The Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD), Stockwell Day (Official Opposition Critic, Foreign Affairs), and David Bedein (Bureau Chief for the Israel Resource News Agency) released a report connecting the International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy (IRFAN Canada), a federally incorporated charitable organization (Charity Registration Number 885408849RR0001) to Hamas, a group that has been designated an illegal terrorist organization by the Canadian government.

In May 2000, a confidential memo from the Privy Council identified several Canadian charities acting as terrorist fronts. The memo stated: “Front groups operating in Canada include the Jerusalem Fund for Human Services (Hamas Front)”.

“We have a situation in Canada where the Jerusalem Fund was identified by the government as a Hamas front. Then a new entity, IRFAN Canada, is granted legitimacy and tax-deductibility as a registered charity by the government, despite having the same address, same fax number, and same senior official, Mr. Rasem Abdel-Majid, as the Jerusalem Fund,” said Alastair Gordon, Director of Communications for CCD. “A 30-minute Google search turned up all these facts.”

“Our government claims to be cracking down on charities that fund terrorism,” added Gordon, “yet even the most basic research of the government’s own tax records would have called IRFAN into question.”

CCD is calling on the government to begin an immediate investigation of IRFAN Canada to determine if (1) it has breached its obligations as a registered charity, and (2) if charges should be laid under Canada’s anti-terrorism laws.

“Directly or indirectly funding Hamas is a criminal offense in Canada,” said Naresh Raghubeer, executive director of CCD. “Yet it appears that our foreign aid and charitable tax dollars are being used for just such a purpose, all with the blessing or indifference of Paul Martin’s government.”

IRFAN Report

IRFAN: A Hamas front organization operating in Canada
CanadianCoalition.com/IRFAN/IRFAN_Hamas_Report.html

Related Reports

UNRWA: Links to Terrorism
CanadianCoalition.com/unrwa/UNRWA_TerrorReport.html

Reuters video: Terrorists escaping in UN ambulance (58 seconds)
canadiancoalition.com/unrwa/Reuters-UNAmblulance-110504.wmv

For additional information, please contact:
Alastair Gordon
Director of Communications
Canadian Coalition for Democracies
PO Box 72602
345 Bloor Street East
Toronto, ON M4W 3J0 Canada
Web: CanadianCoalition.com
Tel: 416-486-8784
Cell: 416-809-5561
416-452-6957
Fax: 360-294-2839
Email: admin@CanadianCoalition.com

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