"Given these glaring issues, I demand that News Talk Regina acknowledge the harm caused by the segment and issue a public clarification on APR, referencing research and reports, such as CJPME’s 2023 APR report, which highlights the alarming rise of anti-Palestinian narratives in Canadian media."
December 13, 2024
To:
Program Manager, News Talk Regina 980 (CJME-AM)
Marvin Rotrand, Interim Director General, United Against Hate Canada
Dear Program Manager,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express concern regarding the broadcast on December 9, 2024, at 00:53 a.m., featuring Marvin Rotrand discussing the rise in antisemitism in Canada. During the broadcast, Mr. Rotrand dismissed anti-Palestinian racism (APR) as a significant issue in Canada. This dismissal perpetuates harm against Palestinian communities and their allies by silencing their experiences from public discourse in Canada.
This is the statement I take specific issue with: “Yes, we do, and we do have a member of our board who is a Pakistani Muslim. We fight all forms of hate, but I want to put it in proportion. there is not a huge problem with anti-Palestinian racism in Canada. There are Islamophobic incidents and there have been cases of violence against Muslims and against mosques.”
Mr. Rotrand evidently dismissed the rise of APR, suggesting it is not a “real problem” in Canada. This assertion is deeply problematic as Mr. Rotrand is neither an academic nor an authority on APR. Moreover, his comments ignored established research documenting the pervasive dehumanization and marginalization of Palestinians in Canadian media and public policy. APR is a distinct form of anti-Arab racism, targeting Palestinians specifically, as recognized in the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association’s 2022 definition.
APR includes the silencing, exclusion, and defamation of Palestinian narratives, alongside justifications for violence against Palestinians. It is also particularly concerning that Mr. Rotrand conflated APR with Islamophobia, further marginalizing Palestinian Christians and Palestinians from other religious groups. To argue that anti-Palestinian racism is not a huge problem by deflecting valid forms of APR as instances of Islamophobia further reinforces the exclusion of Palestinian narratives.
Moreover, I want to draw attention to a deeply concerning trend highlighted in the 2023 Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR) in Canada Report by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, the institution I work for. The report documented a sharp rise in APR incidents, nearly doubling to 988 cases in 2023, with an eightfold surge following October 7, 2023. Disturbingly, media outlets were responsible for 51 per cent of these incidents, This was also driven by right-wing NGOs such as B’nai Brith Canada which consisted of 3 per cent of the documented instances of APR. These instances often sought to dehumanize Palestinians and misrepresent their perspectives. The APR categories which grew most significantly from 2022 to 2023 were, “Dehumanizing Palestinians” which more than tripled, and “Justifying Violence Against Palestinians” and “Erasing the human rights and equal dignity of Palestinians” which both rose more than five-fold.
Furthermore, I’m also disappointed by the broadcast failing to include any pro-Palestinian voices or experts on APR, perpetuating a one-sided narrative that marginalized the lived experiences of Palestinians in Canada. As a public broadcaster, it is your duty to ensure balanced and fair representation of perspectives, particularly on sensitive and controversial topics. This omission violates journalistic ethics, including those outlined by the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council (CBSC), which emphasizes the necessity of presenting all sides of public issues to ensure fairness and diversity of voices.
Given these glaring issues, I demand that News Talk Regina acknowledge the harm caused by the segment and issue a public clarification on APR, referencing research and reports, such as CJPME’s 2023 APR report, which highlights the alarming rise of anti-Palestinian narratives in Canadian media.
I also recommend that future programming on racism and discrimination include Palestinian voices and experts in APR to provide an accurate and comprehensive perspective. As part of your commitment to ethical broadcasting, I encourage your station to engage with community groups, such as CJPME, to enhance understanding of APR and its impact on Palestinians in Canada.
I trust you will address this matter with the seriousness it deserves and take steps to uphold the highest standards of broadcasting ethics. I look forward to your response detailing how you intend to address these concerns.
Failure to address these concerns may prompt a formal complaint to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC).
Sincerely,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East