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Daily News Egypt
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
After Gaza's Children Died of Starvation, Will Arab Americans Stand Up to Trump?
When we compare today's humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza with some of history's most harrowing famines — like the Holodomor in 1930s Ukraine or the Great Chinese Famine of the 1950s — Gaza's famine stands apart in both its horror and its origin. This is not a natural disaster. It is not the result of economic collapse. It is a man-made famine — a deliberate political act, calculated with lethal precision and carried out under the watchful silence of the international community. Since October 2023, Gaza has been descending into darkness. A total blockade has choked off food, water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies. Border crossings have been sealed. All means of producing or importing food have been destroyed. The supply chain has collapsed almost entirely. According to international estimates, over 96% of Gaza's 2.1 million residents now face acute food insecurity, with no relief in sight. Children are dying in their mothers' arms from hunger. Hospitals are drawing their final breaths as critical medications and nutritional aid run dry. By July 2025, over 71 children had died from malnutrition, and more than 620 patients had died due to the collapse of basic health services. There is no justification for this. No excuse for allowing an entire population to face extinction in plain sight. More than 805 people have been killed and 5,200 injured while trying to reach food aid centres. At least 42 individuals have disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, 88% of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed, including bakeries and flour mills, rendering local food production nearly impossible. This is no longer about survival — it's about resisting a slow, engineered death. But the tragedy doesn't end within Gaza's borders. It extends outward — to those who were expected to intervene. The international community has largely responded with toothless statements of 'concern.' Even more damning, verified reports show that the US destroyed 500 tonnes of high-energy emergency food rations — supplies capable of feeding 1.5 million people for an entire week — rather than redirecting them to starving populations like Gaza. The food was destroyed. The lives were not saved. This isn't bureaucratic failure — it's documented complicity. The US has not merely failed to act; it has provided open military and political support to Israel, effectively moving from peace broker to active participant in this humanitarian collapse. No political calculus can justify this role. What adds to the confusion — and to the heartbreak — is the vocal support some public figures in the US have extended to President Donald Trump during the election, arguing he represents the 'last chance for peace' in the Middle East. Among those voices is Imam Bilal Al-Zuhairi, a respected Yemeni-American leader from the US Arab community. Al-Zuhairi played a notable role in mobilising Arab-American voters during the 2024 election, particularly in pivotal swing states like Michigan — a contribution many credit with tipping the scales in Trump's favour. At a campaign rally, Imam Al-Zuhairi declared: 'I personally believe God saved Trump's life twice for a reason — maybe to save thousands of lives in Gaza.' This statement struck many as both hopeful and perplexing. Trump had promised his Muslim supporters in Michigan that he would end ongoing wars — including the war on Gaza — that he would fight Islamophobia and bring Arab-Americans into his administration. But as of now, none of those promises have materialised, and Gaza continues to burn. Nothing has changed — except for the worsening of the suffering. Did we expect a humanitarian miracle from Trump? Is he really the hope we cling to for peace in Palestine? The sad truth is that all we've heard are promises. The reality is: Gaza is still being punished, starved, and killed. This is not an attack. This is not incitement. This is a painful, honest question: How can someone claim to be a beacon of peace while a famine unfolds on their watch? How many times will we repackage the same illusions, while innocent lives continue to vanish? Today's call is not about assigning blame. It is a call to conscience — a plea to the world to reclaim its humanity. The United Nations must act, not just to send aid, but to guarantee its delivery, impose a ceasefire, and protect the dignity of civilians being crushed before our eyes. But above all, this is a call to the people — the only true agents of change. To the peoples of Europe, to the conscience of Arab America, whose voices have swayed elections and moved the tides of history: your silence now is complicity. From Dearborn to New York, from London to Oslo, we urge you to raise your voices: 'Save Gaza.' This is not a political battle. It is a moral reckoning. Vote — not for empty promises — but for justice, for peace, for human dignity. And to the United Nations: Don't postpone your conscience. Don't wait for more bodies to pile up before you act. Being 'concerned' is not enough. We demand bold, immediate, and effective action. Saving Gaza is a test of our shared humanity — a test we cannot afford to fail. Dr. Marwa El-Shenawy – Academic and Writer
Toronto Star
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Ontario is pausing its curriculum overhaul. Here's what that will mean for students
Ontario's surprise decision to postpone curriculum changes — including mandatory instruction on the Holodomor, the Holocaust and Black Canadian history, as well as an overhaul of kindergarten — has drawn disappointment from advocates, but teachers' unions say it gives educators much-needed time to prepare meaningful lessons. 'This provides a valuable opportunity to get it right,' said Martha Hradowy, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, said of the one-year delay. She noted the timing of the announcement was not ideal and created 'some uncertainty,' but the pause 'allows for better planning, clearer communication and more comprehensive professional development.'
Hamilton Spectator
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario is pausing its curriculum overhaul. Here's what that will mean for students
Ontario's surprise decision to postpone curriculum changes — including mandatory instruction on the Holodomor, the Holocaust and Black Canadian history, as well as an overhaul of kindergarten — has drawn disappointment from advocates, but teachers' unions say it gives educators much-needed time to prepare meaningful lessons. 'This provides a valuable opportunity to get it right,' said Martha Hradowy, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, said of the one-year delay. She noted the timing of the announcement was not ideal and created 'some uncertainty,' but the pause 'allows for better planning, clearer communication and more comprehensive professional development.' The elementary teachers union also received no advance notice. 'We were surprised — pleasantly so,' said ETFO president Karen Brown. 'We're not opposed to a revised and updated curriculum; educators want that, and they want what's best for their students. But they need time to prepare. I'm glad (the ministry) is listening.' Both Hradowy and Brown said in the absence of any concrete guidelines from the government, teachers had been expressing concerns they would not be ready under the original timeline. Curriculum changes set to take effect this fall were introduced more than a year and a half ago. The province planned to revise Grade 10 history to include enhanced mandatory instruction on the Holodomor , the Holocaust, and Black Canadian histories and to add financial literacy to Grade 10 math. Kindergarten's play-based approach , introduced in 2010, was to be revamped in favour of a 'back-to-basics' focus on reading, writing and math. But last Friday, tacked on to the end of a news conference about the province taking over four school boards due to alleged financial mismanagement, Education Minister Paul Calandra announced curriculum changes would be shelved for a year. He said the delay would allow time to develop 'a more central, consistent' approach and give teachers the opportunity to properly prepare. 'Students cannot afford to wait,' Josh Landau, director of Ontario government relations at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, told the Star. 'In a time where antisemitism has risen to levels not seen in recent memory, there remains a troubling lack of understanding about the Holocaust, its impacts and the persistent dehumanization of Jews that reverberates even today.' Calling the delay a setback, Tiffany Ford, executive director of education non-profit P.E.A.C.H. , said 'these updates are crucial for providing Ontario students with a more inclusive and accurate understanding of history. While we understand the ministry is managing multiple priorities, we urge the government to uphold its commitment to these curriculum changes.' Debbie King, chair of the Black trustees' caucus at the Ontario Public School Boards' Association, said she was hopeful the pause would give teachers more support and time to prepare, but in the meantime 'educators should not fear reprisal or other potential consequences for supplementing or extending the existing curriculum with applicable content and materials in culturally responsive ways. 'Many school boards have already begun meaningful work in this area,' she added, 'but sustained and system-wide progress requires co-ordination, collaboration and commitment.' Roma Dzerowicz, project manager of the Holodomor National Awareness Tour — a mobile classroom experience about the 1932–33 famine-genocide that killed millions in Ukraine — said she was shocked by last Friday's announcement. 'We are disappointed,' she said, adding she had been contacting school boards as late as last week about potential visits to dovetail with the enhanced curriculum. A Ukrainian Canadian Congress spokesperson noted there just wasn't enough time to prepare educators to teach 'complex and historically significant topics like the Holodomor, with which many might not be familiar.' Valentina Kuryliw, who serves as chair of the Holodomor Education Committee, added that while the delay was 'unfortunate,' it was 'prudent.' Brown said she understands the frustration voiced by advocates, but emphasized the importance of providing teachers with the proper training and tools: 'You do not want our members doing a disservice to the Black community because the teacher who's delivering the curriculum is fumbling through the knowledge. No one wants that.' The heads of both teachers unions are urging the ministry to release details of the new curriculum as soon as possible, and not wait another year. Brown said many questions remain — particularly about the revised kindergarten program and how young students will be assessed. Error! 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Montreal Gazette
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Hanes: Disinformation and hate threaten to drown out lessons of history
Heidi Berger has spent the better part of the last decade trying to get Quebec to make education about genocide compulsory in schools. Now she finds herself caught between the lessons of history and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, in a polarized political climate where the word genocide has been weaponized. 'It's tough times,' said Berger, founder of the Montreal-based Foundation for Genocide Education. 'It's very, very tough.' Inspired by her late mother's commitment to sharing the story of surviving the Holocaust, Berger started the organization to promote teaching young people about some of the greatest atrocities of the 20th century in order to prevent such mass murders from ever happening again. After much lobbying and nudging, a tool kit was developed three years ago for the Quebec Ministry of Education by pedagogical experts to help teachers delve into the difficult topic of genocide. It covers those that occurred in Armenia, Namibia, Rwanda and Bosnia, as well as the Holocaust, the Holodomor, when the Soviet Union starved millions of Ukrainians, and crimes against Indigenous Peoples. Although the guide remains optional in schools, it was nevertheless a major breakthrough in Berger's quest. Then Oct. 7 happened and put everything the foundation had accomplished to the test. 'What has really been so heavy on my heart is the obstacles to teaching about the Holocaust and genocide after Oct. 7,' she said. 'It's been challenging to give our presentations by children of Holocaust survivors to schools which previously welcomed us. I have to be honest: There are a number of schools who have cancelled scheduled presentations because they cite concerns that discussing the Holocaust or genocide in general may trigger emotions in their students. There's also a fear of reprisals from parents. And there's also a basic lack of training in how to mediate discussions on the topic.' Teaching about a subject as painful, sensitive and complex as genocide has never been easy, but it has become all the more difficult since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking 250 hostage. The word genocide went from being an obscure term to a ubiquitous accusation chanted at protests against Israel for its ongoing bombardment of Gaza. Rhetoric has hardened on both sides, with some now referring to Hamas not just as a terror group but a 'genocidal' terrorist organization due to its explicit goal of wiping Israel off the map. Support for Israel's right to defend itself has waned as the war drags on and two ceasefires have faltered. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. Apartment blocks have been levelled, millions of Palestinians have been displaced inside Gaza and there are frequent warnings that Israel restricting aid is pushing the population toward starvation. There's no doubt the human suffering is awful. But is it unlawful? South Africa brought a complaint of genocide against Israel to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The ICC cautioned Israel about committing genocide and issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, as well as the masterminds of the Hamas attack, who have since been assassinated. History will ultimately judge whether this is genocide. But in the meantime, the public has formed its own opinions, as sympathy for Palestinians grows and shock over the tragedy of Oct. 7 fades. In a new online poll by Léger conducted in early June, almost half of 1,100 Canadians surveyed — 49 per cent — agreed that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. And those views were solicited before Israel started bombing Iran to contain the existential threat of its nuclear program in a dramatic escalation of already tense hostilities in the Middle East. A closer look at the Léger poll shows that over 60 per cent of respondents who identify as Liberal, New Democratic, Bloc Québécois or Green party voters hold the view that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, compared to 37 per cent who declared themselves Conservatives. There is a deep split in public opinion despite the fact 46 per cent of respondents told pollsters they barely understood or had a poor understanding of the conflict. These findings illustrate the strong emotions surrounding Israel's pulverization of Gaza, but also the fallout from a social media shadow war playing out since Oct. 7. On Thursday, the Foundation for Genocide Education is hosting a fundraiser where journalist and author Warren Kinsella will speak about propaganda and hate in an age of disinformation. Kinsella, who recently returned from Israel, is writing a book and producing a documentary on the digital campaign 'to shape history, sway public opinion, and control the narrative surrounding one of the world's most polarizing conflicts.' Iranian-funded propaganda against Israel began well before Hamas's 2023 attack. But in November 2023, the New York Times uncovered a 'deluge of online propaganda and disinformation' spread by Iran, Russia and to a lesser extent China 'that is larger than anything seen before.' 'It's fascinating and surprisingly sophisticated what they did,' Kinsella said in an interview. Kinsella's talk will look at how anti-Israel attitudes, once the domain of the far right, have now been adopted by the progressive left. They have been strongly embraced by younger generations, who tend to see Israel's actions through the lens of their post-colonial, anti-racist values. Israel, meanwhile, has failed to tell its own story effectively, said Kinsella, once an adviser to prime minister Jean Chrétien, resulting in the Jewish community writ large being blamed for Netanyahu's war. 'Israel has done a really, really crummy job of communications,' said Kinsella. 'Israel needs to tell a better story about itself.' Legitimate criticism of Netanyahu's merciless bombing of Gaza is sometimes misconstrued as antisemitism. But it shouldn't be. Even within Israel, there is visceral opposition and loud dissent. 'Enough is enough. Israel is committing war crimes,' former prime minister Ehud Olmert wrote in Haaretz on May 27. And in an interview with Israeli public radio, Yair Golan, a retired general and leader of Israel's Democrats party, said: 'Israel is on its way to becoming a pariah state among nations, like South Africa was, if we don't return to acting like a sane country. And a sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations.' But this range of opinion is rarely heard outside Israel. Instead, practically the entire Jewish diaspora has been painted with the same brush — vilified, discredited and scapegoated. The conflict has unleashed an alarming tidal wave of hate toward both the Jewish and Muslim communities in Canada and around the world. But the scourge of antisemitism, which the New York Times editorial board recently characterized as 'the oldest hate,' has been particularly vicious. While Israel was still mourning its dead and counting the numbers of hostages taken, Hamas supporters celebrated the attack in the streets of Montreal and other Canadian cities. In Montreal, bullets have been fired at Jewish schools and firebombs tossed at synagogues. College and university campuses have become battle zones where Jewish students feel intimidated for showing visible signs of their identity, daring to defend Israel's right to exist, or demonstrating for the return of the hostages. In recent weeks, antisemitism has reached dangerous new levels. A young Jewish couple who worked at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot to death leaving an event at the Holocaust museum there. An arsonist firebombed the home of Pennsylvania's Jewish governor on Passover. An assailant in Boulder, Colo., attacked a crowd of protesters rallying for the release of Israeli hostages, injuring 15, including a Holocaust survivor. This violent turn is not only worrisome for the Jewish community, which was already feeling unsafe in Montreal as elsewhere, but also for democracy and society as a whole. As has often been pointed out when it comes to dark chapters in history: It starts with the Jews, but it doesn't end with the Jews. This is why education about genocide is so important. It teaches critical thinking skills and helps students identify the warning signs that lead to mass murder, which are classification, separation, stigmatization, dehumanization, justification and elimination. The foundation relies on the United Nations' 1948 definition of genocide, which is 'acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group,' including killing; causing serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction; imposing measures intended to prevent births; and forcibly transferring children. There is certainly room for discussion about how these criteria apply to both history and current events. But rational debate has become a struggle, Berger said. There were complaints after a recent presentation at one school where the foundation has long been sending the children of Holocaust survivors to speak. 'There was a small cohort of very vocal Arab-Palestinian parents who accused us and the principal and the board of governors of the school of us sending in representatives to platform pro-Israel views and to weaponize the Holocaust as a justification for Israel's actions in Gaza,' Berger said. 'We spoke to the principal after and we don't know if they're going to invite us back next year. Are they going to be afraid?' Other schools have also stopped calling or are saying 'no thanks' when the foundation gets in touch. Most painful of all, there has been a schism in the ranks of the survivors of other genocides who the foundation sends to schools as speakers. 'We had an Armenian presenter that we'd trained who went into schools to talk about her grandparents and the Armenian genocide. It was the only presentation of that kind anywhere. And she quit. She didn't want to be associated with us,' Berger said. 'We also had a Rwandan quit on us. Also a young Rwandan survivor himself, who quit on us, because we didn't want to say that Israel is committing a genocide because we don't believe it. In the meantime, we had a presenter who wanted us to remove the word genocide from our name.' Instead of bringing people together to connect the dots of the hate and discrimination that can lead to genocide, the Jewish community, which forged the template for 'never again,' is once again ostracized. Out of both necessity and circumstance, the foundation's focus has narrowed somewhat. 'We've had to shift more of our focus to educating about the Holocaust. Because when we go into schools to give presentations about the Holocaust, we talk about the history of antisemitism. And this is directly tied to the students' understanding of why and how this hate is resurfacing under the guise of anti-Israel protest and hate,' Berger said. 'What the problem is now in schools, we're told by teachers it's very cool for kids to be antisemitic. It's a very cool thing. And genocide is a very hot, controversial word now. It wasn't before, but it is now.' As disinformation, discrimination and hate threaten to drown out the lessons of history, Berger remains steadfast in her goal of making education about genocide mandatory in Quebec schools to honour her mother's legacy. 'Still to me that is the most powerful tool we have,' she said.
AllAfrica
09-06-2025
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Russia's war on Ukrainian children
As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds well into its fourth year, children remain among the war's most vulnerable victims. Ballistic missiles have struck homes, schools, hospitals, and playgrounds. Russia is not only targeting children with missiles, it aims to militarize Ukrainian children on the occupied territories to prepare them for a future war with the West. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called attention to what he describes as the deliberate targeting of children. 'It is wrong and dangerous to keep silent about the fact that it is Russia that is killing children with ballistic missiles,' he said. Twelve people were killed and 90 civilians – including six children – were injured in a large-scale Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv on April 24. US President Donald Trump even recently asked his advisers if Russian dictator Vladimir Putin 'has changed since Trump's last time in office, and expressed surprise at some of Putin's military moves, including bombing areas with children.' The attack came just weeks after a devastating April 4 strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih where a Russian cluster-armed Iskander-M ballistic missile hit the city of Kryvyi Rih killing 18 people, including nine children, and wounding over 40 others. One of the youngest victims was just three months old. The attack was a brutal reminder of Russia's continued terror tactics, such as the July 2024 strike on Kyiv's Okhmatdyt children's hospital, a facility filled with young cancer patients. Ruslan, call sign ' a commander in Ukraine's 23rd Brigade, said Russia systematically targets civilians. 'Hospitals, residential buildings, and shopping centers are struck, yet Russian media claims they're hitting military facilities.' Peter Gelpi, an American volunteer in Ukraine since 2022, said he has been targeted despite driving vehicles clearly marked as 'humanitarian' and 'volunteer.' 'Each strike was extremely accurate,' he said. 'These can't be mistakes.' Between April 1 and April 24 alone, Russian strikes killed 151 people and injured 697 others, according to the UN – a 46% increase in civilian casualties from the same period last year. Russia's war on children extends beyond missile strikes. It has forcibly deported more than 19,000 children to Russia. These actions have drawn accusations of genocide. During the 1932–1933 Holodomor (death by hunger), children were among the most vulnerable and targeted victims of the Soviet-engineered famine in Ukraine. The Soviet government starved millions of Ukrainians to death. Despite their parents' desperate efforts to protect them, millions of children starved, with historians estimating between 1.5 to 4 million child deaths. Those who survived often grew up in orphanages that functioned as death camps, and many remain unrecognized as official victims. 'The Holodomor has played a pivotal historical role in Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. Beyond the battlefield, this war has been, in many ways, about the fight for historical narratives,' said John Vsetecka, Assistant Professor of History at Nova Southeastern University. Natalia Kuzovova, Head of the Department of History, Archeology and Teaching Methods at Kherson State University, reflected on the generational efforts of Russia to kill Ukrainians, stating, 'We talk about children who will grow up. Yet hundreds of Ukrainian children will never reach adulthood because they were killed by Russia.' She drew parallels with the Holodomor, when the status of children in society differed significantly from today. At that time, the family structure was patriarchal, survival hinged on a man's physical labor, and society was not child-centered. Family relations extended beyond the modern concept of a nuclear family, and during the Holodomor, as well as during the campaign against peasants considered wealthy, called kulaks, starting in the 1920s, entire 'households' were subjected to repression. 'Even very young children were labeled enemies of the Soviet state and deported with their families, many dying en route or becoming orphans,' said Kuzovova. Teenagers were arrested for failing to meet grain quotas and starved to death in prisons and penal colonies. Children whose parents had been arrested were often left on the streets without care, and those placed in shelters perished due to a lack of food. 'It is believed,' Kuzovova noted, 'that the most numerous victims of the Holodomor were children under the age of four, due to their mothers' loss of lactation and the absence of age-appropriate food.' 'Even very young children were labeled enemies and deported with their families,' she said. 'Children starved in shelters, prisons, and streets.' The most common victims, she noted, were children under four. The psychological toll on today's children is immense. Yuliia Matvievieva of the Volia Fund said reports show rising rates of anxiety, sleep disorders, PTSD, and depression. Displacement, broken family ties, constant danger, and emotionally unavailable caregivers are all contributing factors. 'Children retreat into the internet,' said Alina Holovko, coordinator at Dobra Sprava. 'They live under chronic stress, fear of death, and psychological overload.' She noted that schools need bomb shelters and spaces for group activities. 'In-person schooling would solve many psychological issues,' she said. Sophia Yushchenko, co-founder of Code for Ukraine, said children will face lifelong consequences. 'Education is disrupted, families are broken, and their sense of safety is gone,' she said. She divided the crisis into three groups. First, children in free territories who have suffered physically and emotionally. Second, those abroad who may never return. Third, those in occupied zones taken to reeducation camps or adopted into Russian families. The UN has hesitated to call this genocide, but Yushchenko pointed to the Genocide Convention's clause on forcibly transferring children. 'That's exactly what's happening,' she said. She added that Russian troops often bring textbooks, destroy Ukrainian literature and churches, and install pro-Russia curriculum. 'They replace identity with militarism,' she said. Since 2014, Russia has promoted 'patriotic education' in occupied Ukraine. After 2022, those efforts accelerated. Groups like Yunarmia indoctrinate children with military ideology. Some members have gone on to fight against Ukraine. On May 9, children in red berets marched through Red Square in Moscow, not to celebrate peace, but as part of Russia's growing militarized youth corps, Yunarmiya. Russia also seems to be using children's summer camps in occupied Crimea as human shields to deter Ukrainian strikes, violating international humanitarian law by placing military assets near civilian areas. During the Istanbul talks in early June, Russia's lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, reportedly mocked Ukraine's demand to return deported children, dismissing it as 'a show for childless European grandmothers.' The UN reports over 2,500 Ukrainian children killed or injured since the full-scale invasion. These are not isolated tragedies, but the result of a systematic campaign to terrorize civilians and break Ukraine's resolve. It echoes the brutal tactics of the 1930s, when Moscow deliberately starved millions of Ukrainians during the Holodomor to crush their aspirations for independence. Then, as now, Russia seeks to subjugate Ukraine by targeting its most vulnerable. An associate research fellow of the London-based Henry Jackson Society think tank, David Kirichenko is a Ukrainian-American freelance journalist, activist and security engineer who, multiple times during the Ukraine War, has traveled to and worked in the areas being fought over. He can be found on the social media platform X @DVKirichenko
