A former vice-president of the Canadian Arab Federation is not backing down after posting “F--- Canada Day” on his personal Facebook page.
Omar Shaban, a university student in his early twenties, resigned from the CAF’s executive on Wednesday night after his comments, which also referred to Canada as a “genocidal state,” provoked an online backlash. Rather than apologize for his remarks, however, he published an extensive blog post on Thursday defending them.
“I regret the dark history this country has,” he wrote. “We are only lying to ourselves if we deny the dark past that Canada was founded on. Canada Day is seen as tragic by its true indigenous population. When Canada Day is celebrated for true freedom and not mourned by the indigenous population of Canada for its colonial and dark past, I will gladly show them my support.”
Earlier this week, Mr. Shaban posted on Facebook that he “couldn’t be more ashamed to be Canadian.” He also wrote, “Might as well kill more natives ... as a token of support for this genocidal state.” As opposition swelled on Canada Day, the CAF released a statement distancing the organization from Mr. Shaban, saying it “is proud of its Canadian identity and heritage” and the comments “in no way reflect of CAF nor its feelings towards Canada.”
Mohamed Boudjenane, the CAF’s executive director, referred to Mr. Shaban’s comments as a “stupid faux pas.”
“He made a stupid mistake we don’t agree with, he resigned and the board accepted his resignation,” Mr. Boudjenane said. “Omar Shaban is a young activist.... Obviously he holds certain views in respect to first nations’ rights and he expressed them on Facebook. That has nothing to do with CAF as an organization, but they will be used against us. We’re not surprised.”
Mr. Shaban’s online commentary came at a particularly bad time for the CAF, an umbrella organization that represents 40 Arab groups. In April, the group lost nearly $2-million in federal funding after its president referred to Jason Kenney, the Immigration Minister, as a “professional whore” for his support of Israel. In his blog post, Mr. Shaban fired back at the CAF’s characterization of his departure. “I resigned from CAF because I do not want to be part of an organization that openly refuses to acknowledge Canada’s colonial and shameful history,” he wrote. “When the country I was born in, shames me with its colonial mindset, I refuse to celebrate it, and will not apologize for refusing to do so,” he went on. “I WILL celebrate Canada Day, only when it is accepted as legitimate by the indigenous people.”
Mr. Boudjenane also defended the CAF’s record on indigenous issues. “That’s his opinion. We’re not going to engage in debate with him [Mr. Shaban],” he said.
Mr. Shaban’s latest comments angered Tarek Fatah, founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, who drew attention to Mr. Shaban’s original posts on Facebook. “He’s hiding behind the plight of the aboriginals,” said Mr. Fatah, a vocal critic of the CAF. “This is a very convenient shield behind which many Islamists hide.”
Mr. Shaban fired back at Mr. Fatah. “Tarek Fatah has a clear anti-Arab agenda. He takes many things out of context. He has attacked CAF before,” Mr. Shaban said in a phone interview.
Mr. Shaban also accuses Mr. Fatah of taking quotes from his Facebook profile out of context and of portraying him of having an Islamist agenda.
Mr. Shaban’s blog post went on to apologize to indigenous people “because they had to be slaughtered, killed, massacred, diseased and dispossessed to establish Canada.” He has since received supportive emails from members of the native community for taking a stand.
According to the CAF’s website, Mr. Shaban, 22, was born in Canada and raised in Lebanon. He is a third year international relations student at the University of British Columbia