American Islamic advocate appears at heated Montreal debate over Israel and Gaza
A controversial anti-Israel motion drew protesters to Montreal City Hall, including Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Connecticut chairman Farhan Memon, raising questions about U.S. political influence in a Canadian municipal debate.
Montreal City Hall became the scene of a political confrontation Monday as pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside while councillors debated a controversial Projet Montréal motion on Israel and Gaza.
The original resolution called on Montreal to recognize what Projet Montréal described as “apartheid” in Palestine and a “genocide” in Gaza, while urging the city to suspend institutional ties with Israel. Jewish, Greek and Italian community representatives opposed the proposal, warning it could deepen tensions in an already divided city.
Rebel News journalist Alexandra Lavoie was outside City Hall documenting the demonstration, where dozens of protesters filled the area around the entrance after the council chamber reached capacity. Alexa said she faced hostility from some demonstrators while attempting to interview participants.
During the protest, Alexa noticed a man wearing a CAIR shirt photographing and recording the scene. She later identified him as Farhan Memon, chairman of CAIR Connecticut, an American chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
His presence raised an obvious question: why was the head of an American political advocacy organization attending a contentious municipal debate in Montreal? His presence alone, however, does not establish foreign coordination or interference.
CAIR has faced years of political scrutiny in the United States over alleged links to, and foreign-funding concerns about, groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
Alexa also found a public photo showing Memon with Islamic speaker Navaid Aziz, who previously spoke in Montreal about building Muslim economic power and using that influence to pressure governments.
As tensions outside City Hall escalated, Alexa approached Montreal police and asked officers to intervene.
Ultimately, the most controversial language did not survive. Councillors removed the references to “genocide” and “apartheid,” along with the proposal to suspend ties with Israel. The heavily amended motion passed 54–6.
Alexandra Lavoie
Quebec based Journalist
Alexa graduated with a degree in biology from Laval University. Throughout her many travels, she has seen political instability as well as corruption. While she witnessed social disorder on a daily basis, she has always been a defender of society’s most vulnerable. She’s been around the world several times, and now joins Rebel News to shed light on today’s biggest stories.
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COMMENTS
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Peter Bradley commented 2026-08-27 21:30:18 -0400My observation from visiting Jerusalem is that Muslims have full legal rights. Claims of “apartheid” are lies. The Israeli Supreme Court has two or three Muslim judges. The Israeli guards only allow Muslims into the Al Aqsa compound. And there were lots of them.
If Hamas builds a military room or weapons cache under a hospital, a school or a mosque, and IDF forces attack the room or cache, inadvertently killing people in the hospital, school or mosque, isn’t Hamas responsible for the deaths? Or will Hamas blame Israel for defending itself, even though Farhan said that people have a right to defend themselves?
Farhan should blame the Ottoman Rulers for being on the losing side in World War One. -
Peter Wrenshall commented 2026-08-27 17:14:22 -0400Farhan Memon is simply a slicker, more glib version of the violent, brain-damaged mob that had gathered outside Montreal’s City Hall. His job with CAIR, one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s main front groups, is to package Islamist lies in a way that can successfully deceive the gullible.
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elizabeth ann Gordanier commented 2026-08-27 13:55:49 -0400Why is that Islam loser allowed in Canada
