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Montreal, July 18, 2024— The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) questions Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles for changing a tweet following smear attacks by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FWSC) and Honest Reporting Canada (HRC). Stiles initially expressed admiration of the beauty of the Palestinian embroidery on July 15^th 2024. FWSC and HRC criticized Stiles for her appreciation of Palestinian cultural displays at the Taste of the Middle East Toronto Festival, including one depicting a historical map of Palestine. Rather than defending this organic form of Palestinian representation, Stiles removed the initial embroidery image she had posted on her X account and replace it with another one.

“The response from these pro-Israel groups is emblematic of anti-Palestinian racism, which seeks to erase Palestinian narratives and equate the acknowledgment of Palestinian culture with hostility towards Jewish people everywhere.” Said Jamila Ewais, Lead Researcher of the ARPCF. The ARPCF considers that this form of attack is not about enforcing a narrative that denies the history and rights of Palestinians. The depiction of Palestine in the embroidery reflected a cultural and historical representation made by Palestinian refugees.  Ultimately, refugees have the right to go back to their cities of origin, and cherishing that right is not an act of aggression. “By giving in to these attacks, Stiles adds to the silencing of the narratives of Palestinians,” continued Ewais.  Ewais points out that silencing and pressuring other to exclude Palestine is form of Anti-Palestinian Racism as identified by the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association.

The attack against Marit Stiles' appreciation of Palestinian embroidery is part of a distressing trend by pro-Israel groups in which any expression of Palestinian identity or solidarity is quickly deemed controversial or harmful, stifling meaningful conversation about Palestinian rights. Furthermore, their criticism of the embroidery as erasing Israel underscores their denial of Israel's brutal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, inaccurately portraying these areas as under full Israeli sovereignty. This position not only contradicts international law and Canada’s position on Israeli settlements and the two-state solution but also legitimizes violence against Palestinians and negates their rights.

The ARPCF calls for Stiles and other Canadian politicians to clearly define their principles concerning Indigenous peoples who have been violently displaced. Stiles and others must be models who resist calls for the censure of political and cultural expressions related to Palestine and other dispossessed peoples.

About the ARPCF – The mandate of the Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) is to create public awareness about racism in Canada.  This mandate falls in line with the Foundation’s broader purpose of monitoring and combating manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination by increasing public awareness of such biases.

For more information, please contact Jamila Ewais, 514-389-8668
ARPCF, [email protected]  www.cjpmefoundation.org

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