Various Muslim groups have warned MPs they will be prohibited from coming into their mosques for Ramadan until they call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, demand restoration of funding for the United Nations aid agency and condemn Israel’s war crimes. CBC News reported Thursday the letter was signed by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and a number of prominent mosques and says MPs who refuse to pledge support to Gaza will not be “provided with a platform to address our congregations.”"Ramadan is about humanity," said the Muslim groups. "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."Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. It is expected to run from March 10 to April 9 this year.If MPs want to come to mosques, the groups said they will have to oppose the flow of arms and military equipment to Israel and stand up for the right of Canadians to express solidarity with Palestinians without fear of reprisal. The Canadian Council of Imams (CCI) was one of hundreds of organizations that signed the letter. CCI Director Abd Alfatah Twakkal said the letter was about sending a message to politicians. Twakkal called it “imperative that those who are in positions of power and responsibility advocate in order to stop the killing.”“We expect government officials that are elected and put in these positions to represent the population,” said Twakkal.“We are saying that this is what we expect in terms of representing the Muslim community and others.”The Israel-Hamas War began after the Hamas attacks in Israel where 1,200 people were killed in October. Israel responded with a military assault on Gaza that has killed more than 28,000 people. Gaza is bracing for an immediate ground invasion in Rafah — the last safe space in the region. The Israel Defence Forces said Hamas terrorists are sheltering in Rafah. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an interim emergency ruling on South Africa's lawsuit the Israel-Hamas War amounts to an act of genocide. Additionally, the ICJ ordered Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in it, but it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.The ruling split the Liberal caucus, with some MPs calling for an immediate ceasefire and others pushing back against the genocide claim. After Israel claimed 12 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees had participated in various capacities in the attacks, the Canadian government suspended federal funding to it. Twakkal said MPs who refuse to sign on to these pledges risk losing the “political capital within our communities.”Mosques and Muslim community organizations are popular stops for campaigning politicians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has visited mosques across Canada for pre-Ramadan events, where he has been greeted by mobs of supporters in the past. Since October, Trudeau has found himself targeted by protesters infuriated by his government's approach to the Israel-Hamas War. Statements by Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly were misreported in mainstream media and on social media as dismissing the South African ICJ case and taking Israel’s side. In fact, their statements avoided rejecting or endorsing South Africa's case against Israel.Twakkal said Muslims would not settle for tokenism or empty words and false promises. “We're beyond that at this point because people are dying and it needs to change,” he said. “It needs to stop.”Angus Reid Institute President Shachi Kurl said the Liberals have been courting the Muslim community since 2015. “Think back to the politics of 2014/2015, think back to the era of (Stephen) Harper's barbaric cultural practices hotline and other things that left Muslim Canadians feeling quite marginalized,” said Kurl.Kurl said the letter suggests the Muslim community will not be taken for granted. “This is about a diaspora community in this country sort of flexing their political muscle at this time and saying, ‘Don't come to our house, don't come into our community unless you're prepared to make certain commitments.’”
Various Muslim groups have warned MPs they will be prohibited from coming into their mosques for Ramadan until they call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, demand restoration of funding for the United Nations aid agency and condemn Israel’s war crimes. CBC News reported Thursday the letter was signed by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and a number of prominent mosques and says MPs who refuse to pledge support to Gaza will not be “provided with a platform to address our congregations.”"Ramadan is about humanity," said the Muslim groups. "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."Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. It is expected to run from March 10 to April 9 this year.If MPs want to come to mosques, the groups said they will have to oppose the flow of arms and military equipment to Israel and stand up for the right of Canadians to express solidarity with Palestinians without fear of reprisal. The Canadian Council of Imams (CCI) was one of hundreds of organizations that signed the letter. CCI Director Abd Alfatah Twakkal said the letter was about sending a message to politicians. Twakkal called it “imperative that those who are in positions of power and responsibility advocate in order to stop the killing.”“We expect government officials that are elected and put in these positions to represent the population,” said Twakkal.“We are saying that this is what we expect in terms of representing the Muslim community and others.”The Israel-Hamas War began after the Hamas attacks in Israel where 1,200 people were killed in October. Israel responded with a military assault on Gaza that has killed more than 28,000 people. Gaza is bracing for an immediate ground invasion in Rafah — the last safe space in the region. The Israel Defence Forces said Hamas terrorists are sheltering in Rafah. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an interim emergency ruling on South Africa's lawsuit the Israel-Hamas War amounts to an act of genocide. Additionally, the ICJ ordered Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in it, but it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.The ruling split the Liberal caucus, with some MPs calling for an immediate ceasefire and others pushing back against the genocide claim. After Israel claimed 12 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees had participated in various capacities in the attacks, the Canadian government suspended federal funding to it. Twakkal said MPs who refuse to sign on to these pledges risk losing the “political capital within our communities.”Mosques and Muslim community organizations are popular stops for campaigning politicians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has visited mosques across Canada for pre-Ramadan events, where he has been greeted by mobs of supporters in the past. Since October, Trudeau has found himself targeted by protesters infuriated by his government's approach to the Israel-Hamas War. Statements by Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly were misreported in mainstream media and on social media as dismissing the South African ICJ case and taking Israel’s side. In fact, their statements avoided rejecting or endorsing South Africa's case against Israel.Twakkal said Muslims would not settle for tokenism or empty words and false promises. “We're beyond that at this point because people are dying and it needs to change,” he said. “It needs to stop.”Angus Reid Institute President Shachi Kurl said the Liberals have been courting the Muslim community since 2015. “Think back to the politics of 2014/2015, think back to the era of (Stephen) Harper's barbaric cultural practices hotline and other things that left Muslim Canadians feeling quite marginalized,” said Kurl.Kurl said the letter suggests the Muslim community will not be taken for granted. “This is about a diaspora community in this country sort of flexing their political muscle at this time and saying, ‘Don't come to our house, don't come into our community unless you're prepared to make certain commitments.’”
