Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was booed during a visit to a mosque in Toronto. People demanded that he call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Toronto: After his response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced backlash during his recent visit to a mosque in Toronto. A video of the incident circulating on the internet shows people gathered at the mosque shouting ‘shame’ at the Canadian PM and urging organizers not to let him speak at the podium.

In the same clip, people can be heard booing Trudeau as he walked out of the mosque. They demanded him to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Video shows a woman holding a placard that reads ‘Stop the genocide’. “How many Palestinian children need to be slaughtered before you call for a ceasefire?”

PM Justin Trudeau embarrassed and rejected from Canada Mosque pic.twitter.com/8NUhjYrzyr

— Mohammed Hijab (@mohammed_hijab) October 20, 2023

Justin Trudeau’s Mosque Visit

According to The Toronto Sun, the Canadian Prime Minister visited the mosque on Friday in the Etobicoke area of Toronto. The Prime Minister’s Office did not announce or inform the meeting about his visit in advance. Later, the PMO confirmed Trudeau’s visit to the International Muslims Organization of Toronto, clarifying that it was to show support for those affected by the events in the Middle East.

“Everyone is hurt and hurting; everyone is grieving; everyone is scared of what this means,” Trudeau said while speaking to mediapersons on Friday in Ontario’s Brampton. He was responding to a reporter’s question about if his caucus is at odds over how the Liberals should respond.

MP Salma Zahid’s letter to Trudeau

The Toronto Sun reported that Salma Zahid, a Liberal MP from the Toronto area and the chair of the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group, had written a letter to the Canadian Prime Minister outlining specific demands on behalf of 33 MPs.

The letter urges the Canadian government to join the call for a ceasefire open the humanitarian corridor and stand up for international law. Notably, the letter was signed by eight NDP MPs, 23 backbench Liberal MPs, and both Green Party MPs.

Trudeau on Israel-Hamas War

The Canadian PM has not taken a side in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. He defended Israel’s “right to defend itself” and condemned Hamas’s attack. Talking about peace between Israel and Palestine, Trudeau stated that Canada is still committed to a two-state solution. He added that Hamas does not represent the Palestinians nor do they speak for Muslim or Arab communities.

In the House of Commons, Justin Trudeau also declared that Canada is advocating for a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the delivery of vital aid, including food, fuel, and water, to the civilian population in Gaza.