US & CANADA
5 HOURS AGO
MPs not welcome in Canada mosques until they condemn Israeli crimes in Gaza
Open letter signed by more than 300 prominent Muslim institutions and groups urge lawmakers to recommit to human rights, call out Israeli war crimes in Gaza, and commit to peace before being platformed at any mosque.
Amidst criticism, PM Justin Trudeau remains silent on Israeli war on Gaza, yet continues to make appearances at Canadian mosques. / Photo: Reuters
REUTERS
Amidst criticism, PM Justin Trudeau remains silent on Israeli war on Gaza, yet continues to make appearances at Canadian mosques. / Photo: Reuters
As Ramadan approaches, Canadian Muslim groups have unanimously said that members of Parliament won’t be welcome in any mosque unless they publicly condemn Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
The message was delivered on Thursday in an open letter signed by more than 300 prominent Muslim institutions and groups including the influential National Council of Canadian Muslims.
“If you cannot publicly commit to all of the above, respectfully, we cannot provide you with a platform to address our congregations,” said the letter.
“Ramadan is about humanity. This Ramadan more than ever, only those MPs who share in our commitment to humanity will be welcome to address us in our sacred spaces.”
The holy month of Ramadan is scheduled to begin on March 10.
The letter also urges lawmakers to stop the “flow of arms and military equipment to the [Israeli] government” and to defend the “right of Canadians to express solidarity with the Palestinian people without fear of reprisal.”
Lifeline for millions of refugees
Canada was among several countries that halted funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East [UNRWA] when Israel alleged that several employees were complicit in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. There are doubts about the charge.​​​​​​​
The letter noted that UNRWA aid is a “lifeline for millions of refugees which was suspended without reasonable basis” and demands it be restored.
Israel launched a deadly offensive on besieged Gaza following Hamas’ surprise blitz on October 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians and wounded over 69,000 with mass destruction of properties and shortages of basic necessities.
The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85 percent of the territory’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel has announced that it will soon mount a land invasion against Rafah, near the border with Egypt, which is considered the last haven for the displaced Palestinians in Gaza.
SOURCE: AA
