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Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari Expelled from Ontario PC Caucus for Meeting with Far-Right Activist
6-28-2024
Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari has been expelled from the Ontario PC caucus after meeting with a far-right British activist and anti-Islam campaigner.
A statement released on Friday by Ontario Premier Doug Ford does not name the controversial figure directly but cites Ghamari's "serious lapses in judgment."
"This decision follows repeated instances of serious lapses in judgment and a failure to collaborate constructively with caucus leadership and as a team member," the statement reads.
"While this decision did not come easily, it has become clear that MPP Ghamari can no longer continue in her role within our caucus."
Premier Doug Ford took action after complaints were lodged against her after Ghamari posted a photo of herself with Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, on X.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) expressed outrage over the post, calling Robinson a "well known Islamophobe and criminal."
We are shocked and furious that MPP Goldie Ghamari has decided to once again demonstrate completely unacceptable conduct for a sitting elected official.
MPP Ghamari yesterday decided to post with herself and well known Islamophobe and criminal Tommy Robinson. Robinson went to prison for assaulting a police officer.
He also led the English Defence League (EDL), a group linked with the Islamophobic Norwegian mass shooter who killed 77 people in 2011.
The shooter referred to the EDL as having “noble intentions.” Its supporters have been arrested for plots to bomb mosques, from 2009 to 2014.
Robinson was also recently arrested while in Canada for a number of unlawful breaches. MPP Ghamari was also called out last year for spreading Islamophobic garbage, for which she apologized. No apology is sufficient at this point for her latest ill-advised conduct. Premier
@fordnation
: we ask that MPP Ghamari be immediately removed from caucus.
In response to NCCM Ghamari claimed to be unaware of Robinson's "history," explaining she met with him to discuss Canada's recent decision to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity.
"I condemn all forms of Islamophobia and Antisemitism," Ghamari wrote on X.
"I was not aware of Mr. Robinson's history prior to our meeting. I chose to meet with him because I am an Iranian-Canadian immigrant who has been speaking out on behalf of human rights violations by the Islamic Regime in Iran against Iranians in Iran and their attempts to spy and threaten Iranians in Canada."
So far, Ghamari's only public response to her ouster was on X, where she noted cryptically that "when one door closes, another one opens." The post included a peace sign emoji.
NCCM is welcoming Ford's decision to boot Ghamari from the PC caucus.
"We are glad to see the Premier Ford has made a swift decision in removing MP Ghamari off of the Ontario PC caucus," said NCCM advocacy officer Fatema Abdalla in an interview with CBC.
"Ghamari has a long-standing history of spreading hateful narratives and condoning Islamophobia, and her recent meeting with the well known British Islamophobic criminal Tommy Robinson is just an example of that."
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