The president of Paramount Fine Foods Mohamed Fakih has started a fundraising campaign to support the families of the 57 Canadian victims killed when Ukrainian Flight 752 was shot down by Iran.
Funds can be donated online to the “Canada Strong Campaign” which is being run in partnership with the Toronto Foundation.
“In the coming days and weeks, the families of the 57 victims from across Canada will face a number of expenses. We are now encouraging Canadians to support the families of the victims by making a donation,” reads the campaign statement.
Fakih’s fundraiser comes after fellow businessman and Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael McCain used his brand to publicly rant and blame the plane’s downing on U.S. President Donald Trump.
“A narcissist in Washington tears world accomplishments apart; destabilizes region. US now unwelcomed everywhere in the area including Iraq; tensions escalated to feverish pitch,” tweeted McCain.
Fakih has pursued several philanthropic endeavors in the past, including financially supporting the Toronto family restaurant Soufi’s. The business shut its doors after the owner’s son Alaa Al Soufi was identified as an Antifa member who harrassed an old woman outside of a Maxime Bernier event in September 2019, but was able to later re-open.
Paramount Foods also donated $25,000 to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
Canadian investigators are currently probing the remains of the plane and victims to determine a sequence of events and provide clarity.
Since the Iranian government admitted to shooting down the airliner with anti-aircraft missiles, families of the victims have been harassed by government officials and told to not speak to journalists.
Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne has said that the Canadian government will investigate the harassment claims after videos were posted online of a mourning mother calling on the Canadian government for help.
