Laith Marouf and the Right to Offend Colonizers and Collaborators: A Panel Discussion

TYENDINAGA MOHAWK TERRITORY – On Friday, September 16th, Real People’s Media held a panel discussion with award-winning journalist, broadcasting policy expert, and Palestinian activist Laith Marouf. The panel consisted of Jooneed Khan, a legendary war correspondent; Kanenhariyo Seth LeFort, War Chief at Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory; Kanahus Manuel of the Secwepemc nation and the Tiny House Warriors; Margaret Kimberley, co-founder and senior columnist of the Black Agenda Report; Stanley Cohen, longtime legal warrior for the liberation of Indigenous peoples in Turtle Island and Palestine; and Dr Wilmer Leon, professor of political sciences and nationally syndicated columnist and radio host.

The panel discussion took place at the exact same time that the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, made up of by pro-Zionist politicians from Australia, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States grilled social media executives from Meta, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok about Laith Marouf’s social media posts, and discussed community guidelines and content moderation practices that would censor both anti-Semitism and legitimate critiques of Zionism and the state of Israel.

The Task Force is proposing that social media platforms adopt the non-binding “working definition” of anti-Semitism, published in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. As part of this definition, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour” is considered “anti-Semitism.” This definition would effectively criminalize all criticism of the atrocious human rights abuses carried out by the Israeli state by conflating them with anti-Semitism. 

The panel was convened in the wake of a national and international media storm that saw Mr. Marouf banned from Twitter, and condemned as an anti-Semite and racist for tweeting against “Jewish White Supremacists,” the political ideology of Zionism, and the Apartheid state of Israel. The organization Mr. Marouf is a Senior Consultant for – the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC), “supports the self-determination of Indigenous, racialized, and disAbled peoples in the media through research, relationship-building, advocacy, and learning” and works “to disrupt settler colonialism and oppression in the media.”

In 2021, CMAC was funded by Heritage Canada to help Indigenous and racialized media workers and their communities to map out an anti-Racism strategy for the Broadcasting sectors in Canada. Since the Zionist attacks started, CMAC has been defunded, and Marouf was denounced by Ahmed Hussen the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth, Minister of Crown and Indigenous Affairs Marc Miller, as well as Prime Minister Trudeau. 

As Davide Mastracci put it in an article entitled, Laith Marouf, The Israel Lobby And Anti-Racism Funding, “There’s a lot at stake here, and it would be an error to let this scandal pass without any critical input. Marouf won’t be the only, or even main, target of this campaign for very long. Not because the pro-Palestine movement is secretly filled with antisemites, but rather because many parties have a vested interest in portraying it as such, and are using this moment to put as much pressure on the government as they can to act accordingly.”

Laith Marouf made the following statement to begin the panel discussion.

Statement by Laith Marouf, Sept 16, 2022

Good Day and thank you for listening,

My statement today concerns the personal attacks and false accusations made against comments I posted on my personal Twitter account.

First, I humbly bow to the Indigenous land defenders, those who I lived amongst for decades. Our struggle is one, and the freedom of Palestinians will not be complete until every Indigenous Nation is liberated and sovereign on its lands. 

I just came back from the liberated territories of Lebanon, where the French, Americans and the Zionists were routed out in humiliating defeats; our peoples send their greatest admiration to the Indigenous land-defenders, and have hopes of Nation to Nation relations and trade.

I would like to address my Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities living in the Colony of Canada; do not be afraid, the end of the Zionist Colony is nigh, and all Zionist propagandists that haunt your life and police your speech will be out of jobs very soon.

My communities, I would like to remind you that you are living on lands usurped from the great Indigenous Nations, and all the privileges you receive from electricity to healthcare are only possible with the continued looting of Indigenous resources in the Colony of Canada and abroad. 

May I remind you, that your homelands are living wars orchestrated and supported by the Colony of Canada. Rise up and stand for Justice. You would be delusional if you think a Colonial state perpetuating Genocide on its Indigenous inhabitants will give you any form of equality. You will not be free until the Indigenous Nations are free.

To followers of the Jewish Faith in this Colony, the faith of Prophet Moses of Egypt. It is time for you to stand up and take down those who desecrate Judaism and pervert it with Zionism, a cult of genocide and colonization. My communities do not need you to stand in our support only; we need you to take down those Zionists who appointed themselves as your leaders.

To all media workers, academics, students, and activists in this Colony who work against racism; have no fear; the Zionists are shaking in their boots, scared of the achievements, courage and selflessness you exhibited in the past years, as you stood against their bullying and intimidation. They want to make an example of me, a lighting rod; by launching a smear campaign against me, and falsely accusing me of racism and hate-speech.

The battleground set by the Zionists today, is about the limits of so-called “fundamental freedoms” within the colonial setting of Canada; meaning what is acceptable within the public space, can a Zionist be comfortable spewing their hate and supremacy against Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims on-air? Can a Palestinian, or Arab or Muslim or Indigenous person express their disgust with those who condone, aid and commit genocide against their people on Twitter? They want us to be “civilized”, while they are genociding our peoples live on air.

Today, the Zionist Lobby wants to have the Prime Minister of this Colony, police the tone of my speech on a Social Media platform; one that is wholly owned by the Saud Family and their Zionist bedfellows. Across Canadian Mainstream Media, I was condemned by Prime Minister Trudeau, he smeared me and falsely claimed my tweets are hate speech, xenophobic and anti-Jewish; he called me vile. 

The accusations made by the Zionist Lobby, repeated by politicians in Canada, and parroted by the media mark a bigger struggle; one that is a fight about the right to be disgusted with genocide and supremacy, and their perpetrators and propagandists. The right to offend our oppressors is the essence of “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression.” 

Let me be very clear, when I speak in English about the struggles of my people; I do not speak for myself; I take my cues from the people of Palestine, I amplify their voices and opinions. When I speak in English, the language of my Colonizers, I expose their hypocrisy; I speak English; but I will never Speak White. 

My opinions align with the opinions of the vast majority of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities around the world and in the Colony of Canada, who long for the liberation of Palestine and an end to the silencing of their voices. Our communities deserve political and media representation that is not filtered, censored and approved by the Zionist lobby before it sees any light. 

Prime Minister Trudeau’s false accusations against me, fall under Hate Propaganda in the Criminal Code. It is a charge worth 2 years of jail time; there is even a section there for anti-Jewish speech; misnamed as anti-Semitism. Yet the Zionist lobby has no intention to take this to courts, for if they lose this battle; they will never again be able to use the Colonial media to defame, libel, misrepresent and ostrasize anyone who defends Palestinian liberation. The only power they hold above us, is the power to conduct an unjust media trial; a witch hunt, where the Zionist lobby and their supporters are the judge, jury, and executioner.

As for Zionists in the Parliament of the Colony of Canada; if they call a Parliamentary Committee to investigate my work, I would be pleased if they subpoena me so I can put the facts on the parliamentary record.

To all viewers, the Zionist lobby succeeded in forcing Heritage Canada to implement the Zionist created and weaponized IHRA definition of anti-Jewish hate; one that includes criticism of Israel. Heritage Canada will now require organizations it funds, including Indigenous organizations, as well as media, culture and arts initiatives, to subscribe to a supremicist political ideology and swear allegiance to a foreign Apartheid Colony, before they can receive any funding. These loyalty oaths were previously implemented in the USA; and have lost at every court challenge. The Zionists know these Loyalty Oaths are a lost cause legally, but they will not be deterred without us fighting back.

And for that reason, I ask viewers to support unfiltered, uncensored voices in Canada and take a stand against Zionist silencing and defamation campaigns by donating to our Legal Defense Fund. Your donation will fund the fight against the implementation of the IHRA at Heritage Canada or any other government agency or branch that impacts Racialised and Indigenous media. You can find links to donate, and more information about this campaign on my website: www.laithmarouf.com 

Please donate generously and let us make sure this is the last time Zionists can use the media to defame supporters of Palestinian liberation.

From Turtle Island to Palestine, Colonialism is a crime. Salam, Nia:wakowa!

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