Two parallel but opposite press releases just emerged from the Islamist swamps of Ontario.
In the first, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reacted to the suggestion of a (black) Toronto city councilor, Michael Thompson, that the police should as a temporary measure "pull over young black men in their problem communities to ask questions to determine whether or not those young black men are armed, carrying weapons." CAIR responded with utter horror, issuing a press release that calls Thompson's statement "alarming" and fears it sets "a dangerous precedent in legitimizing racism."
In the second, the Canadian Islamic Congress reacted to the appointment of what it called "two influential pro-Israel Liberals to high-profile federal government roles" with a press release announcing that these appointments have the effect of making Canadian Muslims feeling "nervous." The CIC also announced that it wrote "letters of concern" urging a re-thinking of these choices. One went to Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew (about Jonathan Schneiderman as Middle East advisor) and one to Deputy Prime Minister Anne McClellan (about Leo Kolber as chair of her advisory council on national security matters). In a follow-up interview, the National Post paraphrases the CIC head, Mohamed Elmasry saying that Kolber "should be replaced" on the advisory board with a Muslim. Frank Dimant, executive director of B'nai B'rith, responded by noting that the Elmasry "is effectively saying that Jews ought to be automatically excluded from holding positions of influence." (On this point, see the concept of dhimmitude.)
Comment: So, which is it, Islamist organizations? You against profiling or you for it? Or do you disapprove of it for potentially gun-toting blacks and approve of it for potentially pro-Israel Jews? (August 17, 2005)