.....following Trudeau’s victory in federal elections last October, 'Omar Alghabra' was appointed to serve as parliamentary secretary to Foreign Minister Stephane Dion. His role is to liaise between the minister and parliament and to answer questions and table reports when ministers are not in the House of Commons.
.......while Alghabra insists his background allows him to have a “unique” perspective and act as a useful bridge between Canada and the Gulf, he has also found himself
targeted for his ethnic background and pro-Palestine views.His fiercest critics have primarily come from the right-wing Toronto Sun newspaper and other publications. Last year, Canadian Jewish Press ran a lengthy story reviving allegations of his so-called Islamist agenda.......The “allegations” refer to
a reported incident in 2006 when an Alghabra supporter allegedly yelled that his election was “a victory for Islam! Islam won! Islam won!… Islamic power is extending into Canadian politics.”................ political commentator
Daniel Pipes who claimed the incident highlighted Alghabra’s support for an "Islamist agenda". He cited Alghabra’s failure to condemn Palestinian suicide bombers in an interview with the Jewish Tribune, ...................Alghabra, however, says he was unfazed by the coverage and flatly denies links to Islamist groups or allegations of anti-Semitism.
Alghabra's boss has found himself embroiled in controversy surround the sale of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and other rich Arab states. In recent months, sales have soared and
Canada is now the world’s second biggest arms dealer in the region, behind only the US.According to the new findings by IHS Jane’s, a defence industry publisher that tracks military spending, Canada’s rise from sixth to the second place
comes on the heels of Canada’s $15bn sale of combat vehicles to Riyadh early this year. The sale was Canada’s largest ever arms deal and went ahead despite the kingdom’s extremely poor human rights record and its leadership of the deadly anti-Houthi campaign in Yemen that began last year.
Human rights groups, Liberal Party politicians and even some key players inside the foreign minister’s own ranks, have spoken out against the deal.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/profile-omar-alghabra-1538104858
