Hamilton MPs not welcome for Ramadan if they don't meet demands to help Gaza: Muslim groups

As the brutal and deadly war in Gaza nears its sixth month,Hamilton-area Muslim groups will break with tradition andnot welcome members of Parliamentinto their mosques for Ramadan unless they call for an immediate ceasefire.

More than a dozen local Islamic and Muslim organizations and mosquessignedaletter demanding MPs take a firmer stance against Israel's actions in itswar with Hamas, including the Muslim Association of Hamilton, Niagara Palestine Coalitionand the Muslim Council of Brantford-Brant.

The letter was also signed by more than 300 other Muslim organizations across Canada and released last week.

The letter imploresMPs to condemn what the organizationscall Israel's "war crimes," demand restoration of funding for the UN's aid agency in the region, oppose the "flow of arms and militarily equipment" to Israel and ensure Canadians can express solidarity with Palestinians without reprisal.

President of the Muslim Association of HamiltonJavid Mirzatold CBC Hamiltonhe's "totally heartbroken" the Canadian government has not done more to save Palestinian lives.

Despite being a Liberal Party supporter for most of his life he previously ran for the federal party in Hamilton Centre Mirzasaid he hasno desire to seeany of the three Hamilton LiberalMPsin his place of worship this year, especially during Ramadan, which starts March 10.

"This year, with what's happening in Gaza, what's the purpose ofhaving you come to our mosques if you can't stand on the right side of history?" he said.

Watch: Immigration Minister Marc Miller speaks to reporters Thursday about rescuing Gazans

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Immigration Minister Marc Miller, who was asked Thursday about efforts to get people with relatives in Canada out of Gaza, says the situation in Gaza represents 'probably the largest hostage-taking, right now, in the world.'

Every time he goes to his mosque, somebody asks him to pray for their uncle or aunt or brother killed in Gaza, Mirza said. One person he knows recently lost 10 family members, including children, in abombing.

Mirza previously told CBC about 40 per cent of the Muslim community in Hamilton is Arab, and of that group, about half are Palestinian and a quarter from the Gaza Strip.

It wasimportant the letter called out federal MPsin particular, Mirza said, over city orprovincial officials, as they're the ones voting onissues like where Canadian aid goes.

Liberal MP calls for funding to be restored to UNRWA

The latest war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters entered Israel and killed about 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages, according to Israel.

In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza, where at least 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 70,000 wounded, the Hamas-run health ministry said on Thursday.

"Ramadan is about humanity. This Ramadan, more than ever, only those MPs who share in our commitment to humanity will be welcome to address us in our sacred spaces," the letter says.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government has been highly criticized by Palestinian supporters since the war beganfor not taking a firmer stance against Israel's military actions that havedestroyed large swaths of the territory and killed many civilians, including children.

Earlier this month,the prime ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand called for a ceasefire ina joint statement, saying they were "gravely concerned by indications that Israel is planning a ground offensive into Rafah."

This week, a government source told CBC News the Canadian government will begin airdropping aid into Gaza within the next week.

Liberal MP Chad Collins, who represents Hamilton-Stoney Creek, was among the first within the partyto release a letter last fall calling for a ceasefire, before theLiberals officially did.

He told CBC Hamilton this week he understands why local Muslim groups have signed the letter, and why he may not be invited to Ramadan events this year.

"They're doing everything they can within their community to end the war and exerting political pressure is part of that," Collins said.

"We obviously denounce the terrorist attacks of Hamas and want the hostages released, but the impact on [Palestinian] civilians is hard to watch and something we haven't seen in a long time. It's difficult to comprehend."

Collins said he supports Canada restoring funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)that provides aid in Gaza. That funding had been paused after Israel claimed some UNRWA staff members had been involved in the Oct. 7 attack.

"UNRWA does [aid]the best," Collins said. "The longer we delay funding, the longer the civilian population will struggle."

Liberal MP Filomena Tassi, who represents Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, said in a statement that she will continue to engage with Hamilton's Muslim community.

Hamilton Mountain Liberal MPLisa Hepfnerdid not respond to a request for comment.

NDP MP Matthew Green, who represents Hamilton Centre, supported the letter and its calls for action the day it was released.