"In addition to the incessant dread of losing relatives in Gaza, it was troubling to read about the applications requiring an extreme level of detail that is, at times, completely inaccessible."
January 12, 2024
To:
Celeste Decaire, Reporter, CBC News
Brodie Fenlon, News Editor-In-Chief, CBC News
Dear Ms. Decaire,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to thank you for your article titled “Ottawa woman hoping emergency program finally gets extended family out of Gaza,” published on January 9 by CBC News.
As the Canadian government’s federal temporary residence program finally opens its applications, it has been heartbreaking to read about the Palestinian-Canadians fighting for the limited spots to bring family members from Gaza to Canada. Often, Canadian articles regarding Israel’s war on Gaza often make the conflict feel distant and obscure. By including a range of Palestinian-Canadian perspectives, however, your article conveys the extent to which this war has taken a tragic toll on families in Gaza and Canada alike.
In addition to the incessant dread of losing relatives in Gaza, it was troubling to read about the applications requiring an extreme level of detail that is, at times, completely inaccessible. Faced with needing information she simply does not have on hand in Canada; Jihan Qunoo tries to contact her family in Gaza repeatedly to access seemingly trivial and insignificant details. Having a woman with family in Gaza recount this discouraging and humiliating component of completing applications introduces readers to a different angle of Canada’s immigration measures.
I also appreciated you simply citing “Gaza health authorities” for the death toll you provided, rather than unnecessarily invoking Hamas in the operation of the Health Ministry. Health professionals in Gaza are like help professionals anywhere else: dedicated to saving lives. When journalists mention the “Hamas-run Health Ministry” – presumably questioning the veracity of the Ministry’s work – they further dehumanize Palestinians. By respecting Gaza’s health professionals, you give a tiny degree of needed dignity to the lives of the many slaughtered Palestinians in Gaza.
Thank you for including Palestinian voices and narratives. Please continue to do so.
Sincerely,
Rose Mardikian,