The appointment of an honorary consul who raised concerns due to his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been revoked.
Waseem Ramli, a Montreal businessman and outspoken supporter of al-Assad, was nominated for the post this summer and approved last month by Global Affairs Canada. He was set to take up the new role on Oct. 1
In an interview with CTV Montreal, Ramli said he had "not seen any wrongdoing from my president towards the country." Al-Assad's regime has been accused of war crimes.
On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said she was "shocked" by some of Wasli's views, including referring to White Helmets, a volunteer group of first responders and war crime monitors supported by the federal government, as a "terrorist organization" that supports al Qaida.
She said neither she nor her team were aware that Global Affairs officials had approved his appointment, and that she would look into it.
On Wednesday, Freeland posted on Twitter that she had rescinded the position, saying "no one who shares Mr. Ramli's views should have ever been approved by Global Affairs Canada to serve in this capacity."
Freeland also said she has also instructed Global Affairs Canada to initiate a review of the system by which these appointments are processed.
Ramli's appointment worried many in Montreal's Syrian community, some saying he conjures fear and apprehension. In his position, he would have been responsible for issuing passports and other official documents for Syrians on behalf of the government in Damascus.
Canada has resettled tens of thousands of Syrian refugees since 2011, when Assad launched a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that quickly spiralled into a full-blown civil war.
- With files from The Canadian Press
