FSWC Statement in Response to Anti-Racism Motions on Parliament Hill

Media Statement

Inspiring and empowering Canadians to raise their voices for freedom,democracy & human rights

MEDIA STATEMENT

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Friendsof Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies Statement
in Response to Anti-Racism Motions on Parliament Hill

Following yesterday’sdebate and defeat of the Conservative anti-racism motion in the House ofCommons, and the controversy surrounding Liberal Motion 103, Friends of SimonWiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) President & CEO Avi Benloloissued the following statement:

“FSWCcommends all Canadian politicians for taking the time to address the very realand growing hatred targeting minority groups across the country. It isheartening to see our elected leaders engaged in debate about this difficultissue. It seems clear that despite their differences, Canada’s leaders areunanimous in their objective of fighting hate and supporting people who feelbesieged and afraid.”

“Asthe leader of a Jewish Community advocacy organization dedicated to fightinghate and to promoting tolerance through education, I urge our elected officialsnot to politicize this issue, or to prioritize any group over another. Allforms of racism and discrimination are wrong; we are all Canadians, and hate thattargets any of us ultimately affects all of us.”

“Iencourage our leaders to keep in mind the fear, anxiety and stress experiencedby people targeted by blind hatred, and offer FSWC’s educational experience andexpertise in the design and delivery of programs to address hate, and topromote respect and inclusion in Canada.”

Media Contact
StaceyL. Starkman
Director of Communications & External Relations
416.864.9735 x 32 sstarkman@fswc.ca

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Friends of SimonWiesenthal Center (FSWC) is a leading Canadian non-profit human rightsfoundation directly representing over 30,000 members. FSWC is committed tocountering racism and antisemitism and to promoting the principles oftolerance, social justice and Canadian democratic values through advocacy andeducational programs including workshops, Freedom Day, the Spirit of HopeBenefit, Tools for Tolerance and the widely acclaimed new Tour for Humanity. FSWCis affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewishhuman rights organization headquartered in Los Angeles, which has won twoAcademy Awards, has built two Museums of Tolerance (with a third beingbuilt in Jerusalem) and is an NGO at the United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE,the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca