During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, condemn those who deny and are silent about Hamas’ Violence Against Women.
Three weeks ago, politicians, signatories representing community organizations, the research community, civil society organizations, and hundreds of individuals, signed a letter saturated with dangerous disinformation (copy of letter can be found at the end of this page). The letter denied the irrefutable evidence of gender-based violence perpetrated by Hamas terrorists against innocent women and children following October 7th 2023. This is dehumanization.
As we mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, sign the letter below to end the silence and stop the violence.
Re: Please Take a Stand Against Violence Towards Women
To whom it may concern,
Earlier this month, your organization and or someone holding themselves out as a representative of your institution signed a letter that denied the sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists against innocent women and girls. This letter also accused all federal politicians in the “so-called Canada” of inciting Islamophobic hate crimes and of facilitating genocide against, and the dehumanization of, the Palestinian people. A copy of this shameful letter is attached below.
Contrary to the disinformation contained in the letter, during the October 7th attacks led by Hamas against Israeli civilians, there was extreme gender-based violence carried out against innocent women and girls. Though the details continue to surface, eyewitnesses recounted how women and girls were made the subject of unimaginable brutality by Hamas, including rape and mutilation.
In honour of the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2023, we are urging you to condemn those who discredit your institution by denying the trauma experienced by the victims of Hamas’ violence against women.
There is nothing that justifies condoning the malicious denial of violence against any woman. We demand you break your silence and take action against those who deny, in your name, the gender-based violence committed by terrorists against women and girls, some of whom are still being held hostage in Gaza.
Pendant les 16 jours d’activisme contre la violence genrée, condamnez ceux qui nient et gardent le silence sur la violence du Hamas envers les femmes.
Rien ne justifie que l’on tolère la négation malveillante de la violence à l’encontre d’une femme, quelle qu’elle soit. Nous vous demandons de sortir de votre silence et d’agir contre ceux qui nient, en votre nom, les violences sexistes commises par les terroristes contre les femmes et les jeunes filles, dont certaines sont toujours retenues en otage à Gaza.
Sent by e-mail to:
Universities
McMaster University: David Farrar, President and Vice-Chancellor, [email protected]
University of Alberta: Bill Flanagan, President and Vice Chancellor, [email protected]
McGill University: Christopher Manfredi, Provost and Vice Principal, [email protected]
Concordia University: Graham Carr, President and Vice-Chancellor, [email protected]; [email protected].
TMU: Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice-Chancellor, [email protected]
Louisville: Kim Schatzel: [email protected]
University of Birmingham: Adam Tickell: [email protected]
University of California San Diego, Chancellor: Pradeep K. Khosla. [email protected]
Mohawk College: Ron Mckerlie, President, [email protected]
York University: Rhonda Lenton, President & Vice-Chancellor, [email protected]
University of Windsor: Rob Gordon, President and Vice-Chancellor, [email protected]
University of Toronto: Meric Gertler, President, [email protected]
University of Texas San Antonio: chancellor and President Taylor Eighmy, [email protected]
University of Victoria: Kevin Hall, President and Vice Chancellor, [email protected]
University of Buffalo: President, Satish K. Tripathi, [email protected]
Public organizations:
Alberta Health Services, Acting President and CEO, Sean Chilton, [email protected]
Alberta Union of Public Employees, President, Guy Smith, [email protected]
CUPE 3906, President: Vic Wojciechowska, [email protected]
The Speaker of the Ontario Legislature, The Hon. Ted Arnott- [email protected]
Three weeks ago, politicians, signatories representing community organizations, the research community, civil society organizations, and hundreds of individuals, signed the following letter saturated with dangerous disinformation:
