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Or sign-in if you have an account.Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at CANSEC in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Photo by HYUNGCHEOL PARK/PostmediaWhile many Canadian Jews feel alone and unsupported because of increases in antisemitism, they may find it comforting to learn that many non-Jews, including a number with Muslim and Arabic backgrounds, are objecting strongly to some of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s questionable choices.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorTake Canadian human-rights activists Yasmine Mohammed and Ashti Waissi, for instance.The pair put their heads together with other volunteers at CLARITy Coalition Canada earlier this week and emerged with a petition aimed at persuading Carney to reconsider his choices for the advisory council he recently formed to combat racism and antisemitism in this country. Among their top concerns was Carney’s appointment of Omar Alghabra, former Liberal MP and transport minister, to the council.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againBefore he was a politician, Alghabra was the president of the Canadian Arab Federation. The organization has advocated against the listing of Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organizations, and when Alghabra was its president, it made a formal complaint against the National Post for labelling the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade as “terrorists,” despite it being designated as such by the government.Last Tuesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told a reporter, “I remember Mr. Alghabra lobbying me, before he was in politics, to keep Hezbollah legal. So I’m not sure that he’s the right guy to combat antisemitism.”Waissi, who is of Kurdish descent, told me over the phone Thursday, “This appointment was a slap to the face of Jewish Canadians and anyone who cares about human rights. We are hoping that our petition will apply the necessary pressure on Carney and his administration to make the changes necessary to ensure the effectiveness of this advisory council.”Waissi said the petition was posted online at midnight on Tuesday. It has been signed by nearly 2,000 people as of Friday afternoon.Waissi and Mohammed say their petition will be widely circulated and will be brought to Carney’s attention. Waissi called the response to the petition “amazing” and said she expected many more signatures by the weekend. She also said many of the positive responses thus far have come from Muslim Canadians.“I was absolutely horrified by the appointments chosen by Carney,” said Mohammed, a podcaster and author who has spent years fighting for women’s rights. She spoke with me over email on Thursday.“I genuinely cannot conceive of why he would choose someone who has spoken up in defence of terrorist groups to an advisory council meant to combat racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate in all forms, and to foster social cohesion and protect rights across Canada.”CLARITy describes itself as a coalition founded by Muslims, ex-Muslims, academics, scholars, authors and activists who stand for peace, democracy, liberty and secular governments.Virtually all religions — and atheists — are represented, and share their thoughts, in this group, including Hadassah Goldberg, a retired ophthalmologist who also contributed to the creation of the petition.“What’s great about CLARITy is that we all have different backgrounds but work together for the right causes,” Goldberg told me in a phone call Thursday. “I am Jewish and I must tell you it’s gratifying to work with others who aren’t Jewish but who do all they can to ensure things are done right for all human beings.”After facing intimidation, discrimination, vandalism, harassment, shootings and threats in their schools, synagogues and communities since the October 7, 2023, terror attack of Israel by Hamas, many Jewish Canadians have become deeply depressed and fearful. Many, as I wrote on these pages not long ago, have left or are planning to leave Canada in hopes of feeling safer in other countries.Mohammed said you don’t have to be Jewish to comprehend the absurdity of the Alghabra appointment.But while non-Jews are expressing their opposition to Alghabra’s appointment, Waissi said she is puzzled by a lack of indignation on the part of Jewish Canadians.Waissi, author of a Substack and former House of Commons policy advisor, ran unsuccessfully for the Conservative party a few years ago in Ottawa’s West Nepean riding. She said she continues to communicate with residents of the riding, many of whom are Jewish, and is concerned that they are reluctant to support CLARITy’s petition.“Frankly, we’ve had more reaction from non-Jewish Canadians than the Jewish ones, and we don’t get that,” Waissi said. “We don’t understand the silence on this from some of the Jewish community. We hope they will speak up and sign the petition because this clearly isn’t fair to Canadian Jews.”Waissi said she also doesn’t understand Carney’s appointment of Cathriona Le May Doan, a former Olympic skater, to the advisory council.“I have nothing against athletes,” Waissi said, “but how is this person qualified to be part of this council?”The CLARITy petition urges the government to appoint Raheel Raza to the advisory council. Waissi and Mohammed maintain that Raza, president of the Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow, is a respected journalist and human-rights advocate who would be ideal to challenge antisemitism, Islamist extremism and religious radicalization in Canada.It will be interesting to see how Carney reacts to the pressure from the many non-Jewish Canadians.National PostMarty York is renowned as a former national columnist, associate editor and television personality in Canada. He spent the past decade as chief media officer and communications director for a Canadian Jewish human rights organization. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.