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EXTREMIST SPEAKER ON AGENDA FOR UPCOMING WEBINAR HOSTED BY THE CANADA-INDIA FOUNDATION (CIF)
8-26-2020
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) is disturbed by the scheduled appearance of an extremist speaker, Sushil Pandit, at a webinar hosted by the Canada-India Foundation (CIF) set for tomorrow.
The CIF has taken a leadership role in fostering stronger bilateral relations between Canada and India. In the past, the CIF stage has been shared by many prominent Canadian MPs, political leaders, and others, including past Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Unfortunately, the CIF has chosen to host a keynote address from Mr. Sushil Pandit for their Webinar Speaker Series on Saturday August 8, 2020.
Mr. Pandit has a history of making deeply problematic, Islamophobic, and extreme statements that should never be given a platform by an organization in Canada.
Mr. Pandit has, in the past, made statements that could be interpreted as:
· Appearing to suggest that there are too many Muslim Rohingya people (even as the Rohingya people suffer from a genocide);
· Referring to Pakistanis as "Pakis", the common derogatory slur, on numerous occasions;
· Arguing that, "A happy hijabi is like a turkey celebrating Christmas;"
· Implying that there is a danger of having too many Muslims in India; and
· Implying that Arundhati Roy, winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, should face jail time for speaking out against Islamophobic and false reports about how the Muslim community was primarily responsible for spreading COVID-19.
NCCM raised concerns with the CIF relating to the attendance of Mr. Pandit and has not yet heard any response.
“No Canadian organization should ever give a platform to hate” said Mustafa Farooq, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims. “Given that Mr. Pandit represents views that are gross, disturbing, and alarming, and the fact that the CIF is continuing to host him, we are also drawing the charitable wing of the CIF to the attention of the CRA.”
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