‘Shame’: Canada PM Faces Backlash for Failing to Advocate Ceasefire in Gaza
The incident occurred on Friday when Trudeau made a surprise visit to the International Muslims Organization of Toronto in a show of solidarity with the Muslim community amid the violence in the West Asia
The Prime Minister's Office did not announce the visit beforehand and did not include it in its public schedule. However, it was later confirmed that Trudeau had attended the mosque and prayed with the congregation.
The video, which was widely shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, shows Trudeau standing at a podium and thanking the mosque for allowing him to join them in prayer.
However, some people in the crowd are heard shouting "shame" and telling a moderator not to let Trudeau speak.
The video also shows protesters outside the mosque holding signs and chanting slogans calling for a ceasefire in the conflict. Trudeau addressed the media later that day in Brampton, Ontario, and said that he understands the pain and frustration of many Canadians over the situation in the Middle East. "Everyone is hurt and hurting; everyone is grieving; everyone is scared of what this means," he said.
Canadian MPs lay out demands
Toronto-area Liberal MP Salma Zahid, who is chair of the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group, had written a letter to the Canadian PM that laid out certain demands in consideration of 33 MPs.
The letter demands Canada join the call for an immediate ceasefire, help facilitate the opening of a humanitarian corridor, and stand up for international law. It was signed by 23 backbench Liberal MPs, eight NDP MPs, and both Green Party MPs, The Toronto Sun reported.
"International law is clear that innocent civilians and all those not taking part in the fighting must on no account be attacked and must be spared and protected," the letter said.
On Thursday, a dozen Muslim, Jewish, and Arab MPs from the Liberal caucus met to discuss the conflict.
The Israeli regime launched its deadly bombing campaign over the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian resistance group Hamas waged Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the occupying regime.
Well over 4,100 Palestinians have so far been killed across the strip, according to figures from the health ministry. Nearly 13,500 individuals have also been injured.
Source: Agencies
