The Media Accountability Project  

On March 19, 2025, CJPME media analyst Lynn Naji was published in The Hill Times. She responded to an article written by Laura Ryckewaert titled: “Despite challenging first two years, Canada’s special rep on Islamophobia is undaunted.”

Lynn criticized Quebec’s Bill 21 as an “institutionalized form of discrimination” that targets religious minorities by barring government employees from wearing symbols like the hijab.

She also argued that rather than questioning the legitimacy of Elghawaby’s role as Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, Canadians should question why there is such fierce resistance to addressing Islamophobia in a country that claims to uphold human rights.

The letter to the editor is available to read here.

"This is not an isolated case; it reflects a broader systemic pattern in which activists who expose systemic discrimination are targeted with smear campaigns meant to intimidate and silence them. Yet, despite the backlash, Elghawaby refuses to be silenced. She released The Canadian Guide to Understanding and Combating Islamophobia at a time when acknowledging Islamophobia is met with hostility."

"To anyone with a moral compass the situation is crystal clear – there is nothing on this earth that justifies this behaviour. Wiseman tries to invert this reality and in the process has damaged The Hill Times’ credibility. Such hateful rhetoric does not deserve to be published by a reputable paper."

CJPME President Thomas Woodley was published in The Hill Times, countering Andrew Caddell’s unjust critique of Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combatting Islamophobia.

In his letter, Woodley argues that Caddell’s attack is not a reflection of any shortcomings on Elghawaby’s part, but rather a reaction to her effectiveness in amplifying the voices of Canadian Muslims and defending their rights. He highlights Elghawaby’s vital role in confronting rising Islamophobia and standing up for the civil liberties of pro-Palestinian protesters—rights enshrined in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Woodley strongly condemns Caddell’s misrepresentation of Elghawaby’s human rights advocacy, exposing Caddell’s accusation that she defends "radical Muslims" as rooted in his own deep-seated anti-Muslim bias.

Woodley also addresses the damaging conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism, emphasizing that Elghawaby’s principled stance against this conflation has made her a target for pro-Israel advocates. He finally adds that despite Caddell’s claim that Elghawaby has “lost the room,” her voice is resonating with the public now more than ever.

CJPME remains committed to defending the rights of marginalized communities and supporting those who challenge discrimination and injustice across Canada.

On October 8, 2024, CJPME sent a letter to the Hill Times to address serious concerns over the misleading and harmful language used in their article titled: “So much pain, and there’s been no winners’: MPs mark Oct. 7 anniversary.”

The article referred to Israel’s year-long genocidal campaign in Gaza as a “counteroffensive” and claimed that this “counteroffensive” is expanding to Lebanon—an egregious euphemism that whitewashes the atrocities Israel has been committing in occupied Gaza for the past year.

CJPME argued that the term “counteroffensive” should be replaced with “genocide,” as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on January 31, 2024, that Israel’s military operations plausibly constitute genocide. In response to CJPME’s advocacy efforts, The Hill Times updated the article by removing the term “counteroffensive” and replacing it with more accurate language, alongside an editor’s note acknowledging the correction.

Additionally, The Hill Times invited CJPME to submit a letter to the editor challenging their use of B’nai Brith’s antisemitism report, which conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. In the letter, CJPME emphasized that B’nai Brith’s report is dangerous because it stifles legitimate advocacy for Palestinian liberation.

These changes represent a significant victory in our ongoing mission to ensure that media outlets uphold standards of journalistic integrity, fairness, and accuracy in their reporting on Palestine and Lebanon.

"Media outlets must recognize that supporting Palestinian liberation and opposing Israel's apartheid policies are not acts of antisemitism. Media must stop allowing B’nai Brith to blur this distinction, as antisemitism should not be weaponized to suppress the fight for Palestinian liberation."

"The ”room” that Caddell accuses Elghawaby of having “lost” has been indifferent and discriminatory to Muslims and other racialized groups for far too long.  Far from losing it, Elghawaby has been a clear voice for reform and change, and to Caddell’s horror, the room is starting to listen."

"This is not merely an Israeli “counteroffensive” on the occupied Gaza Strip. Israel has been waging a year of genocide. Please name it as such, or at the very least, refrain from perpetuating euphemistic language that downplays Israel’s one-year of brutal attacks and violence on Gaza."

CJPME Media Analyst Anthony Issa publishes a Rebuttal in The Hill Times Exposing Anti-Palestinian Racism and pinkwashing in Pride Coverage.

Mr. Issa’s letter was written in response to a recent op-ed that falsely accused pro-Palestinian protesters at Pride events of being antisemitic.

In his letter, Issa dismantles the claims that equate Palestinian solidarity with antisemitism, exposing the misuse of Pride to shield Israel’s apartheid policies from criticism.

The letter also emphasizes the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the importance of preserving the intersectionality of Pride, ensuring that all marginalized communities, including Palestinians, are embraced and protected.

CJPME remains dedicated to challenging anti-Palestinian racism in the media ensuring that platforms like The Hill Times provide a fair and accurate platform for diverse perspectives on Palestine.

On August 8, 2024, CJPME sent a letter to the editor (LTE) to the Hill Times in response to Gwynne Dyer’s August 5 opinion piece: “Netanyahu’s game.”

In his opinion piece, Dyer argued that Netanyahu is acting in a way that could provoke a regional war.

However, we took issue with one particular sentence: “A pretext for that soon presented itself in the form of a random Hezbollah missile in the usual tit-for-tat along the Israeli-Lebanese border that killed a dozen young Druze who were playing football” in the form of an LTE sent on August 9.  

The LTE was published on August 14, 2024, in the Hill Times, debunking that Hezbollah is behind the missile that killed a dozen young Druze.

You can read the LTE here.

It is always encouraging to see CJPME’s LTEs published in the Hill Times to set the record straight on Israel’s actions.