promoting greater access to abortion (there is still not uniform access to this medical procedure), and groups opposed to abortion .... there are the massive transfers of Federal tax revenue to the individual provinces, few of which have any great love for the Federal Govt.

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

its simple people who do things like cut off funding just over a coment should not fund anything :)

Re: A "professional whore" ...
 

It is anything but "simple" ... this is not about people cutting off funding over an offhand comment; it is about the elected govt. of a democratic nation with traditions of freedom and tolerance every bit as strong as those in Great Britain, making a decision about how public funds should be spent. It is also about a group claiming that our govt. is promoting, as a policy, Islamophobia, which is a crock of horse manure .... there is a current of Islamophobia in Canada, but this is a seperate issue and has more to do with the fact that Canadian troops are fighting and dying in Kandahar than it has with government policy.