The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) has issued a statement “strongly condemning” remarks from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other politicians, school boards and legacy media. .The letter pertains to comments made by Trudeau and others in the public sphere following the 1 Million March 4 Children on September 20, where parents protested gender ideology in schools. . Gender Identity protest 4Gender Identity protest 4 .The 1 Million March was organized by Muslim parents concerned about their kids learning about content in school that is too mature for them. They were joined by many Christians, “other faith-based groups,” and secular groups, who all banded together to protest dwindling parents rights in the school system.. Gender Identity protest 5On 20th September, parents across Canada staged a massive protest against sexualised teaching in the country's schools. .Thousands of parents across the country met outside city halls and schools to raise awareness about the controversial curriculum, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). . Gender Identity protest 2Pro-family protesters in Airdrie, Alberta. .While teachers' unions planned disruption and counter-protests, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh marched in a counter-protest in Ottawa and Trudeau made a polarizing post on Twitter. .“Let me make one thing very clear: Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country,” Trudeau tweeted the morning of the march..“We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of (sexual-minority) Canadians across the country, you are valid and you are valued.”.MAC warns these kinds of statements from politicians and other public officials “increase the potential for Muslim children to face increased bullying and harassment in schools.” .They call specifically on Trudeau, as well as other politicians and school boards, to “retract their deeply inflammatory and divisive comments and issue an apology to the thousands of Canadian parents” affected by them. .MAC “strongly condemns remarks on recent protests made by certain politicians, including our Prime Minister, as well as statements from school boards, unions and reports from some media outlets,” the statement reads. .“By characterizing the peaceful protests of thousands of concerned parents as hateful, Canadian leaders and school boards are setting a dangerous precedent of using their position of influence to unjustly demonize families and alienate countless students,” the letter continues. .MAC said the intention of the protest “was to be heard, not to sow division” and to give parents an opportunity to call “for their rights as parents in relation to their children’s education.”.“(On September 20) thousands of Muslims, joined by other faith-based groups, protested to raise their concerns, calling for their rights as parents in relation to their children’s education,” the statement reads. “Their intent was to be heard, not to sow division. Parents should have the absolute right to advocate for the wellbeing of their children.”.“The statements from Canadian leaders and school boards increase the potential for Muslim children to face increased bullying and harassment in schools, both by educators and peers, a trend that’s already distressingly escalating,” MAC said..“Civil rights organizations and Muslim organizations across the country have documented numerous validated accounts detailing situations where children have been coerced into activities that contradict their faith, or where parents teaching religious values to their offspring have been unfairly attacked.”.“We call on politicians and school boards, beginning with Prime Minister Trudeau, to retract their deeply inflammatory and divisive comments and issue an apology to the thousands of Canadian parents hurt by these comments.”
