Trudeau’s Most Valuable Political Asset – Mohamad Fakih By Rachel Ehrenfeld

Posted By on November 1st, 2018

http://acdemocracy.org/mohamad-fakih

The forty-seven years old Mohamad Abdallah Fakih (محمد عبدالله فقيه) is the founder and CEO of Paramount Fine Foods, a Middle Eastern restaurants and food chain operating in Canada, USA (Florida, New York), UK (London – Paddington, Brixton and Gloucester), Lebanon (Beirut), Pakistan (Karachi), and the Ivory Coast (Abidjan).

Fakih’s relationship with Justin Trudeau seems very close. Trudeau was invited several times to Paramount Fine Foods, and he has joined the Canadian Primer’s political and charitable activities. Fakih called Trudeau “my good friend,” and said “ I have personal and direct relationship with Justin Trudeau.” Trudeau called Fakih “my friend” and “the best of Canada.”

On the occasion of Paramount Fine Food’s tenth anniversary, Trudeau sent his greetings in video:

“Mohamad my friend, congratulations to you and to the whole team at Paramount on your tenth anniversary. In just a short decade you’ve made your mark in Toronto North America and around the world. Your success speaks to your passion commitment and dedication. By now we know the quality of your food is outstanding but your commitment to making a difference and helping people is nothing short of inspiring… Congratulations again here’s to many more decades of success.”

Fakih responded: “Paramount Fine Foods is honoured to receive this special message for our 10th Anniversary from our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau Thank you Mohamad Fakih.”

Born in Tairdebba, the small Shiite village in south Lebanon – home also to Imad Mughniyeh, former Hezbollah Chief Commander – Mohamad Fakih has managed skillfully to translate his meteoric business success to political power by establishing close relationship not only with Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau, but also with other Liberal ministers, members of Parliament and local politicians.

Dismissing the idea of entering politics, it appears that Fakih favours rubbing shoulders with people in power to promote his community and business targets, as well as his political agenda.

For the Liberal Party Fakih is a one of the most valuable political asset that can help in mobilizing the Muslim and the Arab communities to vote for reelection of the Trudeau government in 2019 elections.

But Fakih should reconsider his partnership with Islamic Relief Worldwide and Islamic Relief Canada. Tom Quiggin, a Canadian intelligence expert, has recently sent to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police a request to launch a investigation into financing terrorism. It is based on a new report that shows that Members of Parliament and Ministers have been sending taxpayers’ money to organizations that fund extremism and terrorism. According to Quiggin, one such organization is Islamic Relief Canada, which recived funds from a variety of government programs.

Islamic Relief Canada, according to its own annual reports, “works independently and in partnership with Islamic Relief Worldwide and other local and international partners to fund ongoing programs.” Quiggin noted that seven different independent and reliable sources have stated their views that Islamic Relief Worldwide has been funding terrorism including Hamas. Islamic Relief denies terrorist links.

Quiggin added, among these countries are the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Israel, as well as the Brritan’s HSBC bank, and the Swiss UBS bank. Also included in this list are the United Kingdom’s Charities Aid Foundation, and the Financial Post of Canada. In the USA, a group of seven members of Congress have requested the FBI and IRS investigate Islamic Relief USA for terrorism funding.

Another example of a questionable Canadian government funding, is via the Canadian Red Cross to the Tairdebba village in Lebanon.

Ambassador of Canada to Lebanon visited Mohamad Fakih’s hometown

On June 11, 2018 the Embassy of Canada to Lebanon issued the following statement: “Ambassador of Canada to Lebanon Emmanuelle Lamoureux meets healthcare providers and beneficiaries in Saida and Tyre to see first-hand the impact of health services provided under the Canada funded Canadian Red Cross project.”

The Lebanese media in Arabic reported (see also here and here) that Lamoureux visited the Red Cross mobile clinic in Tairdebba a small Shiite village in south Lebanon, 83 km south of Beirut, and met with its mayor Hussein Sa’ad (حسين سعد). Tairdebba is a small village with 6,000 people. The biggest families are Fakih and Mughniyeh. If the name sounds familar, it should be. Imad Mughniyeh, former Hezbollah Chief Commander, was born and lived in this village.

In interviews to the Lebanese and Canadian media in Arabic Fakih said he came from Tairdebba (طيردبا). How well did he know Imad?

After Mughniyeh’s assassination in 2008, this village has become known as strongly affiliated with Hezbollah. Members of Mughniyeh and Fakih clans served as military operatives in the ranks of Hezbollah, and the mayor Hussein Sa’ad does not hide his supporting of Hezbollah. Moreover, Hezbollah regularly holds public events in Tairdebba, including ceremonies in commemoration of Imad Mughniyeh and other Hezbollah operatives (“martyrs”). And a community centre in Tairdebba named after Imad Mughniyeh is used also by Hezbollah.

Of all the villages in Lebanon needing Canada’s Red-Cross assistance, why was the Hezbollah stronghold selected? Who in the Canadian government decided, or knew about this? Was it one of  Mohamad Fakih’s friends?

Timeline of Mohamad Fakih’s story of business success

1971 – Mohamad Fakih was born in Lebanon to Nabiha and Abdallah, who owned and operated a company that built and sold apartment buildings. Based on an interview with him, the Toronto Star reported that Fakih was “born in Beirut”, “grew up in Beirut during the Lebanese civil war” and that “in young Mohamad Fakih’s home in Beirut, ‘it was not OK to say no to anyone who needed help’.”

According to a court document: “Mr. Fakih grew up amidst the sectarian violence of the Lebanese civil war. His own mother was a victim of a bombing in Beirut.”

In an interview with AlMughtareb newspaper (August 2016 p. 36-37) Fakih said (originally in Arabic): “I’m Lebanese, I’m coming from [the village of] Tairdebba located in south [Lebanon] in the district of Tyre… Of course I visit Lebanon, sometimes for business and other times for visiting family and friends. Tairdebba is the past, present and the future, the memories of [my] sweet childhood… Our [financial] support is limited to the internationally recognized official institutions. We also grant personal support to people from the village [Tairdebba] who need it.”

In an interview with the daily Lebanese Annahar (May 21, 2017) Fakih said (originally in Arabic): [Question] “Are you visiting Lebanon? What does it mean to you?” [Fakih] “Of course, I visit Lebanon, sometimes because of work and in other occasions to visit friends and family. Tairdebba is the past, the present and the future. It [Tairdebba] is the memories of the sweet childhood, the nostalgia for the most beautiful meeting, the meeting of land, soil and green plants.” [Question] “Do you provide any support to Lebanon?” [Fakih] “Our aid is limited to official institutions that are universally recognized and we also provide personal support to people from my village [Tairdebba] who need it.” [Question] “You belong to two homelands. If you choose to give up one of the two citizenships, which one would you give up?” [Fakih] “I will give up the Lebanese citizenship in order to serve with [my] Canadian [citizenship] my country [Lebanon] and it people. Unfortunately, the Lebanese citizenship limits our ambitions and successes outside the borders of the homeland, while the Canadian citizenship allows us to employ our [Lebanese] people in our institutions and help us invest in the homeland [Lebanon].”

1987 – According to the Toronto Star, at age16 Fakih left home to pursue his studies in a French school in Damascus, Syria. A few months later he travelled to his uncle in Padua, Italy, where he studied in a local college gemology and geology for three years.

1995 – “At age 24 he was officially a gemologist… He apprenticed at a major jeweller and gemologist in Padua, who handled wholesale and retail.” (Toronto Star)

1997 – “After his apprenticeship, Fakih returned to Beirut in 1997, where he partnered successfully with another man in a jewelry business.” (Toronto Star)

1998 – Fakih came for a five-day visit in Toronto “to help revamp a friend’s small jewelry company, in winter 1998.” (Toronto Star) According to a court document: “In the winter of 1998, while travelling to Toronto to visit a friend, Mr. Fakih found Canada to be a respite from the violence of Lebanon. He therefore immigrated and purchased [in 2006] a small restaurant near Dixie Road and Eglinton Avenue in Mississauga. This became the first Paramount Fine Foods restaurant.”

1999 – According to the Toronto Star, Mohamad Fakih arrived in Canada with on visitor’s visa in 1999, which led to a business visa. Fakih told mississauga.com: “I came to this country with nothing.” Fakih wrote: “My first job was at Tim Hortons. I lasted five days before I quit, realizing that because the restaurant wasn’t halal, it wasn’t a place I wanted to work.”

Mohamad Fakih described his immigration experience as follows: “I came to Canada, like many over the last several hundred years, for a better future for my family. My challenges were also very typical. I spoke a different language, I didn’t know the customs, I looked different, and to compound it all, I am Muslim, from the Middle-East and my first name is Mohamad. Finding a mentor from the same background was even harder. Things were stacked up against me! I am honoured to be highlighted amongst other Muslim Leaders #tdsblHM”

1999? – According to the Toronto Star in March 2017, “his lawyer, Yehuda Levinson, a Hasidic Jew who helped Fakih obtain a visa to work in Canada nearly 20 years ago.”

200? – He worked for an Eaton Centre jeweler, initially for free. Fakih held a management position at a jewelry shop. Fakih was approached by a watch company. Fakih told dolcemag.com: “They wanted me to take an executive position and I agreed, but I told them I’d only be with them two or three years since I wanted to open my own business. They just smiled, thinking, ‘Sure, everybody says that.’ Three years later I partnered with a great lady and we opened some jewelry stores of our own.”

2002 – 2004 – Fakih worked for La Swiss, a watch store. (Toronto Star)

2003 – Fakih worked also for a watch business in Sherway Gardens shopping centre [Etobicoke, Ontario]. He bought some Swatch watch kiosks and operated them in malls. (Toronto Star)

2006 – In 2006, Mohamad Fakih purchased a nearly bankrupt restaurant and transformed it into Middle Eastern Halal restaurant chain – Paramount Fine Foods.

According to Fakih, Paramount Fine Foods, which he founded  in 2006, is now “the fastest growing Middle Eastern Halal restaurant chain in North America.”

Paramount Fine Foods also owns Paramount Butcher Shop that provides halal poultry, deli meats, lamb, veal, goat and beef in Canada, USA and Lebanon.

Mohamad Fakih also founded The Fakih Foundation, a non-for-profit international organization “dedicated to generating positive social change in the world by empowering vulnerable and underserved communities for entrepreneurship, leadership, diversity & inclusion by mobilizing key stakeholders, offering the right tools and providing in-kind services.”

2016 – Fakih’s businesses with 60 locations in 4 continents saw nearly $70 million in sales and he lists his current net worth at $50 million.

2018 – The City of Mississauga’s iconic sports complex changed its name from the Hershey Centre to the Paramount Fine Foods Centre after Paramount expressed purchased the naming rights through a new ten-year agreement ($500,000 per year).

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