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Dr. Ismail Zayid is the president of the Canada Palestine Association, author of two works on Zionism, a co-founder of Council on Arab British Understanding (CABU), and a vice-president of the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF). He ran a famous cause against the establishment of the "Canada Park" in Israel on the rubble of the three Palestinian villages, Beit Nuba, Imwas (Emmaus), and Yalu.
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Best,
Muslim Affairs Team
Answer
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Name
Muslim Arabian
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Profession
Question
Salam Dr. Zayid,
I heard about your courageous position against the "Canada Park;" Did you have any sort of project that documented the history and names of the destroyed Palestinian villages? and if so, how can we reach to the material?
Thanks,
Answer
My own village, the village Beit Nuba, and the neighboring villages of Imwas and Yalu, were destroyed on the 6th of June, 1967 at the direct orders of Yitzhak Rabin, who was the chief of staff of the Israeli army that invaded Sinai, the Golan Heights and the West Bank on June 5, 1967. He ordered the destruction of these three villages, and drove the population of over 14 thousands people from their homes. These three villages were systematically dynamited and bulldozed and their inhabitants were driven out. This includes of course my own home and my own family.
I was invited to come to teach at the Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1972. On December 4, 1978 I read in the local newspaper, Halifax Herald, that the previous night there was a ceremony honoring one former chairman of the Atlantic Branch of the Jewish National Fund, for what they called “the humanitarian work” he contributed in building Canada Park. I was astonished at this report, and this ceremony was attended by the premier of Nova Scotia, the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and the Mayor of Halifax. So I wrote to these people expressing surprise and concern at their attendance at this function and explained to them that it was not humanitarian work to destroy peoples’ homes, drive them out and create a park for picnic areas and recreational centers for Israelis, on the ruins of these villages. And I stated that this was a brutal action that should not be supported by our officials. I received a letter of apology from the Lieutenant Governor expressing his lack of knowledge of this fact. No response was received from the Premier of Nova Scotia or the Mayor of Halifax.
The Funding of Canada Park was carried by the Jewish National Fund of Canada, which is a registered charity in Canada, and it collected 15 million dollars to create this park as tax- deductible dollars from Canadian tax payers. This meant that all Canadian tax payers, including myself, were contributing to this war crime. The destruction of these villages is a war crime as defined by international laws and the Fourth Geneva convention. I protested about this, repeatedly, to the Ministers of Revenue Canada and the Government of Canada for allowing this so-called charitable status of the Jewish National Fund. I continued to receive from the Revenue Canada ministers vague and noncontributory answers. Later on, in 1991 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on the Fifth Estate program prepared a documentary on the destruction of these villages and the building of Canada Park. This documentary is titled “Park with no Peace” and was broadcast on the 22 of October, 1991. The documentary included interviews with myself as well as Israelis including Mr. Uri Avnery, who is a former member of the Israeli Knesset. Mr. Avnery called Canadian government’s role in using Canadian funds and the use of Canada’s name for the park, as a cover-up for a war crime.
Despite all these protests, the JNF continues to remain as a registered charity in Canada.
An article I wrote on this subject titled: “Canada Park: Canadian Complicity in a War Crime” was published in the Sept./Oct. 2001 issue of “ OUTLOOK”, published by the Canadian Jewish Outlook Society, Vancouver. It is available on my website http://izayid.tripod.com
Name
A. Black
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Profession
Question
Where is your project now going and why did you fade away from media attention suddenly? Was your webpage at tripod hacked?
I appreciate that you are fighting for the cause...
Answer
My attention continues to be focused publicly about this issue and the Canadian government’s allowing its name to be used for this park. My activities also include letters to the government, the media and politicians, defending the rights of the Palestinian people and pointing out the violation of human rights by the Israelis in Gaza and the West Bank.
Name
alissa
- Australia
Profession
Question
Salam,
This might sound like a dub question... on what grounds is Israel using to get away with such atrocities... how can nobody do anything about it ? I'm very confused...
Also what can we as Muslims from all over the world do to help the suffering Palestinians ?
Salam
Answer
The Israeli government has extensive influence on politicians in the western world including the United States and Canada, as well as influence on the media by the Israeli lobby. Sadly the Muslim and Arab world are doing very little to help the Palestinian people to restore their basic rights and allow the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.
Name
AboSalma
- Egypt
Profession
Question
How far influential do you think was your project in the Canadian society, and how do you think can it grow even bigger?
Answer
Education and bringing this information to Canadians is useful, but it has little effect on the political field. A number of Canadians, including few politicians, have come to be sympathetic to the issue and the Palestinian cause.
Name
Ahmad
- Egypt
Profession
Translator
Question
Assalamu alaikum,
A short time ago, I walked to someone about the impropriety of Egypt providing Israel with natural gas. To my astonishment, that person replied by saying they are our neighbors. I told him, they are occupying our neighbors. He said, "It is a thing of the past."
How would you reply to such a person?
Assalamu alaikum
Answer
The occupation of Palestinian and Syrian lands is not of the past; it is continuing till today and the violations of the human rights of Palestinians also continue. It is shameful that the Arab countries continue to allow this to go on without taking adequate political action.
Name
Mustapha Ajbaili
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Profession
Question
I would like to ask what the public opinion in Canada is regarding the Palestinian Issue and how is that reflected in the Canadian Foreign policy toward Israel and and Palestine.
Are pro-Israeli lobbies active in Canada as they are in the US, and what do Arabs and Muslims do to counter them
Answer
The Israeli lobby is effective in Canadian politics, and there is no better example than Mr. Harper’s calling the invasion of Lebanon in July 2006 as “a measured response” and his incredible recent statement equating any criticism of Israel as Anti-Semitism . A former Canadian prime minister called Israeli values are Canadian values. Statements by our government continue to speak of support for Israeli policies and the voting record of Canada at the UN demonstrates extraordinary support for Israel along with very few nations. Unfortunately the Muslim and Arab community in Canada is ineffective because of its lack of organization.
Name
Jacob
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Profession
Question
What are the international legal acts you Palestinians can do to restore your villages? As you can still prove the villages are yours, what else can you do to campaign for your rights?
Answer
The only means we have is to inform the world opinion about the war crimes the Israelis are committing in the Occupied Territories, by continuing to violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, and hope that the Muslim and Arab world governments will take effective political action to persuade the other world’s governments to conform and comply with international law and enforce United Nations Resolutions.
Name
Asa
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Profession
Question
I have read about the your bitter memories about the 1948 raids and that the uncle of your mother was buried under him home's rubble .. Now you are denied the right to return back to your own land Palestine .. How did that shape the way you brought up your children or dealt with the Canadian society?
Answer
The destruction of my home and my village in 1967 was a catastrophe and my family shall never forget that, and we continue, through political action, to inform the Canadian public about these acts. We are continuing to bring the attention of the Canadian public to these acts by every media communication possible. I have published articles on this issue in Canadian media as I have spoken at academic centers, universities and public meetings about Canada Park and the Palestine question.
One of the painful memories, in 1948, that I will never forget, was the sight of the inhabitants of Ramleh and Lydda, whose cities were occupied on July 10, 1948 and they were systematically expelled from their homes and walked over 30 kilometers in the hot July sun, with low-flying planes over their heads. They were suffering of thirst and hunger and chewing portions of the maize plants in the fields of our village. We saw their pain as they walked towards our village, Beit Nuba. We tried to relieve some of their suffering. This sight I shall never forget.
The uncle of my mother was buried alive in the rubble of his home as it was bulldozed in June 1967, as was our whole village. He was old and disabled and was unable to get out of his home quickly enough before it was bulldozed by the Israeli army.
Name
Ahmad
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Everyone knows Palestine was, has being, and is still being usurped by a Junta of white European and American Zionists, who are not even Jews. These have been able to mobalize millions of Jews to support Israel and their false understanding of the "promised land." So, almost all people understand this, even many Jews, but nothing could be done. Why do you think, if you do, Arabs are so powerless.
Do you think the struggle for the land and the basic human rights, from a universal perspective, has been altered by some Palestinian and Arab groups into a quasi-religious struggle, hence loosing international support and even legitimacy.
In other words, If struggle should be for the land, it should be detached from religion, otherwise it will fail, as history continuously reaffirms and many continuously tend to ignore
Answer
As I said before, sadly the Arab countries have been ineffective and the question of religion is not the primary issue here. To me it is an issue of violation of human rights, of people being driven from their homeland and the need to enforce international law and UN resolutions. The Arabs are powerless because their leaders are not taking the correct adequate political action.
Name
O'bluem
- Ireland
Profession
Question
What is your evaluation of the Palestinian struggle after 60 years of the Nakba? Does the future looks more bleak to you?
Answer
The Palestinians have legitimate rights, and in my opinion, justice will overcome. It may take a hundred years, but justice will overcome and the Palestinians will restore their rights. The Palestinians will remain determined to return to their homeland and will continue their political struggle to restore their rights. Their Right of Return to their homes is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and repeated UN resolutions. No one, including Palestinian leaders, can bargain away this individual right.
Name
AbuJunaid
- Palestine
Profession
Question
Would you advise the 1948 Arabs to migrate outside Israel and continue their struggle in other societies where they can be free to act and change facts?
Answer
I will not advise any Palestinian to leave his country. They must remain on their land, if they can.
Name
AbuJunaid
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Profession
Question
If this is your advise, they why is there a big Palestinian community there in Canada?
Answer
I assume many of these people were driven out; they are refugees. After all, Palestinians have to take their own actions, they don’t have to listen to me. I am just hoping and advising people not to leave their country, but if they do, there is nothing I can do about it.
Name
Ahmad
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Profession
Question
Thanks for your answer. I agree with that that leaders are not United and have not been able to take firm decisions. But I still would like to ask your opinion on the danger of position the conflict as a religious one, when it actually is not. The Zionists have made it religious, but should we follow on that, or do we have to be witty and instead address it as
human rights issue.
Answer
To me it is a human rights issue and is not a religious one.
Name
Editor — Abdelrahman Rashdan
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Profession
Question
The session has ended. We would like to thank Dr. Ismail Zayid for taking the time to answer your questions, and all those who participated in the dialogue.
We apologize for not being able to answer all the questions due to time limitation.
