The Canadian Council of Imams and national faith leaders representing more than 7,000 Canadian clergy have signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The letter, dated July 9, was initiated by the council, a non-profit that brings together imams and Islamic religious leaders from across Canada.
In addition to the signatures of the council’s president and executive director, the letter is signed by leaders of the United Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada,and the Presbyterian Church in Canada. It was also signed by Mennonite Central Committee Canada, the aid and development arm of Canadian Anabaptist and Mennonite churches.
And it was later endorsed by the Muslim Association of Canada, the Islamic Institute of Toronto and Jerusalem Community Services of Ontario.
In the letter, signatories urge the prime minister to “speak out against the catastrophic humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.”
Since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 58,500 Palestinians have died, including 9,497 women and 17,921 children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. More than 1,200 Israelis have died, according to Israeli authorities.
The letter says that sacred texts of Islam and Christianity teach that all human life is sacred, and the protecting women and children is “a sacred trust.”
It decries the use of food as a weapon, noting that “collective punishment is a grave violation of international law and affront to all our faiths.”
The letter urges Carney to work with other countries to call for a lifting of the blockade of humanitarian aid by international aid organizations, to publicly condemn the use of food as a weapon, and to support calls for a permanent ceasefire.
“We believe Canada can and must be a conscience in the world,” the letter concludes.
‘Felt very deeply’
For Sikander Ziad Hashmi, executive director of the Canadian Council of Imams, the letter was written because “the pain and suffering of people in Gaza is felt very deeply in the Muslim community in Canada.”
The council appreciates the support from other Christian denominations, Hashmi says, because it shows concern about the situation in Gaza goes beyond the Muslim community.
Michael Blair, general secretary of the United Church of Canada, says signing the letter shows the United Church “is committed to working for justice with people of faith and people of no faith” on issues of common concern.
He hopes the prime minister will take the letter’s message seriously by supporting the human rights of people in Gaza when it comes to accessing humanitarian aid.
For Victor Kim, principal clerk of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, signing the letter is consistent with what the denomination has said in its own messages to the Canadian government.
“We support the lifting of any blockages that prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the people of Gaza,” Kim said, adding the denomination understands “the complexity and challenge of achieving a lasting peace in the region.”
At the same time, it is still the hope and prayer of the Presbyterian Church for a ceasefire and, eventually, a lasting peace in the region, he says. “The current and ongoing death and destruction in Gaza must come to an end as soon as possible,” he said.
Mennonite Central Committee Canada has also sent similar messages to the Canadian government, says executive director Ken Kim. This letter “makes it clear this is a humanitarian crisis and the blockade must be opened to permit aid to get through,” he said.
The organization is always open to “joining hands with other faith groups to state that life is precious,” he said. He added that MCC Canada aid meant for Gaza is stuck in warehouses in the region due to the blockade on aid groups.
None of the groups has received any pushback from their members or supporters because of the letter.
“We hope that all who stand for human rights will support the call in this letter,” said Blair.
To date, the Prime Minister’s Office has not replied to the letter.
I watched a post today where Hamas was stealing all the food trucks from Gaza,where the Israelites were feeding the GAZANS,and the GAZANS were asking the soldiers to get rid of HAMAS,and this was live