Montreal, January 31st, 2017
Palestinian and Jewish unity (PAJU) denounces the culture of islamophobia, prevalent among some elected officials and media, the result of which has been the demonization of Muslims in Quebec and Canada. This islamophobic "culture", which belongs to the identity project of the racist political right – and which divides society into two camps: We and the Others - has poisoned our society for some years now. Let us note the false debate surrounding the (Drainville) Charter of Values, ​​whose real objective was to divide the population by targeting mainly Muslims for electoral purposes.
In such an atmosphere of fear and hatred, carefully fabricated by those elected officials and media referred to above, it is not surprising that such a hateful act was committed against fellow citizens of Muslim faith at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Québec on January 29, 2017, a date that we will remember for a long time. At PAJU, we note this same disinformation and even the suppression of the facts in relation to the situation of the Palestinians, their harsh living conditions under the illegal occupation of their territories by Israel and their legitimate claims to self-determination and national sovereignty.
The election of Donald Trump in the United States and the racist and, above all, anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric that characterize President Trump's unilateral dictates, merely pours oil on the fire. We observe with alarm the rise of fascism in Europe and the United States and the presence of fascist and racist groups here in Quebec, all of which recalls the Thirties and the establishment of fascist governments in Europe. At that time, the Jews were targeted; today the Muslims are targeted. The conceptual underpinnings are the same.
Faced with this threat, in the face of this new Great Darkness, it is our duty as a pluralistic society to remain united in our diversity and to promote the principles of justice, tolerance and pluralism which are the foundation of our true "Charter of Values."
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