Speech to Niagara Regional Council against their amendments to the rules for lighting the "Niagara Everyone Welcome" sign, blocking Palestinian colours
I'm Saleh Waziruddin.
Where have we heard before that only Canadian symbols should be used? It's by people who are trying to stop Pride symbols from being used. The guise of being fair to all is used as cover for discrimination and unequal treatment.
The amendments start out by adding the word “equity,” but there is nothing equitable about these amendments. It might LOOK equitable because it says no countries' colours other than Canada will be allowed for lighting the “Niagara, EVERYONE Welcome” sign. But it's not equitable at all.
Because the sign was already lit in the colours of Ukraine and Israel. You already did that. So it's not equitable to say now Palestine won't be allowed because no country's colours will be allowed and therefore this is fair.
And these amendments show the Palestine colours ARE allowed under the current rules, when over 100 people from 9 of the 12 municipalities on this Council asked for it but were denied saying it's against policy when it's clearly and admittedly not.
Saying something is equal because it's not going to be allowed for anyone when in practice it has been allowed for some but not others is the textbook definition of discrimination. Don't take my word for it, the 2017 Ontario Anti-Racism Act says, I'm quoting:
“Systemic racism is often caused by policies, practices and procedures that appear neutral but have the effect of disadvantaging racialized groups. It can be perpetuated by a failure to identify and monitor racial disparities and inequities and to take remedial action.”
This is not opinion but the law of the land, and Niagara Region is a creature of the province, which is what many of you have claimed as a reason when you have denied people like me when we have asked for your support.
Just above “equity” there's an amendment to add “collective” to mourning or commemoration. Lighting requests in national colours are not just about international issues but are about our communities right here, who you are elected to represent, having a chance to mourn collectively.
But we've seen this movie before. In the 1990s Hamilton denied a proclamation request for Pride Day when they had done hundreds of proclamations for other days. They were found guilty of violating the Ontario Human Rights code! So what did they do? They said no more proclamations for anyone, no more special days at all. Sound familiar?
We are taking a page from Hamilton but not the Hamilton of today, the Hamilton of 30 years ago.
And it wasn't just Hamilton. London, Ontario did the same thing in 1995 and the Ontario Human Rights Commission went a step further, they ORDERED London to have a Pride weekend in 1998. In 2018 the Mayor of London gave a long overdue apology. Let's not have to do the same thing 20 years from tonight, let's do what's right tonight, let's take remedial action as the Anti-Racism Act says we should.
The places around us are moving forward. Toronto District School Board recently recognized Anti-Palestinian Racism, but here in Niagara we can't even get an anti-racism statement out from the DEI Advisory Committee because of its super restricted mandate. The rest of Ontario and Canada are moving forward but we in Niagara are moving back 30 years.
Niagara or at least Niagara Falls promotes itself as the Las Vegas of the North, but there is nothing “North” about what Regional Council is doing. This is taking a page from the Deep South.
Niagara is the Deep Dixie of Canada.
Thank you and peace be with you.
