The saddest thing about this is it is hardly surprising, coming from a French-language paper.
Outrage from Montreal Jews has prompted a French-language newspaper to withdraw a Person of the Year competition that included Yasser Arafat as a candidate.
The competition in the daily La Presse – which also featured Canadaís new prime minister, Paul Martin, Quebec Premier Jean Charest, French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, champion cyclist Lance Armstrong and author Yan Martel, among others – asked readers to vote at the newspaper’s Web site.
Bios were included with each personality. Arafatís bio portrayed the Palestinian Authority president in a noble light.
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The bio began by lauding Arafat for his “courage and tenacity” in the advancement of the Palestinian cause and the pursuit of peace in the Middle East.
