Mr. Chair, this is one of those moments when I am particularly proud to belong to a party that has always unequivocally condemned anti-Semitism.
Fighting racism and hatred is at the heart of what it means to be a New Democrat. As early as 1938, the CCF, the NDP's predecessor, was the only party in the House of Commons to unite and fight, without reservation, to ensure that Canada became a safe haven for Jewish refugees who were fleeing the Nazis in Europe.
Throughout the Second World War, the CCF continued to fight and stand up for these refugees, despite the climate of anti-Semitism in the government and the country in general at that time.
Unfortunately, anti-Semitism, like all forms of hatred, is a trend that has persisted. We are still seeing it today.
Just two weeks ago, hundreds of Jewish tombs were vandalized in a cemetery near Strasbourg, France. In May 2014, in Brussels, a gunman opened fire on a Jewish museum, killing four people. Obviously, we are all aware of the shooting in a kosher grocery store following the Charlie Hebdo attack. Earlier this month, two people were killed and five police officers were wounded in two attacks in the capital of Denmark.
Last year, during the general election in Hungary, the far-right Jobbik party won over 20% of the vote, which makes it the third party in the Hungarian national assembly. One in five votes went to the extreme right party, whose leaders have called for things like putting Jews on a list because they might pose a national security risk. That is scary and it brings back bad memories. Ironically, this country was designated a so-called safe country by our current Conservative government.
Yes, anti-Semitism lives on, not only in Europe but also in the Middle East. Take for example some of the statements made by the former Iranian president and others throughout the world, including in Canada. Many people consider Canada to be one of the safest countries for the Jewish diaspora. I think we can all be proud of that. However, such has not always been the case. For a long time, anti-Semitism was far too prevalent.
For example, even after World War II, Canada's Jewish population experienced discrimination. Jewish doctors could not get hospital appointments. There were no Jewish judges, and Jewish lawyers were excluded from most firms. There were scarcely any Jewish teachers, and Jewish nurses, engineers and architects had to hide their identity to find jobs in their fields. Often certain refugees were not allowed access to French schools, which could eventually lead to very real problems trying to integrate into society. Some of them live in my riding.
I am talking about the past, but the present is not so rosy either. Here again, many Jewish Canadians say that they have been the victims of harassment and violent threats.
Last night, in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough of Montreal, four vehicles that were parked in a private parking garage used by Jewish Montrealers were spray-painted with swastikas. There has also been talk about bullets and death threats, which are no doubt violent acts of anti-Semitism.
Anti-Semitism, and religious and ethnic hatred in general, is a worldwide problem. Nonetheless, I would like to talk about hopes, because peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and productive interactions between people of all faiths and origins is also possible.
I would like to provide some examples. The Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel created a network so that Jews, Christians and Muslims can meet and get to know one another with the goal of helping to shape a society that transcends war and enmities.
Last week, three Jewish organizations joined 15 other interfaith organizations to express their fear that the U.S. government is marginalizing American Muslims. These groups came to the defence of American Muslims. This type of thing gives me hope. Here in Canada, we have a program called FAST. I apologize, but I only know the English acronym. I am not sure if there is a French equivalent. It is called FAST for Fighting Antisemitism Together. These are non-Jewish business people who join community leaders to raise awareness and take various measures to fight anti-Semitism.
I would like to end my speech with a message of hope. We need to work on combatting anti-Semitism. To that end, I suggest that we look to a very important religious figure who is not Jewish, Christian or Muslim. I am talking about the Dalai Lama, who tells us that the problems we are facing today—violent conflict, the despoliation of nature, poverty and hunger—are all man-made problems that can only be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility and a universal empathy for one another and for the planet we share.
Since I started by saying I am proud to belong to a party that for decades and since its earliest days has fought against anti-Semitism, I would like to conclude with the words of Jack Layton, who also had a huge influence on me. “My friends, love is better than anger.”
