This article was edited to correct a previous version that misnamed the Canadian Arab Federation.

The head of the Canadian Arab Federation has distanced himself from an anti-Canadian rant posted on a Facebook site by an official of the group.

Mohamed Boudjenane said the Internet posting by the group's western vice-president Omar Shaban "is not the type of position we hold as an organization." Shaban has resigned.

On Tuesday, Shaban posted an item on Facebook calling Canada "a genocidal state" for its treatment of native peoples and saying he "couldn't be more ashamed to be Canadian." He titled the posting, "F--- Canada Day."

The following day, Canada Day, he wished readers, "Happy Genocide Day Canada."

"We don't support that type of statement," said Boudjenane. "But at the end of the day, no matter what we do, we'll be blamed for it."

Boudjenane suggested the posting was a minor indiscretion, adding: "You know how many Quebecers say `F--- Canada' every day?"

Shaban, 23, lives in Vancouver.

Yesterday, he launched a blog with an essay titled, "I Will Celebrate Canada Day When the Natives Do."

In the piece, he denounced former prime ministers Lester Pearson and Paul Martin, and current Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, for various Middle East-related stands.

"I also apologize for being a citizen of a country that followed George Bush's order and went to Afghanistan," Shaban wrote, assuring readers the views are his own and not those of the Arab federation.

The first person known to object to the original Facebook posting was Toronto Muslim commentator Tarek Fatah, co-host of CFRB Radio's Strong Opinions talk show and author of Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State.

"(The federation) no longer represents Canadian Arab interests," he told the Star.

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"There has been a takeover of the organization by militants of (Lebanon-based) Hezbollah and (Gaza-based) Hamas."

Ottawa takes a similar view. Effective three months ago, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney ended the group's $1 million annual federal grant.