Liberal candidate denies pro Islamic remarks
THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS
Chris Clay
The Mississauga-Erindale federal Liberal candidate vehemently denies allegations he made pro-Islamic remarks during his victory speech at the nomination meeting earlier this month.
Omar Alghabra, 36, said the allegations were simply "not true" and were "false and inaccurate.
"I didn't say a thing about Muslims or Islam in my acceptance speech," said Alghabra, who took 488 of the 773 votes cast at the meeting Dec. 2.
"I don't agree with mixing politics and religion. Yes, I'm a Muslim, but I'm also a Liberal, a man and an engineer. The whole thing is untrue."
In a press release issued by the Canadian Coalition For Democracies yesterday, the organization alleges Alghabra said, "this is a victory for Islam. Islam won. Islamic power is extending into Canadian politics."
Erindale resident Sheref Elsabawy, who was at the meeting, said he was "shocked" to hear Alghabra make several pro-Islamic remarks.
Elsabawy, a 40-year-old senior network engineer and Coptic Christian who voted for Alghabra, said, "this was a big warning for us that we could be second class citizens (if Alghabra is elected). He has an agenda.
"I feel embarrassed to have endorsed Omar to the Coptic Christian community," said Elsabawy. "We don't support candidates because they're a Muslim or Christian."
Reached by phone in Ottawa, former Mississauga-Erindale MP Carolyn Parrish, who was at the meeting, said she didn't hear Alghabra make any religious or incendiary comments during his speech.
"I honestly can't say I heard Omar say that," said Parrish, adding she wished Charles Sousa had won the nomination.
"I don't think Omar made those comments and he's not the type of person to say something like that."
Alastair Gordon, president of the Canadian Coalition For Democracies, described his organization as a non-partisan, multi-ethnic body that supports a free and open democratic process locally and abroad.
He said religion should stay out of the secular world and that he would have been equally offended if similar remarks, which he admits to hearing second-hand from several sources, had come on behalf of any religion.
"In essence, the message was an expansionist, Islamic message," said Gordon. "If a Christian had said this, that it was a victory for Christianity and that Christians now had a voice in parliament, I would have gone ballistic."
Alghabra is running against Conservative candidate Bob Dechert, the NDP's Dr. Rupinder Brar and the Green Party's Adam Hunter in the Jan. 23 election.
Chris Clay
The Mississauga-Erindale federal Liberal candidate vehemently denies allegations he made pro-Islamic remarks during his victory speech at the nomination meeting earlier this month.
Omar Alghabra, 36, said the allegations were simply "not true" and were "false and inaccurate.
"I didn't say a thing about Muslims or Islam in my acceptance speech," said Alghabra, who took 488 of the 773 votes cast at the meeting Dec. 2.
"I don't agree with mixing politics and religion. Yes, I'm a Muslim, but I'm also a Liberal, a man and an engineer. The whole thing is untrue."
In a press release issued by the Canadian Coalition For Democracies yesterday, the organization alleges Alghabra said, "this is a victory for Islam. Islam won. Islamic power is extending into Canadian politics."
Erindale resident Sheref Elsabawy, who was at the meeting, said he was "shocked" to hear Alghabra make several pro-Islamic remarks.
Elsabawy, a 40-year-old senior network engineer and Coptic Christian who voted for Alghabra, said, "this was a big warning for us that we could be second class citizens (if Alghabra is elected). He has an agenda.
"I feel embarrassed to have endorsed Omar to the Coptic Christian community," said Elsabawy. "We don't support candidates because they're a Muslim or Christian."
Reached by phone in Ottawa, former Mississauga-Erindale MP Carolyn Parrish, who was at the meeting, said she didn't hear Alghabra make any religious or incendiary comments during his speech.
"I honestly can't say I heard Omar say that," said Parrish, adding she wished Charles Sousa had won the nomination.
"I don't think Omar made those comments and he's not the type of person to say something like that."
Alastair Gordon, president of the Canadian Coalition For Democracies, described his organization as a non-partisan, multi-ethnic body that supports a free and open democratic process locally and abroad.
He said religion should stay out of the secular world and that he would have been equally offended if similar remarks, which he admits to hearing second-hand from several sources, had come on behalf of any religion.
"In essence, the message was an expansionist, Islamic message," said Gordon. "If a Christian had said this, that it was a victory for Christianity and that Christians now had a voice in parliament, I would have gone ballistic."
Alghabra is running against Conservative candidate Bob Dechert, the NDP's Dr. Rupinder Brar and the Green Party's Adam Hunter in the Jan. 23 election.
posted by Marko at 12/20/2005 06:54:00 PM
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