Stop Saint John's Multicultural Festival from Excluding Jewish Community
Stop Saint John's Multicultural Festival from Excluding Jewish Community
The Issue
The Multicultural Festival Committee has decided to exclude the Israeli/Jewish community from the event in the valley this September—just weeks before October 7, a day when we mourn one of our community's darkest moments since the Holocaust. How is this acceptable?
It is 2024, a time when the terms "inclusion" and "equality" seem to be on everyone's agenda. Regardless of your personal beliefs/affiliates, is excluding an entire community from an event meant to celebrate all cultures fair, just, or equal? To make matters worse, this decision comes from the Saint John Newcomers Center, a government-funded organization that is supposed to remain neutral. It is very disheartening to see this kind of discrimination from the government of a country that was built on a foundation of centuries of immigration, which prides itself on inclusion and cultural diversity.
The decision was prompted by a sticker inadvertently displayed at the Jewish tent among other stickers at the culture festival in August. The organizers' email mentioned that the sticker was in direct violation of the event's code of conduct and compromised the spirit of the event.
However, they failed to mention that we complied immediately when the concerns were brought to our attention. We removed all the stickers and a banner that had drawn complaints right away to send a clear message that our participation was not political but intended to showcase the rich cultural heritage and significant contributions of the Jewish and Israeli communities, both globally and here in Saint John.
It seems unfair to exclude an entire community over what was clearly a misunderstanding.
This decision is both antisemitic and segregates us from other communities.
If you could spare a minute of your day, please sign the petition to not just stand with us, but for what is right and just. Everyone deserves a voice, to be included, and to be respected. We hope to achieve this goal by showing our discontent against the direct discrimination from the Saint John Newcomers Center's decision.
The Issue
The Multicultural Festival Committee has decided to exclude the Israeli/Jewish community from the event in the valley this September—just weeks before October 7, a day when we mourn one of our community's darkest moments since the Holocaust. How is this acceptable?
It is 2024, a time when the terms "inclusion" and "equality" seem to be on everyone's agenda. Regardless of your personal beliefs/affiliates, is excluding an entire community from an event meant to celebrate all cultures fair, just, or equal? To make matters worse, this decision comes from the Saint John Newcomers Center, a government-funded organization that is supposed to remain neutral. It is very disheartening to see this kind of discrimination from the government of a country that was built on a foundation of centuries of immigration, which prides itself on inclusion and cultural diversity.
The decision was prompted by a sticker inadvertently displayed at the Jewish tent among other stickers at the culture festival in August. The organizers' email mentioned that the sticker was in direct violation of the event's code of conduct and compromised the spirit of the event.
However, they failed to mention that we complied immediately when the concerns were brought to our attention. We removed all the stickers and a banner that had drawn complaints right away to send a clear message that our participation was not political but intended to showcase the rich cultural heritage and significant contributions of the Jewish and Israeli communities, both globally and here in Saint John.
It seems unfair to exclude an entire community over what was clearly a misunderstanding.
This decision is both antisemitic and segregates us from other communities.
If you could spare a minute of your day, please sign the petition to not just stand with us, but for what is right and just. Everyone deserves a voice, to be included, and to be respected. We hope to achieve this goal by showing our discontent against the direct discrimination from the Saint John Newcomers Center's decision.
Victory
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Petition created on September 9, 2024