Ottawa principal apologizes for playing Arabic song during Remembrance Day ceremony
Ottawa principal apologizes for playing Arabic song during Remembrance Day ceremony
In a letter issued Tuesday, the school's principal Aaron Hobbs said the intention "was to foster a message of peace and remembrance, reflecting on the importance of unity and reconciliation," but that he has since become aware the song "caused significant distress to some members of our school community."
"For this, I would like to offer my apologies," he said.
The song title, when translated to English, roughly means "This Is Peace." Many comments on multiple Youtube videos of the song, speak of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the suffering of Palestinians, though the song itself makes no mention of the conflict in the Middle East.
"The inclusion of a song that could be seen as politically charged was not in line with the values of respect and unity that we strive to uphold at this school," wrote Hobbs
I don't know the song but this doesn't look good.
However, several human rights advocacy groups are now condemning the backlash, calling it anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab.
"Just because the language is Arabic?" asked Jamila Ewais, a researcher with the Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East's anti-racism program. "What if someone was singing this language, let's say this song or like a similar song in, I don't know German or Ukrainian language?"
Exactly.
I mean the reaction is a tad racist. It's a song about peace just in a language they don't like. I bet if they played a song in English about peace no one would care.
No, people are upset because someone appropriated a Canadian Remembrance Day ceremony to make a political statement about Gaza. People are tired of Palestinian activists appropriating everything for their own cause.
There's nothing even remotely political about this song. Here's the lyrics translated to English. It skipped over a good chunk of the chorus due to its repetition of singular letters.
Is this peace?
The movie Peace
And a look that hurts my heart in a dream
Words after words
And an eye that bleeds water
In a space between spaces
No place for it in existence .....
Why not ...
Where else is this song played? Where is it from?
I don't know. I haven't heard of this song before.
Prefix to my comment:
Oct 7th was an atrocity deserving of the harshest of backlash. It was in no way justified despite the unfair and frustrating issue of Israeli settlement and the division of Palestine by colonial powers in the 20th century. Israel's response has been too aggressive in how they've fully disregarded humanitarian aid in their undiscerning destruction of Gaza in the year since.
Now my comment:
I think it was insensitive and stupid to play this song on a day to remember our troops who gave their lives or continue to fight for Canadian freedom and sovereignty. I don't think it added to the cause of Gaza, I think it just distracted and created more division.
Really it was a foolish thing to do.
I don't think it was wise to play it but at the same time everyone automatically calling it an anti-Jewish act hardly seems fair.