On Canada Project Opinion: Ontario NDP boot MPP for taking an actual human rights stance

Here's what happened..

Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama made a statement consistent with the same language and information shared by international human rights organizations — meaning it might make whiteness uncomfortable but it’s not wrong.

Then many things happened — Ontario Premier Doug Ford condemned Jama and called for her to be removed, and NDP Leader Marit Stiles publicly scolded Jama. There was an agreement made between Sarah and Marit, and on Tuesday, Jama was removed from the caucus.

And while these so-called party leaders debate this issue — there is a genocide happening that the vast majority of Canadian politicians are unwilling to speak to (except for the few like Sarah Jama) and/or not smart enough to understand the issue as their understanding of the world is grounded in a colonial framework that is an extension of thinking non-Christians are non-human.

During a vote in the Ontario legislature to censure Jama, she spoke truth to power, and firmly backed up her original comments.

"The Israeli Defence Forces have killed thousands of Palestinians, destroyed residential areas, and ordered the evacuation of at least 20 hospitals in northern Gaza. Israel is telling people who are already injured, sick, and dying in hospitals in Gaza to leave," Jama's X — formerly Twitter thread goes on to read.

"I reinstate my call for an immediate ceasefire by Israeli forces and for the immediate restoration of food, water, fuel and electricity in Gaza. I ground my words in the realities of the Israeli apartheid and Israel's ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands," Jama said in a statement in Ontario legislature on Oct 23.

The NDP had an opportunity to show that they are not just different shades of the same colonial bullshit but rather an opposite force to Doug Ford.

Doing so would have not only been the right thing to do, but it would have also shown Canadians who historically don’t feel seen or represented by our system (for moments just like this btw) that they have a home with the NDP.

It was also an opportunity to practice what we’re assuming was, at most, a one-and-done anti-Black racism training taken post-George Floyd.

But in the end, we saw the NDP for exactly who they are, which is more of the same colonial BS as the Conservatives, with a couple of spritzes of "Febreeze" in the air to distract us from their ugly truth.

We had initially planned to dissect the highly problematic statements made by Doug Ford, but rather than fixating on the Conservatives—whose actions were entirely predictable—let's shift our attention to the NDP's glaring failures.

Because say what you will about Ford, but at least he's consistent in his values, allegiance and priorities—to power, his party, profit, and his donors.

The NDP, on the other hand, we don't know where their loyalties lie, but it's clearly not with anyone who believes in upholding universal human rights.

Israel is an apartheid state, which is confirmed even by Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, in addition to Human Rights Watch & Amnesty International. None of this is remarkable or surprising, and certainly does not make Jama antisemitic.

This past week served as a prime example of the devastating impact of slashing diversity and inclusion budgets in both government organizations and media can have on human rights.

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