August 4, 2006
MCC expresses outrage at Ignatieff's statement on Lebanon
Demands he apologize to all Lebanese

The Muslim Canadain Congress has expressed outrage at the comments of Liberal leadership hopeful, MP Micheal Ignatieff who, while commenting on the Qana masscre in Lebanon, told a reporter, he would "not lose sleep" over the incident. In a harshly worded statement issued today, MCC demanded that Ignatieff apologize for his callous disregard for the lives of innocent Lebanese children.

The Muslim Canadian Congress is also questioning liberal leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff's motives for calling a ceasefire in the Mid East almost four weeks into the bloody conflict.

Moreover, Ignatieff's reasons for calling a ceasefire only take the Israeli perspective into account without once commenting on the horrific suffering inflicted by Israeli air strikes on the Lebanese and Palestinians.

In an interview to the Toronto Star he stated that "it was very important for Israel to send Hezbollah a strong message that kidnapping soldiers and firing rockets on Israel will not be tolerated." His comments are one-sided as they do not take into consideration the reported daily Israeli incursions into the territories it continues to occupy.

Also, Ignatieff's reason for not drawing Iran and Syria into the conflict are purely for "diminishing set of returns in Israel's pursuit of security."

In his one-sided appraisal of events in the Middle East, Ignatieff has clearly aligned himself with the Bush administration as well as the conservative government in Ottawa. This is not reflective of Canadian values or of Canada's role as a middle power in the mid east conflict. He has also supported (by voting against the majority in his party) the continued presence of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

In the past Ignatieff has also justified the use of torture.

His statements to the Toronto Star demonstrate a callous disregard for human life and dignity as well as the Geneva Conventions. Moreover, they display a shocking lack of insight into foreign affairs. The first Israeli invasion of Lebanon created the Hezbollah. This latest Israeli invasion of Lebanon has made it immeasurably stronger. A sane human being can only conclude that Israel's real purpose in invading was to ensure that it maintains a healthy stock of enemies to help justify its continued oppression of non-Israelis.

Mr Igniatieff owes the Lebanese people an apology, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the the catastrophe at Qana.