Federal subsidies continue to support the work of the Community Media Advocacy Centre, the Montréal consultancy cited for anti-Semitism. A taxpayer-funded academic journal published Centre research even after its senior consultant, Laith Marouf, fantasized on Twitter about shooting Jews, according to Blacklock's Reporter..The periodical Canadian Journal Of Communications in its September issue published a commentary by the Advocacy Centre on the “lens of whiteness” in broadcasting. The Journal is financed by $130,200 from a federal agency, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council..In its Journal Of Communications article, the Advocacy Centre wrote it was committed to “disrupting settler colonialism and oppression in media.” Consultant Marouf earlier claimed Zionists controlled newspapers in Canada..“Structural changes are need at the CRTC because the inclusion of black, indigenous, people of colour and differently abled commissioners does not guarantee subsequent policymaking will address the needs of diverse communities,” said the article. “Thus the pervasive whiteness of the Commission upholds colonial, racist and ableist procedures.”.The article was headlined, “Challenging ‘Apartheid’ On The Canadian Airwaves: The Community Media Advocacy Centre’s Critical And Intersectional Approach To Broadcasting Policy Advocacy, Scholarship And Education.”.The article was approved for publication even after the Department of Heritage revoked its separate $133,822 grant to conduct anti-racism workshops. The grant was pulled on August 22 after complaints Consultant Marouf posted Twitter messages calling Jews “human garbage,” “human feces” and “little castrated b*tches” who deserved to die..“Life is too short for shoes with laces or for entertaining Jewish white supremacists with anything but a bullet to the head,” he wrote. Twitter then suspended his account..The Advocacy Centre also received $433,814 in grants from the Broadcasting Participation Fund Inc., an industry-funded agency that subsidizes intervenors at regulatory hearings under the Broadcasting Act..Federal agencies to date have not explained why cursory background checks were not completed before Marouf’s Advocacy Centre received subsidies. “Over half a million dollars was given to a public anti-Semite, a bigot, a racist,” Conservative MP Rachael Thomas (Lethbridge, Alta.) told an October 21 hearing of the House of Commons heritage committee..Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez testified he had no idea his department subsidized Marouf’s work. “When did you become aware?” asked New Democrat MP Peter Julian (New Westminster-Burnaby, B.C.). “When it came out in the media,” replied Rodriguez..“Are you telling us then all of this took place in your ministry without you being aware of it?” asked Julian. “Correct,” replied Rodriguez.
