PM Justin Trudeau Exits Canada Mosque to Shouts of 'Shame!' & Booing
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Amid the latest spiral of violence in the Palestine-Israel conflict, dozens of Canadian lawmakers have demanded that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau join the international chorus of voices urging for an immediate ceasefire, saying that Canada should strongly stand up for international law protecting innocent civilians.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got a generous dose of booing during a visit to a mosque in Toronto on October 20.
In a video that has gone viral on the Internet, people gathered inside the mosque are heard exclaiming “shame on you” and “take your people and go,” insisting that the Canadian PM not be allowed to speak at the podium.
According to local media, Trudeau addressed those inside the place of worship, thanking them for allowing him to “pray alongside you in this difficult time.” Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Justin Trudeau had paid a visit to the International Muslims Organization of Toronto on Friday “to show his support to those impacted in the Muslim community from the horrific events in the Middle East.” However, both worshippers inside the mosque and protesters flanking the street outside were urging the prime minister to advocate for a ceasefire in the Palestine-Israel conflict.
On social media, people reacted to the video by slamming the Canadian PM for “double standards,” announcing “full support of Israel against Hamas / Palestine,” and still “pretending to be a friend of Muslims.”
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This comes after dozens of Canadian lawmakers from multiple political parties urged Justin Trudeau to call for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Trudeau government has said Canada supports a two-state solution, but also believes Israel has a right to defend itself.
"Canada has long been a voice for peace. The longer this conflict goes on, the more innocent civilians will pay with their lives. We demand that Canada join the growing international call for an immediate ceasefire. Canada must act before more innocent children are killed," the lawmakers wrote in a letter released on Friday.
The letter, which was signed by more than 30 parliamentarians from the Liberal, NDP, and Green parties, while condemning the October 7 attack by Hamas, stressed the need to abide by international law when retaliating.
On October 7, the Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip. After it breached the border, killing and seizing people in neighboring Israeli communities, Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people, cutting off supplies of food, water, and fuel. Thousands of dead and injured have been reported on both sides as a result of the escalation.
Furthermore, several prominent Canadian Jewish organizations called on the PM to retract and clarify his earlier remarks pertaining to the fatal blast at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians taking shelter there from pummeling by Israel’s retaliatory strikes on the enclave.
On Tuesday, a missile hit the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, causing a massive blast in which more than 500 people were killed, according to the Health Ministry of Gaza. Hamas blamed the explosion on an Israeli strike, a narrative that was rejected by the Israel Defense Forces, which said the hospital had been hit by a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
Trudeau, when questioned by reporters, appeared to give credence to the claims the blast was the result of an Israeli airstrike, saying in French that it was “not legal,” and adding that it was “absolutely unacceptable.”
"Canadian elected officials, the media, and other influencers have a responsibility to verify facts before commenting, particularly during times of war," the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, B'nai Brith, and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement.
