Canada urged to take strong stand against Israeli actions

TRENTON, Canada

A Canadian Muslim organization on Monday called on the Canadian government to condemn Israeli force's attack on Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque.

“This egregious assault during Ramadan by Israeli forces on one of the most inviolable sites for Muslims, and their flagrant violation of the human rights of Palestinians under international law, must be categorically condemned,” the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) Chief Executive Officer Mustafa Farooq said in an email statement to Anadolu Agency.

The violence erupted Friday and on Monday, more than 300 Palestinians were injured along with 27 Israeli police as the confrontation threatened to stoke wider conflict.

In a statement issued Saturday, Canada’s Foreign Minister Marc Garneau called for both sides to conduct an “immediate de-escalation of tensions for all sides to avoid any unilateral actions.”

Farooq said the statement was not strong enough.

“While we appreciate Minister Garneau’s statement, this is not a ‘both sides’ issue,” he said. “Unequivocal condemnation is required.”

The NCCM has launched a petition Monday demanding that the Canadian government “denounce in no uncertain terms the attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.”

Tension has been building for some time, stoked by a plan to evict Palestinians from an area in Jerusalem that has developed into a legal battle between Arabs and Israeli settlers.

The area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered to be sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

The incident that ignited the violent flareup was not immediately apparent, but Israeli forces have employed tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets against Palestinians, who in turn threw rocks at police. Hamas reportedly fired a series of rockets into Israel.

As of Monday, the only statement from the Canadian government about the conflict was the one issued by Garneau, Saturday. To date, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not addressed the conflict.