Tarek Fatah

Tarek Fatah was born in Pakistan (1949) where he lived until 1978, twice jailed in 1968 and 1970 for his role in the pro-democracy movements to replace military dictatorships. After a third military coup in 1977, Fatah was charged with sedition and fired from his job as a reporter in the state television network, PTV. From 1978 to 1987, Fatah worked in Saudi Arabia in advertising and marketing before moving with his family to Canada where he has been active against the rise of Islamic movements that he fled in his native Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.He writes a weekly column in the Toronto SUN and hosts a Sunday afternoon show on Toronto's NewsTalk1010 Radio network.Fatah is author of two award-winning books:Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State (2008) John Wiley & SonsThe Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism (2010) McClelland & StewartFor his activism in the community, Tarek Fatah is a recipient of both the Queen's Golden Jubilee as well as the Diamond Jubilee Medals.In February 2007, Fatah was included by Maclean's magazine on a list of 50 Canadians described as "Canada?s most well known and respected personalities." The same year, the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom awarded Tarek Fatah with their annual award for making a "significant contributions to the cause" of press freedom.In December 2008, Canada's largest circulating newspaper, the Toronto Star, suggested to Prime Minister Stephen Harper that he appoint Fatah to one of the vacant seats in the Canadian Senate. Toronto Star's senior editor Bob Hepburn wrote this about Fatah: "A prominent spokesperson for secular and progressive Muslim issues who would bring a much-needed unique perspective to the Senate."