On the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that led to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, events and protests took place across Canada, including in the cities of Edmonton and Calgary.
“No one wants this, right?” said Irfan Chowdhury, a hate crime researcher at MacEwan University and co-founder of Stop Hate AB.
The conflict has had far-reaching effects around the world and in Canada, including families grieving for loved ones who were killed, hundreds of protests that led to arrests, pro-Palestinian encampments on college campuses, and a spike in reports of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims.
Chaudhry said that regardless of people’s background or religion, peace is desired on both sides. While the conflict is happening on the other side of the world, people across Canada are being affected.
“When you have families connected to it, they relay the reality of the situation from what they observe. And then almost as users of what we see online, we also experience this trauma vicariously as well.”
The conflict has created unique challenges for universities, managing to straddle the line between freedom of expression and the safety and well-being of all campus members, with protests and encampments leading to police involvement, as was the case in Edmonton and Calgary in May.
“The University of Calgary has invested in maintaining a physically safe environment while supporting the expression of ideas – and we will continue to do so. We remain focused on consistently enforcing policies to preserve freedom of expression and ensure a safe environment for all,” a statement from the post-secondary institution said.
On Monday in Edmonton, about a hundred pro-Palestinian students at Queen Elizabeth High School in north Edmonton staged a peaceful strike and protest.
Muhammad Qasqas, a 12th grade student, said: “We are here to show our solidarity with Palestine, and we are here to tell everyone that we, as students, will not stand up to the persecution of other students anywhere else in the world.” High school student.
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Activist Musa Qasqas said that many in Palestinian society feel frustrated.
“By our governments, by academia, by the media — we don’t feel like our narrative is being told correctly,” he said. “October. 7 There was a day and people acted as if it happened in a vacuum. “We are not talking about the occupation that has been going on for 76 years.”
The October 7, 2023 attack killed more than 1,200 Israelis, while 250 others were kidnapped and held hostage, leading to an Israeli counterattack in Gaza that the Ministry of Health there says left more than 41,000 dead.
David Wallach of Calgary was born in Israel, but has lived in Canada most of his life. Last year’s repatriation holiday turned into a nightmare.
“We arrived in Israel on October 5 of last year and October 7,” Wallach said. “My wife and I woke up in our hotel in Tel Aviv to three explosions.”
He and his wife stayed behind to volunteer in the destruction before being evacuated to safety.
In Gaza, Palestinian-Canadian Marwan Diab returned from Canada to his home just that month, to help his son, who had enrolled in university.
He managed to evacuate in November last year but returned in May to help facilitate the escape of other family members. They arrived in Calgary on Friday.
They have witnessed many horrific days of attacks. No safety. You name it. Destruction everywhere. “Seeing bodies everywhere,” Diab said.
“It was very devastating for them.”
Diab provides housing for his large family and works to help keep about 30 other family members out of harm’s way.
Statistics Canada’s 2021 census data indicates there are about 14,400 people of Jewish descent in Alberta, and about 4,425 people of Palestinian descent.
It’s an emotional and tough day, said Stacy Leavitt-Wright, CEO of the Edmonton Jewish Federation.
“I think many in the Jewish community have felt isolated this year. We are a small community. This is a very complex geopolitical arena. Israel now faces a war on seven fronts. “So it’s not something that can be simplistically reduced to a soundbite,” Levitt-Wright said.
“People feel they are being attacked as much as Israel is being attacked.”
She added that it is difficult to determine the day when the conflict has not yet ended.
On the first anniversary, police in Canada’s largest cities are working to strengthen protection measures, especially around Jewish and Islamic places of worship and at events held to commemorate October 7.
Jewish groups across the country are organizing events to mourn the victims of the attack and call for the return of the hostages. The Edmonton event is held at Beth Israel Synagogue, while the Calgary event is held at Congregation Beth Zedek on Glenmore Trail.
Marches and protests were held around the world in the weekend leading up to October 7, including huge events in European cities and marches and vigils in Canada.
With files from Alison Jones, The Canadian Press
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