The Mozuud Freedom Foundation started out as a human rights organization that advocated for free speech, democracy, the rule of law and support of Israel. It recently decided to enter the political fray, mostly on the side of small-c conservative candidates and parties.

Late last month, the Toronto-based organization was granted registered third-party status by Elections Canada, enabling it to raise money and push issues during the campaign that if feels need to be addressed by candidates vying for election on Oct. 21.

Mozuud is one of 57 organizations granted third-party status. Most are business associations, labour unions and environmental advocacy groups.

“We feel we could make a bigger statement and maybe influence people on certain issues before they vote,” said Irving Weisdorf, founder and CEO of Mozuud.

“If you don’t have an informed electorate, democracy doesn’t give you the best candidates.… We’re promoting candidates who speak to certain issues and who speak up.”

Salim Mansur’s name came up often in a telephone interview with Weisdorf. Mansur, a professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario and an immigrant from the Punjab region, is vying for a parliamentary seat in the riding of London North Centre for the People’s Party of Canada (PPC).

“He is an outspoken voice for Canadian values, the rule of law. He’s a Muslim who speaks up about Islamism infiltrating the country,” Weisdorf stated.

Mansur’s views fits into Mozuuds’ own perspective on matters like immigration, Weisdorf continued. “He’s said you cannot accept immigration from countries with values diametrically opposed to Canadian values, without vetting the immigrants.”

That’s a far cry from the policies offered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s governing Liberal party, Weisdorf said. Trudeau has opened the borders to unvetted immigrants who have entered Canada illegally. What’s more, he should be prosecuted for his role in the SNC-Lavalin scandal, Weisdorf said.

Mozuud also supports Conservative party candidates like Chani Aryeh-Bain, who is running in Eglinton-Lawrence in Ontario, and Garnett Genuis, the MP for Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan in Alberta, who introduced a private member’s motion condemning Iran and calling for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be declared a terrorist organization.

Mozuud is in the process of arranging an appearance in Toronto by PPC Leader Maxime Bernier, the former Conservative leadership candidate who left the Tories to create a new party.

If you don’t have an informed electorate, democracy doesn’t give you the best candidates.
– Irving Weisdorf

“I don’t disagree with any of Bernier’s planks. His policies – I think he’s essentially on the right track,” Weisdorf said.

To get their message out, Mozuud will send email blasts, place ads on radio and in print, and employ other means to influence the campaign.

Weisdorf, who described himself as a “Harper Conservative,” said he’d like to see candidates address a number of issues, such as the BDS campaign against Israel, anti-Zionism on campus, which has morphed into anti-Semitism, the funding of UNRWA, the UN agency that has been accused of siding with Hamas, media subsidization, which Mozuud believes is anti-democratic, and M-103, the parliamentary motion condemning Islamophobia, which Mozuud believes restricts free speech.