"I can not fully put into words the range of emotions that I feel seeing how this situation has come to be and the helplessness, shame, and disappointment of not living up to our standards as Canadians and certainly as simple human beings, especially when we had multiple occasions to do so. One thing is sure: our moral conscience and trust in our country will take a blow."
November 1, 2023
To:
Ken Warren, Senior Journalist, Ottawa Citizen
Nicole Feriancek, Editor-in-chief, Ottawa Citizen
Hannah Daley, News Editor, Ottawa Citizen
Dear Ken Warren, Nicole Feriancek, and Hannah Daley,
I am writing to thank you for your article: “Palestinian community of capital region mourning lost family members in Gaza,” published on October 28 in Ottawa Citizen.
From the get-go, you open your article with this poignant sentence: “In a single air strike in the Gaza Strip, Ali Afana says, he lost 22 family members.”
I can not fathom not being able to reach my family members to make sure they are alright while losing hope in the idea of them being alive, let alone losing that many family members in a single moment.
It is disheartening to read that the services at the Hall of Peace are no longer “small affairs” because the number of deceased has been increasing since October 7.
Like Afana, I am left with the exact reflection: “Why is Canada or the U.S. not helping? Canada is a country that is supposed to stand for human rights.”
I can not fully put into words the range of emotions that I feel seeing how this situation has come to be and the helplessness, shame, and disappointment of not living up to our standards as Canadians and certainly as simple human beings, especially when we had multiple occasions to do so. One thing is sure: our moral conscience and trust in our country will take a blow.
Thank you, Ken Warren and Ottawa Citizen, for giving voice to Palestinians and covering this story.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East