The Canada Palestine Association condemns the Canadian government’s banning of Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian advocacy group. This move was done in conjunction with the US government and followed years of aggressive Zionist lobbying. It also represented “cheap politics” on the part of the current Liberal government, pandering to a right wing agenda and trying to score political points by literally squashing civil and democratic rights.
For over a year, the Canadian government has not taken any serious actions against the Israeli TERRORISM, war crimes and genocide being carried out against the Palestinian and Lebanese people. But instead of criminalizing those forces who are actually burning people alive in Gaza, this government chose to put yet another Palestinian group on its “terrorist list”. And this time, they are setting a dangerous precedent by banning an independent Palestinian political advocacy group with no organizational affiliations to any Palestinian resistance groups.
In 2002, the Liberal government of the day listed several Islamic Liberation Organizations on Canada’s so-called “Terrorist list” and then in 2003, they also added most Palestinian resistance groups to the same list.
The Israeli government and its array of lobby groups have clearly been behind these listings; their main objective is to supress any solidarity work for Palestinian liberation and supress criticism of the Zionist settler colonialist project (Israel).
Repression against advocates for Palestine is steadily increasing across Canada, from arrests by local police forces to unfounded smears by provincial and federal politicians. But as CPA Chair Hanna Kawas said in a recent interview: “We’re going to keep the solidarity work (alive) and the support work for Palestinian liberation and for Palestinian resistance organizations, whether they like it or not.”
We must continue to stand with the Palestinian people and not be intimidated with government edicts; lets show true internationalist solidarity with Palestinian advocacy and liberation and show that anti-Palestinian racism has no place in Canada or anywhere else.