Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

In the Name of God, Compassionate to all, Merciful to Each

We, the undersigned Muslims of British Columbia and community allies, call upon the Canadian government to take a principled humanitarian stance against the ongoing occupation and persecution of the Palestinian people.

As Muslims, an integral part of our commitment to God is to stand against injustice and oppression wherever we see it, and it is for this reason that we are expressing our solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle for dignity, self-determination, liberation from the illegal occupation, and the right to practice their faith.

The Canadian government has and continues to enable Israel’s occupation of Palestine, the blockade of Gaza, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from various parts of historic Palestine, most recently from Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, and the genocidal campaign against Gaza—the world’s largest open-air prison. While Canada has stated that it “recognizes Israel’s right to assure its own security,” it has not taken a moral stand regarding the indiscriminate killing and dispossession of the Palestinian people.

Moreover, we have witnessed deliberate attacks on Palestinian and foreign media offices, targeted bombings of infrastructure, including hospitals and humanitarian facilities, and the killing of over 200 people including many children as well as individuals leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The violent attacks on worshipers at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan demonstrated the occupation forces’ disregard for the sanctity of religious sites and freedoms.

We are outraged by Canada’s complicit role in these actions and call upon the Canadian government to:

1. Demand an immediate end to aggression against Palestinians, including the continuous bombardment of Gaza and the violent dispossession of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah.

2. Unequivocally condemn the systemic policy of apartheid and persecution against the people of Palestine and call for the end of the illegal occupation and further annexation of historic Palestine.

3. Impose sanctions on Israel. Suspend all military aid, diplomatic and economic relations, including the trade of arms and materials contributing to the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.

We support the demands put forth by Palestinian civil society for the following actions:

1. Support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement
2. End the siege of Gaza
3. End the system of apartheid that exists across all of historic Palestine
4. Extend the Right to Return to all Palestinian refugees

We are morally obligated to take immediate action, and to stand on the side of justice and truth in the face of these atrocities. Let us remember that God is always with the oppressed and those who stand in solidarity with them.