The right-wing ecosystem that includes writers, social media influencers, actors and even sportspersons seem to be all out to embarrass the Indian government by trolling Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau. They have been trending ‘karma’ in an attempt to mock and Canadian PM for moving to a secure location or as the right- wing wants to project it, ‘hiding’ as a truckers protest gathers steam in Canada. The truckers are against the new vaccine mandate issued by the government.

Justin Trudeau however, has issued a strong statement saying, “Canada is not intimidated by ‘disgusting’ truckers’ protest” and that “Canada has no place for such behaviour”. On Monday as he addressed the media from a secure location where he is at the moment as the “Freedom Convoy” protest rages on. He had earlier stated that he had tested positive for Covid-19. “I know this pandemic is frustrating. It’s frustrating that, after two years, we’re not done fighting Covid-19. But over the past few days, Canadians have been shocked – and, frankly, disgusted – by the behaviour displayed by some people protesting in our nation’s capital,” Trudeau tweeted his statement.

I want to be very clear: We’re not intimidated by those who hurl abuse at small business workers and steal food from the homeless. We won’t give in to those who fly racist flags. And we won’t cave to those who engage in vandalism, or dishonour the memory of our veterans.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 31, 2022

For nearly two years, Canadians have shown strength, generosity, and respect. That is the story of this pandemic. https://t.co/v8dUAXPSgA pic.twitter.com/US2nN9PA4I

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 1, 2022

“To those responsible: It needs to stop. And to those who joined the convoy but are uncomfortable with the symbols of hatred and division on display: Be courageous and speak out. Do not stand for, or with, intolerance and hate,” he stated. Trudeau and his family have shifted to a secret location soon after the truckers’ protest in Ottawa against the vaccine mandate, gathered speed. According to news reports, truckers, and other vehicles have jammed up central Ottawa since Friday. This is now leading to the supply of essentials to Ottawa being challenged. This protest has reportedly also received “heavy funds and a GoFundMe campaign has raised over a whopping C$7m ($5.4m; £4m) from over 99,000 donors,” as per media reports.

Back home in India, those who lauded the Indian government’s Covid-19 vaccination programme and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for it, have now attacked Trudeau online. The same people had attacked him in 2020, when during farmers’ protests in India, Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau had commented, “The situation is concerning. We are all very worried about family and friends. We know that’s a reality for many of you. Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protesters. We believe in the process of dialogue. We’ve reached out through multiple means to the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns. This is a moment for all of us to pull together.” 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had then summoned the Canadian high commissioner and said, “Such actions, if continued, would have a seriously damaging impact on ties between India and Canada.”

Now those who had vilified the farmers protest of 2020-2021 like actor Kangana Ranaut, are mocking Trudeau saying, “Canadian PM Trudeau was encouraging Indian protesters, now in the midst of protests in his country he is hiding at a secret location as protesters threaten his security. Hmm.. law of Karma strikes again.” While she is a regular at such trolling and is seen as some sort of ‘entertainment’ at most trolling by sports stars such as former Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad may have come as a surprise to many. 

Welcome to Karma Cafe. There are no menus here. You get served what you deserve. How much ever powerful you are you will get dished #JustinTrudeau https://t.co/miwBLHkd7N

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) January 31, 2022

Politician lawyer, Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, also shared his opinion on Trudeau.

Hope #JustinTrudeau‘s anti-India friends would come up to his rescue. Before poking nose into internal matters of a sovereign nation and a much bigger democracy, never forget that Karma could hit back hard!https://t.co/MbaBzIOK1U

— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) January 30, 2022

What is the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protesting?

The convoy of big rigs / trucks is protesting Covid-19  vaccine mandates and measures. They call themselves ‘the Freedom Convoy,’ and the protest began after vaccine rules for truckers crossing the US-Canada border were implemented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government. According to a report in BBC and others the truckers are protesting the rule that requires “unvaccinated Canadian truckers crossing the two nations’ boundary to quarantine once they’ve returned home.” Protestors are seeing this as “political overreach” by the Trudeau led government.

Related:

Islamophobia: Lessons from Canada on how to respond heinous hate crime

Hinduphobia is a construct to silence the critics of Hindutva Right in India

Farmers protest resume on Vishwasghat Diwas

The post Why is the desi right wing embarrassing India by trolling the Canadian PM? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On Saturday June 12, Salman Afzaal (46), his wife Madiha (44), their daughter Yumna (15) and Salman’s 74-year-old mother, Talat Afzaal will be laid to rest in London, Ontario, Canada. On Sunday June 6, the family was out for their regular evening walk, dressed as always in salwar kameez, when a 20-year-old white male, later identified as Nathaniel Veltman, mowed them down with his truck and drove away. The Salman Family were killed and their youngest, nine-year-old Fayez, is the only survivor currently in hospital being treated for massive injuries.

The attack is a “premeditated hate crime against muslims”, said reports quoting London Police. The accused, now under arrest hasbeen charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. 

Canadaian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called this a “terrorist attack” and recently visited the community and said, “To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable – and it must stop.”

London city in southwestern Ontario is stated to have a close knit Muslim population, many who migrated from Pakistan. According to news reports, Canada’s The House of Commons had also observed a moment of silence for the victims. Trudeau added that Islamophobic attacks are happening in Canada and that the nation must “not become desensitized to this violence. We must not accept this as normal. Every time we witness such hate, we must call it out.”

To those who knew the Afzaal family, to the son who survived, to Muslims in London and in communities across Canada, to everyone who feels sad or angry or afraid: You are not alone. Canadians across the country are mourning with you and standing with you – tonight, and always. pic.twitter.com/MqMj1kKeTC

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 9, 2021

While thousands continue to lay flowers and pay homage at the scene of the hate crime and elsewhere, the community of London, Ontario has also shown the world how to respond to communal hate crime. Across religious beliefs, community leaders have reached out to the residents, and grieved the murder of the much loved family that had migrated to Canada from Pakistan, and had roots in pre-Partition India. Salman Afzaa a physiotherapist, Madiha Salman (44) who was close to obtain her PhD at Western University in Civil engineering; daughter Yumna Salman, who on graduation from the local islamic school had pained an inspirational mural, and was now finishing grade 9 at Oakridge Secondary School and the much loved matriarch of the family have become symbols of love and charity and united a diverse community in the wake of their passing.

One of the most visible symbols of that is a Gofundme fundraiser started by a close family friend and neighbour Sana Yasir. However, what stands out is that the donations collected will only be used for “sadaqa-jariya” on behalf of the Salman family. Speaking to SabrangIndia over the phone from Canada, Sana Yasir said that sadaqa-jariya is an Islamic concept that will benefit others in this life, and also the family in the next life. 

Sana Yasir told SabrangIndia, that while the community is grieving deeply they are not afraid. No one is hiding their Muslim identity or way of dress. “I wear a hijab, and though I do get the odd stare now and then I have never felt any threats. This was the first time we witnessed such Islamophobia here,” she says. Salman Afzaal and his family often wore Salwar Kameez and the older women draped a dupatta on their head. They walked around the neighbourhood most evenings spending some family time together and also greeting the neighbours. “Aunty Madiha would take my sister to school and her son. She brought us food when my mother was unwell. There is not one person who will have anything negative to say about the family. They were such good people, and such a big part of the community and the university,” said Sana, a student of the same university as the couple. “We live down the street… They were family friends, and my little sister is heartbroken at the loss of her close friend Yumna who had texted her a day before the horror,” she said.

The donations have been coming in waves from across the world, and if the pace keeps may even touch a million dollars. According to Sana, the London Muslim Mosque, and Islamic Relief  are supporting the fundraiser along with the London muslim community. Fayez, the sole survivor, is said to be in a stable condition in hospital and has his aunt and uncle with him. “Fayez has a very strong support system-his immediate family, extended family, and the London community,” said Sana. 

While the community, and the family and friends of the victims are being brave there is no denying that the cold blodded murder of the Salman family is yet another reminder of Islamophobia now rampant across the world Including India.

However, the response from the Canadian administration and London Police Chief Steve Williams was quoted as saying, “We understand that this event may cause fear and anxiety in the community, and in particular the Muslim community, in any community targeted by hate. I want to reassure all Londoners that all of us on the call today and many others stand with you and support you. There is no tolerance in this community for individuals who, motivated by hate, target others with violence.”

According to CNN, Trudeau said before the House of Commons, “This killing was no accident. This was a terrorist attack motivated by hatred in the heart of one in our community.” Earlier detective Superintendent Paul Waight of the London Police had said, “There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate. It is believed that these victims were targeted because they were Muslim.”

According to CTV new the accused Nathaniel Veltman, 20, who faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, appeared via video link. The courtroom was closed to the public and a publication ban has been put in place on the proceedings. Meanwhile, the London Muslim Mosque, which the family belonged to, has called for a national summit on Islamophobia between all levels of government stated the news report.

Image courtesy: Sana Yasir

Related:

Being Muslim in the Workplace: A report by Parcham Collective
Swiss Vote for Burqa Ban and Its Reaction among Indian Muslims
Supersizing victimhood: Hindu Right’s appropriation of Islamophobia, the Jewish Holocaust & Indigenous struggles
How much green of the National Flag should be shown on TV?

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In a strong condemnation of the way protesters from the farming community are being treated by the Indian police, Justin Trudeau expressed his concern over the news coming out from New Delhi.

“The situation is concerning and we are all very worried about family and friends,” said Trudeau at the very outset as he wished members of the Sikh Community, while addressing the participants at an online meeting organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak on Monday, November 30. Trudeau said, “Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest.”  

Adding that Canadians believe in the importance of dialogue, the Prime Minister revealed that they have reached the multiple means to highlight their concerns to the Indian government. He made the statement right at the very beginning of his address after welcoming the Sikh members of his cabinet.  

This follows a series of tweets made by elected officials across the political spectrum, including the right–wing Conservatives and left–wing New Democrats, besides Trudeau’s own Liberal party, and protests held across Canada in solidarity with the agitating farmers who were assaulted by the police in New Delhi.  

Among those in attendance during the virtual celebration of Gurpurab were Surrey MPs Sukh Dhaliwal and Randeep Singh Sarai. Both of them had previously expressed their outrage on social media over the police repression of farmers. More than 300 people, including community leaders from all over Canada attended the remote event held because of Covid-19 restrictions.  

The intensity of the ongoing demonstrations in India was such that many elected officials of Indian origin and those representing ridings with sizable South Asian population were forced to make statements on Twitter or Facebook.   

This is the first time that Trudeau has made a strong public statement against state violence which has grown under the current right–wing Hindutva nationalist government in India. Attacks on religious minorities and political dissidents have increased ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014. Trudeau has mostly remained silent about these developments until now.   

Police in New Delhi have been harassing Punjab farmers who are camping in the city along with farmers of other Indian states to register their peaceful protest against recent controversial bills introduced by the government. These measures are aimed at rolling back subsidies given to the farmers as India remains an agro-based economy. The bills were pushed through without due consultations causing anxiety in the farming community. There were not only attempts to prevent Punjab farmers from entering the capital, but they were brutally assaulted by Delhi police. Those at the receiving end included seniors.   

More by Gurpreet Singh:

If Modi really cares about Nanak’s teachings, he must treat farmers with respect

Modi must not be allowed to appropriate Bhai Taru Singh

Nothing humanitarian behind sham clemency to Sikh prisoners

The Khalistan conspiracy makes startling revelations about the state complicity in Sikh Genocide

The post Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest: Justin Trudeau appeared first on SabrangIndia.