The Media Accountability Project  

CJPME’s advocacy efforts resulted in the publication of Media Analyst Anthony Issa’s letter to the editor in The Hamilton Spectator, addressing Elle Canada’s decision to remove MPP Sarah Jama from its list of trailblazing women due to her pro-Palestinian stance. 

Issa’s letter condemned the removal as an act of censorship and anti-Palestinian racism, drawing on the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association’s definition, which highlights the exclusion of Palestinian voices as a form of erasure.

The letter called for Elle Canada to reinstate Jama’s recognition and issue a public apology, warning that their actions set a dangerous precedent for Canadian media by disqualifying women who support Palestinian rights. Issa emphasized that this undermines journalistic integrity, especially at a time when Palestinians in Gaza are facing genocide.

This publication serves as a significant step in CJPME's ongoing campaign to push for accountability in Canadian media and to ensure that voices advocating for Palestinian rights are not silenced.

As journalists, we should be ashamed. Scrubbing an article because of Ms. Jama’s pro-Palestine stance because of backlash is the equivalent of unpublishing and censoring a story. This is a serious violation of journalistic standards and also an act of anti-Palestinian erasure. Excluding Palestinian perspectives and those of their allies is an explicit form of anti-Palestinian racism, according to the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association.

While a journalist may not want to include all of these details, you must at least acknowledge this nuance in some fashion. At a minimum, like others covering the story, you should have linked to her statement.

"As Sarah Jama points out, there was nothing wrong with her statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the end to all occupation of Palestinian land. This statement is in line with members of the international community, including the UN, which has been calling for a ceasefire since October 7, and human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, that you mention, that recognize Israel as an apartheid state."