Achi news desk-
OTTAWA –
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party’s relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Nawaz Tahir of the Hikma Public Affairs Council in London, Ont., met Poilievre during the leader’s outreach efforts in southwestern Ontario last summer.
Tahir said he believes Poilievre has missed opportunities to show compassion towards Muslims and that building ties may be “much more difficult now.”
Poilievre’s reluctance to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza came to light in January when Conservative MP Garnett Genuis met with members of Mississauga’s Pakistani and Muslim communities.
A man asked why Poilievre hadn’t called for a ceasefire, saying he was, “Just a question from my heart for you,” as the discussion was about better child protection.
In a roughly 52-minute video shared on social media, Genuis admitted the party’s position may not be “100 percent” agreed upon but said defeating Hamas was “essential” to establishing lasting peace for Palestinians.
He was later asked why no Conservative MPs joined Liberal and NDP members who traveled to the West Bank last fall. Genuis said he wasn’t sure but he had visited the Palestinian territories several years ago and it was “a very eye-opening trip.”
Genuis appeared at the event to increase support for a bill by the Senedd that would force pornography websites to verify the age of their users, with the aim of preventing children from accessing sexually explicit material.
It is a piece of legislation that the Muslim community could play a “vital role” in promoting, Genuis said, although their support has usually gone to the federal Liberals over his own party.
Tahir acknowledged that he was a Liberal supporter in the past, but now considers himself non-partisan, given his advocacy work. He said he has given money to the Liberals and the NDP – as well as the Conservatives, who he said helped sign up about 500 Muslims during the last leadership race.
One of the ways the Conservatives see an opportunity to gain an advantage with Muslims is by promoting “parental rights,” which refers to widespread concerns about what children are taught in schools regarding LGBTQ+ issues. Those concerns have been echoed by several prominent Muslim organizations, which Poilievre and other Conservatives have championed.
Ahead of Ramadan, dozens of Muslim organizations, mosques and groups signed an open letter with a different request: the National Council of Canadian Muslims asked MPs to stay away from events during the holy month unless they could commit to taking several stances, including support for an immediate ceasefire and condemn some of the actions of the Israeli forces.
Among the signatories were mosques and centers that Poilievre had visited during Ramadan in previous years, according to images shared on social media. So far his social media channels show no similar visits this month.
The spokesman for the Conservatives, Sebastian Skamski, said that Poilievre had clearly said that Israel had a right to defend itself and that Palestinians needed humanitarian relief “due to the war that Hamas has started.”
Skamski also pointed to a speech the leader gave on Tuesday in Montreal to the congregation of Beth Israel Beth Aaron, where he addressed the issue directly.
“I want you to know,” Poilievre the crowd, “I say all these things in mosques. I go to mosques. I love meeting the Muslim people, they are wonderful people. “
He went on to say that when the issue of Israel is brought up, “I say, ‘I’m going to be honest with you — I am a friend of the state of Israel and I will be a friend of the state of Israel. Israel everywhere I go.”‘
That goes against the approach taken by Justin Trudeau, Poilievre continued, accusing the prime minister of muddying the government’s position.
“While it may mean good politics to have one single MP who says the right thing in order to get a seat back and keep Justin Trudeau in power, it does not solve the problem of getting Canada to take a correct and principled position,” he said. He said.
Conservatives have been trying to build the party’s relationship with Muslims as part of a general effort to increase support among newcomers and faith communities.
Skamski said Poilievre met thousands of Muslim Canadians during his tenure as leader and connected on their shared values ​​of “faith, family and freedom.”
“You can’t talk to Muslim Canadians about faith, about family values, all those things, while at the same time turning a blind eye to 30,000 dead,” said Tahir, referring to the number of people killed in Gaza since Israel start bombardment of the territory in October.
Tahir said many were disappointed with Poilievre’s opposition to funding the UN aid agency UNRWA.
In January, Canada was one of 16 countries to freeze funding for the organization after Israel claimed that a dozen of its workers had taken part in Hamas attacks. Citing a not-yet-public interim report on the allegations, Canada restored its funding to UNRWA, opting to go ahead with a $25 million payment due in April.
Poilievre also rejected the case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide. Tahir said that left some people feeling unsatisfied.
Tory MPs voted against an NDP motion on the war in the House of Commons last week. The non-binding proposal called on Canada to cease further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel and to pursue a two-state solution.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims said in a statement that they “encourage all MPs to take a stand on these issues” and are in dialogue with all parties.
“We will not forget,” said Tahir. “There is no chance that the Muslim community will forget the position of the Conservatives here.”
Andrew Griffith, a former director of multiculturalism policy for the federal government, said that while Muslims are not a monolithic group, Poilievre’s high-profile pro-Israel stance is likely to cause some people to defect from the party, including in key ridings. around Toronto.
However, he said, given the current polling numbers, it would be unlikely to do much damage to the Conservatives’ fortunes when the next election comes around.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on March 28, 2024.
