While in Western languages, “martyr” usually refers to someone who dies because of their religious beliefs, Palestinians use the label “martyr” to refer to anyone killed by the Israeli military, whether combatants, civilians or children.
To the National Post,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East regarding the opinion piece by Cynthia Yacowar published on October 4, 2026 titled: “Anti-Israel rallies on October 7 maybe legal. They are also morally intolerable.”
The line of argument the opinion piece makes is that on October 7th, “anti-Israel” protests are happening, and that there is something disturbing about holding such rallies on the anniversary of a massacre. The piece further argues that the language surrounding these events (“Honouring Our Martyrs”) glorifies violence against those murdered and taken hostage by Hamas. Essentially, the argument is that pro-Palestine rallies or vigils held on October 7 are celebrating the atrocities of that day.
The pro-Israel lobby group CIJA made a similar argument, specifying that UofT clubs and graduate students will be honouring “terrorists.” They also alleged that Carleton University, where students held a vigil for Gaza on October 5, are mourning “terrorists”. These arguments misconstrue the mourning of 3 years of genocide against the Palestinian people while falsely conflating the loaded term “terrorism” with “martyr” to pressure university administrations into preventing students from mourning what so many reputable institutions have characterized as genocide.
As to the claims being made by Cynthia Yacowar, they are both unfair and simply false.
Let us start by asking what does the word “martyr” mean? Israel’s supporters say that the word is synonymous with terrorism. However, it is a translation of a common Arabic word (شَهِيد - “shaheed”) which derives from from the same linguistic root as “shahada,” meaning “to witness” or “to testify.” This linguistic root reflects the concept of bearing witness to one’s faith and conviction, even at the cost of sacrificing one’s life. While in Western languages, “martyr” usually refers to someone who dies because of their religious beliefs, Palestinians use the label “martyr” to refer to anyone killed by the Israeli military, whether combatants, civilians or children. Martyrdom in Islam is therefore not limited to those who die in the battlefield; the concept is broader and encompasses sacrifices made in the name of justice and righteousness.
By arguing that phrases such as “honouring our martyrs” amount to the glorification of violence, the opinion unfairly portrays and defames students as inherently violent. However, Yacowar’s opinion is based on a factual error. Many students are commemorating the martyrs who have been killed by Israel, many of whom also have family ties back in occupied Gaza or simply want to mourn the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians killed by Israel which include health care workers, journalists, women, men, and children.
Relatedly, Yacowar assumes that students who hold a vigil or rally or any event on October 7 are supporting acts of violence against civilians. However the day also marks the 3-year mark since the start of the ongoing genocide where more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli forces (note that this is an underestimated death toll since it does not account for Palestinians under the rubble or Palestinians who have died because of starvation or lack of access to health care services due to the devastation of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure).
It is simply a fact that Israel’s bombing campaign on Gaza started on October 7th, almost immediately after Hamas’ attack. In fact on October 7, 2023, Israeli officials made these genocidal remarks:
“All of Gaza’s infrastructures must be destroyed to its foundation and their electricity cut off immediately. The war is not against Hamas but against the state of Gaza.”[May Golan, minister for social equality and the advancement of the status of women of Israel on 7 October 2023]
“Now we all have one common goal – erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the Earth” [Nissim Vaturi, deputy speaker of the Israeli parliament, wrote on X 7 October 2023.]
As Amnesty explains, Israel is acting “with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza – acts including killings, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction.”
It is therefore legitimate for Palestinians and pro-Palestinians supporters to commemorate and mourn three years of genocide.
In conclusion, while columnists have greater latitude to interpret events and express opinions, opinion writing does not exempt columnists from basic standards of factual accuracy nor does it give them a carte blanche to misrepresent events in a manner that is deeply racist and defamatory.
When a columnist conflates “mourning” with ‘celebrating terror’, what is being done is 1) basing the opinion on a false premise: that students who are mourning Palestinians killed by the Israeli forces in Gaza are glorifying violence and 2) unfairly defaming anyone who stands with Palestine as a terrorist sympathizer.
Op-eds must be based in fact. This piece fails that standard and perpetuates harmful narratives about Palestinians and those who stand in solidarity with them as they commemorate three years of genocide.
We ask the National Post to do what is right and issue a clarification and define “martyr” correctly.
Media Analyst. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East