"CJPME commends you for your dedication to balanced reporting and for giving a voice to the voiceless. Thank you for raising awareness and humanizing the very difficult plight of the Palestinians in Gaza."
August 1st, 2024
To:
Yumna Iftikhar, The Independent
Dear Ms. Iftikhar,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express my thanks for your recent article titled "Palestinian sisters in St. John’s say brothers’ safe passage to Newfoundland in limbo," published on July 27, 2024. I really appreciate your coverage of the challenges faced by Palestinians seeking to leave Gaza.
I appreciate that you highlight the difficulties in securing visas, and you have brought much-needed attention through your critique of Canada’s Gaza visa program which underlines the unfair and ridiculous number of bureaucratic obstacles that Palestinians in Gaza need to face to simply be accepted, not processed, into the program to enter Canada.
Your article also addresses the blatant double-standard and anti-Palestinian racism that Canadian immigration policies and processes have by design.
CJPME commends you for your dedication to balanced reporting and for giving a voice to the voiceless. Thank you for Your raising awareness and humanizing the very difficult plight of the Palestinians in Gaza.
I hope you continue to cover similar stories in the future.
Sincerely,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East