As a Canadian citizen and a staunch believer in human rights, I am deeply concerned that there are critics asking for the exclusion of significant historical events from being recognized in our educational system. The Nakba, or "catastrophe" in Arabic, is one such event that has been overlooked and after being approved to be recognized by the PDSB on the “days of significance calendar“ it is now being challenged and called anti-Semitic. This event refers to the displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinian Arabs during the 1948 Palestine war - a fact that is not politics but history.

The censoring of this historical event does not serve our students or educators; instead it fosters ignorance and bias. By omitting such critical pieces of history because they do not suit certain groups, we risk creating an incomplete and skewed understanding of world events among our future generations.

The proposal is simple yet powerful: let's keep all children safe by having teach-ins and guest speakers discuss and educate students on the Nakba - its history, its implementation, how it stemmed from racism. Let's make clear that we don't tolerate any form of discrimination in our community including anti-Palestinian sentiments.

By incorporating this into our education system nationwide, we can foster a more comprehensive understanding of global affairs among students while promoting empathy and respect for all cultures.

We call upon educational authorities to stand their ground and ensure they don’t walk back the decision to include this crucial piece of history just because it may not serve a certain group of people…you can’t just erase it from history. 

Please sign this petition today to support a more inclusive education for all, write to your local trustees, school board, parliament etc. 

Don't be part of silencing the Palestinian people and their right to exist.  

Thank you