Barry Ellsworth
09 June 2023•Update: 09 June 2023
TRENTON, Canada
A large Muslim charity suing those who charged it funded terrorist groups won an out-of-court settlement against its accusers, it was reported Friday.
The defendants also retracted their claims as part of the settlement.
Islamic Relief Canada, one of the country’s largest Muslim charities, filed a CAN$2.5 million (US$1.87 million) defamation lawsuit in December 2018 against seven individuals. The lawsuit revolved around the spreading of false information via social media, especially YouTube.
Two of those named in the lawsuit were involved in the Freedom Convoy trucker protest movement that paralyzed the Canadian capital of Ottawa for nearly three weeks beginning in January 2022.
Thomas Quiggin, a former military officer, was interviewed about Islamic Relief Canada for a YouTube video, where false claims were made and Quiggin tried to tie the charity to the militant organization Hamas and talked about an “Islamic cancer.”
The charity argued in the lawsuit that this video, which had more than 10,000 views, contained false and malicious information that harmed the charity.
"This case illustrates the kind of misinformation that legitimate aid organizations too often face in carrying out their vital humanitarian missions," said Usama Khan, Islamic Relief Canada's CEO., as reported by the Canadian Press.
The defendants admitted the statements made were unfounded.
"We did not exercise sufficient due diligence in researching, drafting and/or publishing the defamatory statements," the defendants said.
“The settlement reached by Islamic Relief Canada is a milestone in this fight," said Khan. "By holding those who spread misinformation accountable for their actions, we can send a clear message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated."
As part of the settlement, the defendants also said they “never intended” to imply that the charity “supported terrorist groups” or that it was a sham charity.
The amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
