Defence Minister cancels Islamic leader’s speech

Defence Minister Peter Mac-Kay has cancelled a speech at National Defence headquarters by the outspoken executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress because of the organization’s “extremist views.”

Imam Zijad Delic was scheduled to address Islamic Heritage Month celebrations at National Defence headquarters in Ottawa on Monday.

“Upon hearing Imam Delic may participate in these celebrations, Minister MacKay took the decision to cancel the Imam’s role based on extremist views promulgated by the Canadian Islamic Congress,” spokesman Jay Paxton said in an email to the National Post.

“The Canadian Islamic Congress has declared that Israelis over the age of 18 are legitimate targets of suicide bombers. These types of comments don’t support Islamic Heritage, they simply divide Canadians, promulgate hate and they have no place in Monday’s celebrations.”

Mr. Paxton said the festivities will instead focus on “the evolution of Islam in the Canadian Forces and the positive contribution of Canada’s muslim community to our society.”

Imam Delic only learned of the cancellation last night from reporters.

He said he was shocked, especially since he had given a public speech at Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2008.

“It’s all motivated politically. There is no truth to what has been said [that the group is radical].”

The Congress gained notoriety four years ago when then-president Mohamed Elmasry said on live television that all Israelis over the age of 18 can legitimately be killed.

Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, in his 2009 address at the inaugural conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission for Combating Anti-Semitism in London, England, used the Congress as an example of organizations in Canada that “express hateful sentiments.”

According to its website, the Congress bills itself as “Canada’s largest national nonprofit and wholly independent Islamic organization. It is an exclusively Canadian non-governmental organization with no affiliation to any group, body, ideology or government, absolutely none.”

Imam Delic, 41, came to Canada from Bosnia and obtained his PhD from Simon Fraser University, according to the Congress’ website.

It said he has worked as a consultant to all three levels of government, as well as to a number of non-governmental organizations, and has lectured on themes of Islam, leadership and educational issues at a number of British Columbia universities and colleges.

In August, Imam Delic was one of several Canadian Imams to sign a fatwa against violence.

The Defence Department’s visible minority advisory group had arranged the Islamic Heritage Month event for Monday morning at the National Defence headquarters. Folk dancers from Bosnia and Herzegovina were to perform for 30 minutes; Imam Delic was to speak for 20 minutes.

The Delic invitation prompted outcries from outspoken evangelical leaders from the Christian right, who blasted the government for its “insensitivity.”

Charles McVety, president of the Institute of Canadian Values, called it a “serious security failure.”

For his part, the Imam said he had planned to talk about Muslim participation in the Canadian armed forces, and how it is important for Muslims to become involved in the struggle against terrorism.

“You do things that you think will contribute, and all of a sudden... now I am not compatible. To me it’s totally senseless. I’m still just gasping. It’s a big insult, it attacks the personality, the integrity.”

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