"Palestinian perspectives are often silenced or deliberately left out of Canadian public discourse, especially stories of vulnerable individuals like Islam Meghari who are resettling in a completely new environment. More importantly, the challenges that refugees and immigrants face such as job security, separation from families, language barriers, and racism and prejudice are seldom reported on or shared."
May 1, 2023
To:
Brodie Fenlon, Editor-in-Chief, CBC News
Rebecca Zandbergen, Journalist, CBC News
Dear Ms. Zandbergen and Mr. Fenlon,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express my appreciation regarding the article “He thought his wife, daughter would join him in Canada in 6 months. 5 years later, they remain in Jordan” by Rebecca Zandbergen and published on May 1, 2023.
I appreciate that you interview Mr. Islam Meghari and highlight the challenges he has faced as a Palestinian refugee in Canada – both the separation from his wife and daughter for the past five years as well as the difficulties of finding a job that acknowledges his credentials as a doctor.
Palestinian perspectives are often silenced or deliberately left out of Canadian public discourse, especially stories of vulnerable individuals like Islam Meghari who are resettling in a completely new environment. More importantly, the challenges that refugees and immigrants face such as job security, separation from families, language barriers, and racism and prejudice are seldom reported on or shared.
I encourage you to continue sharing Palestinian experiences and hope such stories are more frequently reported on and profiled in the future by CBC News.
Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.
Sincerely,
Tayla Shair
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East