just because our government is a follower- doesn't mean that Canadians can't be leaders.
I wasn’t always an ally to Palestinians. In all honesty, it wasn’t until a couple years ago, when I was encouraged to push past my own discomfort around the issue (“it’s too political”, etc.) that I started to show up unapologetically as an ally. Since then the Palestinian struggle has been very, very close to my heart.
And this is because, if you squint, it doesn’t feel like another communities struggle— It feels like mine and that of so many of us whose ancestral lands were purposefully systemically destabilized by colonizers as they left us, leaving us fighting our neighbours rather than rising together to demand reparations.
So today as Palestinians and allies marched towards the Gardiner in Toronto, I couldn't help but be reminded of what happened in 2009 to Tamils.
The Tamil diaspora in Canada is one of the largest in the world and for weeks upon weeks we peacefully protested, calling on them PM Harper to please advocate on our behalf, and call for a cease-fire in Sri Lanka.
But it wasn't until the Tamils took the Gardiner by storm, did we finally get news coverage.
(Of course the news coverage condemned us for being inconvenient and disruptive -our sincerest apologies for inconveniencing your trip to the Toronto Islands with our pleas to prevent a genocide from worsening).
I was a high school senior back then, and I remember being so heartbroken that the Canadian government, who taught me in school about universal human rights and the evils of genocide, could so easily ignore this humanitarian crisis.
My only solace in that moment was that while the Canadian gov had failed us, it wasn't the fault of everyday Canadians - after all, we had no news coverage, and social media wasn't what it is now, so I forgave my fellow Canadians for not showing up alongside us
Today - as I try to write in as many different ways as possible to explain that at this very moment, Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians- I'm heartbroken once again.
Because despite knowing and seeing what is happening to Palestinians in a way that they didn't know about Tamils in 2009, the Canadian government, our media, and everyday people in Canada have largely failed to center universal human rights once again.
Showing me, once again, whose Human Rights matter and whose do not.
To people who are NOT from the directly impacted communities (Jewish/Israeli/Muslim/Palestinian),
Some of you are not speaking up because you don't care,
some because the grade 10 literacy test didn't do its job,
some because 'no one showed up for your community"
some because it's too complex and political to engage in (human rights aren't complicated, in fact, they are absolute),
and many because they've swallowed the Israeli government's propaganda with zero gag reflex to be seen.
and then there are others who know better but are choosing not to do better.
And look, I get it, they are actual and real consequences for speaking up on this issue - but if you weigh your personal/professional consequences against ⚖️ what is happening in Gaza right now - well, they aren't exactly equally awful, are they?
Historically, Canada as a government has never been a leader, it's a follower. This moment service is another example of it. But just because our government is a follower- doesn't mean that Canadians can't be leaders.
Which is why it’s imperative, that every single Canadian that can agree upon the fact that—
universal human rights should be upheld,
genocide is bad,
and that civilians shouldn't be killed
— needs to speak up, loudly and repetitively, to call on our government to follow OUR lead.
#freepalestine
recommended readings:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CscX7QqNxjN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaqlWXFt53p/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnakUSkJGuD/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpycqxqtm-1/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CiKsvQ3gNtW/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
