"To paraphrase “genocide against Palestinians” as “the war in Gaza” is to substantively misrepresent the Manitoba Islamic Association’s statement. There is a chasm of difference between war on one hand and genocide on the other. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide states that genocide is a crime that can be “committed in time of peace or in time of war.” As the Convention lays out, on a definitional level, genocide is entirely distinct from “war.” This is not only the case in the context of international law but also in ordinary language. War and genocide are not synonyms that can simply be substituted in for each other. In the context of this article, the distinction is hugely important. Given that this misrepresentation deals with the momentous mental health impact that the ongoing genocide in Gaza has on people, especially Palestinians and Muslims, such a difference in the perception of an event is essential."
June 17, 2024
To:
Arturo Chang, CBC News
Ombudsman, CBC News
Nancy Waugh, CBC News
Dear Arturo Chang, Jack Nagler, and Nancy Waugh,
I'm writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concern about the recent article "Youth's death shows more mental health supports needed in Winnipeg, Muslim community members say,” published on June 17, 2024.
Your article states:
"On this day of Eid, otherwise a day of celebration, our community is deeply saddened," the statement said, adding that global issues such as the war in Gaza are impacting Muslims across the world.
The statement from the Manitoba Islamic Association says:
We understand that global issues including the genocide against Palestinians and Muslims in Gaza and the rest of Palestine, is impacting so many people beyond the boundaries of our community.
To paraphrase “genocide against Palestinians” as “the war in Gaza” is to substantively misrepresent the Manitoba Islamic Association’s statement. There is a chasm of difference between war on one hand and genocide on the other. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide states that genocide is a crime that can be “committed in time of peace or in time of war.” As the Convention lays out, on a definitional level, genocide is entirely distinct from “war.” This is not only the case in the context of international law but also in ordinary language. War and genocide are not synonyms that can simply be substituted in for each other. In the context of this article, the distinction is hugely important. Given that this misrepresentation deals with the momentous mental health impact that the ongoing genocide in Gaza has on people, especially Palestinians and Muslims, such a difference in the perception of an event is essential.
Perhaps CBC feels that its Standards and Practices require journalists not to name what is happening in Gaza now as a genocide, especially before any international legal body has ruled it as such, but if that is the case, then CBC has a duty to directly quote the Manitoba Islamic Association rather than fundamentally alter the content of their statement.
I am urging the CBC to either accurately paraphrase the Association’s statement or include a direct quote that mentions “genocide against Palestinians.”
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Director of Media Advocacy, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East