Some of Canada’s left-wing politicians, professors, and other public figures have expressed support to varying degrees for Palestinian actions toward “decolonization.”
While “decolonization” has become a common and favourably viewed word among the Canadian Left, some have decried the Palestinian terrorist attacks to this end. Others have instead spoken strongly against Israel as a “colonizer.”
Hamas terrorists descended on Israeli civilians using paragliders on Oct. 7, killing hundreds. In the following days, some left-wing groups used the image of the paraglider alongside messages of support for the Palestinian resistance.
Ontario NDP MPP Hal David Berman expressed disgust at one such post from the Chicago branch of Black Lives Matter (BLM).
“I am disgusted at this blatant endorsement of an organization that just slaughtered babies in their cribs, murdered raped and kidnapped hundreds,” he
said on platform X on Oct. 10. “Whoever runs this account is as evil as Hamas.”
The BLM post has since been
removed, but it
showed the silhouette of a paraglider with a Palestinian flag. It was accompanied by the words, “I stand with Palestine.”
Mr. Berman’s colleague, NDP MPP Sarah Jama expressed sympathy with the Palestinian resistance, saying Palestinians have experienced “settler colonialism.”
She said in a
statement on Oct. 10 that her heart goes out to people impacted by this violence, but that the violence is “rooted” in colonialism and “occupation.” She called for a cease-fire.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles
asked Ms. Jama to retract her statement, but she had not done so as of publication time.
Anjali Appadurai, a former federal NDP candidate and former B.C. NDP leadership hopeful, spoke in support of Ms. Jama’s statement.
“What a relief to hear an elected speak with integrity on this horrific war,” Ms. Appadurai
said on X on Oct. 10. She called for an end to Israel’s “occupation” of Palestine.
Nico Slobinsky, vice president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, criticized Ms. Appadurai for her comments, saying on X that he had spoken with her years before about her perspective on Israel and “you promised you would educate yourself and do better.”
“Babies decapitated. Women raped. Seniors kidnapped. Families burned alive. Innocent Israeli civilians murdered in cold blood. That’s the true face of terror organization Hamas,” Mr. Slobinsky said.
Union Supports ‘Decolonial Struggle’
Other Canadian professors and writers have made similar statements, as has the head of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. The more deeply one identifies with
Marxist thought, the more likely one is to identify with the fight against Israel as an “oppressor,” even using extreme means.
Marxism is inherently built on the notion of struggle against a class of people identified as “oppressors,” and the Chinese and Soviet communist regimes long fostered Palestinian terrorism against Israel, as explored in the Epoch Times special editorial series “
How the Spectre of Communism Is Ruling Our World.“
The end goal of communism’s involvement in such conflicts globally has been to destroy and take over Western society, the “Spectre of Communism” says.
Workers’ unions have often identified with this leftist concept of struggle, with the workers pitted against employers as capitalist “oppressors.”
CUPE Local 3906, which represents employees of McMaster University, has received much attention for its strong statement against Israel, including the
condemnation of Premier Doug Ford.
“The Executive of CUPE Local 3906 stands united against colonial occupation,” it said in an Oct. 10
statement. It said it does not condone violence against civilians, but it “is united against colonial occupation and state violence, and stands in solidarity with those in decolonial struggle everywhere.”
Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario, said on Thanksgiving Sunday—the day following the Hamas attack—that he’s thankful for the “progress” resistance brings.
“As we all think about reasons to be thankful this #thanksgiving2023, I know I’m thankful for the power of workers, the power of resistance around the globe,” he
said on X. “Because #Resistance is fruitful and no matter what some might say, #Resistance brings progress, and for that, I’m thankful.”
He had also made many other posts in recent days in support of the Palestinian resistance. On Oct. 11, he followed up with a post saying he doesn’t support violence. “Hoping for people to be free is not violence,” he
said.
McMaster University has condemned statements made by CUPE Local 3906.
“McMaster University is shocked and disappointed at the comments made by CUPE Local 3906 regarding this violence,” it
said in an Oct. 7 statement, following earlier statements by the union.
Canadian Academics’ Statements
Academics who speak often of decolonization, “post-colonial” society, deconstructing Western thought, and similar ideas are steeped in Maoism, a Western interpretation of the teachings of former Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong, David Martin Jones
explained to The Epoch Times in July. Mr. Jones is a visiting professor in the War Studies Department at King’s College, London.
Those focused on “anti-racism” are also steeped in the communist critical race theory, many
thinkers have argued, including
James Lindsay, author of “Race Marxism: The Truth About Critical Race Theory and Praxis.”
Dr. Jessica Hutchison, an assistant professor of social work at Wilfred Laurier University, has a research focus on “disrupting racism” and “settler colonialism,” according to her
biography on the university’s website. Following the Oct. 7 attacks, she said on X that Canadians should support the Palestinian resistance and include it in their indigenous land acknowledgments.
“I hope your upcoming acknowledgements will include support for Palestinians who are taking their land back from settler colonizers,” she
said, according to the National Post. Her X account has been deactivated and she did not reply to an Epoch Times inquiry as of publication time.
Kanaka Maoli, an assistant professor of indigenous politics at the University of Toronto,
said on X on Oct. 7 that anyone who “stands for decolonization and deoccupation should also stand behind freedom for Palestine.”
He called the Hamas attack “Palestinian anticolonial resistance.”
A professor of social work at McMaster University, Ameil J. Joseph, expressed
support for MPP Jama’s statements against Israeli “oppression,” and made further comments suggesting the Hamas attacks are what decolonization looks like in real life.
“Postcolonial, anticolonial, and decolonial are not just words you heard in your EDI [equity, diversity, inclusion] workshop,” he
said on X on Oct. 7, the day of the Hamas attacks.
South of the border, Harvard University has come under scrutiny for not speaking out against acts of terror.
“In nearly 50 years of @Harvard affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today,” Lawrence H. Summers, president emeritus at Harvard,
said on X on Oct. 9. “The silence from Harvard’s leadership, so far, coupled with a vocal and widely reported student groups’ statement blaming Israel solely, has allowed Harvard to appear at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel.”
A Split
While some on the left, in Canada and abroad, have declined to condemn the terrorist attacks or to call Hamas terrorists, others on the left have strongly condemned Hamas.
A schism in France’s leftist party coalition highlights this division on the left. France’s Socialist Party
announced on Oct. 10 a temporary break from the left-wing alliance, the New Ecological and Social People’s Union, over the La France Insoumise party’s reaction to the Hamas attacks.
La France Insoumise has refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization.
“The armed offensive by Palestinian forces led by Hamas comes in a context of intensification of Israeli occupation policy in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We deplore the Israeli and Palestinian deaths. Our thoughts are with all the victims,” it said in a
statement on Oct. 7.
In Canada, the federal Conservative, NDP, and Liberal leaders have all condemned Hamas’s attacks as terrorist attacks.
“The terrorist attacks by Hamas on thousands of innocent Israeli civilians are unjustifiable,” the NDP
said in an Oct. 9 statement. “We are shocked by the brutality, missile attacks, kidnappings, and targeting of civilians including the elderly and children.”
“I unequivocally condemn the invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists and the sadistic violence they have subsequently carried out against innocent civilians,” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre
said in a statement.
“I strongly condemn the demonstrations that have taken place, and are taking place, across the country in support of Hamas’ attacks on Israel. Let’s stand united against acts of terror,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
said on X on Oct. 9.
