A call on MP Lori Idlout to speak out in support of Gaza
Lawyer, musician Andrew Morrison connects Canada’s history of colonization to Palestinian experience
Israeli government forces launch an airstrike on Gaza. Israel’s siege on Gaza has been ongoing since October 2023. (Photo by Jaber Jehad Badwan, via Wikimedia Commons)
Andrew Morrison
Dear Lori (cc: Nunavut territorial politicians),
I believe in you and your work as Nunavut’s member of Parliament.
I’m writing to ask that you continue to speak up about what is happening in Gaza. It is vital that people in positions of power like yours speak out about war crimes, human rights violations, and acts of genocide.
Bombs and missiles are hitting densely populated areas. Hospitals and medical facilities are being targeted. Children are being starved at rates we’ve never seen in our lifetimes. These are only some of the devastating reports of clear violations of international law and basic human rights we’ve witnessed in recent months.
This is about many things, but at its core it’s about land, settlers and colonization. You have been an important voice on these issues in the House of Commons — an advocate not only for ending colonization but also for healing from its harms.
But these histories are not unique to Canada.
While Palestine is in the depths of an ongoing colonial process, Canada is engaged — imperfectly — in addressing its own. The principles of Truth and Reconciliation and the idea that Every Child Matters are not concepts that apply only within Canada.
These values are global and acutely relevant to Gaza today. We cannot limit our commitment to justice and human dignity to our own borders.
If we believe in Truth and Reconciliation and Every Child Matters here, why do these principles not extend to Palestinian families and children?
You are in a unique position. You represent a constituency that believes in acknowledging land dispossession, asserting the self-determination of oppressed peoples, and addressing human rights violations. These values are fundamental to the spirit and intent of Nunavut.
You are also less constrained by the political pressures that silence others. You have been a strong and courageous advocate.
I am asking you to continue to be a strong leader on these issues. Call for Palestinian self-determination. Call for compliance with international law. Demand a full, independent investigation into all human rights violations.
This is what global decolonization looks like.
Any politician who remains silent during this genocide will, at some point — publicly or privately — regret that they did not speak out.
I extend this call to act to all Nunavut territorial politicians.
Be on the right side of history.
Qujannamiik,
Andrew Morrison
Andrew Morrison is a lawyer and musician who lives in Iqaluit
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Nothing to do with Canadians
You are so wrong
Has everything to do with humanity doesn’t matter where you’re from
Absolutely correct. Murderous terrorists such as Hamas need to be utterly crushed. It is good that Israel is doing it. My only fear is that we aren’t doing enough to keep that sort of ideology out of our country. I’m afraid that we haven’t though.
it matters if my CANADIAN taxes are paying for it. not my country not my problem. we have problems here at home that need support and funding rather than any other countries
this is not the way of real inuit, real inuit help those in need regardless of colour or faith, we help when needed. and i am a inuk in support of a free palestine, a free land unencumbered by colonial ways brought by modern day isreal. which folks should know that it does not represent the jewish faith as many believe. seriously if you are against us supporting other indigenous peoples, you should seriously reexamine your place in the so called northern canada. this is our land and we determine what we say and who we support, obviously you are not aware of our IQ principles. if you did you would understand why we would want to support Palestinians.
Imagine if Ontarians and Albertans said the same about having to send $3 Billion of their tax dollars to pay for Nunavut?
Her voice in parliament is a loud as a siksik, you really think she’s got any influence on the world stage?
You must not know the Siksik sound. You can hear them from far away.
Do I need to point the obvious?
What are you waiting for?
Yes, please do
Jews have a longer historical claim to that area than the “Palestinians” do. Nobody is kicking the Palestinians out of Israel, anyway. Jews are just rightfully asking them to stop killing Jews. This foreign conflict has nothing to do with Inuit, or any other Canadian.
We live in the modern world, but all these activists want to keep rewriting history to try to feel relevant in their safe and secure world.
The Zionist are European settlers colonizers, Netiyahu is Polish Jew!
No, the Jews are the Indigenous people of the area living in their homeland. How can you not understand that? How can you, who has claimed to be Inuk, not have empathy for other Indigenous peoples?
Before 1947 there were less than half a million Jews in what was then called “Palestine”. Jews had not made up the majority in the region since the Romans expelled them after their failed rebellions in the 4th century AD. After WW2, ships full of decidedly non-indigenous looking Jews arrived from Poland, Russia and America. Just for a second, imagine if someone knocked on your door, pointed a gun at your kids and said “Get out of my house!” because their great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather used to have a hut on your land.
Netanyahu is a native born Israeli, born in Tel Aviv.
Why do you spread such easily confirmed untruths?
No, he isn’t. He was born in Israel.
Born in Israel, of Polish origin. Father changed their last name from Mileikowski to Netanyahu in order to sound more indigenous to the Levant.
His family was in Poland because of diaspora and diasporic Jewish communities always tried to return home many successful – Ashkenazi Jews were mostly during Roman rule – and do you remember what happened to Jews in Europe and Poland because they weren’t considered European or Polish? Events that led to coining the term genocide. Calling Israel’s response to genocidal acts by a terrorist group genocide is Holocaust inversion.
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.
“Calling Israel’s response to genocidal acts by a terrorist group genocide is Holocaust inversion.”
This is just a word game. A cheap parlor trick to dazzle and distract.
Is it categorically impossible for the Israeli response to genocidal terrorism from being genocidal?
You can’t erase this question by reference to vague philosophical categories, or make believe contradictions.
It is true that the 1st waves of Zionists were of fairly mixed heritage given their many centuries in eastern Europe, but their ancestral connection to Israel is real. And just look at you, fixated on blood quantum!
The most important thing is that the 1st wave Zionists were legitimate refugees. Think of them as similar to the caravans arriving at the U.S. southern border that enraged the MAGA folks, only with a stronger claim. It’s also noteworthy that at the time of the first Zionists Israel was colonized by the Turks, although maybe you think that was OK because they styled themselves as a caliphate?
But even before the first European Zionists, there were Jews in Israel. And then after the creation of Israel many Muslim countries expelled or persecuted their Jewish minorities (who had never lived in Europe, or perhaps briefly in Al Andalus) who then fled to Israel such that they’re about half the population now. They can’t return to their countries of origin for obvious reasons.
None of that is to excuse Netanyahu or his approach to the war, but even if there was a more moderate Israeli leader waging the war more cautiously, the complaints would basically be the same and you and Mr. Morrison would still be excusing Hamas.
Yes correct, not a thing to do with Inuit, Canada or even yourself, Mr advocate. There’s always some saviour, ready to give advice, less we have to pay cash for it, and stir up people lives.
Jews do not have historical claim to that area. Zionists and violent settlers are an infestation. They’re all white folks!
Jesus was a brown Palestinian, lest we forget.
Enough of the slaughter of innocents.
Oh, Lori has more clout than most realize. Why do the Liberals want her so much, duh.
Infestation? Seriously? Referring to other humans as an infestation…wow.
Even more disturbing is that NN news allows such a thing to be published. I know among some it is trendy to use ‘infestation’, but I never thought that NN would countenance it
Often NN devolves into a rage farming machine (is it true that eyes on the page = $$$$?). It’s not hard to notice that is more lenient is some directions than others, but that’s their “social justice” mission calling i’m sure.
Multiple Israeli leaders going back to the birth of the State of Israel, have referred to Palestinians as cockroaches, animals, grass to be mowed, beasts, etc.
Dehumanization is the 4th step on the path to Genocide.
The Brits taught the Americans all about genocide. The Germans emulated the Americans. Israel learned first-hand from the Germans. When do we say “Enough”?
Jesus was a brown Jewish dude who lived on Bethlehem under Roman Rule. There were no Palestinians in his time. There was no Palestine. The land only became Palestine during the (colonial) British Mandate where it was largely Jews who were considered Palestinians. Arabs at the time largely did not identify as Palestinian.
The idea of Palestinian as a National identity emerged in the 1960s with Yassar Arafat who was an Egyptian. Palestinian is a modern national identity and not an ancient one and it is definitely not an ethnicity. The ethnicity of Palestinians is Arab. Their ethnic roots are a combination of Arab and Levantine as a result of Arab conquest, intermarriage and forced conversions.
You can’t just rewrite history because it fits the story you’ve built up in your head.
This is a disgusting comment.
Seriously? Who paid you Sara?
I hope you sent a similar request to the prime minister and all political brass in Canada. Her voice is as good as any of them, but why you to pick on her ? Go speak up for the damaged being done south of the border, join up with some other lawyer buddys and gals to speak your truth. People are not having confidence in politics or even justice, health care, and the list goes on, let’s get you up front to speak out too.
Do I need to point out that Hamas, supported by Iran, needs to be held responsible for this conflict?
Do I need to point out that Israel has been committing genocide since 1948 first with help of the British and now with the US government? Palestine was not the first place to set up a Jewish State, It was Uganda was suppose to be the state of Israel, called the Uganda Scheme set up by British Government. Reality this contradicts your statement.
For 19 years Gazans had their very own state with no Israeli. What did they build?!
October 7th, 2023 the Gazans breached the border into Israel and did what the turk has done everywhere and always. They attacked, burdered, maimed, raped, burned alive, murdered 1200 people and took more than 250 hostages into Gaza, of whom 56 are still held hostage in Gaza.
Where is the outrage?
As Christians we do believe the Bible and in it the Lord God has permanent borders for Israel and they are the River of Egypt to the Southwest and the River Jordan to the East.
Let us always agree with God
Amen!
this is so much ignorant BS. gazans had their own state?….not so much. actually a confinement camp controlled by israel. gazans breached the border….not so much. it was hamas to be specific. what would one expect when israel holds gazans at large in authoritarian rule with no future. i could see myself getting radical with the status quo. and netanyahu is a war criminal for his actions against the gazan people at large,
As a non-Christian I am fully with everything until the last paragraph. Where is the outrage? People like Morrison seem to forget the hate-filled trigger of where we are today. Perhaps he should look back at the photos of the horribly raped and burned alive women and children to understand what Hamas is truly like.
The world needs to help the Palestinians free themselves from Hamas.
BINGO! Read that post again peoples.
When I was a Christian, I read that God will damn me to eternal torment if I ate a shrimp.
Maybe dial it down a notch on what the Bible says.
There is a lot going on in this in̈sufferable piece. To me superficial comparisons between settler colonialism in Israel and Canada advertise an unpardonable lack of rigor. Though I grant my overall impressions may be disproportionatly attributed to source rather than the content.
That said, nearly every comment here misses the point by the usual massive gap we expect when people are addressing uncomfortable realities.
It is a fact Israel is killing Palestinians and destroying their homes and infrastructure indiscriminantly and disproportionally. This is a war crime and should outrage anyone who is genuinely paying attention. But sure, most people aren’t.
Yeah, no. Horrible, awful, frame it how you like, but proportionality is not a thing in war. The test for a war crime – at state and policy level, has not been met. No doubt there have been individual war crimes, but that is always the way.
Proportionality is absolutely a “thing” in war…
Have you not heard of the Geneva Conventions? Targeting civilians is a criminal act. This isn’t obscure knowledge.
Yes, ‘targeting’ civilians is, but the death of civilians while destroying a military target is not. It is regrettable, it should be minimized and your ROE will do that, but civilian death in and of itself is not a crime.
If I call in tac air to drop a bomb on house that has a sniper in it, and 20 civilians who are sheltering in the basement are red misted, that may cause me nightmares, but it is not a war crime. You might ask questions about the ROE, but again, not a war crime.
What about bombing a clearly marked, Israeli-approved aid organization convoy that had registered its route with the Israeli military?
What about double-tapping registered, international journalists by the dozens?
What about snipers shooting children in broad daylight?
What about using Hellfire missiles to eviscerate 8 year-olds playing soccer on a beach?
This is what you are defending when you carry water for Israel.
Siigh, okay, I’ll rephrase. ‘Proportionality’ as it is commonly used by civilians is not a thing. Proportionality is not based on the outcome of the action. It is based the ‘reasonable commander’ test and based on what the commander knew when the decision was made. The questions would be – was the commander attacking a legitimate military target? Did the commander use feasible measures to mitigate civilian risk based on information available at the time of the attack? Note -‘feasible’. Feasible steps to reduce civvie casualties have to be taken – not every possible step – the realities and tempo of war rarely make this possible.
So, targeting a clearly marked hospital – war crime. Targeting a rocket set up on school grounds after announcing over speakers and dropping leaflets telling civilians to leave – not a war crime, even if it results in the death of children.
Not pretty, but it is the way it is. In the conflict under discussion Hamas started out with huge numbers of war crimes. The response of the Israelis, while ugly, has generally been within the accepted laws and traditions of war.
Proportionality in war is a fundamental principle in International Humanitarian law.
According to the International Red Cross “The principle of proportionality prohibits attacks against military objectives which are “expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated”. In other words, the principle of proportionality seeks to limit damage caused by military operations by requiring that the effects of the means and methods of warfare used must not be disproportionate to the military advantage sought..”
As I said, if you have paid attention it is not hard to notice that Israel has acted without regard to the lives of Palestinians, at all. About 55,000 have died, many thousands of those children.
It is unconscionable and any attempt to defend this massacre is a admission to moral bankruptcy.
These types of letters make me irk. Both sides are to blame for three mess in the middle east, which we have no control over. Until a 2 state solution is agreed upon we’ll never see an end to this.
Not much different than Israel’s current elected party, but never forget the Palestinians democratically elected a terrorist organization into power, yet this article doesn’t make any mention of this group.
Hamas ring a bell anybody?
If it weren’t for Israel’s iron dome missile defense system, Israel would have been flattened by Hamas decades ago.
Israelis are terrorists. The Mossad are murderers. Hiding under the guise of religion. Pfft.
Never believe a zionist or settlers. They are ungodly. They teach hate and bigotry.
From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free!
Lol let me guess, you think Hamas are “freedom fighters”. You are part of the problem.
More than 50% of Gazans weren’t even born the last time there was an election.
Agreed 867, this will never end, they fight over religion, power, space, anything at all really. Why bother getting involved, it will not change any of them, they are all extremists and radicals fighting over nothing.
Scratching the surface of the present day and hour situation when speaking of the Middle East (as it is known) is stupidity. The UK, the premier empire for centuries signed on to the creation of the state of Israel. The rest is history.
Any conversation about Gaza Palestine and Israel needs to be honest. The article being silence about the attack on Israel that provoked this onslaught and the tactics of the Palestinians using hospitals as bases . Unlike Canada, Israel is at war. War involves conquest.
All these so called wars are cause of religion which is a bunch of make up fairy tale nonsense.
Amen.
this is canada,we are in north america, dont bring your problems at work or in the country you are migrating too and if you are just a sucker looking for a cause chill out and order a over cook burnt peperoni pizza from the Snack and enjoy your day
Well done Snack pep pizza is awesome actually.
Stop it, Andrew. Get some help. Your takes have been pretty poor and off-base lately, and the column space shouldn’t be wasted on you if you’re not willing to write to issues relevant to Nunavummiut.
Settlers writing about settlers issues is very relevant.
You spelt conquerors wrong.
What makes you think they’ll listen to a back bencher politician from Nunavut, who has no say in the State of Israel?
She cares more about colonial rights than human rights.
I mean, look at that mark-up on carvings…
Amen.
What’s all this? A distraction from what’s going on under our nose here in Canada?
Or are all happy over $5 billion sent in the name of climate for who knows what overseas? As children across Canada have, their tummies grumble with emptiness. And Canadian vets in the thousands are homeless or live in shabby shelters. MAID solution and expanding in 2027? It’s non stop… $13 billion sent to Ukraine while forests are under managed and fire fighters are under staffed. Not much different from fire evacuation shelters. But who cares when can hype it’s climate change for fear, even though around 90% of the fires are human caused. Censorship is moments away, dropping hard, so shh be it permanently. As the King announces in the Throne speech, Canada is joining ReArm Europe. Then guess it’s a given. Soon 18 to 45-year-olds drafted from Nunavut, from across Canada to fight in Ukraine, or whatever war Europe decides to have?
How does one decide who is more at fault?
Read about the messaging in the Children’s television show Tomorrow’s Pioneers if you think Gazans are the victims.
Read about IDF snipers intentionally targeting Gazan children if you feel Israelis are the victims.
Religion is a poison to humanity!
Is is perfect legitimate, and legal, to target and kill children, depending on their actions. Again, this is hard for civilians to accept, but it is the way it is.
Without knowing the snipers’ engagement rules and what the children were doing we can’t say.
Children are not automatically non-combatants by virtue of being children – it depends on their actions, just the same as wounded combatants are not automatically hors de combat.
The Geneva Conventions are not what most people think, and allow many action that fall in the ‘awful but lawful’ category.
Bot.
Okay wannabe commando, you obviously don’t know anything about the law of war, or ius in bello, as they say in law school. No, it is not okay to target children. It is illegal.
“It’s right to kill kids!” is not what I expected to read in my country today.
This is a ridiculous bundle of cliches thrown together by someone who could do with reading some serious history books and pulling his head out of his phone.
The only conceivable part Nunavut could play to help resolve this conflict on the other side of the planet would be to offer part of Nunavut as a new homeland to either warring party, if they would be willing to accept it.
So, what is it going to be Idlout? Would you be willing to work with Inuit to offer say, the top end of Baffin to the Israelis as a new promised land? Or to the Palestinians as an alternative homeland seeing how the other surrounding Muslim countries are bound and determined not to let them in?
If we are not willing to take sufficient notice and care to do something like this, we should recognize that this forever war is far enough removed from our consciousness for us to stay politely mute on the subject.
Other than that, we can only accept that at all times, good people will do good things, and bad people will do bad things. However, for good people to do bad things (whether they are Jewish or Muslim), what is needed is religion.
There is a saying, amongst the indigenous people. Visit a different country lose your passport and come back as an immigrant.; that way the government will treat you better than the indigenous people.
We have our own human rights issues here in Canada. We have our own unjust governments. There has been some breadcrumbs in the form of apologies Land use acknowledgement and a little bit of inclusion into our daily governance, but they are avoiding the big “ Woopsie daisy”, avoiding the real discussion. Land back. Until fair and true acknowledgment, until everyone stops lying to themselves, we should not take in anymore, refugees or immigrants.
If South Africa learned, took notes from Canada, how to assimilate cultures, how to weaponize viruses, how to dominate over others, it shows this countries true colours. Canada will continue taking in immigrants because if they bring the indigenous people on the same socioeconomic level, same education, same opportunities as a colonial descendant Canadian, that discussion of Land back is somewhere they do not want to go.
Until then, we should not be taking in or spending money on wars that are overseas. We need to put our own oxygen mask on first before assisting others.
Are you lying to yourself?
Your assertion that aid is not getting into Gaza has no basis.12 million meals were given directly to Gazans in the last 2 weeks by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Hamas was stealing aid before resulting in a new system being implemented to make sure it goes right to the people who need it.
Today, Hamas attacked an aid truck, killing at least 5 people and injuring others. They also may have taken aid workers hostage.
This is who you’re championing in this letter – the people harming Gazans the most – Hamas.
In a slang context, “gaslighting” means manipulating someone into doubting their own perception of reality, often with the goal of gaining power or control. It’s about subtly and persistently misleading someone to the point where they start to question their own sanity and judgment. The term, originating from the 1944 film Gaslight, describes a behavior where someone denies or dismisses the truth, leading the victim to doubt their own experiences and recollections.
That is why there is a United Nation’s Human Right’s Commision and the International Criminal Court which she is not representing. My thoughts.
Heard a wonderful quotation on the Monsanto film where a farmer challenged the company – Do not measure your winning by the results, measure it by the effort that you make (as when facing incredible opposition and big propaganda as is found in the media today).