Linda Sarsour is the co-founder of the Women’s March on Washington and a vocal anti-Israel activist who is being brought to Winnipeg by the
Social Planning Council and the Canadian Muslim Women's Institute on April 26. Sarsour was scheduled to speak at the Seven Oaks Performance Arts Centre, but the Centre pulled out of the event following accusations that Sarsour is antisemitic, and an online petition begun by Ron East calling on the Social Planning Council to cancel her talk (The petition now has over 4000 signatures) . Sarsour will be speaking at an event entitled "Sorry Not Sorry Unapologetically working for social justice with Linda Sarsour." Sarsour has defended the legality of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
The new venue where she will be speaking at the Ukrainian Labour Temple. The Winnipeg Jewish Review spoke with Kate Kehler, Executive Director of the Social Planning Council . Kehler said she rejects the notion that Sarsour is antisemitic as the Social Planning Council has been contacted by many of the Jewish faith who support Sarsour and support her appearance here. Note that on its website the Social Planning Council states that Sarsour won a Champion of Change award from the Obama administration, and "We find it very difficult to believe that the Obama administration would grant an award to someone with anti-Semitic views." ( As an aside the website also says that "It is also important to note that colonialism played a role in the establishment of Israel.") Sarsour has defended the legality of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
In an article in the New York Post of Nov 4, 2018 entitled "Don't Join This Year's Women's March Unless You Are Good with
Antisemitism," Karol Markowicz wrote that Sarsour, was "open about her fandom of Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam. In 2012, she tweeted: “When we write the history of Islam in America, the Nation of #Islam is an integral part of that history.” (Note thatFarrakhan has said “Hitler was a very great man” in a 1984 speech and in 1985 he warned Jews: “And don’t you forget, when it’s God who puts you in the ovens, it’s forever!” Farrakhan also made a 1996 remark about Jews who disapprove of his anti-Semitic comments: “You are the synagogue of Satan, and you have wrapped your tentacles around the US government, and you are deceiving and sending this nation to hell.”)https://nypost.com/2018/11/04/dont-join-this-years-womens-march-unless-youre-good-with-anti-semitism
On November 21,2018 the Canadian Jewish News reported that Sarsour released a statement apologizing on behalf of the Women’s March for causing harm to the movement’s Jewish members and for being too slow to show its commitment to fighting anti-Semitism.“We should have been faster and clearer in helping people understand our values and our commitment to fighting anti-Semitism. We regret that,” said the statement. “Every member of our movement matters to us — including our incredible Jewish and LGBTQ members. We are deeply sorry for the harm we have caused, but we see you, we love you, and we are fighting with you.” (https://www.cjnews.com/news/international/linda-sarsour-apologizes-to-jewish-members-of-the-womens-march)
On Janaury 31 , 2019 Barbara Kay wrote in the Canadian Jewish News, "The Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 19 took place amidst serious tensions over anti-Semitism. What is billed as a common front that represents all women has excluded Jews since Day 1, when Jews were omitted from its “Unity Principles” and its leadership. Since then, the Women’s March has shown itself to be extremely anti-Zionist, riddled with anti-Semitism (co-president Tammika Mallory thinks Jews “uphold” white supremacy) and unwilling to disassociate itself from the Nation of Islam, whose leader, Louis Farrakhan, quite openly denounces Jews using Goebbel-like rhetoric. One observer of the march tweeted: 'Big cheer just now when (co-leader) Linda Sarsour promoted the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) of Israel. The anti-Semitism is strong at today’s Women’s March.' " (https://www.cjnews.com/perspectives/opinions/kay-the-cesspool-of-anti-semitism-on-the-left)
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