On March 28, 2025, CJPME volunteer Debbie Hubbard published a letter to the editor in the Hamilton Spectator in response to a March 25 op-ed, “The politics of disappearance: A warning for Canadians,” by Henry Giroux. Writing in support of the piece, she argued that it is critical for Canadians to take seriously the threats facing Palestine supporters in the US. With fascism and illiberalism on the rise, we too may face increasing degrees of criminalizing Palestine solidarity activism.
The letter reads:
The first thought that came to mind when reading Henry Giroux’s opinion piece was Pastor Martin Miemoller’s poem that ends with “… then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Dissenting voices like Mahmoud Khalil, who refuse to remain silent about the slaughter and oppression of innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, are sorely needed. Challenging the status quo and resisting should not be censored or punished.
This is truly a watershed and critical moment for Canadians. We are in the midst of a federal election. We must recognize and actively oppose right-wing rhetoric and ideology.
We need to discern which political party will address the social injustices and marginalizations that have been part of our colonial history and continue in the present. Which party will guarantee the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest that are enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom? Then we need to vote with our feet and show up to cast our vote by April 28.
CJPME appreciates the remarkable contributions of our volunteers, who deeply enhance the value of this project.