Canadian Muslim charity secures settlement after false terrorism funding accusations

According to CBC News, a prominent faith-based charity in Canada has successfully reached a settlement in a legal case involving false accusations made against them.

Islamic Relief Canada, one of the country's largest faith-based charities, had filed a lawsuit in December 2018, seeking $2.5 million in damages.

The lawsuit targeted Thomas Quiggin, a former military officer turned self-proclaimed researcher, who gained recognition during the truck convoy protests, along with six others.

The charity claimed that these individuals had deliberately made false and defamatory statements with the intent of harming the organization.

The out-of-court settlement was reached earlier this month.

In addition to Quiggin, the lawsuit named Benjamin Dichter, who later became a spokesperson for the convoy; Tahir Aslam Gora, a writer and CEO of an online television channel; Raheel Raza, a writer; Syed Sohail Raza, Raza's husband; and Joseph Hazelton, a man from Yarmouth who conducted a YouTube interview with Quiggin about the charity, which garnered over 10,000 views.

Usama Khan, the CEO of Islamic Relief Canada, emphasized the significance of this case in highlighting the misinformation that legitimate aid organizations often encounter in their important humanitarian work.

Khan stated that the settlement represents a significant milestone in the fight against such misinformation. Holding those responsible for spreading false information accountable sends a strong message that such behavior will not be tolerated.

While the exact details of the settlement have not been disclosed publicly, the defendants issued a statement acknowledging that their previous statements were baseless. They admitted to not exercising sufficient due diligence in researching, drafting, and publishing the defamatory claims against the charity.