Interfaith Justice brought awareness to the genocide in Gaza by hosting a biking event on June 30, 2024, to raise money for the impacted families.
“The event’s purpose is to bring awareness to the Palestinian cause,” Zaid Shamsi, a member of Interfaith Justice, said.
Interfaith Justice is a group of Christians, Muslims and members of other spiritual groups in Guelph advocating peace for Palestine and Israel. The group officially formed in January 2024 with the help of different religious solidarity and bridging groups in Guelph, who were aware of the history between Israel and Palestine, some of them even knew for over two decades. They are from varying religious backgrounds and came together to denounce violence to all people impacted by military violence, especially those already marginalized and subjected to continued injustice.
The reason Guelph got involved in raising awareness for this problem is that there were concerned citizens, especially people from Gaza, who were aware of the 75-year history between Israel and Palestine.
“It’s not a war, and it’s been 75-plus years of aggression on Palestine done by Israel and its ongoing genocide,” Kate Nixon, a member of Interfaith Justice, said.
In October 2023, when the conflict in Gaza first broke out, more people became aware of the history between Israel and Palestine, leading them to join public events that bring awareness to the issue, such as the Ride for Palestine bike event.
“So, what that looked like was a bunch of people with different backgrounds, different skill sets, different passions, coming together to find ways to work towards the Palestinian cause,” Nixon said.
Respecting and recognizing the suffering families in Gaza, Interfaith Justice made the cycling track 42.4 kilometres, which is the length of Gaza’s border with the Mediterranean Sea. It is also the distance between Guelph/Eramosa and Puslinch, a symbolic reference to Gaza and the mission to raise money for the suffering families there.
If the cyclists were unable to complete the course, they could choose alternate 15-, 26- and 42-kilometre routes. They could also take a shorter course around the University of Gulph, where the student encampment, People’s Plaza for Palestine, was located before decamping on July 15, 2024.
Despite the possibility of interference from other religious groups who oppose Palestine, Interfaith Justice said that the event went smoothly, with law enforcement even offering to help protect the participants in the program.
“What united us was our desire for a free and liberated Palestine. It was a very nice energy. The event had a very nice soul. And yeah, it was a happy occasion,” Hiba Sadi, another Interfaith Justice member, said.
She added that the event was a success, with large groups of people of all ages participating and a lot of attention gathered from local communities. She hopes that the organizational efforts will continue to gather support not only from Guelph but also from people in other cities who are aware of Interfaith Justice and the genocide in Gaza.
Shamsi also discussed different ways that Canadian citizens could help spread awareness of the ongoing genocide. He said university encampments, protests and speeches are great ways to create more awareness.
But what he says matters the most is that Palestinians and Canadians who know about the genocide can make a difference every day by taking small actions.
“Whether that’s resharing a post on social media, whether that’s just attending a protest, whether that’s avoiding eating at a place that supports Israel—every little action matters.”
Interfaith Justice will continue their efforts to support the families who suffered the tragic events involved in the ongoing genocide in Palestine, through fundraising events, public dinners and more.
For more information, visit Interfaith Justice’s Instagram page, @guelph4palestine.
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