Open letters and statements to the public from the Canada Palestine Association.
Spice Radio: CPA chairperson Hanna Kawas exposes the fallacies in recent comments by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on BDS and Palestine.
https://www.facebook.com/cpavancouver.org/videos/514411879190006/
Under the Olive Tree (ckut.ca)
Interview with Hanna Kawas (CPA), Before and A:fter the elections: Jagmeet Singh’s double-talk
Feb. 13, 2020: CPA-Vancouver was honoured to have the following message read out earlier today to the protestors occupying BC Attorney General David Eby’s office. #WetsuwetenStrong
We in the Canada Palestine Association bring greetings to this rally and express our total solidarity with indigenous rights and land Defenders. We denounce the British Columbia and Canadian governments for their colonial violence and their callous disregard of indigenous rights. We know that the struggles of the indigenous people of this land and the indigenous people of Palestine have always been against the supremacist settler colonialist mentality, that has at its roots no respect for our humanity, our rights and our dignity. We also honour the brave resistance of our indigenous sisters and brothers all through their history and know that they believe, as we do, in defending their land to their last breath.
We have also stood in front of this exact same Minister’s office, demanding that products from illegal Israeli settlements not be sold in BC liquor stores. These are settlements built on stolen indigenous Palestinian land, stolen by brute force and deception. These are products that directly aid in and support the oppression of the Palestinian people and the theft of their land. And we were also disrespected just as you have been. But we also pledge to continue the struggle until liberation.
Settler colonialism will be defeated, from Turtle Island to Palestine.
Long live indigenous solidarity!
Sovereign forever, surrender NEVER!
The following letter was sent to BC Attorney General David Eby on December 9, 2019. Once again, he has chosen to ignore our concerns and refuses to respond with any explanation.
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Dear Mr. Eby:
Since we sent you our letter on Oct. 17, 2018 regarding your refusal to remove Israeli wines from BC Liquor Stores, we have not received any further reply regarding our concerns.
Since then significant developments have taken place, and we would like to bring them to your attention.
Your stated reason for keeping “Made in Israel” wines on the shelves was that, “It is the Liquor Distribution Branch’s (LDB) policy to respect its customers’ right to make choices”. We should inform you this reasoning is flawed; actually it is the opposite of the ruling of the Canadian Federal Court which stated: “because the wines weren’t labelled as products of the West Bank, Canadians were unable to make informed decisions as consumers, particularly if they wanted to ‘buy conscientiously’.” And it is also the opposite of the EU court ruling: “labelling of products from Israeli settlements must provide an ‘indication of that provenance’ so consumers could make “informed choices” when they shopped.”
We urge you to reconsider your position and respond positively to the thirty-one groups, that signed the original letter asking you to take action regarding “Made in Israel” wines in B.C. Liquor Stores. As stated in that letter, and still valid today, all of the Israeli wines currently in stock “are either from the Galil Winery, which is a joint venture with the Golan Heights Winery (the name of which speaks for itself), or from the occupied West Bank, including the illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc around Jerusalem.”
Please “have the courage” to “stand up for what is right” as the “NDP Statement on Federal Court Decision on ‘Product of Israel’ Labels” claimed when stating that the party believes in a principled foreign policy . “The NDP will always stand up for what is right, even when others don’t have the courage to do it.”
If this is true and not just crass political opportunism, then we expect concrete action in situations like this where you are in a position to make a difference. A year ago, you informed us: “my schedule does not allow me to meet with you at this time.” Does your schedule now allow for addressing our human rights concerns?
Regards,
Hanna Kawas, Chairperson, Canada Palestine Association
Aiyanas Ormond, Coordinator, BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish
c.c. John Horgan, Premier of BC, premier@gov.bc.ca
Jagmeet Singh, NDP Leader, Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca
All Signatory Groups on the Open Letter
Canada Palestine Association sent a letter last month to Christine Hanson,
CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (NSHRC), enquiring about the reasons behind its rescinding “of the Human Rights Award presented to Rana Zaman”. To date, the NSHRC have chosen not to answer nor even acknowledge our letter.
We are left to conclude that the reason for their arbitrary and cruel action to rescind their award to Ms. Zaman was because of her principled position in defending Palestinian rights. It is worth noting that the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), the main pro-Israel lobby group, commended them on taking this decision.
If the commission thinks that they are fighting anti-Semitism by taking this position, then they are totally misguided. In fact, by conflating Israeli war crimes with the Jewish people, they are spreading anti-Semitism and helping the anti-Semites. We suggest they carefully read the rational position of Independent Jewish Voices Canada, demanding the reinstatement of the award.
We would like to point out to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission that Human Rights is a universal concept that does not exclude any people. Only supremacists, racists, settler colonialists and their supporters refuse to recognize this fact.
The commission’s call to “all Nova Scotians to consider how they can help to promote human rights, inclusiveness and dignity in their communities” rings hollow.
Those who pretend to defend human rights but exclude Palestinian rights, are not genuine in promoting human rights. Palestinians demand and deserve the same rights as all other peoples; according them anything less only serves to enable the continuing war crimes and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people.
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Following is our letter that was sent on Dec. 22, 2019, to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.
Christine
Hanson
CEO of
the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
Dear Ms. Hanson:
We were baffled and shocked to hear that “The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission has formally rescinded the Human Rights Award presented to Rana Zaman”.
Your news release (the link to it does not work anymore) states that “The committee was unaware of public statements made by Ms. Zaman that were directly contrary to the principles of the award.”
You owe it to the Canadian public to clearly state what public statements you are referring to, and clarify how they are “directly contrary to the principles of the award.”
It is cruel and unfair to Ms. Zaman to rescind her award without consulting with her. Is it due to her criticism of Israel’s human rights abuses and war crimes? CIJA indicated in one of its tweets that this was the case.
We call on you to please explain your position clearly and in detail. You owe this to the Canadian Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities and to the Canadian public, including all advocates of human rights. And above all, you owe this to Rana Zaman, whom you have now placed in an extremely precarious situation and exposed to social media backlash and bullying.
We will await your response before issuing a statement by year-end.
Thank you for your prompt attention.
Hanna Kawas
Chairperson, Canada Palestine
Association-Vancouver.
Canada Palestine Association, since its founding over forty years ago, has always relied on its members and supporters to carry out all aspects of the Palestinian solidarity work. 2019 was a busy year for CPA activism, we are grateful to all those who supported our work concretely and made this year a success on the road to the liberation of Palestine.
Following are highlights of our work:
Events and Campaigns:
CPA Statements:
Interviews:
SpiceRadioVan
Interview
with Hanna Kawas Dec. 24, 2019: Christmas for Palestinian Christians under occupation.
SpiceRadioVan
Interview with Hanna
Kawas Nov 26, 2019 about Canada’s support to a UN resolution criticizing Israel.
CKUT 90.3FM Under the Olive Tree (ckut.ca)
Interview with Hanna Kawas Dec. 19, 2019: Does Canada defend human rights at the UN?
CKUT 90.3FM Under the Olive Tree (ckut.ca)
Interview with Hanna Kawas: How to bring Palestine-solidarity into Canadian federal elections? Oct. 10, 2019
Articles:
CPA Facebook
pages:
BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories
Stop G4S in Canada – Boycott and Divest from G4S
Boycott
Israeli Wines – Don’t Drink with Apartheid
Boycott TEVA – Apartheid is BAD Medicine
https://www.facebook.com/cpavancouver.org/
CPA Facebook
groups:
Voice of Palestine صوت فلسطين
Canada Palestine Association
Air Canada: We are not On-Board with Human Rights Violations
Follow us on Twitter:
BDS
Vancouver
Hanna Kawas
