Ottawa Imam Calls Out Prime Minister and Elected Officials at Press Conference Demanding a Ceasefire in Gaza

Imam Sikander Hashmi is an experienced imam, community builder, fundraiser, writer, teacher, and marketer based in Kanata (Ottawa), Ontario. His diverse educational background includes a traditional six-year Alamiyya Degree in Classical Islamic Studies from Al-Rashid Islamic Institute, a BA Specialization in Journalism from Concordia University, and a Masters Degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University.

With nearly a decade of experience, Imam Sikander Hashmi is a respected leader known for his strong, compassionate guidance. By the Grace of God, his commitment to honesty, sincerity, and straightforward advice has earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor within the Muslim community.

Imam Sikander Hashmi delivered the following statement at the press conference:

Imagine the city of Toronto was bombed non-stop 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the past three weeks.

Imagine if no Torontonian was allowed to leave.

Imagine if all of Toronto's residents were forced into an area smaller than Scarborough, with bombed out roads and collapsed buildings everywhere.

Imagine if all supermarkets in that area were empty, and you had to spend hours searching for a single loaf of bread.

Imagine if through all of this, there was no power and barely any water.

Imagine if through all of this, the number of children killed in Toronto was higher than the number of people killed on 9/11.

Imagine on top of that, the same number of adults were also killed in Toronto.

This is the reality the people of Gaza are living right now.

I'd like to ask the Prime Minister and his fellow world leaders - with respect, when is your conscience going to wake up?

When are you going to be unable to sleep at night?

When are you going to call for an immediate ceasefire?

Who is holding you back?

Your silence and inaction are shouting out loud that our blood and pain are worthless.

Homes, schools, hospitals, mosques, even one of the oldest churches in the world - the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrios in Gaza - were hit by Israeli airstrikes.

The church was sheltering Christians and Muslims, many of whom were killed.

Every morning at my mosque when I'm in to lead prayers, I see community members who have family living through the horrors happening right now in Gaza.

Every morning, we pray and then as we're walking out, we ask how they're doing.

A few days ago, I learned that Ali had lost 22 family members in Gaza - everyone, uncles, aunts, children, women, grandparents, men.

This morning, his children's school is wondering how to offer support to the family.

These are not isolated incidents.

Across Canada, there are families in grief and their pain is linked to the abject failure of the international community.

Sadly, Canada stands in shame today for allowing this travesty of justice to continue.

We needed an immediate ceasefire two weeks ago to stop the death and destruction.

We need one even more today. Right now.

Vivian Silver was born in Winnipeg. She's 74 and an Israeli peace activist. She is believed to be one of the hostages currently in Gaza along with possibly 200 others.

Canadian media reports quote her son saying, "My basic belief is that the military actions don't solve anything."

He said, and I quote: "The attack on Oct. 7, it was vicious (and) really brutal. But it happened in a certain context of this region of years and years of dehumanizing people from both sides."

Sadly, we see that dehumanization and its effects playing out right now.

Mr. Prime Minister, please speak up to protect the lives of innocent civilians.

There are other Canadians trapped in Gaza.

The horrible death and destruction being inflicted upon the people of Gaza is not helping bring any Canadian home.

Speak up, stand up for what is right. You and other world leaders have the power to save lives.

As @muslimlifecanada on instagram aptly stated:

"If you’ve ever wondered what you would have done during the slave trade, Holocaust and civil rights movement, you are doing it right now."

We need a ceasefire. Now. Please. Thank you

Watch Imam Sikander Hashimi speak at the press conference below: