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Breadcrumb Trail Links Columnists Canada Laith Marouf is pictured in Montreal in this photo taken on July 19, 2010. Photo by Peter McCab /Postmedia Network files Article content
Whats worse, shaking hands with a man deemed to be a racist with extremist views or handing over taxpayers money to run a government-backed program?
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There were two stories on this front over the last week and some seem to think the handshake is the worst thing that couldve happened.
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Lets make no mistake, racism is alive and well in Canada. Pretending there are no racists in this country is like pretending the sky is green.
We arent quite in the situation some activists would have us believe with a racist behind every corner and every cause they dont agree with. Thats been the approach of the Trudeau government in many ways, calling those they disagree with racist, misogynist people with undesirable views.
Yet, over the last week, the Trudeau government has been facing some tough questions over funding a man with racist views to run anti-racism programs. Theyve tried to deflect from this by saying their $133,000 contract for training was actually with the Community Media Advocacy Center and not Laith Marouf himself.
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That sounded plausible at first, but we have since learned that Marouf and CMAC are essentially one in the same. The address for the organization is apparently his home, the phone number listed on the organizations website and on government documents is his cell number.
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It makes me wonder if all the nasty things hes said about Israel, Jewish white supremacists, Francophones and Black Americans were typed out on that phone, the one he told the government to contact CMAC on. That there was no vetting of this organization seeking funding from the department of Canadian Heritage is now clear.
Maroufs lawyer has said that Marouf does not have any animus toward the Jewish faith as a collective group and emphasized that his tweets made a clear distinction between Jewish White Supremacists and Jews in general.
Obviously, this is difficult to understand or accept.
Now on the other hand, we have the story that is driving Liberals mad, that Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre shook hands with a man named Jeremy Mackenzie. Upon hearing his name and demands that I write stories on this atrocity, I did what the bureaucrats handing out money to CMAC and Laith Marouf didnt do I Googled him.
Mackenzie is facing numerous firearms charges after and RCMP raid on his Nova Scotia home earlier this year. Hes also been charged with harassing Nova Scotias chief medical officer over COVID policies. Not exactly a national figure Poilievre should know.
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Jeremy Mackenzie, founder of Diagolon, just posted a picture to his Telegram of him shaking hands with Pierre Poilievre.
Its unclear when the photo is from, but it looks like its from one of Poilievres campaign meet and greets. pic.twitter.com/scAauQyhfG
Rachel Gilmore (@atRachelGilmore) August 20, 2022
Mackenzie is also associated with a group called Diagolon which, depending on who you believe, is either a big internet joke or a terrorist group (Mackenzie has denied that his statements could incite violence). Mackenzie has been described as a racist in several media reports (which he denies) and its on that basis that there have been demands for Poilievre to denounce him after he shook his hand in a photo line at a recent event.
I denounce racism and anyone who spreads it. I didnt and dont know or recognize this particular individual, Poilievre said in response to media requests.
That should have been the end of it, but some want to paint Poilievre as evil.
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Politicians of all stripes get caught in situations like this, someday I might. When youre in the public eye, all kinds of people stop and ask you for a photo, you dont know who they are or have time to watch them.
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Trudeau has been photographed in similar circumstances with known racists or people who have been accused of horrible sex crimes. He couldnt have known that at the time and cant be held responsible, but now his supporters want to hold Poilievre accountable for the same sin.
Theres a huge difference between taking a quick photo at a public event and having the government fund someone with a long track record of saying vile things. One is preventable, the other isnt.
Before Liberals starting screaming racism from the rooftops this week, they best take a long look in the mirror.
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