"It's An Opportunity"

"Our findings indicate that IRFAN-Canada provided $14.6 million in resources to operating partners that were run by officials of Hamas, openly supported and provided funding to Hamas, or have been listed by various jurisdictions because of their support for Hamas or other terrorist entities."
Summary, Canadian Revenue Agency

IRFAN-Canada, still operating within Canada, but with their charitable status revoked as a result of the CRA's investigation of their activities because of its ties to Hamas, an organization recognized by Canada as a terrorist entity, is listed as a "diamond sponsor" of an annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference set to take place in Toronto next week.

That is a dubious connection to begin with.  That the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations has condemned what it characterizes as attempts to "smear" the gathering is another signal that all is not as forthright and innocent as it is meant to appear. 

Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center CEO Avi Benlolo has written to Member of Parliament and aspirant to the Liberal crown, Justin Trudeau, asking that he reconsider his intention to speak at the conference.

"Numerous members of FSWC have conveyed their alarm to me; they are wondering if there is a deeper meaning to his participation, and whether the Liberals are aligning themselves with a belief system that is contrary to traditional Liberal values", reads the letter in part.  The conference is billed as the largest of its kind in the country, and has been well attended in its ten-year life.

A Quebec blogger roused interest in the conference and its connection with IRFAN-Canada which lost its charitable status in 2011 over concerns about its ties to Hamas.  And documents obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency describe IRFAN-Canada as "an integral part of an international fundraising effort to support Hamas".  More than sufficient reason for attention, if not alarm.

Guess it's all a matter of perspective, like most things in life, although one might imagine this issue to be fairly cut-and-dried.  If that wasn't enough to ring alarm bells though, how about the CRA mentioning it had found IRFAN videos at the Mississauga office of the group that "demonize Israel, characterize the Arab-Israel conflict as a religious war, appeal for all Arab and Muslim nations to join in the struggle against Israel and glorify martyrdom."

Damning, from most perspectives unless that perspective is completely canted to values unfamiliar to Canadians.  IRFAN describes itself as an international humanitarian organization.  It accuses the CRA of misrepresenting its relief work.  And claims it has no knowledge whatever of Hamas funding.  And that's good enough - in spades - for Justin Trudeau, the l'enfant terrible of the Liberal Party of Canada.

"Every year members of all political parties go but suddenly I'm going and the Conservative government decides to play politics with it.  It's an opportunity to speak to 20,000 Muslim Canadians about this extraordinary society based on values of openness, of respect that we've managed to build here in Canada.  This level of engagement, this level of optimism and hope for the future is a message that absolutely needs to come out.  And people trying to quash that kind of dialogue and that kind of discourse through intolerant attacks like we've seen is not what has made this country great."

Values and openness, respect and tolerance.  Yes, that certainly sounds like a description of the kind of Islam that promotes religious war and speaks of the struggle against Israel and the glories of martyrdom.  This is exactly what Canada needs a whole lot more of.  To transform the country from an egalitarian, accepting pluralist democracy to a hate-filled discriminatory theocracy.  A key sponsor of the conference supports "a radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization", in the words of the CRA.

And here are more words of the CRA: "Nevertheless, the evidence we have accumulated through our current and previous audits and upon which this letter is based show, in our view, a marked persistence in aiding groups connected to Hamas, the existence of institutional links between IRFAN-Canada and key members within the organization structure of Hamas, and an intent to contribute to the success of Hamas by enhancing its ability to engage in its cause in the manner expressly contemplated by the Hamas Charter."

Pretty thorough and compelling, this investigation and its conclusions by an official arm of the Government of Canada.  But not good enough to convince Justin Trudeau who aspires to become prime minister of Canada.  Heaven help us all.