expresses grave concern over the contradictory recommendations in the Parliamentary reports on Islamophobia and Antisemitism issued by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST). While the reports acknowledge the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association (ACLA) definition of anti-Palestinian racism (APR) in one instance, they simultaneously propose measures that suppress pro-Palestinian advocacy, conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
“These reports wrongly portray advocacy for justice and accountability for Palestinians in Canada as hate speech,” said Jamila Ewais, Lead Researcher at ARPCF. The ARPCF is concerned that this fuels fears among Palestinians of being silenced and prevented from sharing their lived experiences under Zionism and Israeli occupation. “It is blatantly unjust for policymakers to protect colonial movements under the guise of combating hate speech,” added Ewais
The JUST report on antisemitism conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism, effectively silencing Palestinian narratives and advocating for the political persecution of pro-Palestinian activists. By opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) and academic boycotts of Israel and supporting the IHRA definition, which conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, the report undermines democratic rights and reinforces systemic racism. This approach disregards how government-endorsed tools like the IHRA definition and handbook facilitate the erasure of Palestinian lived experiences, excuse actions driven by Zionist ideology, and perpetuate ongoing oppression. Furthermore, both reports fail to identify the local or global actors responsible for Palestinian suffering, thereby further marginalizing Palestinian voices and demands.
The ARPCF calls on the Canadian government to reject recommendations in both reports that harm marginalized communities and to uphold the right to free expression for all Canadians. The ARPCF considers that, to effectively address systemic racism, Canada must confront its structural roots, including settler-colonialism and the power dynamics that sustain it and white-supremacy. As the Government develop its response to the JUST committee’s recommendations, the ARPCF calls on The Minister of Justice to ensure that any resulting policies reflect Canada’s commitment to equity and inclusion.
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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