Montreal – Sada Online

On the sidelines of the demonstration held in Montreal to mark the anniversary of October 7, organized at the invitation of Montreal4Palestine, Sada Online spoke with activist Iyad Abu Hamed about the messages participants sought to convey through the demonstration, his response to criticism directed at the protest and to accusations of antisemitism, as well as his message to the Canadian government and to the Arab and Muslim communities in Montreal.

Abu Hamed appeared visibly emotional as he spoke about the scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza. For a few moments, his emotions nearly overcame him and tears almost filled his eyes before he regained his composure and continued speaking.

Below is the text of the interview, linguistically edited while preserving the substance of his remarks:

To begin, what message do you want to convey today through this march?

October 7 was a day that opened our eyes to realities that we, as a nation and as humanity, had been unaware of. One of those realities is that injustice and tyranny are destined to collapse, no matter how powerful they may appear at a given point in time, God willing. October 7 revealed to the world the reality of this occupation and the crimes committed against our people.

Some people woke up early, and others woke up later, but at least most people have now awakened. The occupation has begun to experience isolation, while the support base surrounding it and the backing it receives have gradually begun to narrow. Praise be to God, the system of occupation and those who support it are destined to disappear.

Our people in Gaza have demonstrated heroic steadfastness in holding onto their land and homeland. From them, we draw the lesson that no oppressor lasts forever. We also draw from them the conviction that truth will prevail, God willing, no matter how long it takes. And we learn from them that there is no path to victory without steadfastness and patience, and that there is no dignity without a price. These are lessons we have learned over the past three years.

God willing, what lies ahead will be better, even if the pain is greater. But there is no freedom without a price, no liberation without sacrifice, and there is no path to victory without steadfastness, determination, and sacrifices..

We have a responsibility and a duty toward our people, toward our nation, and toward all oppressed people everywhere, particularly Palestine and Gaza. The voice of Gaza must remain alive, and the voice of the cause must remain alive. What happened today, and the activities that are taking place, are only the very least we can do. Much more is expected of us.

The blood that has been shed, the lives that have been lost, the homes that have been destroyed, and the lives that have been devastated… They want Gaza to die after everything it has given, but Gaza, God willing, will remain alive and eternal in our hearts and souls.

The first message is to our people back home. When our people in Gaza see these demonstrations, they realize that they are not alone. Although we have limited means and feel helpless, this is what is available to us. They say that whenever they see demonstrations, they know they are still remembered and that their cause has not been forgotten.

So the message is: Our people in Gaza, you are in our thoughts. Our people in Gaza, your wound is our wound, and your pain is our pain. Our people in Gaza, you are us, and we are you.

Zionist and pro-Israel groups in Canada say that such demonstrations celebrate the killing of civilians, and they point to Israelis of Canadian origin who were killed in the October 7 attack. What is your response?

I would say that the world is more aware now. Zionist propaganda, the same worn-out narrative, and the attempt to play the role of the victim no longer deceive the world.

At the beginning of the events, they claimed that the resistance had beheaded children and raped women. Then human rights organizations from within Israel came forward and denied these claims, affirming that they were rumors promoted in order to give Netanyahu legitimacy and support for his war against the resistance and his war of genocide against Gaza.

All of this has no basis in truth. In our view, these are lies and allegations with no foundation, and the world must open its eyes to the facts.

There are also those who accuse the demonstrators of antisemitism. Is there any basis for that accusation?

No, of course not. Our problem is not with Judaism.

There are free Jews here with us at this demonstration who reject injustice and who view Israel as a usurping entity whose “legitimacy” they reject. These are Jews who support Gaza, support the Palestinian cause, and support our people’s right to liberation and freedom.

Our problem is with Zionism as a colonial and exclusionary project. Our problem is with Zionism, with what it represents, and with the support it receives from forces of injustice and tyranny around the world.

What are your demands of the Canadian government or the Quebec government?

Unfortunately, there was a disappointing statement from Carney today. He focused on October 7 as involving crimes committed by the resistance against the Israeli entity, while overlooking years and decades of massacres in which tens of thousands of our people were killed.

The latest genocide, according to our estimates, has resulted in nearly 100,000 martyrs and 200,000 wounded, while Gaza has been destroyed and around two million people have been displaced. Carney did not address these realities in his statement.

Carney did not highlight the suffering of our people from 1948 until October 7, 2023. Instead, he focused on October 7, 2023.

Peoples living under occupation have the right to live freely and to determine their own destiny. This is a legitimate right guaranteed by international systems and divine laws. Any people living under occupation have the right to defend their land and to resist by any means available to them.

Do you believe today’s demonstration sends a message to the Canadian government?

We call on them to be objective in their assessment. We are not asking them to take sides; we are asking them to be objective.

When there is a massacre, they should call it a massacre. When there is killing, they should call it killing. And when there is injustice, they should call it injustice.

This is the justice and humanity that we hope for from Canada’s system, from the Canadian government, and from the Canadian state. We know Canada as a country of freedom, a country of justice, and a country governed by law.

But when I see the system blindly and indifferently siding with the oppressor at the expense of the oppressed, at a time when the entire world has witnessed Israeli crimes and international institutions have spoken about genocide, war crimes, and accountability for them, I ask: How can such a statement be issued while the suffering of our people is ignored, without a single word of solidarity for the suffering my people have endured over the past three years, or indeed for more than seventy years?

Unfortunately, there is deep disappointment, and we urge a review and correction of this position.

Finally, what is your message to the Arab and Muslim communities in Montreal on this day?

Our responsibility is great. Our responsibility is immense.

What has happened to us through laws that have affected our identity, our rights, our very presence, and our religious practices is, in my view, partly the result of our failure to stand firmly alongside our own causes.

We have failed to stand sufficiently with Gaza and our people in Gaza, just as we have failed to stand firmly against the injustice and targeting that have affected us over the past years.

Those who promote Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian sentiment, hostility toward Gaza, and support for Zionism all feed on injustice and its mechanisms.

What we must do is exercise our rights here within what the law guarantees. The law allows you to express your opinion, and this is an opportunity to do so, so that people can see that those present here have a strong voice and a real presence.

Unfortunately, the participation of the Muslim community is limited. There are others who stand up for the Palestinian cause more than the Muslim community does. Indigenous peoples stand up for the Palestinian cause more than the Muslim community in Canada. The left and non-Muslims also stand up for the Palestinian cause more than the Muslim community in Canada.

Unfortunately, we will be held accountable before Almighty God for this absence. We will all be questioned before Almighty God, and each one of us must be prepared with an answer.