One Word in Favor of Palestine Can Destroy a Man, Even an Award-Winning Canadian
Backstory: Mohamad Fakih emigrated from Lebanon to Canada in 1999. In 2006, he took over a bankrupt shawarma shop in Mississauga and, within months, transformed it into a healthy, profitable business. This endeavor later became the flagship of the highly successful food brand he built in Canada under the Paramount Fine Foods name. From that point on, he never looked back.
By 2018, under his skilled leadership, the Paramount chain had expanded from a single location to 36 restaurants across Canada and 7 international locations in the United States.
Fakih’s Philanthropy: A people-oriented individual and philanthropist at heart, during a particularly brutal stretch of -30-degree weather in December 2017, when Toronto’s housing shelters were at capacity, Fakih funded dozens of hotel rooms for those experiencing homelessness. He later contributed to ongoing efforts to help families off the streets in the Greater Toronto Area, continuing this support for over a decade.
As a practicing Muslim deeply committed to his community, Fakih was profoundly affected by the news of the Quebec City Mosque shooting in 2017. In response, he paid for the funeral expenses of all the victims and contributed to repairs at the mosque.
Recognition & Awards: In the fall of 2018, Fakih received an honorary doctorate from Ryerson University in recognition of his contributions to Canadian society. That same year, he took over the maintenance of Mississauga’s popular sports and entertainment center, which was rebranded as the Paramount Fine Foods Center.
In 2021, he was named Canadian CEO of the Year by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce for launching Canada’s first fully automated “safe” restaurant and for donating thousands of meals to communities across Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fakih also received recognition from The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business as the Corporate Citizen of the Year in 2021 and was named one of Canada’s Most Admired CEOs.
In December 2022, Mohamad Fakih was appointed to the Order of Canada. However, this recognition may have been too much for some of his detractors to accept, and they seized upon the opportunity to attack him.
In August 2025, after three long years of distressing scenes of violence in Palestine broadcast around the world, he made a social media post that sparked outrage within the Israeli lobby.
“On behalf of literally every Canadian of conscience: If you are a Canadian and a supporter of Israel, you do not uphold basic human values, let alone Canadian values. Your tweets and messages are saved and known to all of us. They live,” he wrote.
The backlash was swift and intense. Fakih’s statement drew the attention of pro-Israel advocates across all three major political parties in Canada, who united in their demand for action against him.
“Three parties. Three regions. One shared belief: The Order of Canada must reflect the values that unite us,” read a letter from former Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod, former B.C. NDP MLA and cabinet minister Selina Robinson and former Liberal MP Kevin Vuong,
They demanded that Fakih be stripped of the Order of Canada. However, with strong support from pro-Palestinian and Islamic activist groups, their efforts ultimately failed.
Yet, the Israeli lobby in the West has long memories and considerable resources to target those it perceives as adversaries. Unfortunately for Fakih, he had just been labeled as one by Israeli think tanks in Canada.
Fast-forward to today!
May 26, 2026: Barely over a year has passed since the anti-Fakih Hasbara campaign lost momentum, when the news arrives that Mohamad Fakih has lost control of the Paramount Center in Mississauga. While this could have been a straightforward situation of a businessman losing his rights to a city landmark, the reasons surrounding this event hark back to the movement against Fakih in 2025. Though Fakih asserts that he willingly relinquished control of the center, the management board has accused him of failing to “pay his dues” and has threatened to take legal action.
Fakih has not yet responded to these accusations. When he does, GTA Muslims Today will be sure to report on it. For now, we wish Mohamad Fakih all the best, and may Allah SWT ease his burdens, protect him, and safeguard his family. Ameen.
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