On Canada Project opinion: Trudeau has no business celebrating Diwali while aiding a genocide

Diwali represents the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Hindus, Sikhs and Jains worldwide celebrate the festival of light every year.

This year, both U.S. President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau participated in Diwali celebrations as a way to honour the South Asian diaspora in North America.

But neither Biden and Trudeau have any business leveraging this religious event for political brownie points while aiding and abetting the genocide of 10,000 Palestinians over the last month.

Trudeau and Biden are both under fire from activists and advocacy groups worldwide for their support of Israel and reluctance to call for an immediate ceasefire.

The U.S. actually voted AGAINST a United Nations motion calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities,” whereas Canada abstained.

On Canada Project is led by two '90s millennials — a Hindu Eelam-Tamil Canadian and a Punjabi-Sikh Canadian.

As young women born and raised in Canada, we can’t tell you what it means to see Diwali celebrated by our political leaders here in the West.

Like many children of the diaspora, we spent so much of our lives trying to find places where we could exist fully. As South Asians we are a blend of East and West culture, so to be at a moment in time where Western politicians and spaces are honouring our heritage is profoundly meaningful and affirming to our identities.

But how can these leaders celebrate and honour our identities and humanity, while failing to honour and value the humanity of Palestinians - both in Gaza and here within Canada and the United States?

This is white supremacy in action.

So how can we be excited about them celebrating Diwali - a festival of light and peace - when they’re so quick to condemn all Palestinians and equate them to terrorists?

We stand with Canadian poet of South Asian descent Rupi Kaur, who rejected an invitation to attend a Diwali event which was held at the White House, citing U.S. support of the war in Gaza.

This is an all-or-nothing fight because ALL our liberations are intrinsically linked.

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On Canada Project is a social advocacy group made up of neighbourhood nerds who are here to dismantle the status quo and champion change in our lives. Check our Instagram to learn more.