Montreal, Apr 01, 2025 — The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) strongly condemns The Advocates’ Society’s decision to cancel a keynote speech by humanitarian advocate Tareq solely because he used the term “genocide” on social media to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza.This decision—driven by pressure from members objecting to Mr. Hadhad’s use of the word “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions—represents a blatant attempt to silence Palestinian narratives and punish those who show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Mr. Hadhad’s principled expression of concern for civilian lives, particularly children in Gaza, aligns with the positions of respected international institutions such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has acknowledged in 2024 the plausibility of genocidal acts being committed in Gaza. Cancelling a speaker for echoing this reality is not only an attack on free expression—it is a denial of truth and justice.
“Let us be clear: there is no neutrality in this incident, but rather blatant anti-Palestinian racism and the systematic policing of Palestinian advocacy,” said Jamila Ewais, Lead Researcher at the ARPCF. “The double standard is clear: those who speak of Palestinian suffering are punished, while defenders of state violence face no such scrutiny. This silencing, particularly in a legal community that claims to uphold justice and civil liberties, betrays the very values it professes to protect and sends a chilling message to racialized communities: your pain is too political to acknowledge,” added Ewais.
The ARPCF believes that Mr. Hadhad’s lived experience as a refugee from Syria and peace-builder, and his call for the dignity of all human beings, should have been celebrated—not shut down. “That his message of unity and human rights was deemed ’divisive‘ exposes how deeply entrenched biases have shaped who is allowed to speak and what truths can be told. At a time when Palestinians are facing immense violence, displacement, and humanitarian catastrophe, erasing voices like Mr. Hadhad’s only furthers their marginalization. The legal profession must not turn its back on its ethical obligations to protect the vulnerable and speak truth to power—especially when international law and human rights frameworks support the urgency of his message,” said Ewais.
The ARPCF calls on The Advocates’ Society to publicly apologize to Tareq Hadhad and reaffirm its commitment to free expression and inclusion—not only in words but in practice. The ARPCF urges professional associations and institutions across Canada to resist political pressure that seeks to suppress solidarity with Palestinians and instead create space for difficult but necessary conversations grounded in international law and human dignity. At a moment when the ICJ and global human rights organizations are ringing alarm bells about the scale of suffering in Gaza, silencing voices of conscience is not just a failure of leadership—it is complicity.
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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