We, members of the law community across Canada, are inspired by the Muslim Law Students Association and Jewish Law Students Association at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, who came together, supported by their Dean and her administration to focus on what unites them, not what divides them, and their common humanity. Special acknowledgements go to MLSA Co-Presidents Hasan Ferdous and Hanaa Ameer, JLSA President Shayna Horvath and convener Arjun Gupta for their commitment to this initiative.  

The entire law community in Canada can play a critically important role in advancing the rule of law and in promoting respectful dialogue on the difficult issues that face us.

In common cause, we reject all manifestations of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, verbal and physical intimidation, incitement to violence and the celebration or glorification of violence and barbarity.

We can do no better than to adopt what the Muslim and Jewish Law Students Associations said at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law:

We recognize that Jewish and Muslim lives are equally valuable and important, and that every loss of life is tragic and represents a story and a family, and a whole circle of people who are grieving.

Both our communities are grieving right now, and we’re coming together to say we want to focus on what unites us. We also extend our thoughts to Christians, Druze, and other minorities in the region, who are suffering and grieving.

We all recognize that these rising tensions and divisions are driving fear and anxiety. We are also aware that there are members of our communities that have family and loved ones that are being directly impacted by this war. With racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia rising, we simply will not be bystanders in the face of hate.

We urge all professors, lecturers, and students to understand the present context, when exercising your freedom of expression, and making your points: this is an exceptionally raw and difficult time. Members of our law school community have lost loved ones in this conflict. We call on you to show a commensurate level of sensitivity and tact. As leaders of our respective communities, we call upon our Ottawa Law family [as the undersigned call upon our law community Canada-wide] to focus on how our shared pain unifies us instead of letting hatred divide us. We ask that you listen to each other with empathy, dignity, and respect. (Emphasis in original.)

We are conscious that the situation continues to be extremely critical, and that this is a very troubling time that is causing a lot of anguish for both the Jewish and Muslim communities. We recognize that other communities are affected as well.

To this critically important message, the undersigned would only add this: we recognize there are profound differences in how the events in Israel and Gaza are perceived. However, the legal community can be instrumental in promoting respectful dialogue, open-mindedness to opposing perspectives and critical thinking. We should expect no less of ourselves and of our profession. This is our common cause.
 
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