Farhan Chak's doctorate degree in question
Farhan Mujahid Chak has some problems on his hands. As the Liberal Party candidate for a riding in Alberta, he has been in the news dealing with the fallout of extreme-sounding writings of his, and serious firearms-related criminal charges that he seems to have not disclosed to the Liberal Party.
I'm going to add a new one to this list. His doctorate from the University of Durham? No such thing.
Farhan Chak, the Liberal Party candidate for Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont and supporter of Stephane Dion, has been trying to deal with a controversy that started with a post on this blog. Chak's views on Islamic terrorism are hardly mainstream -- he has written about his belief that Western intelligence agencies are actually behind the violence. He has stated his belief that Canadian Conservatives, at least those in Edmonton, are largely a racist group, and that Stephen Harper's agenda is driven by a philosophy of racial superiority.
The National Post picked up the story and revealed that in 1993 Farhan Chak was arrested and charged with serious firearms offenses, including discharging a shotgun into a crowded nightclub after a knife fight. Farhan Chak insists that the witnesses all agreed that they had identified the wrong person, and that Chak was a victim of mistaken identity.
The problem for the Liberal Party is that all this comes as a surprise. The application form that nominees have to complete is quite explicit in requiring full disclosure of all these details.
But Farhan Chak has a new problem on his hands. It seems the that the doctorate of which he is so proud is a fabrication.
Consider this screen grab from Farhan Chak's campaign website:
He claims to have four academic degrees:
Chak was born in Toronto but his family moved to Edmonton when he was a baby. A graduate of the University of Alberta, he has four academic degrees. He recently finished a doctorate in political science at the University of Durham in England.
This email comes from the Student Planning and Assessment Department of the University of Durham, in response to a request for details of Farhan Chak's degree:
From: ******************* <**************@durham.ac.uk>
Sent: Thu May 03 06:31:18 2007
Subject: Re: Farhan Mujahid ChakDear Sir,
I write in response to your email requesting confirmation of the above named persons study at the University of Durham.
I can confirm that he first started his studies from 1 October 2000 on a postgraduate(research) course leading to a PhD, however for the academic year 2006/07 he is not registered with the University in order to continue with this course.
He certainly has not had this degree conferred, because he has not submitted his thesis yet and his name has not appeared on a pass list.
Certainly has not had this degree conferred.
I guess that would be a lie, then.
Are his other degrees legitimate? He claims to have a diploma and a BA from the University of Alberta, and Master's Degree from the University of Bradford in the UK.
Are his claims to have moderated his views with regards to terrorism to be taken at face value?
Was he really a victim of mistaken identity in 1993 with regards to the charge of firing a shotgun into the doorway of a crowded nightclub?
At this point, who knows what to believe?
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Comments
Wow Angry, I guess I should be shocked, but can't say I am.
As an academic, I suppose Dion will (justifiably) come down hard on this. He should have acted a week ago, but better late than never I guess.
You should really get a job as a CPC researcher...
Posted by: mecheng at May 3, 2007 09:33 AM
Perhaps he just brought his degrees from someone in Toronto. Not like that isn't happening all the time.
Posted by: Honey Pot at May 3, 2007 10:04 AM
Hey Angry,
Nice catch. It's in keeping with the recent Macleans theme of "what's a degree worth" what with many (not all) students cheating to obtain their degree(s). But this is even better: not even bother with the charade of attending class - just self-confer.
Posted by: Phil at May 3, 2007 10:10 AM
Apparently he was enrolled. He just didn't finish. Didn't get the job done, as it were.
Posted by: Steve Janke at May 3, 2007 10:17 AM
Farney is fine with the Liberals, no outcry from the party or it's leader Dion, so it appears he passes their credentials.
Phony degree, handy with a gun, modified his views on terrorism ........yadda, yadda.
So it's Dr. Farney, not!
Posted by: Libby at May 3, 2007 10:27 AM
I have an idea that will allow Mr. Dion to save face:
Mr. Dion, rather than field a candidate, will endorse the Green candidate in Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont. This would be in exchange for the Green Party staying out of Calgary Southwest. Jason Cherniak could then claim this had nothing to do with Mr. Chak, but is merely the most likely way to unseat Stephen Harper. :-)
I think this will be the final straw for Mr. Chak, unless he can prove that the university is in error and his PhD degree is legitimate.
Posted by: Concerned Torontonian at May 3, 2007 10:32 AM
Another inconvenient truth that Dion doesn't want to deal with, and the media mostly ignores as well. There's a big looming problem for Dion and the Libs. And they should see it coming, since they have been on the delivering end in previous election campaigns (Randy White documentary for example)
It's that the CPC war room is probably sitting on all kinds of dirt on wannabe Liberal MPs. Just waiting to spring them on Dion, at the most inconvenient of times, when the media will be FORCED to report on it, and the voters will be paying much closer attention.
Harper is clever enough to hold his fire on stuff, wait until the time is right to spring his surprises. And not only are the Libs relying on marble-mouthed, muddle-headed Dion with numerous microphones in his face to spin stuff away. But the Libs are also too broke to have any kind of fast-reaction war room ready to help Dion out.
The next campaign is going to be verrrrrrrrrrrry interesting !
Posted by: Calgary Junkie at May 3, 2007 10:46 AM
...Liberal mentality: Facts? What facts?
Sgt Schultz would be proud of them.
Posted by: tomax7 at May 3, 2007 10:51 AM
Dion will be hard pressed to give up on a squeaky clean "academic" except for the discharging a firearm in a night club thing, oh and the extremist political views.
Its the Monty Python knight in the forrest sketch "come back and fight I'll bite you"!
Posted by: ian at May 3, 2007 10:53 AM
Keep turnin' those rocks over Steve.
One never knows what one will find...except that in the case of the LPC one is sure to find a nest of scorpions.
Posted by: Simon at May 3, 2007 11:19 AM
Keep turnin' those rocks over Steve.
One never knows what one will find...except that in the case of the LPC one is sure to find a nest of scorpions.
Good catch!
Posted by: Simon at May 3, 2007 11:20 AM
note to concerned Torontonian
wouldn't work... having lived in Calgary Southwest at one point and not really being a Harper supporter I would venture that you suggestion would be a waste of time... there's a snowball chance's in hell of anyone but a conservative ever getting elected in that riding... the average income is well over 6 figures and most of them have their prosperity tied to the oil industry. I think Harper won with like 75% of the vote.
Posted by: Sierra at May 3, 2007 11:27 AM
Steve- You've been picked up by Bourque Newswatch. Nice work. I was on my usual read and clicked on the reference These things are interesting. I wonder if this good detective will not ultimately undermine the cause. The CPC, as noted by Calgary Junkie, likely has scads of scandals waiting in the wings to pour on the Liebrals in an election campaign when they may help swing voters our way. The other conundrum is- if the four year election proposal passes, what strategy will fall from that?
The dilemma is- do we out these wrongs and give the chance to the reds to recover or do we wait in hopes of delivering the coup de grace when it really counts? Tough call. Is there any way to vet with the war room first? We've been burned by the CPC's desperate attempts to capture the hearts and minds of the Ontario and Quebec voters- read the Western Standard for more on this.
Posted by: Dave from Campbell River at May 3, 2007 11:42 AM
"note to concerned Torontonian
wouldn't work... having lived in Calgary Southwest at one point and not really being a Harper supporter I would venture that you suggestion would be a waste of time... there's a snowball chance's in hell of anyone but a conservative ever getting elected in that riding..."
Note to Sierra - I was being facetious - having a little fun at Mr. Cherniak's expense.
Cheers !
Posted by: Concerned Torontonian at May 3, 2007 12:03 PM
It is always nice to see a liberal fall especially an uppity immigrant liberal. But would you care if this guy was not perceived as an enemy to Israel? I hope you take the same approach to ALL OF THEM. Thanks.
Posted by: real conservative at May 3, 2007 12:14 PM
Wow. Nice bait, troll.
But seriously, good work Steve. Yet again, you are doing more in your spare time than the hordes of microphone wavers do day-in and day-out.
Posted by: Yukon Gold at May 3, 2007 12:33 PM
Chak behaves like Ralph Klein!!
Howcome you don't get on the ass of CON MP, James Rajotte, who hospitalized a guy in a bar fight?
Posted by: Aa at May 3, 2007 01:24 PM
Now wait just a cotton pickin' minute. The e-mail from the U of D ... didn't that contain personal and priviledged information? Wasn't that a violation of Chak's privacy? I don't give an owl's flatulence about the Librals or the Cons. But this could turn out to be interesting ammo for Chak to use.
Posted by: zenforcer at May 3, 2007 01:48 PM
Hey Farhan Chak. Why don't you come over to my place in Yellowknife and share your nitwitted ideas about Islamic terrorism and "racist" Conservatives. I'd love to introduce your dumbass to my baseball bat.
Sincerely,
A Patriot.
Posted by: Johnny Appleseed at May 3, 2007 02:03 PM
Now wait just a cotton pickin' minute. The e-mail from the U of D ... didn't that contain personal and priviledged information? Wasn't that a violation of Chak's privacy?
With respect to the man in the street it might be a violation. However, anytime a person steps forward as a candidate for public office, he or she becomes a public figure, as Chak has done. Moreover, Chak gave out some of this "personal & privileged" information himself when he included his academic credentials as an important factor in what voters should consider. Since he appears to have misrepresented his credentials, he cannot now complain when people attempt to set the record straight.
Posted by: Brian in Calgary at May 3, 2007 02:13 PM
"Wasn't that a violation of Chak's privacy?"
No. Claiming a degree from an institution means you are happy to have the institution confirm it. If Universities won't, or CAN'T, confirm or deny the status of their degrees then the degrees are worthless.
Posted by: The Rat at May 3, 2007 02:16 PM
The e-mail from the U of D ... didn't that contain personal and priviledged information? Wasn't that a violation of Chak's privacy?
Mr. Chak waived his right to privacy with regard to degree status inquiries when he claimed to hold a PhD. The value of the degrees bestowed by the university would be useless if anyone could simply claim any degree they wished.
The university has the right to reveal Chak has not completed his PhD. I would say the university even has an obligation to defend its reputation when confronted with a fraudulent PhD claimant.
Posted by: Concerned Torontonian at May 3, 2007 02:17 PM
"Now wait just a cotton pickin' minute. The e-mail from the U of D ... didn't that contain personal and priviledged information? Wasn't that a violation of Chak's privacy?"
Who earns a degree is a matter of public record. That's why we have big ceremonies and give out papers with our names on them in public view. No questions were asked with regards to his academic record.
Posted by: Steve Janke at May 3, 2007 02:23 PM
haha Steven, you are on a tear. You know you're on the right track when the soft-headed liberal trolls come out in force to defend their boy.
Another awesome week of blogging.
Posted by: Levesque at May 3, 2007 02:40 PM
Steve, I just clicked on to Chak's site, and here's what appears under the "PhD" bit, which is presumably, a recent addition:
Farhan has completed his doctoral research program but is awaiting to schedule his VIVA and have his convocation.
Somebody at his office is reading your blog, it seems :)
Posted by: Jason Hickman at May 3, 2007 02:41 PM
Mr. Janke - I understand you are are a prejudicial individual who has no idea how academics works so I will try to explain it to you.
Farhan Chak has submitted his thesis, you have lied about that. You have also contacted the wrong people to confirm anything.
Only thing left for Mr. Chak is to complete his defence which is called a VIVA.
Perhaps you should restrict your viewpoints to commenting on your Klu Klux Klan buddies as well as the male baldness crew
Posted by: Jennifer at May 3, 2007 02:42 PM
Jennifer, if there's "only" one thing left for Chak to do, that would imply he has not actually finished his degree. Ergo, he does not hold a degree, and to claim otherwise at this point is still a blatant lie.
Posted by: Eugene at May 3, 2007 02:53 PM
Jennifer
Typical hyperbole and insults from the left. You people lack facts to debate with so resort to playground level insults and taunts.
Oh, well here's a lib-type slur right back at you:
Jennifer, try changing your pad you hideous, shame-spiraling, daddy-diddled-me, disel-dike, slope-headed shrew.
Not very civilized sounding is it?
Posted by: missing link at May 3, 2007 03:12 PM
I think I can add something to this. As a bona fide, tuition-all-paid-up PHD candidate who has not defended, I think I can say with some certainty that not having done your "viva", Chak's cutesy term for his oral examination, and not having graduated means he's not a PhD. Like any other degree, there's a big difference between being finished and not being finished. The oral exam is an integral part of the process. Usually, it's held soon after the thesis referees have agreed that the thesis is complete and ready to be defended. People who enrolled in a PhD program are able to use "PhD Cand." (PhD Candidate), and those who are close to having the thesis finished can use "PhD ABD" (All But Dissertation) and may even be calkled "doctor" as a courtesy but, once out of a PhD program, you lose the right to these titles and join the ranks of the legions of people who have started PhD programs and who have never finished.
The privacy issue is unimportant. Unless universities answer questions like this, there will be many, many people using bogus credentials. The only way to keep credentials -- or lack of them -- private is not to use them.
Posted by: Mark Bourrie BA MJ PhD (ABD) at May 3, 2007 03:21 PM
These left wing nutbags really drive me crazy. Especially these minoritiy types. They should just all go back to Africa whrere they belong. Thankyou Mr. Janke for giving me a forum to bash these god damned minority bastards for trying to racialize the only province still worth a salt left in Canada.
Posted by: Chaz at May 3, 2007 03:29 PM
Racist pukes.
Posted by: Lee at May 3, 2007 03:32 PM
Misrepresentation of one's academic credentials is a situation where one can be fired with cause. A Dean at MIT was fired just last week for falsifying her credentials 29 years ago.
Please stop the hyberbole, Jennifer. He has not been granted a doctorate, and is not eligible to use the designation Ph.D. He is lying about his credentials and qualifications. What can be more obvious?
He is fraudulently inflating his academic record. As a holder of multiple degrees - all legitimate - I know whereof I speak.
Please don't fool yourself into thinking that you are brighter than eveyone else - you're not, and it is apparent to all.
Posted by: ontario Tory at May 3, 2007 03:33 PM
I highly doubt any of you hold any degrees to begin with. Secondly viva is not a cutesy term. Farhan Chak went to the UK to do his MA and PHD and a defence in the UK is referred to as a VIVA. Goodness ignorant fools make me laugh “cutesy term”. If you were really so educated you would know what a viva is. The ignorance that permeates from this website makes me laugh. I can’t wait till Steve
Janke is slapped with a lawsuit for defamation.
Enjoy.
Posted by: Jennifer at May 3, 2007 03:45 PM
Chaz pretty much sums up conservative views and the views of this website. Thank you.
Posted by: Jennifer at May 3, 2007 03:48 PM
lol at Jenny. You're pretty upset, baby. I don't think you're really laughing. As a matter of fact...I'd say you're melting down.
A lawsuit! That's rich.
Posted by: Olivia is a beard at May 3, 2007 03:59 PM
*
Funny... Jennifer/Farhan also posted this at my site. It was a straight copy/paste even to the point of addressing me as "Steve the prejudicial individual"
"Anonymous said...
Mr. Janke - I understand you are are a prejudicial individual who has no idea how academics works so I will try to explain it to you..."
You haven't found any evidence of cross-dressing in her/his CV have you?
*
Posted by: neo at May 3, 2007 04:10 PM
So all of us Conservatives who live in Alberta are racists because he says so???
Because maybe people don't believe everything they hear? Because maybe people don't bend over backwards to appease every person who has a bone to pick, and who uses the "r" word to suit their purposes, whether or not they might slander a person's reputation in the process.
Hirsi Ali in her book Infidel, talks of a fellow refugee in Holland who told her to call a Dutch person racist, and then she would be assured to get anything and everything she wanted.
Check it out for yourself and read her book. She blows the whistle on people using the "r" word indiscriminately.
Posted by: anonymous at May 3, 2007 04:29 PM
Jennifer,
Only someone who has passed his thesis through a defence can have the designation of PhD. Otherwise you can only claim PhD candidacy. There are lots of people who hung around universities in the PhD program who haven't passed their thesis defence because they have failed.
Would you want a person who never finished his Medical degree giving you drugs and diagnosis?
Chak is "bending" the truth to suit him. This represents his character.
Posted by: langmann at May 3, 2007 05:03 PM
Mr. Chak may just be another liberal waterhead with political views that would make Reinhard Heydrich blanch...he may just be a loudmouth with a proficiency for lying that would make Dan rather doubt his sincerity, but he can probably eat a hotdog without a knife & fork or by consulting a hotdog focus group.
Mr. Chak, warts, machine guns & all is probably better Liberal leadership material than the Miss Nancy currently driving the party into Khmer Rouge North status.
Posted by: Belinda's jockstrap at May 3, 2007 05:23 PM
The cops just busted a MASSIVE forgery ring in TO recently.
Cred cards, passports, Student Visas and ...*wait for it*
UNIVERSITY DEGREES.
Posted by: ZiLLa at May 3, 2007 05:49 PM
Breaking: Farhat resigns?
From Bourque discussion board...no link given yet.
Posted by: Rich at May 3, 2007 06:19 PM
link:
http://www.940news.com/nouvelles.php?cat=23&id=50382
Posted by: Rich at May 3, 2007 06:31 PM
Jennifer, I have a PhD, and I assure you that there's a big difference between having it and almost having it. The Viva, or as it's called in this country, the oral defence, sometimes goes wrong. Sometimes candidates have to rewrite large parts of their work and come back to defend it again. Sometimes it's rejected even before the defence. Shame on you for comparing people here to the K.K.K.
Posted by: BillBC at May 3, 2007 06:56 PM
Excellent work Steve.
That has to be very humiliating for the Liberal Party.
Man every time you hit a nerve all the LIB wackos come out in full force with the blades coming at you..
Farhat resigns.....
These liberals are a joke
Keep it up.
Posted by: banjotom at May 3, 2007 07:00 PM
great job, Steve!
Posted by: Winston at May 3, 2007 08:53 PM
Hi Jenny-bean:
Since you're possibly an academic (or at least you've convinced yourself thus), you should be smarty-smart enough to look up "ad hominem attack" and report back what it means, mm-kay?
We see a lot of that from your leftoid buddies when their arguments run out of steam. Or you could just hurl more slurs and epithets, as you see fit. 'Cause that's a hoot as well, eh?
*hugs and academic smilies*
mhb23re
ps: "degreed individual" <> "intellectual"
Posted by: mhb at May 3, 2007 11:30 PM
"degreed individual" .ne. "intellectual"
Posted by: mhb at May 3, 2007 11:32 PM
I’m a journalist. I have been doing vast research on Steve Jackoff. It turns out that Stevie Wonder here works at McDonald’s. He likes to watch anime porn. He comes home at night to kiss the facebook picture of Farhan Chak who he seems to have developed a bizarre infatuation with. I have no problem with homosexuals myself but I find this behavior a bit puzzling to say the least. Definitely something that should be looked into further. Perhaps Farhan Chak rejected Steve’s affections and Steve decided to retaliate in return. He’s a bit of a suicidal man as I talked to his mother the other day. Hey Steve you’re also kinda chubby hey. Ever thought about Jenny Craig? So how many Big Macs do you chomp down while writing this kind of crap? Awww look I found your picture.You’re even uglier than I imagined. http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41241000/jpg/_41241098_stevej66.jpg ..You want to be famous don’t you fatty?
Posted by: devon at May 4, 2007 04:21 AM
"Farhan Chak has submitted his thesis, you have lied about that."
Jennifer: that's strange because, you see, the CNews is now reporting that Chak has resigned and in regards to this very issue they are reporting that Chak's own website is admitting that he has not completed his thesis.
Care to explain how he could have submitted his thesis if it is not complete? Or is everybody a liar but you?
Posted by: Surecure at May 4, 2007 05:44 AM
Nice work devon. Another well thought out, intelligent response which places you in the same league with the racist kkk guys that occasionally show up here.
Posted by: biss at May 4, 2007 11:24 AM
Devon, I suggest you take those meds, try to curb your homosexual fantasies and come into the real world. Pity Angry didn't wait to break this story during the election though...would have had a much greater impact.
Posted by: badbeta at May 4, 2007 01:15 PM
Not that is matters now, but Jennifer from Alberta, presumably a friend of Chak's, you really don't want to go along this path.
Farhan Chak has submitted his thesis, you have lied about that. You have also contacted the wrong people to confirm anything.
In fact, Chak has not submitted his thesis, and the right people were contacted:
In an e-mail obtained by the National Post, Mehmet Asutay, a lecturer at Durham's school of government and international affairs, said Mr. Chak had given him a final draft of his thesis on "political culture in Pakistan," but it had not been evaluated or "formally submitted."
Not evaluated. Not submitted. Just a draft. A final draft, perhaps, but just a draft, still subject to changes. He is a few months away from his degree, assuming everything goes without a hitch (I have no reason to believe there would be any problems).
Posted by: Steve Janke at May 4, 2007 02:22 PM
Hey Jennifer are you sure you did not mis-spell your name.
Perhaps you meant to spell it F-A-R-H-A-N. It would not surprise me in the least if this were true as this Chak character seems he is becoming more and more unstable everyday [see Devon at 4 A.M.]. He made an effort to try and pull the wool over everyone's eyes and in the end he has been exposed. Oh what a wicked web we weave....
Posted by: Fools Rush In at May 4, 2007 03:55 PM
LOL
It's true, you know: there's really NO point in feeding the trolls. And anybody as stupid as devon couldn't eat unassisted, anyway. So why bother?
mhb23re
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