Montreal, June 2, 2020  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) expresses its support for ongoing protests in the US, Canada, and around the world following the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, at the hands of police in Minneapolis. These demonstrations have forced a necessary public discussion on issues of anti-black racism and police brutality and remind us of the ongoing struggle for racial justice in Canada. Oppressed communities in the Middle East and elsewhere have also expressed their common cause and solidarity, noting similar experiences with police violence and discrimination.

Montreal, January 30, 2017  — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is saddened and disgusted by Sunday night’s deadly attack on a Quebec City mosque that killed six and injured eight.  CJPME condemns the attack, and echoes suspicions that this attack was a terrorist incident motivated by hatred towards Muslims.  “The climate towards Muslims in Quebec has been increasingly hostile in recent years,” explained Thomas Woodley, president of CJPME.  “Quebec and national politicians have often fanned the flames of animosity and prejudice towards Muslims, and attacks like these are the tragic and inevitable result.”   

CJPME Political Blog, June 3, 2015: Many in Canada would be surprised how refugee-unfriendly Canada has become over the last two decades.  For CJPME, the issue was clearly highlighted when we observed the extreme attitudes of the government vis-à-vis Syrian refugees.  And while some would blame the Harper government alone for Canada’s new anti-refugee policies, previous Liberal governments also share much of the blame.

CJPME Factsheet 64, published May, 2009: This factsheet provides an introduction to the term “respectable racism,” which is defined as actions and speech that should be defined as racist but that are no longer perceived as such by politicians, intellectuals and the public at large. Depictions of Arabs and Muslims as irrational and full of hatred, for instance, are some of the most common examples of respectable racism today. As this kind of racist discourse becomes acceptable, it evolves into “respectable racism,” representing a dangerous norm with detrimental consequences for society at large.

CJPME Factsheet 55, published March, 2009: This factsheet provides an overview of the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF), which is composed of over 40 member organizations and strives to raise awareness of issues impacting the Canadian Arab community. Conservative MP Jason Kenney announced in March 2009 that – as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration – he would eliminate federal funding for CAF, which he has accused as being a racist organization because of its criticism of the current Israeli regime. Kenney, however, has never provided proof for his accusations despite requests to do so.