Trudeau announces Amira Elghawaby as Canada's first representative to combat Islamophobia
- Thread starter The_Foxer
- Start date
LILLEY: In Gaza, Hamas is condemned, in Canada they are praised — Toronto Sun
It's beyond time to end the terror supporting hate rallies on Canadian streets.
Here’s the most recent anything I can find:
Statement by Special Representative Amira Elghawaby after meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada on the ongoing threat to belonging and inclusion of Canadian Muslims - Canada.ca
This week, I met with the Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, to highlight how Islamophobia, and its intersections with anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism, continues to harm our social fabric, undermines pluralism and poses a direct threat to our democracy.
What rubbish.
LILLEY: In Gaza, Hamas is condemned, in Canada they are praised — Toronto Sun
It's beyond time to end the terror supporting hate rallies on Canadian streets.apple.news
Here’s the most recent anything I can find:
Statement by Special Representative Amira Elghawaby after meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada on the ongoing threat to belonging and inclusion of Canadian Muslims - Canada.ca
This week, I met with the Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, to highlight how Islamophobia, and its intersections with anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism, continues to harm our social fabric, undermines pluralism and poses a direct threat to our democracy.www.canada.ca
The Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah is meant to be a joyous occasion marking the completion of the reading of the scriptures. But in 1980 at Paris’ rue Copernic synagogue, the deadliest antisemitic attack in France since the Second World War turned a celebration to horror.
While it took many years for the authorities to find the culprit and even more time to prosecute the case, Hassan Diab was finally convicted by a French court in April 2023. This decision brought a measure of justice to the victims and the families affected.
en.wikipedia.org
While Mr. Diab awaits the extradition to France to be processed, to serve his life sentence, he is employed by Carleton University to teach a course on, of all topics, social justice.
http://apple.news/AldwgjoaSRz-9-yq7lD2_DA
While it took many years for the authorities to find the culprit and even more time to prosecute the case, Hassan Diab was finally convicted by a French court in April 2023. This decision brought a measure of justice to the victims and the families affected.
Carleton University - Wikipedia
http://apple.news/AldwgjoaSRz-9-yq7lD2_DA
I bet he still collects CPP "en le poquie".The Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah is meant to be a joyous occasion marking the completion of the reading of the scriptures. But in 1980 at Paris’ rue Copernic synagogue, the deadliest antisemitic attack in France since the Second World War turned a celebration to horror.
While it took many years for the authorities to find the culprit and even more time to prosecute the case, Hassan Diab was finally convicted by a French court in April 2023. This decision brought a measure of justice to the victims and the families affected.
While Mr. Diab awaits the extradition to France to be processed, to serve his life sentence, he is employed by Carleton University to teach a course on, of all topics, social justice.Carleton University - Wikipedia
http://apple.news/AldwgjoaSRz-9-yq7lD2_DA
Pretty sad that a terrorist is allowed to teach school ion Canaduh.The Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah is meant to be a joyous occasion marking the completion of the reading of the scriptures. But in 1980 at Paris’ rue Copernic synagogue, the deadliest antisemitic attack in France since the Second World War turned a celebration to horror.
While it took many years for the authorities to find the culprit and even more time to prosecute the case, Hassan Diab was finally convicted by a French court in April 2023. This decision brought a measure of justice to the victims and the families affected.
While Mr. Diab awaits the extradition to France to be processed, to serve his life sentence, he is employed by Carleton University to teach a course on, of all topics, social justice.Carleton University - Wikipedia
http://apple.news/AldwgjoaSRz-9-yq7lD2_DA
Having a definition of antisemitism that encompasses some criticism of the Jewish state is unfortunately necessary in a world in which large swaths of people try to pass off hate-filled conspiracy theories and genocidal chants as a critique of a political ideology — Zionism. But government must ensure that the definition is not used to silence opposing views — just as it should reject proposals expressly designed to limit free expression, such as “anti-Palestinian racism.”
apple.news
Based on a statement by Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combatting Islamophobia, welcoming what she sees as a federal-government “commitment (to) adopting a definition of anti-Palestinian racism to describe the bias and discrimination far too many Canadian Palestinians are experiencing.”
apple.news
Palestinians are in the queue behind Indigenous Canadians who have been lately pushing for their own speech laws. “The federal government must amend the Criminal Code, making it an offence to wilfully promote hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, downplaying, or justifying the Indian residential school system or by misrepresenting facts relating to it,” Kimberly Murray, the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites, wrote in her final report, issued last month.
Members of the Law Society of British Columbia were recently denounced as “denialists” simply for insisting the society use accurate language that possible gravesites, as opposed to confirmed gravesites, have been discovered at former residential school sites.
Jesse Kline: The lie behind definitions of 'anti-Palestinian racism' — National Post
Government should reject this blatant attempt to limit free expression
Chris Selley: The perils of 'defining' bigotry — National Post
Indigenous groups, and now Palestinian groups, want their own specific treatment under the law. Where will that end?
Members of the Law Society of British Columbia were recently denounced as “denialists” simply for insisting the society use accurate language that possible gravesites, as opposed to confirmed gravesites, have been discovered at former residential school sites.
Multiculturalism and the Just Society aren’t they grand ? We are all special , but I am more special than you .Having a definition of antisemitism that encompasses some criticism of the Jewish state is unfortunately necessary in a world in which large swaths of people try to pass off hate-filled conspiracy theories and genocidal chants as a critique of a political ideology — Zionism. But government must ensure that the definition is not used to silence opposing views — just as it should reject proposals expressly designed to limit free expression, such as “anti-Palestinian racism.”
Based on a statement by Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combatting Islamophobia, welcoming what she sees as a federal-government “commitment (to) adopting a definition of anti-Palestinian racism to describe the bias and discrimination far too many Canadian Palestinians are experiencing.”Jesse Kline: The lie behind definitions of 'anti-Palestinian racism' — National Post
Government should reject this blatant attempt to limit free expression
Palestinians are in the queue behind Indigenous Canadians who have been lately pushing for their own speech laws. “The federal government must amend the Criminal Code, making it an offence to wilfully promote hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, downplaying, or justifying the Indian residential school system or by misrepresenting facts relating to it,” Kimberly Murray, the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites, wrote in her final report, issued last month.Chris Selley: The perils of 'defining' bigotry — National Post
Indigenous groups, and now Palestinian groups, want their own specific treatment under the law. Where will that end?
Members of the Law Society of British Columbia were recently denounced as “denialists” simply for insisting the society use accurate language that possible gravesites, as opposed to confirmed gravesites, have been discovered at former residential school sites.
Both Jews and Palestinians are Semitic peoples so nothing multi there.
Meanwhile...
57% of US Secular Jews eat pork.
57% of US Jews eat pork, and 9 other findings from new Pew study
Latest religiosity survey shows rise in Torah study, slight fall in belief in God
www.timesofisrael.com
Last edited:
And Secular Catholics not being deprived of gays, abortion and Sunday shopping.
Organizer says Sinwar vigil still on despite Mississauga mayor's denial
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Nov 12, 2024 • 3 minute read
After saying that a vigil for the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was not taking place at the city's Celebration Square, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish flip-flopped on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, saying she didn't know for sure.
This is Mississauga. Not Gaza.
Seems some are having a difficult time understanding that.
In a mysterious video posted to social media, the supposed organizer of an upcoming martyr “vigil” for Hamas’s deceased leader — killed by Israel last month — promises it will happen at Celebration Square in Mississauga as if it was in Gaza.
While Hamas is listed by the federal government as a terrorist entity, its supporters are planning this event at Mississauga City Hall on Nov. 26 as the mayor continues to insist she has no legal authority to stop it.
“I don’t know if the vigil will take place,” Mayor Carolyn Parrish said Tuesday. “The city will not condone it.”
However, she said she does not have the power to prevent such a gathering on public grounds.
Her position drew praise from Firas Al Najim, who went to social media with a video shot on Remembrance Day in front of the Streetsville Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139. He said they are moving ahead with the vigil and compared the late Hamas boss Yahya Sinwar to Nelson Mandela, who was once considered by some as a terrorist in South Africa, but is now a beloved figure.
He also defended using poppies, which he said are a flower native to Gaza.
“There will be a day for Sinwar called Sinwar day and this is our (right under the) Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada to express our gratitude and his sacrifices,” said Al Najim, who also appeared on Iranian TV to say complaints about this are from conservatives and pro-Israel media.
While Parrish promised that she will “once again consult with the city’s lawyers,” critics said this is far from enough. The mayor is drawing major criticism for her soft stance on advertisements organizing the vigil to honour the death of this killer.
Parrish wrote on X that she “consulted a network of Muslim organizations … to track down the anonymous notice for a vigil at City Hall. No organization exists. No vigil is planned.”
Now no one knows for sure what will happen.
Michelle Stock, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ Ontario vice-president, wrote to Parrish, saying it is “wholly inappropriate that city property would be used, and resources sanctioned, for a vigil to celebrate the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attacks (in Israel), where more than 1,200 women, children and men were brutally murdered and 254 people were kidnapped, of whom many are still held hostage.
“We strongly urge that you use every tool available to ensure this event does not proceed on city property,” Stock wrote. “Permitting this vigil to occur as planned, honouring a genocidal maniac with the blood of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians alike on his hands, would be an affront to the values of freedom, peace and justice that Mississaugans and all Ontarians hold dear.”
Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy for B’nai Brith Canada, said those organizing this “should be ashamed of their attempt to glorify Sinwar as a martyr and to stoop so low as to disturb the sanctity of the memory of Canada’s war dead by conflating Remembrance Day with the memorializing of heinous terrorists.
“Yahya Sinwar was an evil man and diabolical terrorist,” Robertson added.
This could be quite a challenge for Peel Regional Police since many outraged about this vigil have indicated they will protest. Many are wondering how it could be that people supporting a group that the federal government has deemed a terrorist entity can utilize charter rights to hold a memorial for this man.
The federal government’s website, under designated terror groups, says Hamas is a “radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization that emerged from the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood … (and) uses political and violent means to pursue its goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel. It also says Hamas has been responsible for “terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets … (including) operations aimed at Israelis.”
But for some reason Mississauga can’t find a reason to cancel this celebration of a terrorist’s death at city hall.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Nov 12, 2024 • 3 minute read
After saying that a vigil for the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was not taking place at the city's Celebration Square, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish flip-flopped on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, saying she didn't know for sure.
This is Mississauga. Not Gaza.
Seems some are having a difficult time understanding that.
In a mysterious video posted to social media, the supposed organizer of an upcoming martyr “vigil” for Hamas’s deceased leader — killed by Israel last month — promises it will happen at Celebration Square in Mississauga as if it was in Gaza.
While Hamas is listed by the federal government as a terrorist entity, its supporters are planning this event at Mississauga City Hall on Nov. 26 as the mayor continues to insist she has no legal authority to stop it.
“I don’t know if the vigil will take place,” Mayor Carolyn Parrish said Tuesday. “The city will not condone it.”
However, she said she does not have the power to prevent such a gathering on public grounds.
Her position drew praise from Firas Al Najim, who went to social media with a video shot on Remembrance Day in front of the Streetsville Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139. He said they are moving ahead with the vigil and compared the late Hamas boss Yahya Sinwar to Nelson Mandela, who was once considered by some as a terrorist in South Africa, but is now a beloved figure.
He also defended using poppies, which he said are a flower native to Gaza.
“There will be a day for Sinwar called Sinwar day and this is our (right under the) Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada to express our gratitude and his sacrifices,” said Al Najim, who also appeared on Iranian TV to say complaints about this are from conservatives and pro-Israel media.
While Parrish promised that she will “once again consult with the city’s lawyers,” critics said this is far from enough. The mayor is drawing major criticism for her soft stance on advertisements organizing the vigil to honour the death of this killer.
Parrish wrote on X that she “consulted a network of Muslim organizations … to track down the anonymous notice for a vigil at City Hall. No organization exists. No vigil is planned.”
Now no one knows for sure what will happen.
Michelle Stock, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ Ontario vice-president, wrote to Parrish, saying it is “wholly inappropriate that city property would be used, and resources sanctioned, for a vigil to celebrate the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attacks (in Israel), where more than 1,200 women, children and men were brutally murdered and 254 people were kidnapped, of whom many are still held hostage.
“We strongly urge that you use every tool available to ensure this event does not proceed on city property,” Stock wrote. “Permitting this vigil to occur as planned, honouring a genocidal maniac with the blood of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians alike on his hands, would be an affront to the values of freedom, peace and justice that Mississaugans and all Ontarians hold dear.”
Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy for B’nai Brith Canada, said those organizing this “should be ashamed of their attempt to glorify Sinwar as a martyr and to stoop so low as to disturb the sanctity of the memory of Canada’s war dead by conflating Remembrance Day with the memorializing of heinous terrorists.
“Yahya Sinwar was an evil man and diabolical terrorist,” Robertson added.
This could be quite a challenge for Peel Regional Police since many outraged about this vigil have indicated they will protest. Many are wondering how it could be that people supporting a group that the federal government has deemed a terrorist entity can utilize charter rights to hold a memorial for this man.
The federal government’s website, under designated terror groups, says Hamas is a “radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization that emerged from the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood … (and) uses political and violent means to pursue its goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel. It also says Hamas has been responsible for “terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets … (including) operations aimed at Israelis.”
But for some reason Mississauga can’t find a reason to cancel this celebration of a terrorist’s death at city hall.
WARMINGTON: Organizer says Sinwar vigil still on despite Mississauga mayor's denial
In a video posted to social media, the supposed organizer of an upcoming vigil for Hamas's deceased leader promises it will still happen.
Mississauga mayor comparing Hamas leader and Nelson Mandela 'despicable'
But Carolyn Parrish says her words are being taken out of context
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Nov 14, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Voters know Carolyn Parrish, but not for the right reasons. They should consider what the candidates want to do for the city, writes columnist Brian Lilley..
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish strangely comparing a Hamas terrorist leader to Nelson Mandela has resulted in mounting pressure for her to apologize.
So far the mayor has not done so. But saying she “did not” make this comparison, Parrish has rejected the claims of those who have been going after her on social media, saying her words have been taken out of context.
“Every word written gets spun way out of control,” Parrish told the Toronto Sun on Thursday morning. “I would love to respond sincerely to what you just wrote back but it will start another flood of vitriol on social media.”
What I wrote to her was that Mandela did not plan and lead a barbaric attack on innocent people in Israel that saw women raped and children slaughtered.
What she said at council Wednesday has people shaking their heads in bewilderment and disgust.
Saying she is still consulting lawyers on whether or not a planned martyr’s celebration for deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is protected by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, she pushed back on a fellow council member who took the position this man was a terrorist and this event should not happen.
“I just want to point out, and I’m not being facetious, Nelson Mandela was declared a terrorist by the United States of America until the year 2008,” she said at city council from the mayor’s chair. “Your terrorist and somebody else’s terrorist may be two different things.”
It was a stunning, bizarre conflation.
A poster advertising a Mississauga, Ont., vigil in honour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
A poster advertising a Mississauga vigil in honour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Needless to say, the comparison of South Africa’s icon former president who began as a prisoner for leading a group battling the horrors of apartheid to the leader of a listed terror group that on Oct. 7 perpetrated a barbaric sneak attack from Gaza on innocent people at a music festival and in kibbutz in Israel, leaving 1,200 dead, 254 taken hostage and many women and children raped, is shocking.
There is no comparison to Mandela, and it was an irresponsible, troubling statement to suggest there is. Ironically, or not so ironically, this was the same narrative laid out in a video by a man believed to be behind organizing the vigil who went as far to say that one day there would be a “Sinwar Day” like there is a Mandela Day.
“Making any correlation to Nelson Mandela, a man honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize, to Yayha Sinwar, is despicable,” said a statement from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “It is an insult to the too-many families who have lost loved ones because of Sinwar, including Canadians.
“Mayor Parrish’s moral compass is obviously broken. Moreover, with this odious comparison, she sullied the reputation of the city she leads. Mississaugans, and frankly Ontarians and Canadians, deserve better. The mayor should apologize immediately for these remarks.”
They also produced the video and audio of Parrish’s explanation which has garnered much commentary — much of it questioning the mayor deciding to go there as much as the comment itself.
But Parrish said the way it is being spun is incorrect.
“I did not compare the two,” said Parrish. “I commented on how perceptions can change over time and how a terrorist for one group can be a hero for others.”
Her critics sure don’t see it that way.
“What the heck is wrong with you?” asked Conservative Deputy Leader and MP Melissa Lantsman on X.
“What a strange hill to die on,” Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith director research and advocacy, wrote.
So many are saying that about Parrish, who has in the past had controversy like the time she stepped on a doll of then U.S. President George W. Bush who had gone to war in Iraq.
“Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish exposes her spinelessness by openly admitting she follows her lawyers’ advice without question, while recklessly equating Yahya Sinwar with Nelson Mandela,” Montreal-area mayor of Hampstead Jeremy Levi posted to X.
“It’s remarkable — and deeply troubling — that someone in a position of leadership shows such a blatant lack of backbone and judgment,” he continued. “True leaders are guided by principles, not legal advisors, and certainly not by morally bankrupt comparisons. In times that demand courage and clarity, Parrish’s stance highlights her shocking deficiency in both.”
Mississauga Councillor Matt Mahoney told the Toronto Sun: “I personally do not believe there is or should be any comparison between this individual and the great humanitarian Nelson Mandela, but I would encourage you to reach out to Mayor Parrish for further comment and clarification.”
As of this publication, Parrish has not clarified it.
“She should walk it back fast,” former Ontario Conservative leader Tim Hudak told John Moore on Newstalk 1010 Thursday morning.
She doesn’t seem to be taking that advice.
Instead she’s taking the “I am always guided by the laws of the land and our lawyer’s interpretation of the same” and she was merely looking for a ruling on whether or not this vigil is protected by the charter.
The problem with this approach is the Canadian government itself regards Hamas as being a “terror entity.” And when you consider that this same mayor and council decided to uphold the city’s ban on street hockey and other sports on the roadways, it’s hard to accept that a group of people celebrating the death of a genocidal murderer is OK when road hockey isn’t.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
View attachment 25716
torontosun.com
But Carolyn Parrish says her words are being taken out of context
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Nov 14, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Voters know Carolyn Parrish, but not for the right reasons. They should consider what the candidates want to do for the city, writes columnist Brian Lilley..
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish strangely comparing a Hamas terrorist leader to Nelson Mandela has resulted in mounting pressure for her to apologize.
So far the mayor has not done so. But saying she “did not” make this comparison, Parrish has rejected the claims of those who have been going after her on social media, saying her words have been taken out of context.
“Every word written gets spun way out of control,” Parrish told the Toronto Sun on Thursday morning. “I would love to respond sincerely to what you just wrote back but it will start another flood of vitriol on social media.”
What I wrote to her was that Mandela did not plan and lead a barbaric attack on innocent people in Israel that saw women raped and children slaughtered.
What she said at council Wednesday has people shaking their heads in bewilderment and disgust.
Saying she is still consulting lawyers on whether or not a planned martyr’s celebration for deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is protected by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, she pushed back on a fellow council member who took the position this man was a terrorist and this event should not happen.
“I just want to point out, and I’m not being facetious, Nelson Mandela was declared a terrorist by the United States of America until the year 2008,” she said at city council from the mayor’s chair. “Your terrorist and somebody else’s terrorist may be two different things.”
It was a stunning, bizarre conflation.
A poster advertising a Mississauga, Ont., vigil in honour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
A poster advertising a Mississauga vigil in honour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Needless to say, the comparison of South Africa’s icon former president who began as a prisoner for leading a group battling the horrors of apartheid to the leader of a listed terror group that on Oct. 7 perpetrated a barbaric sneak attack from Gaza on innocent people at a music festival and in kibbutz in Israel, leaving 1,200 dead, 254 taken hostage and many women and children raped, is shocking.
There is no comparison to Mandela, and it was an irresponsible, troubling statement to suggest there is. Ironically, or not so ironically, this was the same narrative laid out in a video by a man believed to be behind organizing the vigil who went as far to say that one day there would be a “Sinwar Day” like there is a Mandela Day.
“Making any correlation to Nelson Mandela, a man honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize, to Yayha Sinwar, is despicable,” said a statement from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “It is an insult to the too-many families who have lost loved ones because of Sinwar, including Canadians.
“Mayor Parrish’s moral compass is obviously broken. Moreover, with this odious comparison, she sullied the reputation of the city she leads. Mississaugans, and frankly Ontarians and Canadians, deserve better. The mayor should apologize immediately for these remarks.”
They also produced the video and audio of Parrish’s explanation which has garnered much commentary — much of it questioning the mayor deciding to go there as much as the comment itself.
But Parrish said the way it is being spun is incorrect.
“I did not compare the two,” said Parrish. “I commented on how perceptions can change over time and how a terrorist for one group can be a hero for others.”
Her critics sure don’t see it that way.
“What the heck is wrong with you?” asked Conservative Deputy Leader and MP Melissa Lantsman on X.
“What a strange hill to die on,” Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith director research and advocacy, wrote.
So many are saying that about Parrish, who has in the past had controversy like the time she stepped on a doll of then U.S. President George W. Bush who had gone to war in Iraq.
“Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish exposes her spinelessness by openly admitting she follows her lawyers’ advice without question, while recklessly equating Yahya Sinwar with Nelson Mandela,” Montreal-area mayor of Hampstead Jeremy Levi posted to X.
“It’s remarkable — and deeply troubling — that someone in a position of leadership shows such a blatant lack of backbone and judgment,” he continued. “True leaders are guided by principles, not legal advisors, and certainly not by morally bankrupt comparisons. In times that demand courage and clarity, Parrish’s stance highlights her shocking deficiency in both.”
Mississauga Councillor Matt Mahoney told the Toronto Sun: “I personally do not believe there is or should be any comparison between this individual and the great humanitarian Nelson Mandela, but I would encourage you to reach out to Mayor Parrish for further comment and clarification.”
As of this publication, Parrish has not clarified it.
“She should walk it back fast,” former Ontario Conservative leader Tim Hudak told John Moore on Newstalk 1010 Thursday morning.
She doesn’t seem to be taking that advice.
Instead she’s taking the “I am always guided by the laws of the land and our lawyer’s interpretation of the same” and she was merely looking for a ruling on whether or not this vigil is protected by the charter.
The problem with this approach is the Canadian government itself regards Hamas as being a “terror entity.” And when you consider that this same mayor and council decided to uphold the city’s ban on street hockey and other sports on the roadways, it’s hard to accept that a group of people celebrating the death of a genocidal murderer is OK when road hockey isn’t.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
View attachment 25716
WARMINGTON: Mississauga mayor comparing Hamas leader and Nelson Mandela 'despicable'
Carolyn Parrish strangely comparing a Hamas terrorist leader to Nelson Mandela has resulted in mounting pressure for her to apologize
Mississauga mayor comparing Hamas leader and Nelson Mandela 'despicable'
But Carolyn Parrish says her words are being taken out of context
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Nov 14, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Voters know Carolyn Parrish, but not for the right reasons. They should consider what the candidates want to do for the city, writes columnist Brian Lilley..
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish strangely comparing a Hamas terrorist leader to Nelson Mandela has resulted in mounting pressure for her to apologize.
So far the mayor has not done so. But saying she “did not” make this comparison, Parrish has rejected the claims of those who have been going after her on social media, saying her words have been taken out of context.
“Every word written gets spun way out of control,” Parrish told the Toronto Sun on Thursday morning. “I would love to respond sincerely to what you just wrote back but it will start another flood of vitriol on social media.”
What I wrote to her was that Mandela did not plan and lead a barbaric attack on innocent people in Israel that saw women raped and children slaughtered.
What she said at council Wednesday has people shaking their heads in bewilderment and disgust.
Saying she is still consulting lawyers on whether or not a planned martyr’s celebration for deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is protected by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, she pushed back on a fellow council member who took the position this man was a terrorist and this event should not happen.
“I just want to point out, and I’m not being facetious, Nelson Mandela was declared a terrorist by the United States of America until the year 2008,” she said at city council from the mayor’s chair. “Your terrorist and somebody else’s terrorist may be two different things.”
It was a stunning, bizarre conflation.
A poster advertising a Mississauga, Ont., vigil in honour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
A poster advertising a Mississauga vigil in honour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Needless to say, the comparison of South Africa’s icon former president who began as a prisoner for leading a group battling the horrors of apartheid to the leader of a listed terror group that on Oct. 7 perpetrated a barbaric sneak attack from Gaza on innocent people at a music festival and in kibbutz in Israel, leaving 1,200 dead, 254 taken hostage and many women and children raped, is shocking.
There is no comparison to Mandela, and it was an irresponsible, troubling statement to suggest there is. Ironically, or not so ironically, this was the same narrative laid out in a video by a man believed to be behind organizing the vigil who went as far to say that one day there would be a “Sinwar Day” like there is a Mandela Day.
“Making any correlation to Nelson Mandela, a man honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize, to Yayha Sinwar, is despicable,” said a statement from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “It is an insult to the too-many families who have lost loved ones because of Sinwar, including Canadians.
“Mayor Parrish’s moral compass is obviously broken. Moreover, with this odious comparison, she sullied the reputation of the city she leads. Mississaugans, and frankly Ontarians and Canadians, deserve better. The mayor should apologize immediately for these remarks.”
They also produced the video and audio of Parrish’s explanation which has garnered much commentary — much of it questioning the mayor deciding to go there as much as the comment itself.
But Parrish said the way it is being spun is incorrect.
“I did not compare the two,” said Parrish. “I commented on how perceptions can change over time and how a terrorist for one group can be a hero for others.”
Her critics sure don’t see it that way.
“What the heck is wrong with you?” asked Conservative Deputy Leader and MP Melissa Lantsman on X.
“What a strange hill to die on,” Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith director research and advocacy, wrote.
So many are saying that about Parrish, who has in the past had controversy like the time she stepped on a doll of then U.S. President George W. Bush who had gone to war in Iraq.
“Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish exposes her spinelessness by openly admitting she follows her lawyers’ advice without question, while recklessly equating Yahya Sinwar with Nelson Mandela,” Montreal-area mayor of Hampstead Jeremy Levi posted to X.
“It’s remarkable — and deeply troubling — that someone in a position of leadership shows such a blatant lack of backbone and judgment,” he continued. “True leaders are guided by principles, not legal advisors, and certainly not by morally bankrupt comparisons. In times that demand courage and clarity, Parrish’s stance highlights her shocking deficiency in both.”
Mississauga Councillor Matt Mahoney told the Toronto Sun: “I personally do not believe there is or should be any comparison between this individual and the great humanitarian Nelson Mandela, but I would encourage you to reach out to Mayor Parrish for further comment and clarification.”
As of this publication, Parrish has not clarified it.
“She should walk it back fast,” former Ontario Conservative leader Tim Hudak told John Moore on Newstalk 1010 Thursday morning.
She doesn’t seem to be taking that advice.
Instead she’s taking the “I am always guided by the laws of the land and our lawyer’s interpretation of the same” and she was merely looking for a ruling on whether or not this vigil is protected by the charter.
The problem with this approach is the Canadian government itself regards Hamas as being a “terror entity.” And when you consider that this same mayor and council decided to uphold the city’s ban on street hockey and other sports on the roadways, it’s hard to accept that a group of people celebrating the death of a genocidal murderer is OK when road hockey isn’t.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
View attachment 25716
WARMINGTON: Mississauga mayor comparing Hamas leader and Nelson Mandela 'despicable'
Carolyn Parrish strangely comparing a Hamas terrorist leader to Nelson Mandela has resulted in mounting pressure for her to apologize
Mandela was on the US terrorist list until days before turning 90.Mississauga mayor comparing Hamas leader and Nelson Mandela 'despicable'
But Carolyn Parrish says her words are being taken out of context
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Nov 14, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Voters know Carolyn Parrish, but not for the right reasons. They should consider what the candidates want to do for the city, writes columnist Brian Lilley..
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish strangely comparing a Hamas terrorist leader to Nelson Mandela has resulted in mounting pressure for her to apologize.
So far the mayor has not done so. But saying she “did not” make this comparison, Parrish has rejected the claims of those who have been going after her on social media, saying her words have been taken out of context.
“Every word written gets spun way out of control,” Parrish told the Toronto Sun on Thursday morning. “I would love to respond sincerely to what you just wrote back but it will start another flood of vitriol on social media.”
What I wrote to her was that Mandela did not plan and lead a barbaric attack on innocent people in Israel that saw women raped and children slaughtered.
What she said at council Wednesday has people shaking their heads in bewilderment and disgust.
Saying she is still consulting lawyers on whether or not a planned martyr’s celebration for deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is protected by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, she pushed back on a fellow council member who took the position this man was a terrorist and this event should not happen.
“I just want to point out, and I’m not being facetious, Nelson Mandela was declared a terrorist by the United States of America until the year 2008,” she said at city council from the mayor’s chair. “Your terrorist and somebody else’s terrorist may be two different things.”
It was a stunning, bizarre conflation.
A poster advertising a Mississauga, Ont., vigil in honour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
A poster advertising a Mississauga vigil in honour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Needless to say, the comparison of South Africa’s icon former president who began as a prisoner for leading a group battling the horrors of apartheid to the leader of a listed terror group that on Oct. 7 perpetrated a barbaric sneak attack from Gaza on innocent people at a music festival and in kibbutz in Israel, leaving 1,200 dead, 254 taken hostage and many women and children raped, is shocking.
There is no comparison to Mandela, and it was an irresponsible, troubling statement to suggest there is. Ironically, or not so ironically, this was the same narrative laid out in a video by a man believed to be behind organizing the vigil who went as far to say that one day there would be a “Sinwar Day” like there is a Mandela Day.
“Making any correlation to Nelson Mandela, a man honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize, to Yayha Sinwar, is despicable,” said a statement from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “It is an insult to the too-many families who have lost loved ones because of Sinwar, including Canadians.
“Mayor Parrish’s moral compass is obviously broken. Moreover, with this odious comparison, she sullied the reputation of the city she leads. Mississaugans, and frankly Ontarians and Canadians, deserve better. The mayor should apologize immediately for these remarks.”
They also produced the video and audio of Parrish’s explanation which has garnered much commentary — much of it questioning the mayor deciding to go there as much as the comment itself.
But Parrish said the way it is being spun is incorrect.
“I did not compare the two,” said Parrish. “I commented on how perceptions can change over time and how a terrorist for one group can be a hero for others.”
Her critics sure don’t see it that way.
“What the heck is wrong with you?” asked Conservative Deputy Leader and MP Melissa Lantsman on X.
“What a strange hill to die on,” Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith director research and advocacy, wrote.
So many are saying that about Parrish, who has in the past had controversy like the time she stepped on a doll of then U.S. President George W. Bush who had gone to war in Iraq.
“Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish exposes her spinelessness by openly admitting she follows her lawyers’ advice without question, while recklessly equating Yahya Sinwar with Nelson Mandela,” Montreal-area mayor of Hampstead Jeremy Levi posted to X.
“It’s remarkable — and deeply troubling — that someone in a position of leadership shows such a blatant lack of backbone and judgment,” he continued. “True leaders are guided by principles, not legal advisors, and certainly not by morally bankrupt comparisons. In times that demand courage and clarity, Parrish’s stance highlights her shocking deficiency in both.”
Mississauga Councillor Matt Mahoney told the Toronto Sun: “I personally do not believe there is or should be any comparison between this individual and the great humanitarian Nelson Mandela, but I would encourage you to reach out to Mayor Parrish for further comment and clarification.”
As of this publication, Parrish has not clarified it.
“She should walk it back fast,” former Ontario Conservative leader Tim Hudak told John Moore on Newstalk 1010 Thursday morning.
She doesn’t seem to be taking that advice.
Instead she’s taking the “I am always guided by the laws of the land and our lawyer’s interpretation of the same” and she was merely looking for a ruling on whether or not this vigil is protected by the charter.
The problem with this approach is the Canadian government itself regards Hamas as being a “terror entity.” And when you consider that this same mayor and council decided to uphold the city’s ban on street hockey and other sports on the roadways, it’s hard to accept that a group of people celebrating the death of a genocidal murderer is OK when road hockey isn’t.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
View attachment 25716
WARMINGTON: Mississauga mayor comparing Hamas leader and Nelson Mandela 'despicable'
Carolyn Parrish strangely comparing a Hamas terrorist leader to Nelson Mandela has resulted in mounting pressure for her to apologize
Are Sinwar & Mandela comparable? Ultimately, I guess everything is comparable, but…were they in the same league?
Ok, I’ll go with that. Mandela authorized urban/civilian bombings, as did Sinwar, but Sinwar actually murdered his own people with his own hands literally…where as I don’t think Mandela ever did that.
“I do not deny that I planned sabotage,” Mandela told the court at his trial. “I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness, nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by whites.”
