CJPME Welcomes ICC Green Light to Investigate Israeli War Crimes, Urges Canada to End Opposition
Montreal, February 8, 2021 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes the decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) giving the green light to a possible investigation into war crimes by Israeli officials. On Friday, the ICC’s pre-trial chamber concluded that the ICC has territorial jurisdiction to conduct an investigation in Palestine, and specifically in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. CJPME urges the Canadian government to cease its political attempts to influence the court to drop the investigation.
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Letter to Minister Gould on UNRWA Educational Material
On February 2, 2021, the Coalition of Canadian Palestinian Organizations sent a letter to Minister Gould in response to her announcement that Canada would be investigating recent allegations by pro-Israel groups against UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees. CJPME has endorsed this letter, alongside the Canadian Arab Institute and Independent Jewish Voices Canada.
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CJPME Applauds Government Recognition of January 29 as National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia
Montreal, January 29, 2021 — On the fourth anniversary of the Quebec Mosque massacre, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) warmly welcomes the recent announcement by the federal government that January 29th will now be recognized as a “National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia.” The recognition of January 29 is a significant accomplishment for CJPME and allied organizations who have been advocating for this outcome for years.
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CJPME and CMF Call for Action on Islamophobia
Montreal, January 27, 2021 — In conjunction with the Canadian Muslim Forum (CMF), Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) released today an open letter to Canada’s political and civic leaders, calling them to take concrete action to oppose Islamophobia in Canada. The letter cited the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, and reflected on how little has improved for Muslim-Canadians since the 2017 attack. The letter identifies five areas of action for political and civic leaders in hopes of improving opportunities and protections for Muslim-Canadians.
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CMF and CJPME Open Letter on Islamophobia
Open Letter on Islamophobia to Canada and Quebec’s Political and Civil Leaders, from the Canadian Muslim Forum and Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East. January 27, 2021.
In a few days, Canadians will mark the fourth anniversary of the tragic Quebec City mosque massacre. On January 29, 2017, a young man influenced by online hatred and racism entered the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City and opened fire on Muslim-Canadian worshippers. When he was done, six Canadians were dead, and 19 more injured.
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Academic Freedom at Core of CJPME’s Submission to UofT External Review
Montreal, January 20, 2021 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) released today its submission to the University of Toronto’s External Review process, which is investigating allegations of inappropriate conduct in the University of Toronto’s hiring process for the directorship position of its International Human Rights Program (IHRP). In its submission, CJPME criticizes the UofT’s alleged revocation of a job offer to Dr. Valentina Azarova based on her scholarship on Israel’s occupation. CJPME’s submission also explores this incident in the context of broader campaigns to shut down critical scholarship on Israel-Palestine.
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CJPME Outraged by Racist Smear Against Muslim and Arab-Canadian Minister
Montreal, January 14, 2021 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is outraged by vague criticisms made by the Bloc Québécois (BQ) against new Transport Minister Omar Alghabra which amount to anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia. As reported by the Canadian Press, BQ leader Yves-François Blanchet said on Wednesday that “questions arise” from Mr. Alghabra’s former role as president of the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF). Blanchet reportedly suggested that Alghabra was associated with "the political Islamic movement," but declined to accuse Alghabra of any specific wrongdoing. The CAF is a secular organization. CJPME considers such vague aspersions to be racist and Islamophobic against Alghabra, a Syrian-Canadian and Muslim.
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CJPME Applauds Prominent Israeli Rights Group for “Apartheid” Analysis
Montreal, January 12, 2021 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) applauds Israel’s largest and preeminent human rights organization B’Tselem for its declaration that Israel must be properly understood as an “apartheid” regime. In a groundbreaking new position paper, B’Tselem describes Israeli apartheid as “a regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.” As B’Tselem executive director Hagai El-Ad wrote in an accompanying opinion piece, "There is not a single square inch in the territory Israel controls where a Palestinian and a Jew are equal."
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Joint Letter to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on Israel's Vaccine Apartheid
The following is a joint letter which was sent to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on January 6, 2021. The statement commends NDP MPs Charlie Angus and Leah Gazan for their statements criticizing Israel's discriminatory vaccine program and standing up for Palestinian human rights. It further requests that Singh adds his voice and stands against Israel's racist administration of vaccines. For CJPME's previous statement on this matter, click here.
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CJPME: MPs Right to Decry Israeli Vaccine Apartheid
Montreal, January 5, 2021 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) condemns the grossly unfair attacks against Members of Parliament Charlie Angus and Leah Gazan for sharing principled and factual criticism about Israel’s discriminatory COVID-19 vaccination program. Both NDP MPs are facing false accusations of antisemitism after they shared an article from the UK newspaper The Guardian, which was titled “Palestinians excluded from Israeli Covid vaccine rollout as jabs go to settlers.”
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