يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ ٱعْدِلُوا۟ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

O believers! Stand firm for Allah and bear true testimony. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” Quran (5:8)

Dear brothers and sisters, 

Assalamu alikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu

The recent weeks have been horrific for Canadian Muslims, witnessing the dire situation in Gaza. We’ve seen the tragic killing of civilians – the children and women – and the destruction of homes, medical facilities, schools, and essential services. Our brothers and sisters in Gaza are enduring unimaginable hardships.

MAC has been very concerned about the safe evacuation of Canadian citizens from conflict zones and their reunification with family here. Our own Dr. Ehab Bader, an executive with MAC, was stuck in Gaza and had been working day and night to care for the injured in the al-Shifa hospital neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Our prayers are with his family and all of those in Gaza.

Collectively, we have a religious duty to continue advocating for justice, peace, and the inherent rights of Palestinians to live with dignity and freedom – rights we, as Canadians, cherish daily. We commend those in our community voicing their support for the people of Gaza. 

Yet, the ripple effects are felt here in Canada. Our rights to free speech are under scrutiny; peaceful demonstrations are mislabeled as hate rallies; and those who voice support for Palestinian rights face repercussions at work and in schools. Our constitutional freedoms are at stake, and we must defend them.

MAC shares the concerns of the community that:

• The dire situation in Gaza and the urgent need for access to humanitarian aid.
• The harmful generalization of protests as hateful.
• The underrepresentation and disregard for Muslim and Palestinian perspectives.
• The concerning growth of Islamophobia fueled by current political narratives.

Our stand regarding the reactions in our society has been clear:

• We reject Islamophobic political statements.
• We strongly believe in the right of every Canadian, including Muslims, to free expression.
• We need to educate and warn our society about the rise of Islamophobia.

How You Can Make a Difference:

• Share with us your thoughts or suggestions on how MAC should be addressing these issues and educating our community.
• Stay active and be a force of positive change in our society through expressing the Islamic perspective wherever you are.

Your brother,

Abdullatif Bakbak

MAC President-Executive