The horrific attack on a Muslim family in London has renewed calls to clamp down on free speech. Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow president Raheel Raza said on The Andrew Lawton Show that censorship is not the answer to hate and evil, and it’s wrong to politicize tragedy in such a way that calls for it.
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Uyghur and Tibetan witnesses took aim at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s conflation of “anti-Asian racism” with criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during a Canada-China Relations Committee meeting.
Uyghur Research Institute research director Rukiye Turdush, said at the May 31 that Trudeau is “really confused” about the nature of the CCP.
“I think our prime minister is really confused,” Turdush said in response to a question from Conservative MP Garnett Genuis. “I don’t think that the CCP and anti-Asian racism have to be considered or seen as together, because the CCP, the Communist Party, is ruling the Chinese people and in many places in the Chinese community in Canada and elsewhere. Chinese people and the CCP are totally different. Most of them are brainwashed. They are manipulated.”
Turdush added criticism of the CCP has “nothing to do with racism or anti-Asian.”
“I really didn’t get why he said that,” Turdush said.
On May 26, Trudeau lashed out in response to a question about two federal scientists accused of collaborating with China by lecturing the Conservatives on “anti-Asian racism.”
“I would recommend to members of the Conservative Party in their zeal to make personal attacks, not start to push too far into intolerance towards Canadians of diverse origins,” Trudeau said in Question Period.
“We will continue to make sure that we are doing everything we can to keep Canadians safe while participating in the global research community and stand up for tolerance and diversity.”
Such remarks do a “disservice” to Asian Canadians, Tibetan activist Chemi Lhamo told the Canada-China committee.
“If you want to tackle anti-Asian racism, the first way to address that is by listening to the Asian voices in your country—your constituents,” said Lhamo.
“As an Asian woman, let me tell you, there is a bigger target on my back, and conflating the idea of anti-CCP with anti-Asian is much more or further disrespect to Asian folks. I say this because Asia is much larger than just China. There are 40 other different countries. That is not only just a disservice to other Asian Canadians; it is also a disservice to Chinese Canadians.”
The official Twitter account of Ottawa Public Health went on a woke tirade on Twitter, accusing anyone skeptical of COVID-19 of being a “racist.”
On Thursday morning, the agency went on an incoherent rant, sending out 10 tweets that sought to tie together completely separate events, including COVID-19, lockdowns, Canada’s history of residential schools and an attack in London, Ontario that killed four members of a Muslim family.
“Racism exists in Canada. As do bigotry, misogyny & homophobia.Their impacts are there, if you’re willing to look,” Ottawa Public Health wrote.
“Please note that if you’ve never feared that you or your family might be the targets of racist acts, then please be mindful of the privilege you have.”
Ottawa Public Health made various claims about how racism allegedly affects public health, including that naming coronavirus variants after countries is derogatory against people from those countries
Ottawa Public Health went on to claim that skepticism of COVID-19 or its risk to public health is a form of white supremacy.
The agency even suggested that people responding to the rant with criticisms will be further evidence of white supremacy.
The agency ended by linking to a series of videos on its website on the topic of racism and how it may affect public health.
On Sunday, police say a man intentionally ran his vehicle to a Muslim family walking in London, Ont. Four members of the family died while a nine year-old boy was sent to hospital.
While many have labeled the incident as a terrorist attack, the motive has not yet been determined.
Late in May, investigators said that 215 human remains are buried at the grounds at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The results are preliminary and the company conducting the investigation plans to release a report this month.
A speaker at the vigil held for the Muslim family killed in an attack in London, Ontario linked the murders with the Israel-Hamas conflict.
An imam of London’s Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario, Munir El-Kassem used his brief remarks to veer into foreign policy.
“There’s a reason why they say the world is a small village. Every country has a foreign policy,” El-Kassem said. “I just want to say, whatever is happening in Jerusalem and Gaza is related to whatever happened in London, Ontario. Period.”
The crowd could be heard cheering following El-Kassem’s remarks.
El-Kassem was the final speaker at the vigil, which was attended by the leaders of all the major federal and provincial political parties.
Canadian Jewish organizations, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and B’nai Brith Canada, condemned El-Kassem’s remarks.
“Linking this horrible crime to Jews or Israel is an irresponsible and inflammatory act,” B’nai Brith Canada said in a Twitter post.
In response to B’nai Brith Canada, El-Kassem said his words have been twisted.
“It has been painful to see my words twisted in a moment of incredible grief,” said El-Kassem in an Instagram post.
“I have only two things to say in response: 1) I will not be silenced by an organization that actively tried to prevent a motion acknowledging Islamophobia in the House of Commons, and has not apologized for that since. 2) Anyone who takes two minutes to listen to my response will understand what I said clearly – that the deaths of families here in London has (sic) happened too in Palestine. Our love and pain is universal. Any other interpretation is nonsensical and potentially defamatory.”
“This assertion is inflammatory and could lead to further antisemitism – particularly during a time when the Jewish community itself is still reeling from the violent assaults of the rallies held against Israel several weeks ago,” said human rights activist Avi Benlolo.
In its condemnation of El-Kassem’s remarks, CIJA also took aim at “conspiracy theories” circulating that the 20-year old charged with four counts of murder in connection with the attack is Jewish.
“At a time when false conspiracy theories (are) circulating about the attack being perpetrated by a Jew, this is incendiary and dangerous,” said CIJA in a tweet.
London police say the attack was premeditated and the victims were targeted because of their faith.
A Calgary Catholic bishop is speaking out against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments regarding the Church and residential schools.
Bishop Emeritus of the Calgary Diocese Most Rev. Fred Henry says the prime minister’s comments serve to deflect responsibility from the Canadian government.
Henry made the statements in an open letter to Trudeau.
“While acknowledging our own sorrow and guilt, and trying to own our sinfulness in the participation in residential schools, it is important to note the wording in our statement, especially the words, ‘participation in government policies,’” wrote Henry.
“Primary responsibility must be owned by the federal government.”
Since the apparent discovery of a suspected burial site near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, the prime minister has publicly called on the Roman Catholic Church to accept responsibility for the incident.
“As a Catholic, I am deeply disappointed by the decision that the Catholic Church has taken now and over the past many years,” Trudeau said in a media interview.
Henry is not the only Church leader to publicly dispute the prime minister’s claims. Cardinal and Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto Thomas Collins also labelled Trudeau’s comments as “unfair.”
“I think it’s much more helpful, as we’re all working on this long journey of reconciliation to work together, and not to be making these kinds of unfair attacks upon those who are trying their best to bring about and to work with all the Indigenous people for reconciliation” Archbishop Collins said.
In a recent appearance at the Ryerson Democracy Forum, Trudeau recounted a 2017 encounter with Pope Francis and lamented how the Catholic Church’s positions don’t line up with his and progressive views.
“I have to say as a Catholic, who, you know, is ever hopeful that the Catholic Church will come to terms with how for many Catholics our faith is really important to us but the distance we feel with the Church on many of its positions that don’t necessarily align with where we think we should be as a society, where we need to move forward,” said Trudeau.
“There’s always been a bit of a confliction for me as a person of faith with the Church but I continue to call myself a Catholic.”
Four members of a London, Ontario Muslim family were killed and a nine-year-old boy hospitalized after what police say was a targeted attack. In this edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, Andrew pays his respects to the family, and laments how a vigil to memorialize them turned into a political rally. Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow president Raheel Raza joins to share her thoughts on the attack, and explain why protecting free speech and condemning hatred are not mutually exclusive.
Also, Ryerson Conservatives president Harrison Faulkner talks about his club’s lonely battle to defend the legacy of Egerton Ryerson.
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The Liberal government recently deleted a biography of Canada’s first prime minister Sir John A Macdonald after the Toronto Star flagged the webpage in an article.
As of Monday, Canadians trying to access Macdonald’s biography on Library and Archives Canada were met with an “error 404” page instead of an article about the former prime minister.
The Toronto Star first flagged the page in October in an article titled: “Want to know about John A. Macdonald’s racist past? Don’t ask the government of Canada.”
“Within hours of the Star requesting comment from the agency on Friday, notes appeared at the top of the Macdonald and Laurier biographies saying the pages had been ‘archived on the web,’” the article claimed.
A second article slamming the biography was published by the Toronto Star on June 5 revealing internal government debates about the biography’s lack of reference to Macdonald’s involvement in the residential schooling system.
Soon after, the page was completely removed from the Library and Archives Canada website.
According to an archived version of the biography, Macdonald is described as a “nation-builder” throughout the article.
“His role in creating Canada, and the realization of his dream to build a transcontinental railway, have fixed his place as a nation-builder in Canadian history,” wrote Library and Archives Canada.
“It was because of his role in Confederation that Macdonald was asked to be the first prime minister of the new Dominion government, a position he would hold almost continuously for the rest of his life. Macdonald’s first term in office was marked by nation building,” the article continued.
In recent weeks, activists have been calling for statues of Macdonald to be toppled and for places named after Canada’s first prime minister to be changed.
Most recently, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island caved into demands by activists and quietly removed a public statue of Macdonald from its downtown core after a hurried evening vote on the matter.
Canadians have universally condemned the horrific attack on Sunday in London, Ontario. Canadians are rightly angry that this happened, and we want to make sure that newcomers know that one deranged young man who committed an evil act does not represent the broader Canadian community.
However, almost immediately after the facts were known, the left-wing media quickly politicized this tragedy and are using it as an opportunity to demonize conservatives.
True North’s Candice Malcolm calls out the media for their dishonesty and corrects the record.
Stop the presses! A video has surfaced of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh breaking COVID rules…by hugging another human being.
This shouldn’t be a national news story and those who break COVID rules shouldn’t be shamed.
Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.
The student conservative group at Ryerson University is demanding action after a group of protesters topped the statue of university namesake Egerton Ryerson.
In a statement on Monday, Ryerson Conservatives condemned the school’s administration and police for not attempting to stop the toppling.
“On the 77th anniversary of D-Day – one of our nation’s most important and solemn days — the Egerton Ryerson statue that has stood for over 132 years was toppled by marxist vandals,” the statement reads.
“These criminals didn’t catch anyone by surprise. Their efforts were planned, publicized and noted by both the University and the Toronto Police before yesterday.”
Over the weekend the statue was toppled by protesters at the end of a large demonstration. Along with being desecrated, the head of the statue was apparently cut off and thrown in Lake Ontario.
University President Mohamed Lachemi has said the university will not replace the statue.
The head of the statue apparently turned up on Wednesday at an Indigenous protest site in Caledonia, Ont.
In a statement to True North, Ryerson Conservatives President Harrison Faulkner said that regardless of the club’s affiliation with the Conservative Party and the Ontario PC Party, the parties need to be condemned for their lack of action to protect historical figures.
“As the Ryerson Conservatives, it is our job to advance conservatism on our campus. That also means that we have to do what we can as students to conserve the identity of our university. Just because we are affiliated with the CPC and PC party, we must remain consistent and stand up to what’s happening on our campus,” he said.
“What kind of conservatives would we be if we just did nothing and watched the historical truth of our country be twisted and changed to fit a false narrative?”
Egerton Ryerson was largely responsible for the development of Upper Canada’s education system, having supported free education for children, school boards and standardized textbooks.
In 1847, Ryerson founded the Toronto Normal School on the site where Ryerson University now stands.
