UPDATE: The Toronto District School Board has now apologized for the “misunderstanding” and reinstated the Jewish History Month banner, following a backlash from students and parents.
B’nai Brith Canada is expressing its outrage after the principal of a Toronto public school removed a banner made by students for Jewish Heritage Month, in a decision upheld by officials at the Toronto District School Board
Principal Reiko Fuentes of Forest Hill Collegiate Institute stated that “although originally approved, the banner was ‘too controversial’ because it resembled the Israeli flag.”
Controversial to whom? Evidently it is Islamic supremacists who are offended by the Israeli flag. They loathe the very existence of the Jewish state, and consider it an affront to the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Fatah seek to obliterate Israel. The Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada, Michael Mostyn, is correct in stating that “the TDSB is making a mockery of Jewish Heritage Month.”
The Toronto District School Board’s approach to Islamic Heritage Month, on the other hand, has been quite different. In October 2017, “Islamic Heritage Month at the Toronto District School Board” featured “the screening of The Sultan and the Saint, a movie about the crusades and an unlikely friendship between a Muslim and a Christian.” This movie focused upon what the Crusaders did to Muslims, but says nothing about what Muslims have done to Christians historically, and that many continue to do. We get a picture of “harmony” between Christians and Muslims, but not the inferior status of Christians historically: they were subjugated as dhimmis and had to pay the jizya in humiliation.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) also tried to get away unnoticed with issuing a guidebook for “Islamic Heritage Month,” which included a definition of “Islamophobia” as “fear, prejudice, hatred or dislike directed against Islam or Muslims, or towards Islamic politics or culture.” Among other recommendations, the TDSB’s 170-page guidebook provided a “list of announcements it suggests be read before or after the playing of O Canada include the Muslim greeting ‘As-salamu alaykum’ (peace be upon you) and an invitation to visit a local mosque.” The National Council of Canadian Muslims (former CAIR-CAN, designated an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation trial for connections to Hamas) called on “supporters and fellow Canadians to write to the leadership and trustees of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to thank them for supporting Islamic Heritage Month and for taking a principled stand against Islamophobia.”
The TDSB eventually pulled the guidebook temporarily, following complaints from B’nai Brith Canada.
“Toronto School Removes Jewish Heritage Month Banner,” by Aidan Fishman, B’nai Brith Canada, May 23, 2018:
TORONTO – B’nai Brith Canada is expressing its outrage after the principal of a Toronto public school removed a banner made by students for Jewish Heritage Month, in a decision upheld by officials at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).
The banner had hung for a week without incident in the main foyer of Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, a midtown Toronto high school with a large Jewish population, before being removed without notice or consultation on Monday. When questioned by students and parents, Principal Reiko Fuentes told them that, although originally approved, the banner was “too controversial” because it resembled the Israeli flag.
Parents of Jewish students at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute are fuming. Yael Elfassy, the mother of one of the students who made the banner, told B’nai Brith that, “The principal’s decision to remove the banner is totally unacceptable. She has no right to tell Jewish students to remove Israel from their heritage.”
When contacted by B’nai Brith, TDSB officials suggested that the banner be displayed internally at Jewish Heritage Month events organized by students, but stood by Principal Fuentes’ decision to remove the banner from the main foyer.
“The TDSB is making a mockery of Jewish Heritage Month,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “This month is supposed to symbolize the acceptance and inclusion of Jewish students and teachers in Toronto schools, but is now marking the exact opposite.
“The administration at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute must immediately return the Jewish Heritage Month banner to its rightful place, and apologize to the Jewish students who have had their heritage denigrated by their own principal.”
Peter Dale says
This involved educators. Why is anybody surprised at their actions?
J D S says
Junior’s government is a stain on the world.
This is one reason Canada is failing along with any nation that disrespects the Jews….America is holding on by the skin of itd teeth and God does look somewhat favorably on us because we have not turned our backside to Israel and the Jews but it is easy to see that any country that does will not prosper…IT’S IN THE BOOK!!!!!
Ren says
Soon, Toronto will be like one of the European cities invaded by muslims. Soon there will be chaos.
Kim Bruce says
It’s not just Toronto…It’s right across Canada. Toronto is the hatchery…
Kim Bruce says
Shame on Toronto District School Board for their Anti-Israel anti-Jewish bias.
Terry Gain says
This is an inevitable result of Muslim immigration. Islam is fascist. Even post Holocaust the Jews are not supposed to have their own country. They are supposed to be slaughtered and pushed into the sea.
Cicero says
Just as the British Londoners are being driven into the North Sea by unbridled Muslim breeding and hatching
Ray Jarman says
I remember when British authorities would kill off an entire animal population to protect the people from rabies and other deceases. One would think that it is time to rid the nation of the decease carried by muslims called islamism. It is far more dangerous than rabies or infections from tics carried by dear.
Logic&Reason says
Our craven education system, like our political system, refuses to stand up to the bully who cries “victim”. Instead, it capitulates and does Islam’s bidding.
Amazing how much the fear of being labelled a bigot can curtail critical thinking. The exact OPPOSITE of what our children should be learning.
Happy, inclusive, useful idiots….
The most intolerant ideology on the planet is Islam at its core. An Islamic theocracy is the negation of diversity, inclusion, and individual freedom to think and express one’s rational, logical thoughts. Everything passes through the Muhammad-Allah double filtration system…and comes out submissive.
Kim Bruce says
Well said.
Terry Gain says
Submissive and brain dead.
Logic&Reason says
Upon threat and promise of really dead….
tony46 says
Two Toronto university campuses were evacuated last night to make them ”refugee’s shelters”.
Channel TV CP24.
The good news?: Québec is not taking invaders anymore. Its resources are over stretched.
Bad news?: refugees are sent to Ontario.
Toronto is a garbage can now.
By the way: an American Democrat organization is giving instructions to refugees in New York on how to request asylum in Canada, where and when.
They have printed a very interesting informative brochure. (Québec French TV)
Terry Gain says
America has its traitors. They are called Democrats. Canada has its traitors as well. They are called Liberals and NdPers. At least America no longer has a leader who is a traitor. Trudope is Obama without the melanin.
Older Canadian says
I am not shocked or surprised this happened. Toronto is so left leaning for the past 20 plus years it is a fallen state whos votes affect and infects the rest of Ontario with its marxist agenda. Lenin would be so proud, and Stalin would tip his hat.
Linda says
How can anyone possibly be offended by a banner that looks like a flag?
David Barrett says
People went to war with banners flying at the head of the army – oh yes, they were definitely offensive to the enemy . War was won when one side killed the leader or captured the banner.
Linda says
How could anyone possibly be offended by a banner that looks like a flag? Leave it to Islam!
Cicero says
Hypersensitive and narcissistic Islam
Linda says
Islam needs to be isolated from the rest of the world permanently so that the followers can’t be offended at the drop of a hat because we all know who pays for it when the followers are offended.
Carolyne says
To the person who asked how a flag could possibly offend anyone: A banner which looks like a Nazi flag would offend me. While I support Israel, its flag is not my flag and I would not fly it in my front yard. I fly only the flag of the United States of America.
Linda says
It’s understandable that you’d only fly the U.S. flag in your yard. I think with Muslims, though, just about everything that isn’t Islamic offends them. If they’re not offended, they look for something to be offended about. If they’re not offended, they’re not happy.
Lydia Church says
What is offensive is the flags of the muslim countries.
Terra Nova says
Muslims will never give in, because, suppose they discover that their Prophet was not the one who wrote the Qur’an, to admit that, that is horrifying to them, the same opposite the Western world, to them that is the worst that can happen.
It happened with the Bible too, only we got wiser and ploughing trough the Bible Belt, most of us came to the conclusion that it could not be like that, but as long as you can’t think for yourself, you will never get to that conclusion and you will stay in that box, until it gets to hot in there and the box will explode into your own face and then you will see that why that will happen, was your own responsibility. Action and reaction !
Paul says
Not only would I have defied the principal and brought back the banner, I would have brought in real flags as well: an Israeli flag, and Indian flag, a Kurdish flag, and an Armenian flag, etc. to represent a sampling of the persecuted populations past and present in the Muslim world.
Politicianophobia says
Ten Muslim, Federal members of parliament in the Toronto area–the people will do what the Muslims dictate.
gravenimage says
Toronto board insults Jewish Heritage Month but rolls out red carpet for Islamic Heritage Month
………………………..
Disgusting–but no surprise.