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Yezidi Leader Disputes Fable Of “Operation Ezra”

Credit being taken where it is not due, claims former Winnipeg activist

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A leader of the Canadian Yezidi community insists that the wrong people are being credited by the media and Jewish Federation of Winnipeg with starting the initiative in 2015 to rescue refugees. (Image: JFW)

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Note: In the May 3rd edition of TheJ.ca, “Canadian Jews Helped Yazidis Fleeing” by the Jewish News Syndicate was published. The following email was received disputing details in that report, as follows:

The Yazidi representative of Jewish Child and Family Services, Operation Ezra, Nafiya Naso reported: “we decided that we can’t sit still and had to take action, so we knocked on many doors and found the Jewish community.”  This narrative has been consistently repeated since the June 26th, 2017th Winnipeg Free Press article, “Refugee Selection System Slammed”.  

In this article, Michel Aziza, the chair of operation Ezra stated that Nafia Naso “is the reason why Operation Ezra was launched in the first place”.

The reality is different.

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It was the advocacy group Winnipeg Friends Of Israel (WFI) that created Operation Ezra, the Manitoba Yazidi  Refugee Project, and not Nafiya  Naso.

Michel Aziza was not involved at this time in the recruitment of Nafiya Naso nor was he present at the initiating Yazidi event sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg (JFW) and spearheaded by WFI. Accordingly he would not have any grasp of how Nafiya became active in Operation Ezra. Aziza was later selected by WFI to chair the Operation Ezra fund raising drive.

However, his commentary about the creation of the project falls short of recognizing WFI as the creator and spearheading force behind the project. 

Nafiya Naso, prior to her amalgamation with Jewish Child and Family Services, presented herself as the official Spokesperson and/or  leader of the Yazidi community in Manitoba 1) on her film clip on GoFundMe ” 2) in the speech she gave during the Yazidis initiating event organized by WFI and sponsored by the JFW and  3) on her own professional card.   

Despite representing herself as the spokesman and/or leader of the Yazidi community of Manitoba, Nafiya Naso did not in fact represent the interests of the Yazidi community of Winnipeg. 

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Many in the Manitoba Yazidi community were disappointed that many of the recruited families were relatives or personal friends of her family, and that the selection process did not involve their input. 

I have addressed the above issues on multiple occasions by written correspondence but the JFW leadership have declined to respond to the concerns.

(Signed)

Hazem Aslan

President of the London Yazidi Association

Former Winnipeg Yazidi activist

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Happy reading!

Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

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