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Good question. I appreciate the opportunity to speak of one of my favorite, and who I consider to be one of the great apologists of the 20th century. I would stand him alongside men such as C.S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer, G.K. Chesterton, and Dr. John Lennox. That man is Ravi Zacharias, one of today’s most notable international cultural apologists.He is the founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, host of the radio programs Let My People Think and Just Thinking in Atlanta, GA. Ravi is the author of numerous Christian books, including the Gold Medallion Book Award winner – Can Man Live Without God? in the category “theology and doctrine” and Christian bestsellers Light in the Shadow of Jihad and The Grand Weaver.In 1989, Mr. Zacharias spoke in Moscow. While there he spoke to students at the Lenin Military Academy as well as political leaders at the Center for Geopolitical Strategy. In 1993 Zacharias was invited to speak at his first Veritas Forum at Harvard University, and later that year was one of the keynote speakers at Urbana. Zacharias continues to be a frequent guest at these forums. He has debated persons who hold views contrary to his and held question and answer sessions at many academic institutions, including University of Georgia, the University of Michigan,Penn State, Cambridge, Johns Hopkins, etc.In 2004 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) opened its signature pulpit at the Salt Lake Tabernacle to him for a series of messages. Zacharias delivered a sermon on "Who Is the Truth? Defending Jesus Christ as The Way, The Truth and The Life" to some 7,000 lay-persons and scholars from both LDS and Protestant camps in an initiatory move towards open dialogue between the camps.Ravi Zacharias is a frequent keynote lecturer within the evangelical community at events such as the Future of Truth conference in 2004, the National Religious Broadcasters' Convention and Exposition in 2005, the National Conference on Christian Apologetics in 2006. October 2007, he addressed first the students and faculty of Virginia Tech, then the community of Blacksburg, Virginia, on the topic of evil and suffering in the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre.He represented the evangelical community at occasions such as the National Day of Prayer in Washington, DC, the Annual Prayer Breakfast at the United Nations, and the African Union Prayer Breakfast in Maputo, Mozambique, and was named honorary chairman of the 2008 National Day of Prayer task force, and he gave addresses at the White House, the Pentagon, and The Cannon House. He has also had the privilege of addressing the National Prayer Breakfasts in the seats of government in Ottawa, Canada, and London, England, and speaking at the CIA in Washington, DC.Zacharias states that a coherent worldview must be able to satisfactorily answer four questions: that of origin, meaning of life, morality, and destiny. He says that while every major religion makes exclusive claims about truth, the Christian faith is unique in its ability to answer all four of these questions. He routinely speaks on the coherence of the Christian worldview,He regularly states that Christianity is capable of withstanding the toughest philosophical attacks. Ravi Zacharias' style of apologetic focuses predominantly on Christianity's answers to life's great existential questions, with defense of God.

A.P.J Abdul Kalam —The 11th President of India, is also popularly known as the Missile Man.He was a protégé of the great Indian scientist Dr. Vikram Sarabhai who guided him and gave him valuable advice.He was the first bachelor to become the president and occupy Rashtrapati Bhawan.Born in Rameshwaram, Tamil NaduHe was the third President of India to have been honored with a Bharat Ratna before being elected to the office of President.2. Sir C V Raman —Born in Tiruchirappalli, Madras ProvinceSir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, the Indian physicist who made his motherland proud by becoming the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, was a scientist par excellence.He is best known for discovering the ‘Raman Effect’, or the inelastic scattering of a photon. He showed through experimentation that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the deflected light changes in wavelength. This was a ground breaking discovery in early 20th century physics.He won the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the Raman Effect", becoming the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences.He was honored with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1954 in recognition of his invaluable contributions to the field of science.3. Sir M. Visvesvaraya —Born in Muddenahalli, ChikballapurAn engineer par excellence, he was the chief architect behind the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam in Mandya which helped to convert the surrounding barren lands into fertile grounds for farmingHe was knighted as the Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) by the British for his contributions to the society in 1915.He was awarded with independent India’s greatest honor, The Bharat Ratna in 1955 for his relentless work in the fields of engineering and education.He is the recipient of several honorary doctoral degrees from eight universities in India.4. Srinivas Ramanujam —Born in Erode , Tamil NaduConsidered to be a mathematical genius, Srinivasa Ramanujan, was regarded at par with the likes of Leonhard Euler and Carl Jacobi. Along with Hardy, he studied the partition function P(n) extensively and gave a non-convergent asymptotic series that permits exact computation of the number of partitions of an integer. Their work led to the development of a new method for finding asymptotic formulae, called the circle method.He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918, as one of the youngest Fellows in the history of the Royal Society. He was elected "for his investigation in Elliptic functions and the Theory of Numbers."Google honored him on his 125th birth anniversary by replacing its logo with a doodle on its home page.5. C.N. R Rao —Born in BangaloreHe was a front-runner in synthesizing two dimensional oxide materials like La2CuO4At present he serves as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, a responsibility he has undertaken under different regimes that speaks volumes of the immense faith shown upon him by different governments.He holds honorary doctorates of sixty universities across the world.On February 4, 2014, he was conferred the ‘Bharat Ratna’ by President Pranab Mukherjee. With this he became the third scientist after C.V. Raman and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam to receive the highest civilian honour of India.6. C.RajagopalachariBorn in MadrasHe was the first and last Indian Governor General of India after Lord Mountbatten left India in 1948.For his outstanding contribution to Indian politics and literature, he was awarded with Bharat Ratna in 19547. E.SreedharanBorn in Palakkad, KeralaPopularly known as the “Metro Man”, is an Indian engineer who played a key role in the building of the Konkan Railway and the Delhi MetroThe Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, in 2001.The Government of France bestowed upon him The Order of Légion d'Honneur, the highest decoration in France, in 2005.In 2008 he received the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India, in recognition of his work with the Delhi Metro.8. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan —Born in KumbakonamIs a renowned Indian geneticist and administrator, who made a stellar contribution in the success of India's Green Revolution program; the program went a long way in making India self-sufficient in wheat and rice production.Dr. Swaminathan is celebrated as the leader of India’s ‘Green Revolution’ program. He is also a resourceful writer. He has written several research papers and books on Agricultural Science and Biodiversity like ‘Building a National Food Security System, 1981’, ‘Sustainable Agriculture: Towards an Evergreen Revolution, 1996’, etc.He is the recipient of national honours like Padma Shri in 1967, Padma Bhushan in 1972 and Padma Vibushan in 1989. Moreover, he has received over 70 honorary PhD degrees from world-wide universities.9. N. R. Narayana Murthy —Born in MysoreHe is best known as one of the co-founders of Infosys Ltd., one of India’s largest IT services company with offices all across the globe.Under his leadership Infosys became the first Indian company to be listed on the Nasdaq. It also became the first listed Indian company with revenue of $1 billion a year.He was honored with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, for his distinguished contribution to industry in 2000.In 2008, the Government of India bestowed upon him the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of India, for his exceptional services to Informational Technology in India.In 2013, he became the first recipient of the Sayaji Ratna Award (SRA Award) which was established to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the erstwhile ruler of Baroda.10. R.K Laxman —Born in MysoreRasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman, famously known as R. K. Laxman was an Indian cartoonist who created the comic strip ‘You Said It’, featuring the “Common Man”—a silent observer representing the average Indian.The character was so popular that he was even featured in a commemorative postage stamp released by the Indian Postal Service on the 150th anniversary of the ‘Times of India’ in 1988.In 2005 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour.He was honored with The Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1984 in the category Journalism, Literature, and the Creative Communication Arts (JLCCA).11. R.K Narayan —Born in ChennaiR.K. Narayan made India accessible to the outside world through his literature. He will be remembered for the invention of Malgudi, a semi-urban fictional town in southern India where most of his stories were set.He won numerous accolades for his literary works. These include: Sahitya Akademi Award (1958), Padma Bhushan (1964), AC Benson Medal by the British Royal Society of Literature (1980), and Padma Vibhushan (2001).Narayan is regarded as one of the three leading English language Indian fiction writers, along with Raja Rao and Mulk Raj Anand.12. Raja Ravi Varma —Born in Kilimanoor, a small town in KeralaAt the beginning of his career, in 1873, he won an award in Vienna where his paintings were exhibited.At the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, he was bestowed with three gold medals for his work of art.In 1904, on behalf of the King Emperor, Viceroy Lord Curzon awarded him with the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal.In 2013, a crater on Mercury was named in the honor of this greater Indian painter.13. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan —Born in Thiruttani, Tamil NaduHis birthday, 5 September, has been celebrated as Teachers' Day in India since 1962, the year he became the president, in honor of his belief that "teachers should be the best minds in the country."In 1954, he was honored with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India.In 1968 he became the first person to get Sahitya Akademi fellowship, the highest honor conferred by the Sahitya Akademi on a writer.Shortly before his death in 1975, he was bestowed with the Templeton Prize for advocating non-aggression and conveying "a universal reality of God that embraced love and wisdom for all people."14. Shakunthala Devi —Born In BangaloreShe was an Indian writer and mathematical genius popularly known as the "human computer". She was reputed to make complicated mathematical calculations in her head and effortlessly speak out the results!Her extraordinary abilities also earned her a place in the 1982 edition of ‘The Guinness Book of World Records’Shakuntala Devi is best remembered for demonstrating the multiplication of two randomly picked 13-digit numbers—7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779 on 18 June 1980. She correctly gave the answer as 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730 in 28 seconds. This unbelievable feat of hers earned her a place in the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ in 1982.In 1969 she was awarded the title of the 'Most Distinguished Woman of the Year' by the University of Philippines.15. Verghese Kurien —Born in Kozhikode, KeralaBest known as the “Father of the White Revolution” in India, was the founder Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board.Verghese Kurien is the man behind the success of the milk cooperative, Amul Dairy, which not only spurred India’s White Revolution, but also became one of the country’s largest and most trusted food brands which also expanded into overseas markets.He was honored with several prestigious awards for his relentless services to the dairy and farming communities. Some of his awards include: Padma Shri (1965), Padma Bhushan (1966) and Padma Vibhushan (1999) by the Government of India, the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1963), and World Food Prize (1989).This famous personality, known as the Father of White Revolution, never drank milk himself!16. Ammembal Subba Rao Pai —Born in Mangalore, KarnatakaHe was the founder of Canara Bank , now one of India's leading banks17. Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty —Born in Mangalore, KarnatakaHe is chairman and Founder of Narayana Health, a chain of 21 medical centers in IndiaIn 2004 he was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2012, the third highest civilian award by the Government of India for his contribution to the field of affordable healthcare18. Shivappa Gurubasappa Balekundri —Born in BelgaumWas an irrigation expert from KarnatakaHe was the chief engineer and architect of the Alamatti Dam.He is best remembered today as Second Visweswarayya19. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi —-Born In Gadag, KarnatakaThroughout his life, he was conferred with numerous prestigious and highly esteemed awards, the most prolific amongst them being the national awards such as, ‘Padma Shree’, ‘Padma Bhushan’, ‘Padma Vibhushan’ and ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1972, 1975, 1999 and 2009 respectively.His legacy survives in the form of the annual Sawai Gandharva Festival, held in Pune every year which he initiated in 1953 and continued to administer until his retirement in 2002. The festival has become an institution of sorts for the people of the music fraternity and features the most able and proficient Hindustani classical music singers.20. M.S.Subbalakshmi —Born in MaduraiShe was known by various sobriquets, namely, the Queen of Music, Nightingale of India, the Eighth Tone of Music and the Goddess of Perfect NoteShe enriched and popularised India's musical tradition. She acted as India's cultural ambassador and introduced the rhythms and richness of Carnatic music to the West through her concerts.In 1998, she was honoured with Bharat Ratna, India;s highest civilian award,. The award was to honour her excellence over classical Indian music and her efforts in promulgating the same both in India and abroad.She was the first musician to receive the Bharat Ratna and the first Indian musician to receive Ramon Magsaysay award.21. Saalumarada Thimakka —Born in Hulikal, Ramhagar district, KarnatakaNoted for her work in planting and tending to 384 banyan trees along a four-kilometre stretch of highway between Hulikal and Kudur.Her work has been honoured with the National Citizen's Award of India.One of BBC’s 100 women of 2016.And many many more ..Thank you :)Source — Google

Tarek Fatah (born November 20, 1949) is a Canadian writer, broadcaster, secularist and liberal activist. Fatah is the founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress and served as its communications officer and spokesperson. Fatah advocates gay rights, a separation of religion and state, opposition to sharia law, and advocacy for a "liberal, progressive form" of Islam. Some of his activism and statements have been met with criticism from Canadian Muslim groups.Tarek Fatah was born in Karachi, Pakistan, where his family had settled following the Partition of India. Fatah is of Punjabi origin. Although he graduated with a degree in biochemistry from the University of Karachi, Fatah entered journalism as a reporter for the Karachi Sun in 1970, and was an investigative journalist for Pakistan Television. He left Pakistan and settled in Saudi Arabia, before emigrating to Canada.Political activityHe became involved in the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) and worked on the staff of Premier Bob Rae. Fatah was an NDP candidate in the 1995 provincial election but was unsuccessful. He subsequently worked for Howard Hampton. In July 2006, he left the NDP to support Bob Rae's candidacy for the Liberal Party of Canada's leadership. In an opinion piece published in Toronto's Now Magazine, Fatah wrote that he decided to leave the NDP because of the establishment of a "faith caucus" which he believes will open the way for religious fundamentalists to enter the party. However, after Rae's defeat by Stéphane Dion, Fatah condemned similar racial and religious organizing activity in the Liberal Party, arguing in a Globe and Mail editorial that Tamil, Sikh, Kurdish and Islamist Muslim leaders had engaged in "blatant efforts to wield political muscle," "bargaining the price of their cadre of delegates" and creating a "political process that feeds on racial and religious exploitation." "I respect the diversity of Canada," he wrote, "but I want to celebrate what unites us, not what divides us into tiny tribes that can be manipulated by leaders who sell us to the highest bidder." At a press conference on October 2, 2008, Fatah sharply criticized the New Democratic Party (NDP). Fatah stated that he was a lifetime social democrat who had supported the NDP for 17 years but that he could no longer be affiliated with that party. He claimed that the NDP began opening its doors to Islamists under Alexa McDonough and that, under Jack Layton, he had seen them "flood" into the party. Fatah stated that Islamists in the NDP have pursued a campaign to instill a sense of victimhood in Muslim youth. In early 2011, Fatah said that he received a threat via Twitter. Fatah contacted Toronto Police Service and later met with two police officers from 51 Division. Fatah said that police intelligence officers, one a Muslim officer who had shut down a previous investigation into a death threat, shut down the investigation and claimed there was no threat. Fatah criticized the Toronto Police over the incident. In a 2015 Toronto Sun article, Fatah wrote that he would be voting for Conservative leader Stephen Harper in the 2015 federal elections, while calling himself a social democrat. Fatah has also favoured both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders for the United States presidential race in 2016. He said that many Muslim groups, including himself, have recommended curbs on immigration from countries that harbour Islamist sympathisers, simil ar to policies promised by Trump.Media activityFrom 1996 until 2006 he hosted Muslim Chronicle, a weekly Toronto-based current affairs discussion show on CTS and VisionTV which focussed on the Muslim community.In 2003, Fatah broke with Irshad Manji in an article in the Globe and Mail in which he repudiated the thanks she gave him in the acknowledgment section of her book The Trouble with Islam. Fatah wrote of Manji's book that it "is not addressed to Muslims; it is aimed at making Muslim-haters feel secure in their thinking."[11]Manji replied saying that he told her in front of witnesses that "This book was written by the Jews for the Jews!"[12]Fatah was subsequently quoted as indicating that he regrets his remarks and that he was unfair in slamming Manji's book. He said that she was "right about the systematic racism in the Muslim world" and that "there were many redeeming points in her memoir, which I overlooked in my rush to judge it."[13]He has also been a guest host of TVO's The Agenda filling in for Steve Paikin.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.".[14]In December 2008, the Toronto Star suggested that Prime Minister Stephen Harper appoint Fatah to one of the vacant seats in the Canadian Senate.[15]Toronto Star's senior editor Bob Hepburn wrote that Fatah is "A prominent spokesperson for secular and progressive Muslim issues who would bring a much-needed unique perspective to the Senate."CFRB 1010[edit]From May to September 2009, Fatah co-hosted the "Strong Opinions Show" on Toronto's CFRB 1010. After the show's cancellation he joined CFRB's Moore in the Morning program as a commentator.[16]Starting in September, 2010, Fatah joined Ryan Doyle as a co-host of "Friendly Fire," the evening show on CFRB 1010. He hosted a Sunday afternoon show, The Tarek Fatah Show, and appeared as a commentator on other shows prior to leaving CFRB in January 2015.Newspapers[edit]Fatah writes a column for the Toronto Sun and appeared on the Sun News Network as a frequent guest host and commentator prior to the station's demise in February 2015.[17]Fatah has also written opinion pieces for various publications including TIME Magazine, the Toronto Star, the National Post and the Globe and Mail.Debate with Sheharyar Shaikh[edit]In February, 2011, Fatah was scheduled to have a debate with Sheharyar Shaikh of the North American Muslim Foundation (NAMF), after Shaikh issued an open challenge to Fatah to debate him. Fatah cancelled at the last minute and failed to show up.[18]Shaikh, who had defended polygamy and opposed secular educations for Muslims, was a critic of Fatah's views. Fatah stated that he had cancelled his appearance because the moderator was changed shortly before the event was to begin, and because the audience was "hostile". Fatah also claimed that he was warned by police of threats to his safety.[19]Fatah and Shaikh later appeared together in an interview for Sun News debating the role of Islam in ISIS.[20]Views[edit]Middle East[edit]Pakistan[edit]He is a staunch critic of Pakistan in his articles. In February 2013, the website of the Toronto Sun, where Fatah contributes his articles, was blocked in Pakistan. According to reports by Fatah himself, the block was likely due to Fatah's unsparing critiques of Pakistan published in the tabloid.[21]According to Fatah, he is also banned from making public speeches or lectures in Pakistan.[22]Iran[edit]In October 2005, Fatah, in his role as communications director of the Muslim Canadian Congress, denounced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for calling for the destruction of Israel.[23]Fatah stated that "The mullahs who control Iran with an iron grip merely use the pain of the Palestinian occupation for their own advantage in diverting people's attention from other pressing matters. They talk about wiping out Israel, but in reality the only people they have wiped out are fellow Iranians by the tens of thousands. After a reign of terror that killed thousands and drove many more into exile, they have used torture, arbitrary arrest, vigilante justice and murder to silence fellow Muslims in Iran."[23]Fatah added that Ahmadinejad "insults Islam by usurping it to serve his own narrow political interests" and that "with friends like the Iranian ruling ayatollahs, the Palestinians do not need enemies."[23]Israel[edit]In 2010, the Toronto Star reported that Fatah believed in Israel's "right to exist" and Zionism, but was calling for an end to the illegal and "immoral" Israeli occupation of Palestine, and anti-Arabism, and that he supports a two-state solution. Fatah said that Israel's actions were fueling antisemitism, though antisemitism in itself, he believes, "violates Islam's essence".[24]Iraq[edit]Fatah also condemned US President George W. Bush "for posturing as a deliverer of freedom while occupying Iraq." Regarding Iraq, Fatah wrote that "both Iran and the U.S. have helped destroy a nation."[23]Islam and Muslims[edit]Islamic radicalism[edit]In a discussion hosted by the Globe and Mail in 2007, Fatah claimed that "most of the Islamic radicalism that you see today stems from the empowering of Saudi based Jihad groups that were funded and backed by the U.S. and the CIA throughout the Afghan war against the Soviet Union."[25]Tarek sided with Michele Bachmann when she accused Huma Abedin of allegedly having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.[26]Fatah argues that "Most secular and liberal institutions were destroyed piece by piece and what we are left with is the result of huge amounts of cash and weapons in the hands of the Taliban type, or Al-Qaeda groups that get their intellectual sustenance from the political teachings of the Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan Al-Banna and the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Abul ala Maudoodi, both of whom preachedJehad as an obligation for all Muslims if they saw another Muslim under attack."[25]He has stated that converts adopting the niqab face covering is indicative of joining "a cult", and offensive to Islam.[27]Support for the Quran and opposition to Shariah[edit]Fatah stressed that "The poison is not coming from the Quran, but from the man-made shariah laws of the 8th and 9th centuries as well as the works of such 20th century scholars as Syed Qutb, Hassan Banna and Maudoodi" and that "The swamp that needs to be drained is the swamp created by Saudi Arabia and Iran and their call for imposition of Shariah."[25]Islam reformation[edit]Fatah also stated that "it is not Islam that needs to be reformed, it is the need for Muslims to reconcile with modernity and the notion of the secular nation state ... Unfortunately, whereas the religious right in Islam is well funded and well organised, the liberal secular Muslim is too busy leading a 9-to-5 life, paying his mortgage and providing for his family and thus has no time or resources to challenge the Islamist extremists."[25]According to the National Post he has also said "Islam is riddled with termites ... and if we don’t cleanse ourselves with truth, the stench of our lies will drive us mad", and that there are "hateful sermons in almost every mosque" in Canada – Fatah himself does not attend a mosque and encourages Muslim parents to keep their children out of mosques because they have become, in his view, schools for fanaticism.[28]Cordoba House Mosque[edit]Writing with author Raheel Raza, a fellow board member of the Muslim Canadian Congress, about the location of the proposed Cordoba House mosque near Ground Zero, Fatah called the mosque a "deliberate provocation" and that the proposal was "made in bad faith."[29]Honour killing[edit]In November 2011, 60 Muslim groups and two dozen imams endorsed a statement that called for action against domestic violence, condemned honour killing as a notion that had "absolutely nothing to do with Islam". Tarek Fatah refused to endorse the statement, according to the National Post, arguing that the statement didn't address gender inequality and that honour killing has roots in Islam. According to Fatah Islam deems the relationship of an unmarried woman as "adultery" and imams must distance themselves from punishing such actions by death.[30]Homosexuality[edit]Fatah stated that "The issue that has resulted in all the threats and allegations against us is our support for same-sex marriage. It's the central point on which the Muslim Canadian Congress and I have faced outright hostility, verging on violence. There is near unanimity in any religious group that this is the ultimate sin and, for them, this amounts to the ultimate betrayal." Regarding Islam and homosexuality, Fatah stated that "Our human rights cannot revolve around religion. It's not about our rights, it's about human rights."[31]Fatah also criticized the support of some gay and lesbian Muslims for Hezbollah.[31]Little Mosque on the Prairie[edit]Fatah has been a critic of the sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie, calling it "propaganda" and "paid for by the Muslim Brotherhood". Fatah said "I found most white people would laugh at it because they were scared if they didn't laugh they'd be called a racist."[32]He has also called the show "Islamist" and labeled the show "Little Masquarade on the Prairie.[33]Criticism of Ontario Human Rights Commission[edit]See also: Human rights complaints against Maclean's magazine and Canadian Human Rights Commission free speech controversiesIn April 2008, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) dismissed a complaint about allegedly Islamophobic articles in Maclean's magazine. However, the commission criticized the newsweekly for publishing articles that were "inconsistent with the spirit" of the Ontario Human Rights Code, and doing "serious harm" to Canadian society by "promoting societal intolerance" and disseminating "destructive, xenophobic opinions."[34]Fatah said that for the Commission "to refer to Maclean's magazine and journalists as contributing to racism is bullshit, if you can use that word" and that the Commission has unfairly taken sides against freedom of speech in a dispute within the Canadian Muslim community between moderates and fundamentalists.[34]On October 2, 2008, Fatah said that the OHRC has been "infiltrated by Islamists" and that some of its commissioners are closely linked to the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canadian Arab Federation, both of which, according to Fatah, have "contempt for Canadian values."[4]Praise and criticism[edit]Michael Coren, a notable critic of Islam, has praised Fatah for being "brave" enough to admit the "faults and failings" of Islam.[28]Wael Haddara, president of the Muslim Association of Canada, said that he "respect[s]" Fatah for his passion but that it was "hard, if not downright impossible, to find something positive that he has ever said about Muslims." As a result, Haddara argues, Muslims are no longer listening to Fatah.[28]Syed Soharwardy, an Imam in Calgary, said that while Fatah's views are valuable, he stereotypes Islam by extrapolating the behavior of a few extremists to represent the religion as a whole.[28]Advocacy groups[edit]Muslim Canadian Congress[edit]Fatah was one of the founders of the Muslim Canadian Congress in 2001, after the September 11 attacks[35]and served as its communications director and spokesperson until 2006. He spoke out against the introduction of Sharia law as an option for Muslims in civil law in Ontario, Sharia banking in Canada, which he has described as a 'con-job', promoted social liberalism in the Muslim community and the separation of religion from the state, and endorsed same-sex marriage.In July 2006, Fatah was the subject of an email campaign at Canadian media over his views.[36]Fatah resigned as the communications director of the MCC in August 2006, citing concerns about his safety and his family member's safety.[36]Tarek Fatah and other MCC board members at anti-war demonstration in TorontoCanadian Islamic Congress (CIC)[edit]Mohamed Elmasry[edit]In October 2004 CIC President Mohamed Elmasry stated that all Israelis over 18 are legitimate targets for suicide bombers.[37]Fatah, along with other Jewish and Muslim organizations, called on Elmasry to quit.[37]In June 2006, Elmasry said that Fatah is "well known in Canada for smearing Islam and bashing Muslims." Fatah responded that "[t]his is a classic threat to label anyone as an apostate and then marginalize them," … "and this is what Mr. Elmasry has done by listing me as the top anti-Islam Muslim." Fatah said he saw the label from Elmasry as tantamount to a death sentence. Leonard Librande, professor of religion at Carleton University, told CTV News "There's nothing particularly Islamic in this… There are differences of opinion frequently in the community. It doesn't mean somebody is going to kill you."[38]Wahida Valiante[edit]Wahida Valiante, president of the CIC, told the Globe and Mail that "Tarek Fatah's views are diametrically opposed to most Muslims. There is a tremendous amount of discussion in the community. His point of view contradicts the fundamentals of Islam."[39]Fatah wrote to the RCMP to complain about the CIC's article claiming that it "is as close as one can get to issuing a death threat as it places me as an apostate and blasphemer."[40]Canadian Arab Federation[edit]In February 2009, Fatah criticized the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF), CAF President Khaled Mouammar, and CAF's vice-president in Ontario, Ali Mallah, in an article published in the National Post. Fatah, who received the CAF's highest award in December 2001, stated that the CAF's current leadership has turned the organization "into a mouthpiece for Hamas and Hezbollah in Canada." Fatah stated that the CAF used to sponsor debates on the pros and cons of the Oslo peace accord but today labels "any backer of the two-state solution [as] a traitor to the Muslim cause."[41]Books[edit]Fatah is the author of Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State, published in 2008. In the book Fatah argues against the establishment of an Islamic state as a necessary prerequisite to entering the state of Islam. He suggests that the idea of an Islamic state is merely a mirage that Muslims have been made to chase for over a millennium.The Toronto Star reviewer John Goddard said that book was a "richly layered work of stark realities."[42]Emran Qureshi in the Globe and Mail said that Fatah had provided a "substantial contribution to the critique of the Islamic state and the state of Islam, especially in Canada" but criticized the book for its "gratuitous polemics" and sloppy fact-checking.[43]The book was praised by the Mackenzie Institute, which stated that it is "a direct challenge to the fanatics of the Wahhabi, Deobandi, and Khomeinist traditions. His exposition is solidly rooted in the oldest texts and histories of Islam and argues that the pursuit of an imperial Islamic state has soiled the religion, and violates the intentions of Mohammed himself."[44]On March 31, 2009, the conservative Donner Canadian Foundation announced "Chasing a Mirage" had been shortlisted for their $35,000 Donner Prize, awarded to non-fiction texts covering public policy.[45]Fatah's second book, titled The Jew Is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism,[46]was published by McClelland & Stewart in October 2010. The book won the 2010 Annual Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Book Award in Politics and History.[citation needed]Fatah was awarded the Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Book Award in Politics and History.