"While you do acknowledge the meaning of the word as “shaking of oppression,” you frame intifada in terms of violence. Such framing is highly reductive, as intifadas were not solely characterized by violence but were multifaceted social and political movements involving a wide range of tactics (largely peaceful)."
April 23, 2024
Dear Donovan Vincent, Dylan Robertson, and Stephanie Taylor,
I’m writing to express my concern about the April 22 article, “Ottawa police investigating chant on Parliament Hill glorifying Oct. 7 Hamas attack,” written by Dylan Robertson and Stephanie Taylor of the Canadian Press and published by the Toronto Star.
First, the death toll from the Hamas attack on October 7 is listed, but the Palestinian casualty count or any useful context about Israel’s plausibly genocidal actions in Gaza are omitted.
Please, at the minimum, include the Palestinian death toll and essential context about Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Second, I am concerned that your definition and description of “intifada” is too narrow and skewed. While you do acknowledge the meaning of the word as “shaking of oppression,” you frame intifada in terms of violence. Such framing is highly reductive, as intifadas were not solely characterized by violence but were multifaceted social and political movements involving a wide range of tactics (largely peaceful). A more balanced definition would acknowledge the intifada’s roots in resistance to oppression and occupation while recognizing the diverse forms of activism that defined these movements.
I insist that you add more context to balance your definition of intifada and not focus solely on violence.
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Director of Media Advocacy, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East