In bid to silence them, Palestinian-Canadians suppressed at workplaces

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Orchard
13 Nov 2023 13:02
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The suppression of Palestinian perspectives has been evident in various sectors.

Massive rally and march in Ottawa demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on November 5. (Twitter)

In the wake of the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza, Palestinian Canadians have faced repercussions for expressing their views. Instances include Palestinian activists being charged with hate crimes, like Wesam Khaled in Calgary, for leading a chant of 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," and limitations imposed on their rights, such as not being allowed to attend pro-Palestinian protests.

The suppression of Palestinian perspectives has been evident in various sectors, with social media postings and rally appearances being scrutinized and Palestinian Canadians portrayed as a "threat to the safety of Jewish-Canadians," as highlighted by The Orchard.

In one instance, Air Canada pilot Mostafa Ezzo faced consequences for attending a pro-Palestinian rally in Montreal and posting on social media. An anonymous account targeting pro-Palestinian sentiment labeled him as an "antisemite", leading to his grounding by Air Canada.

Despite expressing views critical of "Israel", Ezzo's posts did not endorse violence, and still, the airline stated that his opinions on social media do not represent Air Canada's views. The incidents highlight a broader issue of suppressing Palestinian perspectives and freedom of expression in Canada.

Two Palestinian journalists in Canada were fired from mainstream news outlets for expressing their perspectives on Israeli actions in Gaza.

Zahraa al-Akhrass, a Palestinian-Canadian journalist with Global News, was fired during her maternity leave for social media posts critical of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.

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A post shared by زهراء الأخرس | صحفية Zahraa Al-Akhrass (@zahraa.alakhrass)

CTV News reporter Yara Jamal was dismissed four days after participating in a Palestine solidarity march in Halifax. The dismissals have raised concerns about freedom of expression and the treatment of Palestinian perspectives in Canadian media, contrasting the latitude given to certain commentators expressing pro-Israeli views in op-ed pages.

Halifax - October 22 - CTV News writer and production assistant Yara Jamal organizes pro-Palestinian protest. She tells Saltwire News “"Jews can continue to exist, the zionist ideology cannot”. The Jewish community thank Ms. Jamal for her “benevolence” 1/3 pic.twitter.com/kbopOsZSIe
— Documenting Antisemitism (@AntisemitismCA) October 24, 2023

Last week, a Canadian group United in Struggle released the initial public remarks of a Vancouver college professor who was suspended for her statements during a pro-Palestinian rally in the city in the wake of the ongoing brutal Israeli aggression that killed over 11,000 Palestinians so far, mainly women and children.

The big picture

Since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, thousands have joined demonstrations in Canada to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, calling for an immediate ceasefire and expressing their opposition to what they perceive as "Israel's" policies of apartheid and occupation.

Simultaneously, there have been pro-Israeli demonstrations, with some individuals linking support for Palestine to "anti-Semitism". However, there is a growing trend of taking action against employees who have shown support for Palestine in Canada.

🇵🇸🇨🇦 CANADA STANDS WITH PALESTINE!

THE WORLD IS WAKING UP!

pic.twitter.com/4IJquNDKRT
— Rev Laskaris (@REVMAXXING) November 12, 2023

Unsurprisingly, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attacked pro-Palestine demonstrations held across Canada, dubbing them a "glorification of violence" before heading over to a pro-"Israel" rally in a show of support to the Israeli occupation government.

Claiming Resistance is "terrorism", Trudeau wrote, via his X account: "The glorification of violence is never acceptable in Canada – by any group or in any situation. I strongly condemn the demonstrations that have taken place and are taking place, across the country in support of Hamas’ attacks on Israel. Let’s stand united against acts of terror."